I’ve had such a good year, with many flights so far! A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia for the Formula One Grand Prix, and it was amazing! My time there reminded me that this is the perfect way to share my latest travel guide, this time, a Jeddah travel guide for F1 fans or anyone interested in visiting the city!
2024 has been a year of travel, in part due to my delusional goals for the year that I shared on TikTok earlier this year. In Q1, I’ve already gone to some new places, and I’m very excited to finally share this with you! They will be out of order as I share, but I am happy to be doing this!
When the opportunity arose to go to Saudi for the race, I knew I didn’t want to wait. It’s a destination that intrigued me for many reasons, and if there’s one thing about me, I’ll never shy away from something. I think Jeddah was the perfect start for exploring Saudi Arabia, and I definitely want to go back for more! I didn’t have as much time to see things like sand dunes or explore outside of Jeddah, but I did have an amazing time, and this is more reason to go back to explore more of the options available for tourists in Saudi Arabia. In this Jeddah travel guide, I’ll talk about what it’s like to be a woman, especially a black woman in Saudi Arabia, my experiences, and more, along with my recommendations on things like clothing.
There is a lot going on in the world at the moment, and I definitely hesitated to go to the race due to safety concerns. What I will say is that I never felt unsafe, from the flight to my arrival. My best advice is just to stay current on the news, but I would definitely return to Saudi Arabia! Anyway, if I return, I will definitely update this Jeddah travel guide. If you’re planning a trip there, then I hope you find this Jeddah travel guide helpful!
– For clarity and transparency, this post was not sponsored by them in any capacity, but I do mention them and my opinions are mine and mine alone. –
Where to Stay:
Al Ertiqaa Hotel
Address: Hira St, Al Marwah, Jeddah 23545, Saudi Arabia
First up, let’s talk about where I actually stayed. I stayed at the Al Ertiqaa Hotel during my time in Jeddah, and since I did not hate my time there, I will share it as a place you can stay in this Jeddah travel guide. When we booked for the race, we booked incredibly late, so there may have been other places I could have chosen from, but I’m happy with our choice.
This hotel is a very normal hotel, and the bed was so nice. We slept really well each night, and we were more than grateful for the soft bedding. The rooms were quiet, and outside of one neighbour who loved to blast music, I would definitely go back. There was tea, water, and dates in the lobby when we arrived, which was a welcome bit of refreshment after a long flight from Milan.
One day, the light in our shower went out, and we let them know as we left to find breakfast. When we got back a few hours later, it was fixed and we had no other issues, so they’re incredibly efficient. The property was very clean, the staff was friendly, and it was a great room. One of my favorite things was that there was SO. MUCH. FOOD nearby! The Al Ertiqaa was very well situated near many restaurants that we could pop in and out of, including an açai place that we frequented for breakfast.
My only con would be that if you’re coming to see the Jeddah Corniche or the race, this hotel is not close to either, nor is it close to the old town (al Balad, I’ll discuss that further down). We were there right at the start of Ramadan, and when we went to Al-Balad, we *insert sarcastic tone* brilliantly booked our Uber to leave right around the end of Zuhr or Asr prayer times, so it took us an hour to get back for a normally 20 min/25-kilometer drive. The plus of that distance is that it is really close to the airport, so it only took us 20 minutes to get there maximum, both on arrival and departure, which was great since we arrived so late and we were a bit late leaving as well.
We paid £259.14 total for 4 nights, so it’s definitely a great price, and I had to include it in my Jeddah travel guide.
The Venue Jeddah Corniche –
Address: District, Corniche Road, Ash Shati, Jeddah 23511, Saudi Arabia
The Venue was a hotel I considered booking, but was unfortunately sold out when we decided to go for the race! It’s definitely on my list if we go back to Jeddah as it’s right on Jeddah Corniche! This is such a beautiful area, and if you’re coming for the F1 race, I would recommend this as a great hotel option for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, due to the proximity!
The hotel has great reviews, it’s positioned right by the seaside, has a rooftop pool, and is 3km from the track. Jeddah is a very car-centric city and not the most walkable place, but if you stay on the Corniche and want to do things nearby like the track or Red Sea Mall, this is a great hotel to access that kind of walkability.
The Jasmine Garden Hotel
Address: Muhammad Zaidan, Al Naeem, Jeddah 23526, Saudi Arabia
The Jasmine Garden Hotel was another on my list, but was sadly sold out during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix! Another hotel with great reviews, I had this on my list because so many people mentioned the proximity to the airport, cleanliness, comfortablity, and the range of food nearby! This hotel is also close to the airport, but is a straight shot to Red Sea Mall. For anyone going to the race, that’s a great drop-off point for entering each day as you can cut through the mall and be right at the track entrance!
What is the Visa Situation?
For the majority of people, you will need a visa to enter Saudi Arabia. Only citizens of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, and the UAE have freedom of movement into Saudi Arabia. Citizens of certain countries (e.g. Angola, Malta, South Korea, UK, France, Vietnam, Jordan) who have diplomatic or official passports may enter without a visa for 90 days. There are a number of types of visas and you can find more information on those here, but most people will use a Tourist visa, unless coming for Hajj or Umrah.
As of August 2023, UK nationals may obtain an electronic visa waiver (EVW) rather than a traditional visa to enter Saudi Arabia. With this exemption waiver, you can enter using a single-entry visa for a maximum stay of 6 months for tourism, business, education, or medical reasons.
For 63 other countries, you can apply online for their Tourist Visa through the eVisa program. This is valid for a year, allows for multiple entries, and you can spend a maximum of 90 days in the country. You can do tourism and leisure-related activities, which is a plus, and you’ll typically hear back within 24 hours. The application is relatively straightforward, with your basic information, occupation, a passport sized photo,passport information, and travel details, just like most countries. The visa costs 535 SAR (as of April 2024, that is £115 and $142), and includes a fee for health insurance.
There is a visa on-arrival option which is 480 SAR, but you must be from an eligible country, currently hold a US/UK/Schengen visa + a valid current passport, travelling for business or as a tourist, and have used your visa at least once in the issuing country, or you hold permanent residence from the US/UK/EU after ensuring the presence of a resident. While this can be useful if you meet the criteria, it may be a headache at the airport.
For anyone not from an eligible country for the eVisa or visa on-arrival, you must apply at a consulate, which is a significantly longer process.
What to See
A Jeddah travel guide would not be complete without a list of things to see! Jeddah is a bustling city with a million options, and some of these are things I wish I could go back to! I will detail some of my favorites, then give you a list at the bottom of other options!
Red Sea Mall is a great place to shop, grab food, or just browse. It’s a beautiful mall as well, and I had one of the best lunch bowls there at Paul (which I will 100% be recreating at home), along with some great shopping. I wished I hadn’t flown a budget airline so I could have brought a bigger suitcase to do more shopping! Alas, I did not, so my wallet was saved, but maybe next time!
Al Balad, or the Gate to Makkah, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I highly recommend you see it. This historic district is currently undergoing a multi-billion dollar restoration of many historical buildings, which you will see. While it may seem strange, when you’re there, you’ll see that many of the buildings need additional structural support, so I see the positives of this kind of restoration work. The colors are beautiful and the area boasts traditional Hijazi houses with Roshan balconies. There is also a bedouin market within the historic district with a wide range of shops, so if you need souvenirs, an abaya, or fabric for a beautiful dress, you can likely find it there.
Jeddah Corniche is the Waterfront area that borders the Red Sea. There are many restaurants, resorts, shopping areas, sculptures, and more on the Corniche, and if you’re an avid runner, this could be a great place to get a good long run in along the sea. There are some beautiful mosques along the water, and if you want to see the track, you can do so here!
For F1 Fans: The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix is one of the biggest activities of the year in Jeddah, and it is the reason why I went! I couldn’t resist adding it to this Jeddah travel guide, but there is a longer post about my actual experience. You have three days full of exhilarating racing, from F1 to F2, and in 2024, F1 Academy!
Full List of Activities for my Jeddah travel guide:
- Browse Through Al Taybat International City Museum of Science and Information
- Head to the Red Sea Marina
- Visit the Diriyah Biennale Foundation
- Visit Jaffali Mosque
- Visit Fakieh Aquarium
- See Al Rahmah Mosque
- Go to the Jeddah Sign
- Take a boat to Bata lansa Island
- Drive around King Fahad’s Fountain
Where to Eat & Drink
Jeddah has a wide range of foods, for everyone. For the purposes of this Jeddah travel guide, I’ll break things down by different tastes. If you’re American or European, you will see some familiar spots on every corner, like Raising Canes, Olive Garden, CHKN, or even P.F. Chang’s. There are also many restaurants that cater to a more Western palette, like Loaded, Oakberry, or I’m Hungry. We ate Oakberry most mornings for breakfast and spent about £12-15 for two people for a big breakfast most mornings. Food was probably one of the lowest expenses, which is great!
As someone with a shellfish allergy, I would be silly not to mention that there is a lot of fish and shellfish in Jeddah. I didn’t have an issue with cross-contamination or having a lack of options. That may have been because of the restaurants we chose though. We spent a large portion of time at the track as well! Because of this, we weren’t eating at restaurants most days. If we stayed longer or weren’t going to the track, this may have been more of an issue.
A Jeddah travel guide would not be complete without discussing one of the best meals we had, which was at Shawarma Shakir Aljazeera (specifically the Al-Baghdadiyah Al-Sharqiyah branch). When I tell you that we inhaled like 4 wraps a piece and a juice each, ugh, I was in heaven. It was definitely a place I would recommend and the Shawarma was amazing. Even my partner said, you can tell she’s happy because she’s not talking. Across Jeddah, there’s a variety of Pakistani, Indian, and Saudi food that you can try. I would highly recommend doing so. Jeddah has so many food options, and you will not be disappointed.
How to Get Around
Can you get around Jeddah with public transportation and walking? Sure, I guess.
Would I recommend that? No.
I suggest Uber or Careem, or get a car at your own risk. It’s really simple, and I’m not going to mince words in this Jeddah travel guide. Walking is not as accessible as a place like London, and if you’re walking across roads, you need to be confident and do so with your whole chest.
We thought about getting a car, but I would honestly use Uber or Careem to get around. It’s not expensive, you know how much you’re paying in advance and it’s quite affordable. After living in Atlanta and Paris, I can’t say that Saudi’s’ aren’t good drivers, they are. But just like with both cities I mentioned, if you’re not used to that driving style and if you’re not a confident driver, you will be the issue. So just use a rideshare service.
I do recommend that over taxis as some taxis don’t use the meter system. They just give you a price, which may or may not be fair. We had a bad experience with one taxi driver who 1000% ripped us off. It was late in the day, and it wasn’t worth arguing over, so we left it. From that point, we used Uber and it was incredibly affordable. While it was slightly frustrating dealing with Uber getting back from Al-Balad, it was still the best option.
How to Get There
King Abdulaziz International Airport is the most likely way you will arrive in Jeddah. It is serviced by four terminals: North, South, Terminal 1, and Hajj. We flew into the north terminal because we flew with Wizz Air out of Milan to Jeddah. Flying out, we left from Terminal 1. It was a bit hectic getting out of the airport with an Uber. It did take a good few moments and dodging taxis trying to get us to use their cars. Overall, it was fine. Pickup was quite simple as this terminal is tiny, in comparison.
We flew out of the Terminal 1 as we flew back with Emirates. It’s a stunner of a terminal, which beautiful architecture and so much natural light. The security was a bit confusing because they said not to take electronics out. Ultimately, we took every single one out for inspection. All terminals are easily accessible by car to Jeddah.
You can also get there by train from central Jeddah via the Haramain High Speed Railway. This railway goes from the Airport to downtown Jeddah. It also goes to Mecca and Medina, along with the King Abdullah Economic City.
How to Stay in Touch
I’ve recently become a convert to e-sims, and they’re such an essential now. If you have a newer phone, you will likely be able to do the same. For this trip and my trip to Jordan, I bought an Airalo e-sim for 10GB for $27, which was more than enough for someone chronically online like me. My partner bought 3GB and was also fine. I needed more to send all my race TikToks at the track!! Buying an e-sim has become one of my must-dos lately and I have zero regrets!
What to Pack
One of my biggest questions was what to wear in Saudi Arabia and Jeddah. I may do a full post on this later to explain further. There’s a wide array of what you can wear because there is no longer a dress code for Saudi Arabia. Most Saudi women wear abayas, and after purchasing one, I completely get why. I have an open abaya and the dress underneath and it is one of the most comfortable things I have ever worn.
I did not wear it everyday, but I chose instead to dress more modestly when I was not going to the track. When we went to al-Balad, I wore long, loose trousers and a button up and was perfectly comfortable. There are always stares as a black woman, especially with a white man as my partner, but I didn’t receive many stares or judgement.
At the track, I did wear a bit less modest clothing. There, I opted for flowy shorts one day and a sleeveless vest on the final day. Would I wear this again? Maybe, but only at the track. It was definitely good to help beat the heat. Looking back, I think I would be more comfortable with looser, linen clothes, but that is a lesson learned. It does get quite cold at night. Because of this, I recommend a light jacket or a leather jacket to layer up at night. We took a backpack to the track. If not there for the race, I would bring a regular crossbody bag to hold sunscreen and other essentials. Below, you can find suggestions for clothing. I wanted to add some suggestions into this Jeddah travel guide of options as you plan your outfits!
Jeddah is a lot more relaxed when it comes to dress than other cities, like Riyadh. This is because of the number of expats or foreigners in Jeddah. If I were going to other cities, I would opt for an abaya or modest clothes. By modest, I mean clothes that cover my shoulders, chest, and pants. The dress codes were dropped, so you cannot be arrested or yelled at. My suggestion for comfort is to opt for more modest clothes in general, but especially outside of Jeddah. Regardless, you don’t have to cover your hair outside visiting mosques.
My overall suggestion: wear modest, breathable clothing. If you’re going to the race, you can get away with being a bit more relaxed as it’s majority foreigners. If not, save yourself the stress, just wear an abaya or modest clothing. It doesn’t cost you anything and you’ll fit in a bit more.
What Not to Do
What should you not do in Saudi Arabia can be a long list. Here, I’ll give you my breakdown on do’s and don’t for Saudi Arabia and Jeddah!
- Don’t bring prohibited things like alcohol, drugs, pornography, or other prohibited items.
- Don’t be closed-minded when you come, and be respectful of local customs.
- Don’t forget to download Arabic on Google Translate. Think about practicing your “abah al-kahyr” (good morning), Misa’al-kahyr (good afternoon) and Tisbah ‘ala kahr (good night), to be polite when greeting people in your hotels.
- Don’t be afraid to have conversations with locals, they’re very kind and welcoming
- Don’t forget to bring a hijab or long scarf if you’re a woman and interested in going in mosques. While some may have ones to rent, some will not. Same for men, don’t forget to bring something to cover your legs.
And with this, that is the end of my Jeddah travel guide! I hope you’ve enjoyed it, and let me know if you’re planning a trip soon! I am in the process of updating my international guide to travel, currently! It has been many moons since the last update. Jeddah was an amazing trip and I’m excited to share more over the next few weeks. I hope you will enjoy this beautiful city one day and if so, let me know! I cannot wait to show you what is next!
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