Mecca Multi-Day Trips: Umrah Plus Medina

Travel advisory: The US State Department advises reconsidering travel to Saudi Arabia due to regional conflict, and Houthi missiles and drones have targeted Saudi cities. The UK limits its warnings to the Yemen border region and Abha and Khamis Mushait. Mecca, Jeddah, Taif and Medina are outside those areas, but check the US State Department and UK FCDO before booking.

Two holy cities joined by a two-hour train make the standard Umrah trip, and the rail line is what makes a longer stay easy to organise.

Entry to the Haram area of Mecca is restricted to Muslims under Saudi law, enforced at road checkpoints. These itineraries are for Muslim pilgrims. Non-Muslim readers can use the Jeddah and Taif parts of the second route.

A 7-day Umrah circuit

Days 1 to 4, Mecca. Fly into Jeddah, then take the Haramain train to Makkah station in about 30 to 45 minutes. Settle in, perform Umrah on your Nusuk slot and spend the remaining days in prayer, with a visit to the Exhibition of the Two Holy Mosques Architecture and Jabal al-Nour if energy allows.

Day 5, to Medina. Morning train, about 2 hours. Economy fares start from about 150 SAR and business costs roughly three times that, so book by class at sar.hhr.sa . In the evening, visit the Rawdah on its separate Nusuk permit, which is limited to one visit per 365 days.

Days 6 and 7, Medina. Mount Uhud, Masjid Quba and the Seven Mosques, then a flight home from Medina’s airport.

A 10-day Hejaz route

Spend 5 days in Mecca, 3 in Medina and 2 in Jeddah. Jeddah’s UNESCO old town of Al-Balad and its Corniche suit the slower final days, and they are open to every visitor.

Paperwork for a longer stay

  • An Umrah visa and a tourist eVisa differ. The eVisa permits Umrah outside the Hajj season, never Hajj.
  • Every pilgrim needs a timed permit from Nusuk , and Medina’s Rawdah needs a second one.
  • A MenACWY meningitis vaccination certificate is required.
  • Umrah visas for the 1448 AH season run until about March 2027, so confirm exact cut-offs on Nusuk.

Timing the trip

Hajj 2027 is expected around 14 to 19 May, with the Day of Arafah on Saturday 15 May, subject to moon sighting. Accommodation and permits tighten sharply around those dates. Cooler months suit older travellers, since summer heat can pass 45C and Hajj 2024 saw at least 1,301 heat deaths above 50C.

Money and rooms

Prices are in riyals, pegged at 3.75 SAR per US dollar. For a longer stay, compare Makkah hotels on Booking.com and choose rooms with a short, shaded route to the mosque.

See the 3-day itinerary for a shorter version of the same loop. Book the Medina train before anything else, as seats fill near holidays.