Haramain railway
Madinah train station to Makkah taxi, straight off your train
- DistanceAbout 440 km
- Journey time4 hr 30 to 5 hr 30
- FromSAR 400Whole vehicle, one direction
Overview
A Madinah train station to Makkah taxi is waiting when your train gets in, then drives you to your hotel in Makkah. The Haramain, the fast train line between Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah, brings you into the city. On the way you stop at the miqat, the set point for ihram (the state of Umrah, with two white cloths for men). For travellers from Madinah, the miqat is Dhul Hulayfah, a mosque some 14 km by road from the Prophet’s Mosque. It suits someone who came into Madinah by train and goes on by road, with all the bags in one car.
The fare starts at SAR 400 for the whole vehicle, from the Haramain station in Madinah to your Makkah hotel. Your driver meets the train. It includes a stop at Dhul Hulayfah, the miqat where Umrah travellers enter ihram, and he waits while you change. The drive covers about 440 km in 4 hr 30 to 5 hr 30.
Taxi from Madinah station to Makkah hotel, fares by vehicle
Prices are in Saudi Riyal, for the whole vehicle and for one way only. It covers the wait for your train, the stop at Dhul Hulayfah and the long drive south.
| Vehicle | Seats and bags | Fare | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
 SedanToyota Camry | 4 seats2 large cases plus 2 hand bags | SAR 400Whole vehicle, one direction | Too small for your party |
 SedanHyundai Sonata | 4 seats2 large cases plus 2 hand bags | SAR 400Whole vehicle, one direction | Too small for your party |
 VanHyundai Staria9 seat Staria carrying up to 7 passengers | 7 seats6 large cases plus 4 hand bags | SAR 450Whole vehicle, one direction | Too small for your party |
 SUVGMC Yukon XLYukon XL or similar | 7 seats6 large cases plus 4 hand bags | SAR 750Whole vehicle, one direction | Too small for your party |
 VanToyota Hiace | 11 seats10 large cases plus 10 hand bags | SAR 550Whole vehicle, one direction | Too small for your party |
 MinibusToyota Coaster | 19 seats15 large cases plus 19 hand bags | SAR 1,100Whole vehicle, one direction | Too small for your party |
 CoachCoach | 44 seats44 large cases plus 44 hand bags | SAR 1,200Whole vehicle, one direction | Too small for your party |
Whole vehicle, one direction unless return is marked. Pay the driver at the end, cash in SAR or bank transfer. No deposit, no card, no booking fee. Journey time: 4 hr 30 to 5 hr 30.
Picking a vehicle for train luggage
Count your bags before you book, because all of them ride in the boot. A Camry or a Sonata takes two large cases and two hand bags. The Hyundai Staria and the GMC Yukon XL each seat seven, with room for six large cases.
A group that sat in different carriages can ride on together in one Hiace, with eleven seats. For more than eleven, there is the 19 seat Coaster or the 44 seat Coach. The Staria and the Hiace both have boot space for a folding wheelchair.
Which vehicle fits?
5 of 7 vehicle classes take 4 people and 4 large cases, Madinah station to a Makkah hotel.
- VanHyundai Staria7 seats, 6 large cases, 4 hand bagsSAR 450
- SUVGMC Yukon XL7 seats, 6 large cases, 4 hand bagsSAR 750
- VanToyota Hiace11 seats, 10 large cases, 10 hand bagsSAR 550
- MinibusToyota Coaster19 seats, 15 large cases, 19 hand bagsSAR 1,100
- CoachCoach44 seats, 44 large cases, 44 hand bagsSAR 1,200
Too small for this party: Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata.
Meeting your train in Madinah
The Madinah station of the Haramain line is in the Al Hadra district, outside the city centre. It is open every day from 06:30 to 00:30. When you book, tell us which train you are on and when it is due. The driver stands at the arrivals point with your name on a board.
Trains do not always arrive on the minute. We watch your train, so the driver comes at its real arrival time. The fare covers the first 30 minutes after the train is in. Longer waits are paid by the hour (how waiting is charged).
Booking the ride from the station
- Share your train. Send the train number, the date and the time it arrives.
- Name your Makkah hotel. Say how many people are travelling, and how many large cases.
- Read the fare. A WhatsApp reply gives you the vehicle and the fare.
- Save the driver’s number. Before the trip, WhatsApp brings you the driver’s name and mobile number.
Message us on WhatsApp, at any hour.
From the platform to your Makkah hotel
- Off the train. At the arrivals point your driver says hello and loads the cases.
- The miqat mosque. Dhul Hulayfah is also called Abyar Ali. Put on ihram and pray here. The driver waits for you.
- The highway south. The whole trip is about 440 km by road. At prayer time, ask the driver to stop.
- Your Makkah hotel. Roads near the Haram, the Grand Mosque in Makkah, close to cars when prayer starts. He then parks on the nearest open street, and you go the rest of the way on foot.
Saudipedia, the national encyclopedia, says the miqat mosque has rooms to wash and to change into ihram. Ask at booking if your group needs a long stop there.
The driver gives no rulings on ihram. Ask your group leader or a scholar how your group should do it.
Staying on the train, or going by road
The Haramain line also runs on from Madinah to Makkah. As of October 2026, that train needs 2 hr 15 to 2 hr 25. It makes no stop at a miqat. If you take it, ask your group leader or a scholar where to enter ihram. Train times change by day, so check them with Saudi Arabia Railways.
The train ends at the Makkah station in Ar Rusayfah, about 3.5 km from the Haram. From there you need one more car to reach your hotel (Makkah station taxi). By road, one car does it all, from the Madinah platform to your hotel door. Makkah to Madinah: train or taxi sets the two ways side by side.
What the station fare covers
- A driver at the station, timed to your train
- Up to 30 minutes of waiting after the train arrives
- The stop at Dhul Hulayfah, with the driver waiting
- Stops to pray on the road south
- Fuel, tolls and parking
Payment goes to the driver at the end, at your Makkah hotel (how to pay). A child seat is free when you tell us the child’s age (child seats and wheelchairs). If you ask for an added stop on the day, it is billed on top (how extras are charged).
Tips for the station and the miqat
Ihram cloths on the train
Pack your ihram cloths in a small bag that stays with you. At the miqat you can change without opening a case.
Arriving after dark
A late train can bring you to Makkah in the small hours. Ask your hotel when your room will be ready.
A long day for older travellers
A train ride and then hours on the road is tiring. Anyone who needs to stretch can ask the driver for a short rest.
Questions about the station to Makkah ride
The whole vehicle starts at SAR 400, one way to your Makkah hotel. That price already covers the stop at the miqat.
About 440 km, from the station to the hotels around the Haram.
Plan on 4 hr 30 to 5 hr 30, with the stop at Dhul Hulayfah. Road closures near the Haram at prayer times can add a little.
Yes. He waits at Dhul Hulayfah while you change and pray. Tell us at booking if your group wants a longer stop.
Send us the new time. The driver follows your train, and the first 30 minutes of waiting are in the fare.
No. You buy the ticket from Saudi Arabia Railways. We book only the car and driver.
Yes. Book the short Madinah station taxi to your hotel now. Then book the Madinah to Makkah taxi for the day you leave.
Still have a question?
Ask on WhatsApp in Arabic, English, Urdu, Punjabi or Saraiki, at any hour. Voice notes are fine.
Related pages
Book your Madinah train station to Makkah taxi
Tell us your train, the day and your hotel in Makkah. Say how many of you there are. We answer on WhatsApp with a fare for your group.