Haramain railway
Makkah train station to Madinah taxi, from platform to hotel
- DistanceAbout 440 km
- Journey time4 hr 30 to 5 hr 30
- FromSAR 400Whole vehicle, one direction
Overview
Your Makkah train station to Madinah taxi picks you up when your train arrives and drives you north to your hotel in Madinah. The station serves the Haramain, a fast rail line that joins Makkah, Jeddah and Madinah. It sits in the Ar Rusayfah district of Makkah. The road trip is about 440 km, with stops to pray and to rest. This ride is for a traveller who arrives in Makkah on the train and wants the next leg, to Madinah, by car. Your luggage stays in one boot the whole way.
For the whole vehicle, the ride from the Haramain station in Makkah to a hotel in Madinah starts at SAR 400. The driver is at the station when your train gets in. Expect about 440 km on the road north, which takes 4 hr 30 to 5 hr 30. Stops to pray and to rest cost nothing extra.
Fares for a taxi from Makkah station to Madinah hotel
The fare is per vehicle, not per seat, for one way, in Saudi Riyal. It starts at the Makkah platform and ends at your hotel in Madinah. The wait for your train and the stops on the road are inside it.
| 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.
Which vehicle suits a long ride north
Train bags and hours on the road both need space. For two travellers and two cases, a Camry or a Sonata is enough. A family of five to seven has more room in the Hyundai Staria, with space for six large cases. The GMC Yukon XL takes the same load on a higher seat.
Up to eleven people fit in the Toyota Hiace, with ten large cases in the back. A mosque group or a travel group can book the Coaster, with 19 seats, or the Coach, with 44.
Which vehicle fits?
5 of 7 vehicle classes take 4 people and 4 large cases, Makkah station to a Madinah 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.
Where your driver waits at Makkah station
Makkah station is in Ar Rusayfah, about 3.5 km from the Haram, the Grand Mosque in Makkah. It opens daily from 06:30 to 00:30. Look for your name on a sign: your driver holds it where arriving passengers come out.
When you book, include the train number and when it is due in. If the train runs early or late, we see it, and the driver changes his time to match. Half an hour of waiting after the train arrives is free. Past that, the hourly rate is added (waiting time).
Staying in Makkah instead? The Makkah station taxi goes to a hotel near the Haram.
How to book from Makkah station
- Give the train details. Send the train number, and the day and time it reaches Makkah.
- Add your Madinah hotel. Then the number of travellers and of large cases.
- Check the price. The price comes back on WhatsApp, with the vehicle named.
- Know your driver. Look out for a message with his name and phone before the day.
Message us on WhatsApp, at any hour.
The drive north from Ar Rusayfah
- Arrivals area. You meet your driver, and he loads the bags.
- Leaving Makkah. City traffic decides how fast you get out to the highway.
- Highway breaks. The road has rest centres and fuel stations on the way. Stop when a prayer is due, or when anyone needs a break.
- Madinah hotel. Near Masjid an-Nabawi, the Prophet’s Mosque, some streets close to cars at prayer times. Then the driver leaves you on the closest street that is open.
There is no stop at a miqat, the set point for ihram (the state of Umrah) on the way into Makkah. Travellers heading north have, in most cases, done their Umrah before they leave. Ask your group leader or a scholar if you are unsure about your own plans.
This ride, the hotel to hotel taxi or a second train
The Makkah to Madinah taxi starts at a hotel in Makkah. This ride starts at the station, so you head north without a stop at a Makkah hotel.
You could also take a second train on to Madinah. By the October 2026 timetable, a train between the two cities needs 2 hr 15 to 2 hr 25. The Madinah station is in the Al Hadra district, and the Prophet’s Mosque is about 9 km away. So you would still need a car at that end (Madinah station taxi). Check the day’s trains with Saudi Arabia Railways. Makkah to Madinah: train or taxi compares the two in full.
Inside the station to Madinah fare
- Meeting your train at Makkah station
- Half an hour of free waiting at the station
- Stops to pray and to rest on the highway
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- Drop-off at your Madinah hotel
Pay the driver in Madinah at the end of the ride (payment). Tell us a child’s age, and the right seat comes free (luggage and comfort). A stop that you add on the day goes on the bill (how extras are charged).
Tips for the road from Makkah station
Zamzam from Makkah
If you carry Zamzam water north, tell us how many containers you have. They need room in the boot.
Breaks on a long ride
Say early if someone in your group needs to stop often. The driver then plans the rest stops around them.
Room ready on arrival
Your Madinah hotel sets its own check-in hour. Send them your train time, so they know when to expect you.
Questions about the Makkah station to Madinah taxi
Prices begin at SAR 400 for the whole vehicle. That is one way, from the platform to your hotel.
Roughly 440 km of road, from Ar Rusayfah to central Madinah.
About 4 hr 30 to 5 hr 30, with the prayer and rest stops. Traffic leaving Makkah can make it longer.
No. People going north have usually finished Umrah, so the driver does not stop at one. If you are unsure about your own plans, ask your group leader or a scholar.
Yes. We track the train, and 30 minutes after it arrives are in the fare. Longer waits go on the hourly rate.
Yes. The station is open from 06:30 to 00:30, and the driver meets any train in those hours. A night ride costs the same as a day ride.
Yes. Each vehicle has its own fare, and both drivers meet the same train. If you book for a group or as a travel agent, ask about a discounted rate.
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 Makkah train station to Madinah taxi
Message us your train, the time it arrives and the name of your Madinah hotel. Add the size of your group. A fare for the whole vehicle comes back on WhatsApp.