Miqat
Makkah to Taif miqat taxi, to Qarn al-Manazil and back
- DistanceAbout 165 km round trip
- Journey time2 hr 30 to 3 hrs with the miqat stop
- FromSAR 400Whole vehicle, return included
Overview
Qarn al-Manazil is the miqat (a set point for Umrah) on the Taif road, and a Makkah to Taif miqat taxi goes there and back. Your driver collects you at your Makkah hotel and drives about 80 km north east to As-Sayl al-Kabir. You get up to 45 minutes at the mosque to change into ihram, the Umrah state, and pray. Men wear two plain white cloths. After that, the car returns you to your hotel. It is a short trip, not a day out in Taif.
A taxi from Makkah to the Taif miqat at As-Sayl al-Kabir and back costs from SAR 400 for the whole vehicle. The fare includes up to 45 minutes at the Qarn al-Manazil mosque. After that, waiting is charged by the hour. The whole outing takes 2 hr 30 to 3 hours.
Qarn al-Manazil from Makkah
Saudipedia, the Saudi national encyclopedia, lists five miqat points around Makkah. By its figures, Qarn al-Manazil is the nearest of the five to the city.
- Two mosques in one valley. The name Qarn covers a whole valley. Its mosque at As-Sayl al-Kabir stands on the As-Sayl road. A second one, Wadi Muharram, is on the Al Hada road, about 33 km away. This trip goes to As-Sayl al-Kabir.
- Named in hadith. In a hadith reported by al-Bukhari, Qarn al-Manazil is the miqat named for Najd, in central Arabia.
- On high ground. The road climbs to about 1,200 m above the sea.
- At the site. Saudipedia lists a mosque, places to park and toilets.
Many people in Makkah who want another Umrah go to a closer place, such as Masjid Ayesha at Tan’eem. Saudipedia names Tan’eem and Ji’ranah as such places, both just outside the Haram, the sacred area around Makkah. Some ask to go out to Qarn al-Manazil instead. Your scholar or group leader can say which place fits you.
Makkah to Taif miqat and back, fares by vehicle
One return fare, in Saudi Riyal, hires the whole vehicle. Inside it: the road out to As-Sayl al-Kabir, up to 45 minutes at the mosque and the road home. Think of it as a taxi, Makkah to Qarn al-Manazil and back, with the wait built in.
| Vehicle | Seats and bags | Fare | Choose |
|---|---|---|---|
 SedanToyota Camry | 4 seats2 large cases plus 2 hand bags | SAR 400Whole vehicle, return included | Too small for your party |
 SedanHyundai Sonata | 4 seats2 large cases plus 2 hand bags | SAR 400Whole vehicle, return included | 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, return included | Too small for your party |
 SUVGMC Yukon XLYukon XL or similar | 7 seats6 large cases plus 4 hand bags | SAR 750Whole vehicle, return included | Too small for your party |
 VanToyota Hiace | 11 seats10 large cases plus 10 hand bags | SAR 550Whole vehicle, return included | Too small for your party |
 MinibusToyota Coaster | 19 seats15 large cases plus 19 hand bags | SAR 1,000Whole vehicle, return included | Too small for your party |
 CoachCoach | 44 seats44 large cases plus 44 hand bags | SAR 1,200Whole vehicle, return included | 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: 2 hr 30 to 3 hrs with the miqat stop.
Choosing a vehicle
The trip is short and you carry little, so pick by group size. Up to four people fit a Camry or a Sonata. Five to seven ride in a Staria, or in a GMC Yukon XL with its higher seat.
A Hiace seats up to eleven. Mosque groups and tour groups book the Coaster or the Coach, and the As-Sayl road takes them.
Which vehicle fits?
5 of 7 vehicle classes take 4 people and 4 large cases, Makkah to Taif miqat and back.
- 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 1,000
- CoachCoach44 seats, 44 large cases, 44 hand bagsSAR 1,200
Too small for this party: Toyota Camry, Hyundai Sonata.
Pick-up at your Makkah hotel
Pick a time, and your driver waits for you in the hotel lobby. One fare covers all hotels in Makkah, near the Grand Mosque or further out.
If you put on the cloths at the hotel, wear them for the ride. If you change at the mosque, keep them in a hand bag.
How to book the miqat run
- Hotel and time. Send your Makkah hotel and when you want to leave.
- Head count. Say how many people are going, so the vehicle fits.
- Fare by WhatsApp. Our reply names the vehicle and the fare for the round trip.
- Driver’s details. A message with his name and phone comes before you set off.
Message us on WhatsApp, at any hour.
The round trip to As-Sayl al-Kabir
- Lobby pick-up. Your driver collects you at the hotel.
- Out to the miqat. About 80 km north east, on the road to Taif through As-Sayl.
- Up to 45 minutes at the mosque. Put on your ihram cloths, state your intention and say your prayers.
- Back to your hotel. The drive back to Makkah. Streets beside the Grand Mosque can shut to cars around prayer times. If so, he parks where the road is open, and you walk the last part.
The whole round trip is about 165 km. Stay longer than 45 minutes and the hourly rate starts. You hear the amount before it does (how waiting is charged).
This trip, the Taif day trip, or Masjid Ayesha
The Makkah to Taif taxi spends a whole day in Taif and stops at a miqat as it returns. This trip goes only to the mosque at As-Sayl al-Kabir and back, so it is much shorter.
For a nearer place, book Masjid Ayesha and back at Tan’eem. Both short trips from Makkah are side by side on miqat trips from Makkah.
In the return fare
- Collection from your Makkah hotel, and the ride back to it
- The drive to As-Sayl al-Kabir and back
- Up to 45 minutes at the mosque
- Fuel, tolls and parking
- A free child seat for a young child (tell us the age)
You hand over the fare at the end, at your hotel (how to pay). Anything added on the day is billed on top (how extras are charged). Wheelchair users can read luggage and comfort.
Tips for the Taif road miqat
Go with a plan
Agree the place with your scholar or group leader before you book. The driver goes where you ask, but he gives no rulings.
The time goes fast
Do wudu, the washing before prayer, at the hotel if you can. Then the 45 minutes are for changing and prayer.
Umrah straight after
If you want to start Umrah on your return, ask to be dropped near the Grand Mosque. The driver goes as close as the open roads allow.
Questions about the Taif miqat trip
From SAR 400 for the whole vehicle, with up to 45 minutes at the mosque.
About 80 km each way by road, or about 165 km there and back. Saudipedia’s own figure for the mosque is about 80 km from Makkah.
Plan for 2 hr 30 to 3 hours, with up to 45 minutes at the mosque.
No. This trip turns back at the mosque. The Taif day trip spends hours in Taif and stops at a miqat on the way home.
The hourly rate starts after 45 minutes. Tell us at booking if your group is large or slow.
It lies north east of Makkah, at As-Sayl al-Kabir, beside the Taif road.
This fare is for the round trip from your hotel. For a one way ride, ask us for a price.
Still have a question?
Ask on WhatsApp in Arabic, English, Urdu, Punjabi or Saraiki, at any hour. Voice notes are fine.
Related pages
Transfers
Taxi from Makkah to the miqat
Between cities
The Jeddah trip via Qarn al-Manazil
3 hr 30 to 4 hr 30 with the miqat stop
From SAR 600
See the route
Book the Taif miqat taxi
Tell us your Makkah hotel, the day, the time you want to leave and how many are going. We send the return fare on WhatsApp, at any hour.