Ziyarat in Makkah and Madinah
A ziyarat tour by car takes two hours, at your pace, with a driver who knows which gate is open and where the coaches are not allowed.
Makkah ziyarat
Jabal al-Nour and the cave of Hira from the roadside, Jabal Thawr, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, then Masjid Nimrah and Jabal Rahmah.
Two hours, from your hotel
Longer if you want it. The hourly rate applies after the second hour, and the driver tells you before it starts.
From SAR 200
Hyundai Sonata SAR 200 · Hyundai Staria SAR 300 · Toyota Hiace SAR 350 · GMC Yukon SAR 400 · Toyota Coaster SAR 500 · Coach SAR 600
Madinah ziyarat
Masjid Quba, Masjid Qiblatain, the site of Uhud and the martyrs cemetery, and the seven mosques.
Two hours, from your hotel
Ladies-only groups can ask for a driver who waits with the vehicle at every stop.
From SAR 200
Hyundai Sonata SAR 200 · Hyundai Staria SAR 250 · Toyota Hiace SAR 300 · GMC Yukon SAR 350 · Toyota Coaster SAR 450 · Coach SAR 600
Where the Madinah tour goes
Four stops in two hours, at a pace that leaves time to pray rather than time to photograph.
Masjid Quba
Uhud and the martyrs
Masjid Qiblatain
The seven mosquesMasjid Quba
The first mosque built in Islam
Most people come here for the two rakat, which the Prophet described as carrying the reward of an Umrah. It is the stop worth allowing the most time for, and the reason we start the Madinah tour early.
Go after Fajr
Quba is quietest in the first hour after sunrise. By mid morning the car park is full and the walk is longer.
Allow thirty minutes
The two hour tour has room for it. If you want longer, take the hourly rate instead.
Wudu before you leave
There are facilities but they are busy. Doing it at your hotel saves a queue.
Uhud
The mountain and the martyrs
The site of the battle, the cemetery of the seventy companions who fell there, and Jabal al-Rumah, the small hill the archers were told to hold. Standing at the foot of it explains the account better than any book.
The cemetery
Enclosed and signposted. The driver parks close and waits.
Jabal al-Rumah
A short climb if you want it. Ten minutes up, and the view makes the geography obvious.
Sellers
There are stalls at the entrance. Nobody is obliged to buy anything.
How the Makkah tour runs
Two hours from your hotel, in the order that makes sense from where you are staying.
Jabal al-Nour
The mountain holding the cave of Hira, viewed from the road. The climb is two hours each way and is not part of the tour.
Jabal Thawr
The cave where the Prophet and Abu Bakr sheltered during the hijrah, again from the roadside.
Mina and Muzdalifah
Through the tent city, empty outside Hajj season and worth seeing for the scale of it.
Arafat and Jabal Rahmah
The plain where the standing takes place, and the hill at its edge. This is where most people spend longest.
Masjid Nimrah
The last stop before the drive back to your hotel.
Things worth knowing before you go
Take water
We put chilled bottles in the car, but the stops are outdoors and Arafat has almost no shade.
Dress for walking
None of the stops need a long walk, but the ground is uneven at Uhud and at Jabal Rahmah.
Ladies-only groups
Ask when you book. The driver waits with the vehicle at every stop rather than accompanying the group.
Wheelchairs
Quba, Qiblatain and the Uhud cemetery are all reachable. Jabal al-Rumah is not.
Photography
Permitted at all the sites on this tour. Inside the Haram is a different matter.
Combining trips
Many people add ziyarat to the day they arrive or the day they leave. It costs less than two separate journeys.
Ziyarat questions
Is a guide included?
No. You get a driver who knows the sites and the roads, not a scholar. He will tell you what each place is and where to walk, and he will not lecture you.
Can we stay longer at one stop?
Yes. The two hours are yours to spend. If you go over, the hourly rate applies from then and the driver will tell you before it does.
Can we do both cities?
They are separate tours because the sites are 450 km apart. Many people take one in each city during the same trip.
What time is best?
After Fajr in both cities. Cooler, quieter, and you are back before the heat.
Is it suitable for elderly parents?
Yes, and it is the reason many families book a car rather than a coach. The vehicle waits at every stop and nobody walks further than they want to.
Book a ziyarat tour in either city
From SAR 200 for the whole vehicle. Tell us your hotel and the day and we will confirm a time.