Jeddah in 5 Days on a Budget (Daily Costs)
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Before you book: Saudi Arabia is under a US State Department Level 3 “Reconsider Travel” advisory tied to the regional conflict involving Iran that began in February 2026, plus a separate Houthi front from Yemen that resumed in July. Jeddah itself has not been struck, but UK authorities name its airport and port among possible targets “at short notice” if things escalate. Check travel.state.gov or gov.uk before booking, and again before you fly.
Five days lets you slow down and add both a beach corridor day and a proper arts afternoon to the city-plus-Taif plan. Here’s the full plan with real budget ranges.
Book these before you go
- eVisa: apply online, roughly SAR 480-535 (about $130-145), before you fly.
- A Jeddah hotel: search options on Booking.com (check the current official travel advisory before booking).
- A Taif day trip: browse tours on Viator (check the current official travel advisory before booking).
Day 1: Al-Balad and the Corniche
Morning: Al-Balad, the UNESCO old town (inscribed 2014), the coral-stone tower houses, the Bab Makkah gate, Souq Al-Alawi, and Naseef House (free, limited hours, call ahead). It’s a working restoration area, so scaffolding in parts is normal.
Lunch: Budget SAR 30-50 for mutabbaq.
Evening: The Corniche at sunset, King Fahd’s Fountain (free, lit sunset to midnight), the Al-Rahma Floating Mosque exterior (free), and the open-air sculpture walk. Dinner budget SAR 80-130 per person.
Day 1 rough cost: SAR 0-50 in entry fees, SAR 110-180 in food.
Day 2: The Red Sea and a museum
Morning: A half-day snorkel or dive boat trip from Sharm Obhur, budget roughly SAR 200-400 (about $55-110).
Afternoon: The Tayebat Museum, officially the Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum, closed Fridays, verify hours before you go.
Evening: Red Sea Mall or Mall of Arabia (free), dinner budget SAR 80-150 per person.
Day 2 rough cost: SAR 200-400 for the boat trip, SAR 120-210 in food.
Day 3: Taif, up in the mountains
A full day trip to Taif, roughly 1.5 to 2 hours up the escarpment, cooler than the coast, with rose farms, a cable car, Shubra Palace, and its own souq. Book a private driver or group tour, prices vary by operator, so compare a couple.
Day 3 rough cost: varies by tour operator, plus SAR 60-100 for meals in Taif.
Day 4: North Obhur and the beach corridor
Morning and afternoon: North Obhur, roughly 30km north of the center, the city’s beach-resort corridor. The public beach is free to enter, with chair rental around SAR 10, while the private beach clubs further along the same stretch charge day fees and sometimes run women-only days or hours, worth checking ahead if that matters to your group.
Evening: The Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina boardwalk back in the city, free to wander, with cafes for a relaxed dinner, budget SAR 80-130 per person.
Day 4 rough cost: SAR 10-80 for beach access, SAR 100-160 in food.
Day 5: Jeddah’s arts scene
Morning: Hayy Jameel, the city’s contemporary arts complex, and the flagship Athr Gallery, a genuinely different side of Jeddah from the old town and the water.
Afternoon: A last wander through Souq Al-Alawi or one more mall stop for souvenirs.
Evening: A final dinner, budget SAR 80-150 per person, before departure from King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED).
Day 5 rough cost: SAR 80-150 in food.
Total ballpark for 5 days
Excluding hotel, flights, and the Taif tour itself, budget roughly SAR 800-1,300 per person for entry fees, the Red Sea trip, beach access, and food across all five days. If you have two or three extra days on top of this, flying onward to Al-Ula for the Hegra Nabataean site is worth it, it’s genuinely spectacular but only reachable by a roughly 1 hour 15 minute flight, not a day trip from Jeddah. If five days is more than you need, our 4 day Jeddah itinerary drops the arts day. Our full guide covers the free and cheap things to do across the whole trip.