Makkah to Madinah

Makkah to Madinah transfer: the easiest way to get there

When you land at Makkah, the last thing you want is to work out how to get from the airport to Madinah. A private airport transfer takes the question away: a Haqqi Tours driver is at arrivals when you walk out, your vehicle is parked minutes away, and the cost of the Makkah to Madinah transfer was fixed on WhatsApp before you left home. There is no airport taxi queue, no meter running in traffic and no negotiating a fare in a language you may not speak.

This page covers everything travellers ask about the Makkah to Madinah route: how far it is and how long it takes, whether an airport taxi, public transport or a private transfer is the better choice, what Madinah is like, what to see there and where to stay, where you meet your driver at Makkah, which vehicles we use and how the booking works.

How far is Madinah from Makkah?

The distance from Makkah to Madinah is about 440 km by road, and the transfer usually takes around 5 hours 20 minutes. Traffic is the only variable - our drivers know the route and the times to avoid, and they choose the fastest way on the day. Because the Makkah to Madinah transfer price is fixed in advance, a slow drive never costs you more, which is the first difference from an airport taxi on the meter.

From Makkah the route follows the Hijrah expressway north across long stretches of desert, volcanic hills and small towns to Madinah.

For planning, count on 5 hours 20 minutes plus the time to collect your luggage and clear passport control at Makkah; your driver's waiting time is already included.

Pickup in Makkah: hotel, address or port

A Makkah to Madinah transfer by road is booked like any other: tell us where in Makkah you are staying and when you would like to go, and a private car or van collects you at the door. There is no station to reach first and no timetable to fit - you set the departure time - and if you would like a stop on the way, for a viewpoint, a meal or a photograph, the desk quotes it as part of the same journey.

Long drives are made comfortable: the vans are air-conditioned with proper luggage space, the driver stops for a break on request, and a group of up to thirteen travels together in a single Sprinter from Makkah to Madinah.

Makkah to Madinah at a glance

Service: private transfer, your own vehicle from Makkah to Madinah, door to door. Route: about 440 km, around 5 hours 20 minutes depending on traffic. Vehicles: Sedan (1–3 passengers), GMC (1–7 passengers), Minivan (1–7 passengers) and Sprinter (8–13 passengers) - Mercedes, Volkswagen, Ford Transit and Peugeot Traveller models, air-conditioned, with room for luggage. Price: fixed for the whole vehicle and agreed on WhatsApp before you travel, tolls and waiting included, nothing to pay the driver on the day. Meeting: at your hotel or address in Makkah at the time you choose. Booking: the form on this page or a WhatsApp message; confirmation in writing within minutes, in Arabic or English.

Taxi or private transfer from Makkah to Madinah?

Travellers searching for "Makkah to Madinah taxi cost" usually find a range rather than a number, because taxi fares depend on the meter, the hour and the route. Our private transfer gives you a single fixed price for the whole vehicle, agreed on WhatsApp in advance, so the cost of getting from Makkah to Madinah is known before you land.

For one traveller with a small bag, a taxi or public transport can be a fair choice. For two or more people, a family with children, or anyone with real luggage, a private transfer is normally the cheapest way to get from Makkah to Madinah per person - and by far the easiest. Public transport to Madinah involves changes, tickets and stairs; a private car goes to the hotel door.

There is also the question of trust. Our drivers know the hotels of Madinah, work on a fixed price, and never take a detour or add a "special fare" at the end. Your booking is confirmed by a real person on a WhatsApp desk that works in Arabic and English, and that same desk is reachable throughout your trip.

About Madinah

Madinah (Al-Madinah Al-Munawwarah) lies about 450 km north of Makkah in the Hijaz region. Madinah is the second holiest city in Islam, the city of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), who is buried in Al-Masjid an-Nabawi beneath the Green Dome. Pilgrims completing Umrah in Makkah often travel on to Madinah to pray in the Prophet's Mosque and visit Al-Rawdah, the Al-Baqi cemetery, Quba Mosque, the Qiblatain Mosque and Mount Uhud. The central area around the mosque is full of hotels, date markets and shops, and the city is set among palm groves and black volcanic lava fields. The drive north from Makkah is a long journey on the Hijrah expressway across desert and rugged hills.

Things to do in Madinah

What to see in Madinah: Al-Masjid an-Nabawi, Al-Rawdah Al-Sharifah, Quba Mosque, Mount Uhud and Qiblatain Mosque. Ask the driver which to do first on the drive from Makkah - they know the area, and the desk arranges transport for any of them later in your stay.

Where to stay in Madinah

Where you stay in Madinah makes no difference to the price of the transfer, which is fixed for the whole vehicle. The places most travellers choose: Central area (Markaziyah), Northern central area, Quba district and King Fahd Road area - and any other address is fine too.

Vehicle access close to the Prophet's Mosque is restricted, so the car will stop at your hotel or a designated point; plan rest stops on this long drive.

Meeting your driver at Makkah

Every airport is laid out differently, and Makkah is no exception: some airports have a fixed meeting point inside the terminal, some have a specific exit where drivers may wait, and at others the driver stands just beyond customs with a sign. Because of that we do not print one rule here. When we confirm your Makkah to Madinah transfer on WhatsApp, we tell you exactly where your driver will be, with the driver's name and a phone number you can message the moment you land.

Waiting time after landing is included, and if you are delayed at baggage or passport control a quick WhatsApp message keeps everyone informed. On the way back, the driver collects you from the hotel at an agreed time with enough margin for your flight from Makkah.

Our vehicles for the Madinah transfer

For this route we offer Sedan (1–3 passengers), GMC (1–7 passengers), Minivan (1–7 passengers) and Sprinter (8–13 passengers). The vans are Mercedes, Volkswagen, Ford Transit and Peugeot Traveller models, all recent, air-conditioned and cleaned between journeys, with proper luggage space rather than a crowded boot. Choose the vehicle by how many of you are travelling and how much luggage you bring; the desk will tell you if a larger vehicle would be more comfortable.

Child seats and booster seats are available on request - say the ages of the children when you book and we bring the right ones. Extra-large luggage, sports equipment and wheelchairs are all fine; just mention them so the right vehicle is sent.

As a guide, the sedan suits one to three people with normal suitcases, the minivan or GMC a family or group of up to seven with their luggage, and the Sprinter larger parties of up to thirteen; there is cold water in the car, phone chargers in most models, and no smoking.

Who books the Madinah transfer

Who uses a private transfer to Madinah? Couples who would rather not start a holiday in a taxi queue; families who need child seats and space for a pushchair; groups of six to thirteen who want to arrive together in one vehicle; business travellers with a meeting the same day; and travellers landing at night, when public transport is thin and a fixed price is worth more than ever. Every one of them books the same way - a WhatsApp message - and gets the same written confirmation.

If your trip continues beyond Madinah - a day trip, a second city, a port or a return to Makkah - the same desk arranges it in the same WhatsApp conversation, with the same fixed-price approach.

How to book your Madinah transfer

Booking is simple: fill in the form on this page or message us on WhatsApp with your flight number, the date, the number of passengers and your hotel in Madinah. A member of our team replies within minutes to confirm the price and the meeting point. Payment is arranged on WhatsApp as well, in whichever way suits you, and your confirmation is written down so nothing is left to memory.

Changes and cancellations are handled through the same WhatsApp conversation. Because the terms depend on conditions such as how close to the pickup time the request is made, our team will explain exactly what applies to your booking when you ask - always before any payment, never as a surprise afterwards.

Good to know before you land at Makkah

Keep your phone charged and roaming or Wi-Fi on for the WhatsApp thread; the driver's number is in your confirmation and a message on landing at Makkah is the quickest way to say you are through.

Tell us in advance about anything that affects the vehicle - child seats and ages, a wheelchair, skis, golf bags, a pushchair, extra suitcases - so the right car or van is sent to Makkah.

Madinah to Makkah: the return transfer

The same service runs the other way. For a Madinah to Makkah transfer we collect you from your hotel at an agreed time, with a comfortable margin for check-in and security at Makkah, and the driver helps with the luggage at both ends. Book both directions together and the desk keeps them on one confirmation.

Many guests book both directions together for a single confirmation with two times on it; if the return flight changes during the stay, one message moves the pickup to the new time.

More transfers from Makkah

The same fixed-price private service runs from Makkah to other places nearby. If your plans include more than one stop, or friends are staying elsewhere, these are the routes travellers most often combine with Madinah:

• Makkah to Jeddah Airport transfer
• Makkah to Jeddah transfer
• Makkah to Taif transfer

Why travellers choose Haqqi Tours for Madinah transfers

Haqqi Tours is a travel company, not a taxi app: the people who confirm your Madinah transfer are the same people you can message at midnight when the flight is late. The price is fixed and written down, the driver is a licensed professional who does this road regularly, the vehicle is what we said it would be, and if anything on the day is not as promised, one message to the desk puts it right.