Madinah
Madinah, and the one booking everybody asks about
المدينة المنورة
Zara Hajj & Umrah Services · Udupi, Karnataka
Updated 21 Jul 2026 · 8 min
Masjid an-Nabawi
Finding your way around
Far easier to navigate than the Haram, and the courtyard umbrellas mean you can pray outside in comfort for much of the year.
Gates are numbered, and the numbers are the only landmark worth remembering. The Green Dome sits over the Prophet's chamber at the south-east corner, and the Rawdah, the area between the chamber and the minbar, lies directly in front of it.
Women's sections have their own gates and their own Rawdah timings, which are posted at the entrances and change during Ramadan. The Baqi cemetery is immediately east; men may enter at set times, and it is viewable from outside otherwise.
Two rak'ahs in Masjid Quba, on the edge of the city, are reported to carry the reward of an Umrah, traditionally visited on a Saturday morning. It is a fifteen-minute taxi and the single best-value hour in Madinah.
Riyadul Jannah
How to actually get a Rawdah slot
One permit per pilgrim, roughly once a year, booked through Nusuk. No operator can guarantee you one, and any that claims to is not being straight with you.
- 01
Open Nusuk
The Rawdah booking sits under the Madinah services, separate from the Umrah permit. Your account must already be verified.
- 02
Watch the release window
Slots open on a rolling basis, roughly ten days ahead. They are gone within minutes at peak times.
- 03
Pick a slot, not a preference
Men and women have separate timings. Take what is available rather than holding out for a convenient hour, 2am slots are the easiest to get and the calmest to pray in.
- 04
Arrive early with the QR code
Screenshot it. Signal at the gates is unreliable when several thousand people are holding phones.
- 05
Expect to be moved along
Your time inside is short and stewarded. Know the two rak'ahs and the dua you want to make before you go in.
Ziyarat
Sites around Madinah
Closer together and far less strenuous than the Makkah sites. A half day covers most of them comfortably.
Photo: Kaliper1 · CC BY-SA 4.0Masjid Quba
مسجد قباء
Allow 1–2 hrs
The first mosque built in Islam. Two rak'ahs here carry the reward of an Umrah.
Go on a Saturday morning to follow the Prophetic practice.
Masjid al-Qiblatain
Allow 45 min
Where the qibla changed mid-prayer from Jerusalem to Makkah.
Mount Uhud & the martyrs' cemetery
Allow 1–2 hrs
The battlefield, and the graves of seventy companions including Hamza.
Jannat al-Baqi
Allow 30 min
The cemetery beside Masjid an-Nabawi. Viewable from outside; men may enter at set times.
Where to stay
Central Haram zone
The area immediately around the mosque is flat and dense with hotels. Unlike Makkah, there is no uphill penalty for saving money.
- 4 minto Gate 15
Anwar al-Madinah Mövenpick
PremiumCentral Haram zone, closest cluster to the Rawdah entrances.
from SAR 690 / night
- 7 minto Gate 21
Al-Eiman Taibah
Mid-rangeGood value for the walk. Ask for a courtyard-facing room.
from SAR 320 / night
Makkah ↔ Madinah
The Haramain train
450 km at 300 km/h. Book it the moment your dates are fixed.
Photo: وكالة الأنباء السعودية · CC BY-SA 4.0- Journey time
- 2 hrs 20 min, Makkah to Madinah
- Fare
- SAR 75–250 depending on class and how early you book
- Luggage
- Two hold bags plus hand luggage, included
- Booking
- Opens roughly 90 days ahead; Ramadan sells out
- Stations
- Makkah Rusayfah and Madinah Knowledge Economic City, both need a 15–25 min taxi at each end
- Worth it?
- Yes over the 5-hour road transfer, unless your group already has a coach