Tag: corniche

Jeddah is just an 1,5 hour flight away from Riyadh making it the ideal weekend getaway destination in Saudi Arabia with all the cool things to do in Jeddah.

Sometimes we don’t have to travel far or abroad for a relaxing weekend getaway! Saudi Arabia offers many great destinations for families to choose for a staycation.

Jeddah has always been a favorite staycation destination of mine in Saudi Arabia because it offers so many fun activities. There are so many fun things to do in Jeddah and each trip we discover something new.  It´s easy to find flights to Jeddah on five different domestic airlines that fly to Jeddah daily from all major cities in Saudi Arabia. The best thing about Jeddah for me is definitely the Red Sea and all the leisure opportunities it offers to visitors.things to do in Jeddah with kids

I travel to Jeddah several times a year with my children for some much needed Vitamin Sea and always feel so energized from the ocean breeze and change of scenery. Sometimes a weekend trip to Jeddah feels like you’ve actually gone abroad, the landscape and local culture are so different from what we have in Riyadh.

I would say Jeddah is a must visit at least once for everyone living in Saudi Arabia! Whenever my mom visits Saudi Arabia (she’s visited us 8 times already!) I always take her to Jeddah for a weekend, because nothing beats the Red Sea breezes and the Jeddah vibe.things to do in Jeddah with kids

So what are the best things to do in Jeddah, especially if you’re traveling with kids? I’ve gathered a list of my favorite things to do in Jeddah with kids (and of course why not for adults too) for some ideas and travel inspiration! Jeddah has developed a lot during the past years and there’s constantly new things to do in Jeddah especially around the newly opened Jeddah Corniche area.

Things to Do in Jeddah

Visit the new Jeddah Waterfront and Corniche

A must see when in Jeddah is the new Jeddah Corniche and waterfront area. The new Jeddah Corniche has become a hot spot for families to spend time together ever since its opening in 2017. You’ll find a beautifully landscaped waterfront area with parks, recreation facilities, children’s playgrounds, fountains, beaches and cafes. The best way to explore the Corniche is on foot, so make sure you to stay closeby with walking distance to the best spots on the Corniche to avoid traffic, especially on weekend evenings. Check out where to stay on the Corniche at the end of this post.

things to do in Jeddah with kids things to do in Jeddah with kids

Al Balad

A visit to Jeddah is not complete without a visit to the historical city, Al Balad. A UNESCO listed heritage site, the area is best visited in the early mornings or in the late afternoon/ evenings. Learn about the history of Jeddah by visiting Naseef house and browse through the colorful souks. More things to do in Al Balad here: 10 Things to do in al Balad, Jeddah

things to do in jeddah

things to do in jeddah

Fakieh Aquarium

Located just on the Corniche, it’s very easy to walk to the aquarium and spend several hours learning about the colorful marine life that can be found in the Red Sea. The Jeddah aquarium is a perfect way to experience the underwater world of the Red sea without the need of getting wet! Kids will be in awe of all the different kinds of fish and corals and a walk through the ”fish tunnel” where visitors can watch sharks, turtles, rays and fish swim above them.

Day at the Beach 

There are some family friendly private beaches to visit for a day trip located in Jeddah’s North Obhur area. The whole family can swim together at Lafontaine beach, Coral Beach Resort, Salhia beach, Silver Sands beach, Fal beach, Sheraton, Oia, and La Plage beach. Women can swim in bikini and swimsuit on the private beaches. Most of these places do require a yearly membership but some allow day passes as well. For the best public beaches in Jeddah, the ones on the New Corniche area are safe with calm waters that allow for children and men to swim.

Another option is driving further up north to Durrat AlArous where you an rent a villa or apartment next to the beach. There’ a very nice Marina with restaurants and shops, you could hire a boat out for the day from Durrat.

things to do in Jeddah with kids

The most beautiful beach in Jeddah

Day out at Red Sea

Red Sea divers, Blue Reef divers, and many other dive operators can arrange boat trips for day trips out to the reefs for snorkeling, diving, fishing and swimming. This would be ideal for older children already comfortable in the water. The reefs outside of Jeddah are a great place to explore with kids, the colorful corals and the many different kinds of fish will keep kids entertained for a long time.Things to do in Jeddah- fishing at Red Sea

Things to do in Jeddah day out at Red Sea

Eating out

Jeddah has plenty of great family friendly restaurants, many of which can be found along the Corniche and in the Red Sea mall.  Papaya restaurant, which is right next to Souk Shatee, is located inside an indoor tropical garden with small fountains and daylight coming in from the glass roof. Recommended especially for breakfast and lunch time. For the evenings, try out the restaurants near the waterfront, for views out to the Red Sea restaurants next to New Corniche. A new beautiful outdoor place by the sea is restaurant Angelina.

For traditional Saudi food Hejazi style, head to Aseil restaurant or try The Social Kitchen, where you’ll be treated to one of the first Saudi female chef´s cuisines!

things to do in Jeddah

Restaurant Papaya in Jeddah

Corniche evening stroll

The new Jeddah corniche itself is lovely, clean and family friendly option to spend a relaxing evening. Numerous imaginative, safe playgrounds have been built along the Corniche and visitors can admire local Saudi artists works there too. You can stop by to watch fishermen fishing on the pier or have an ice cream in one of the many cafes on the Corniche. Don’t miss a visit to the JEDDAH-sign after sunset, the best place to take memorable shot of your Jeddah staycation!things to do in Jeddah

Bounce with whole family

If you fancy some indoor fun and physical activity to get the energy drained out of your kids, the biggest trampoline park in Jeddah, BOUNCE INC is the place to go.  They have lots of different activities like wall running and dodgeball and activities suitable for all ages plus a section dedicated just for women.

World’s tallest fountain

Many do not know that Jeddah is home to the tallest fountain in the world! The King Fahad fountain, Shooting sea water up to 300 meters high, is best viewed from the southern Corniche areas.

Al Shallal theme park

With an impressive artificial lake at its center, a planetarium, ice skating rink, boat rides, lots of rides for kids of different ages (and adults too) a day at Shallal theme park is highly recommend fun time for the whole family.

Al Tayibat Museum

The Tayyebat Museum for civilizations is an amazing museum which is built in Hejazi heritage village. It’s a great way to get a glimpse of the culture, architecture, traditional clothing and lifestyle of each region of Saudi Arabia.

things to do in Jeddah

Traditional Saudi clothing at Tayyibat civilizations museum in Jeddah

things to do in Jeddah

Red Sea Mall

Undoubtedly the best mall in Jeddah and located just minutes away from the new corniche area, Red Sea mall offers a variety of activities for kids, a vast selection of restaurants, and of course great shopping!

Where to stay in Jeddah:

For families traveling with kids the new North Corniche is a great option and  family friendly area to stay in Jeddah.  This is an ideal spot to be based because you can walk to the children’s playgrounds, beaches and parks from the hotel in a few minutes without having to worry about the traffic and parking hassles. At the Jeddah Corniche, you can watch the sun setting from your room and dine in the many different restaurants of the area within walking distance. Plenty of hotel chains are located along the Corniche.

Another great option for families is Om Shada suites, which is located in an ideal location near to airport. The new and clean apartments, furnished with Asir inspired decor, are located just off Madinah road, which makes it easy to drive up to North Obhur for a day at the beach and back to the city for the evening. Rooms are spacious, with living rooms, kitchen for self catering options, and they even have washing machines.

Interested in exploring Saudi Arabia further? Head to the Explore Arabia page for more destination in Saudi Arabia!

Find more Things to do in Jeddah here

Saudi Arabia’s al Khobar city located on the shores of the Arabian Gulf offers many activities and things to do for families on the weekends. The Corniche is the heart and soul of the city and most activities in al Khobar will be found there. Lydia from Our Dreams in Color-blog tells us her suggestions for the perfect weekend in her home city of al Khobar in this guest post.

For recommended restaurants in the Eastern Province check this post: Top Ten Restaurants in Eastern Province 

How to Spend One Weekend in Al Khobar

Al Khobar is one of three cities, including Dammam and Dhahran, that form one big city in the Eastern Province. Some of this plan might stray into Dammam or Dhahran but the edges merge a bit! Now, in all honesty, Khobar is not a tourist destination and is not exactly the prettiest city around. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some hidden gems to discover and fantastic times to be had. So, if you had a weekend to explore, what should you do?

First, head for breakfast at the Circle Café. This is a laid-back café with an airy family eating space and a great breakfast menu. The caramelised onion and goat’s cheese omelette or tradition foul come highly recommended and their healthy juice and smoothie options are amazing.

Filled up with yummy food and fuelled by juice-power you’ll be ready to explore. Leave the car where it is and walk along the corniche to the South. The promenade along here is beautiful and well maintained. The only downside is that littering can be a problem in the play areas. But the kids don’t notice and the children’s play areas are dotted all along the walk, with lovely stone benches to sit on and gorgeous views across the sea.

If you fancy the walk (about 6km) continue further along the corniche, or get back in the car, and head to the stretch near the Sheikh Salem Mohammed bin Laden mosque. This is such a pretty space and well worth a visit. A little further South again is the small fishing dock near where the corniche road curves into King Fahd road. This is full of small fishing boats, including a couple of traditional dhows. From here, providing it is a fairly clear day, you can see the King Fahd Causeway which connects Saudi Arabia and Bahrain. On weekends, you can walk along the sea front near here and watch people fishing over the sea wall.

For lunch drive to Parker’s. A fairly new restaurant in Khobar (there are branches in Abu Dhabi and Dubai), Parker’s is a welcome breath of fresh air. It is very Insta-friendly (whether you consider that a plus or not) and the atmosphere is brilliant, not always something that is easy to find in Khobar. The restaurant is all family dining and set in a fabulous greenhouse style room. Their food is just as delicious as it sounds on the menu. Save room for the Lotus Drama cake! You are meant to have a key to get in to Parker’s but they appear to have waived this for now. Check their Instagram @Parkers for more details on the hunt for a key.

After lunch drive out to the desert and spend an hour or so exploring, walking off the delicious calories consumed so far in the day. You can find a great stretch of gorgeous dunes along route 607 near Buqayq (Abqaiq). Head out of Khobar, through Dhahran, on route 40 and after about 40 minutes, make a left onto route 607. You can access these areas without a 4×4, just park up on the roadside and walk.

Although accessible, it is always best to travel in the desert with someone else, especially if you haven’t been before. This feels like “proper desert” here. Spot shy camel herds, look for desert flora and slide down sand dunes. There are also areas nearby that are great for desert rose (a beautiful crystal formation) hunting – let us know if you have found any! Take a barbeque or a picnic, some camping chairs and watch the sun go down over the picture-perfect scenery.

Saturday morning grab breakfast at Zaatar w Zeit, another chain, but this is popular for good reason. Then get to Scitech for opening time. This is an amazing science centre to find in the Eastern Province. There is an IMAX cinema, a children’s discovery play room, a space with amazing interactive displays about Saudi Arabia and several areas all about the world around us. You could easily spend all morning here!

Feeling hungry again now? Wouldn’t be a Khobar weekend without a trip to The Steak House. There are branches of this award-winning restaurant across Saudi and it is extremely popular with locals and expats alike.

Head to the souks for the afternoon. The centre area is busy and narrow and it is easy to get lost! Get someone who knows their way around to take you if you want to find a specific area (the gold souk and the craft/fabric area are awesome). Otherwise just wander around absorbing all the weird and wonderful things on offer.

If you can fit any more food in, I would recommend grabbing shawarma, spit chicken and rice from one of the local places. My favourites are along Khaled Ibn Al Walid Street but you are bound to wander past some as you explore the souk. Shawarma don’t tend to be on offer until after Maghrib (sunset) prayer but it does depend on the place.

For a last hour or two join all the local families and go back to the corniche stretch with a picnic (or head to the mall in high summer). Just enjoy people-watching as family groups spend the evening together. Children tear away from their mothers, whizzing down the seafront on bikes and scooters; young men in souped-up cars drive slowly past; fathers catch fish; grandparents nibble on pistachios and the smell of shisha lingers in the air.

The Perfect Saudi evening!

Scitech Science Center info and opening times:

http://www.scitech.sa

Insta: @scitech_edu

Open to the public 4-9pm Sunday-Friday

all day 9am-9pm on Saturday.

Visitors should check website for holiday hours as those can change.

Entry ticket is 20sar

Lydia is a teacher in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, where she lives with her husband and two children (and another on the way!). Lydia grew up in Jeddah and then went back to the UK for school and University. She and her husband moved to Dubai when their son was four months old. There, she started up her mural business, Dreams In Colour Murals after her daughter was born. They moved to Al Khobar two years ago. Her new blog Our Dreams In Colour is about their family life and travels. 
 
Instagram: @ourdreamsincolour