Al-Masjid Al-Haram (Grand Mosque)
Islam's holiest mosque, built around the Kaaba and drawing millions of Muslim worshippers each year. Makkah and this mosque are open to Muslims only; non-Muslims cannot enter the city.
Makkah
Non-Muslims cannot enter Islam's holiest city, where the Masjid al-Haram stands and people go mainly for Hajj and Umrah.
Attractive locations
Kaaba
The cube-shaped, black-draped structure at the centre of the Grand Mosque, which Muslims around the world face when they pray. Pilgrims walk around it during Hajj and Umrah, and it is closed to non-Muslims.
Al-Safa and Al-Marwah
Two small hills, now enclosed within the Grand Mosque, between which pilgrims walk back and forth as part of Hajj and Umrah. The walk follows an event from Islamic tradition.
Mount Arafat
A granite hill on a wide plain outside Makkah where pilgrims gather on the most important day of Hajj to pray and reflect. It is visited mainly during Hajj season, and only by Muslims.
Mina
A valley east of the Grand Mosque that fills with a vast city of white tents during Hajj, when pilgrims stay for several days. Entry to Makkah, including Mina, is restricted to Muslims.
Jamarat Bridge (Mina)
A multi-level structure in Mina built around three stone pillars, where pilgrims throw small pebbles during Hajj as a symbolic rejection of evil. Only Muslims may enter Makkah and its holy sites.
Jabal al-Nour
A steep mountain near Makkah, climbed on stone steps to reach the Cave of Hira near the top. Muslims visit because of its place in the early story of Islam.
Cave of Hira
A small cave on Jabal al-Nour where, according to Islamic tradition, the Prophet Muhammad received the first revelation. Many pilgrims climb to see it, and Makkah is closed to non-Muslims.
Jabal Thawr
A rocky mountain south of Makkah with a cave where, in Islamic tradition, the Prophet and Abu Bakr sheltered during their journey to Madinah. Muslim pilgrims visit it for this history.
Muzdalifah
An open plain between Arafat and Mina where pilgrims spend a night in prayer during Hajj and gather pebbles. It is a key stop in the pilgrimage and is empty for much of the year.
Abraj Al Bait (Makkah Royal Clock Tower)
A group of tall towers beside the Grand Mosque, crowned by one of the world's largest clock faces. They hold hotels, a shopping centre and prayer halls, and dominate the skyline.
Mosque of the Jinn
A small mosque in Makkah, linked in Islamic tradition with an encounter between the Prophet and a group of jinn. Pilgrims often stop here while visiting nearby holy sites.
Airports
Taif International Airport TIF
It is about 75 km in a straight line from Makkah.
King Abdulaziz International Airport JED
It is about 75 km in a straight line from Makkah.
Getting around
Jeddah airport to Makkah by train
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah states that the Sacred Area of Makkah is open to Muslims only, while Canadian advice states that non-Muslims are prohibited from travelling to Makkah. Pilgrims can take the Haramain High Speed Railway from Jeddah's King Abdulaziz International Airport to Makkah; the railway also stops at Al-Sulimaniyah in Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah. According to the ministry, Makkah is about 72 km from Jeddah.
- Source: Haramain High Speed Railway: official portal (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Ministry of Hajj and Umrah: Makkah Al-Mukarramah (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Government of Canada travel advice: Saudi Arabia (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Haramain train boarding
Passengers on the Haramain High Speed Railway are told in its travel tips to reach the station early, since boarding happens in a short, specific window, to print the ticket and check the coach and seat numbers on it, and to bring personal ID documents. Seats can be reserved on the railway's website or mobile app. Entry to the Sacred Area in Makkah is limited to Muslims by the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah.
- Source: Haramain High Speed Railway: travel tips (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Ministry of Hajj and Umrah: Makkah Al-Mukarramah (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Scams and safe taxis
Taxis and ride-hailing to Makkah
Taxis are one of the options the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah gives for getting between Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah, with the fare depending on vehicle type and distance. A vehicle can also be booked through ride-hailing apps, though the ministry names none, or through companies that have offices in the arrival terminals. It lists air-conditioned organised bus services too. Non-Muslims are not allowed to enter the Sacred Area, the ministry also states.
- Source: Ministry of Hajj and Umrah: transportation options to Mecca (checked 4 Nov 2026)
- Source: Ministry of Hajj and Umrah: Makkah Al-Mukarramah (checked 4 Nov 2026)
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan21.1 °C6 mm
- Feb23.0 °C1 mm
- Mar25.6 °C1 mm
- Apr29.1 °C7 mm
- May32.7 °C4 mm
- Jun34.7 °C2 mm
- Jul34.2 °C1 mm
- Aug34.2 °C0 mm
- Sep34.0 °C1 mm
- Oct30.4 °C3 mm
- Nov25.9 °C9 mm
- Dec22.8 °C4 mm
Driest months: Feb, Mar, Jul, Aug, Sep. Wettest months: Jan, Apr, Nov.
Costs
Prices here are about 47% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Festivals and events
festival
Ramadan Umrah season
Planning early is advisable for this event, which ranks among the country's biggest each year; hotels fill and prices rise.
festival
Ramadan Umrah season
Planning early is advisable for this event, which ranks among the country's biggest each year; hotels fill and prices rise.
Who can help
Emergency and help
911 is the unified emergency number in most regions. Police 999. Ambulance 997. Civil defence / fire 998.
local government
Ministry of Health Call Center 937
Helps with: The health ministry's call center, listed for medical consultations and receiving reports from inside the Kingdom, 24/7. A separate number is listed for calls from outside the Kingdom.
Who qualifies: Callers inside Saudi Arabia needing medical consultation; the page does not say which languages are offered.
Phone: 937
Email: 937@moh.gov.sa
local government
Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, Guests Care
Helps with: The ministry that serves pilgrims and visitors for Hajj and Umrah. Its contact page lists phone lines marked 24/7, an email address and several Guests Care Centers in Makkah, Madinah and Jeddah.
Who qualifies: Pilgrims and visitors served by the ministry; the page sets no further conditions.
Phone: +966 920002814
Email: Care@haj.gov.sa
local government
Guests Care Center, Al-Musfalah (Ministry of Hajj and Umrah)
Helps with: A Guests Care Center of the Hajj and Umrah ministry in Makkah, open 8 AM to 10 PM. The phone is the ministry's central line (24/7); inside the Kingdom you can also call 1966.
Who qualifies: Pilgrims and visitors served by the ministry; the page does not state who may use the center.
Phone: +966 920002814
Email: Care@haj.gov.sa
Address: Ibrahim Al-Khalil Street, Al-Musfalah, Mecca
local government
Emergency number 911 (police, ambulance and fire)
Helps with: Reaches police, ambulance and fire services. UK government travel advice lists this number.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 911
local government
Emergency number 112 for phones without a Saudi SIM
Helps with: Emergency number for callers without a Saudi SIM card. UK government travel advice says to call 112 in that case.
Who qualifies: Anyone in the country, including visitors.
Phone: 112
ngo
Saudi Red Crescent Authority
Helps with: The contact page lists 997 as the ambulance number and a beneficiary services call centre. It also offers first aid training through its Ambassador of Life programme.
Who qualifies: The page does not say who can use it. It gives a public contact form and the phone numbers listed.
Phone: 00966112805555
Email: info@srca.org.sa
Address: PO Box 11129, Riyadh