Madinah is smaller and calmer than Makkah, and most of its ziyarat places are within a short drive of Masjid an-Nabawi. The best ziyarat places in Madinah are mosques and battlefields from the earliest years of Islam. This guide explains each one in plain words, with where it is and how long to allow.
It describes places and does not give religious rulings. For how to behave at a site, ask your group leader or a scholar.
How a Madinah ziyarat works
Most visitors see the main sites in one tour. The driver collects you from your hotel, stops at each site and waits for you. Our Madinah ziyarat comes in two tiers: a 2 hour tour from SAR 200 and a 4 hour full ziyarat, with more places and longer stops, from SAR 300, both for the whole vehicle in a Camry or Sonata. See Madinah ziyarat taxi for every vehicle fare.
The main places
Masjid Quba
Masjid Quba is widely accepted as the first mosque built in Islam. Accounts say the Prophet founded it when he arrived in Madinah after the Hijrah. It lies south of Masjid an-Nabawi.
- Time: 20 to 30 minutes, longer if you pray there.
- Wheelchairs: a folding wheelchair travels in the Staria or Hiace boot at no extra charge, and the driver helps the passenger into a seat.
See Masjid Quba.
Masjid al-Qiblatain
The Mosque of the Two Qiblas is where, according to tradition, the direction of prayer was changed from Jerusalem to Makkah while a congregation was already praying. It lies north west of Masjid an-Nabawi.
- Time: 15 to 20 minutes.
- Wheelchairs: a folding wheelchair travels in the Staria or Hiace boot at no extra charge, and the driver helps the passenger into a seat.
See Masjid al-Qiblatain.
Mount Uhud
Mount Uhud, north of the city, is the site of the Battle of Uhud. Around seventy companions, including Hamza ibn Abdul Muttalib, are remembered as martyrs of the battle. The Uhud cemetery is a place of respectful visit.
- Time: 20 to 30 minutes.
- Ground: uneven in parts, including the small hill known as Jabal al-Rumah. A folding wheelchair travels in the Staria or Hiace boot at no extra charge, and the driver helps the passenger into a seat.
See Mount Uhud.
The Seven Mosques
The Seven Mosques area marks the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq). Several small mosques stand near the battlefield, with names such as Masjid al-Fath, Masjid Salman al-Farsi, Masjid Abu Bakr, Masjid Umar and Masjid Ali.
- Time: 15 to 25 minutes.
See the Seven Mosques.
Wadi Jinn
Wadi Jinn lies outside Madinah and is added to some tours as an extra stop. Visitors report that vehicles appear to roll uphill on one stretch of the road.
Wadi Jinn is priced as its own tour with the ziyarat. It adds time and distance, so plan more than two hours. See Madinah ziyarat with Wadi Jinn.
Planning the day
A route that avoids doubling back usually goes like this.
- Start after Fajr or in the late afternoon.
- Quba first if you are leaving from the south side of the city.
- Qiblatain and the Seven Mosques are close together on the western side.
- Uhud in the north, then back to the hotel.
- Wadi Jinn, if you add it, is the last stop of a longer day.
Many people book the tour on the day they arrive or the day they leave. It costs less than two separate trips. If you arrive by air, see the Madinah Airport transfer.
When to go
Madinah has two main rhythms. Around prayer times the area near Masjid an-Nabawi is busy, and the roads close to it slow down. Between prayers the city is calmer.
- Morning after Fajr is cool and quiet, and most visitors choose it.
- Late afternoon works well in summer, once the heat eases.
- Fridays are busier near the mosque. Plan a little extra time.
- Ramadan changes the rhythm of the day, with long evenings. Ask the driver for a time that suits you.
Do not plan the tour so close to a flight or a prayer that you rush. A calm visit is better than one more stop.
More places in Madinah
The Madinah ziyarat now has a two hour and a four hour tier. Read the guides for Jannat al-Baqi, Masjid al-Ghamama and the mosques near the Haram, Dar al-Madinah Museum, the date farms and date market, and Badr on the road to Makkah.
Combining the tour with your other plans
A ziyarat tour does not replace your visit to Masjid an-Nabawi. Most pilgrims keep that for their own time and use the tour for the sites around it.
Many travellers add the tour on the day they arrive from Makkah or the day before they leave. The same driver can take you to the station or the airport after. See Madinah Haramain station taxi if you use the train.
Practical points
- Heat. Carry water. Visits in the middle of the day are hard on older travellers.
- Shoes. Some ground is uneven, especially at Uhud.
- Older travellers. Read Umrah transport with elderly parents.
- Larger groups. See choosing a vehicle for your group.
If your trip also includes Makkah, see Makkah ziyarat places.
Questions people ask
Counts vary by source. This guide covers the main sites on our tour, Quba, Qiblatain, Uhud and the Seven Mosques, plus Wadi Jinn as an extra.
About two hours on the 2 hour tour, or about four hours on the full ziyarat, with the driver waiting at each stop. Wadi Jinn adds more.
In a Camry or Sonata, for the whole vehicle: SAR 200 for the 2 hour tour and SAR 300 for the 4 hour full ziyarat. The ziyarat with Wadi Jinn is a separate tour, also SAR 300 in a Camry or Sonata. See routes and prices.
How to behave at each place is a question for a scholar or your group leader. A driver can take you there but cannot give rulings.
Still have a question?
Ask on WhatsApp in Arabic, English or Urdu, at any hour.
Book a Madinah ziyarat
Tell us your hotel, the date and how many of you are going, and we send the fare in writing. WhatsApp us, or use the booking page. See also the ziyarat and tours hub.
Sources
- Tripadvisor and travel guides listing Madinah ziyarat sites, used only for general site descriptions: tripadvisor.com (Masjid Quba, The Seven Mosques)
- Umrah Online Taxi ziyarat tour route, access notes and fares: Madinah ziyarat taxi
