Ziyarat in Makkah and Madinah: Places to Visit Between Prayers

Elijah Tours Team September 18, 2026 8 min read

Umrah itself takes a few hours. What fills the rest of a two- or three-week stay is prayer in the Harams and ziyarat, visits to the places where the history of Islam unfolded. Every package includes a guided ziyarat day in each city; here is what it covers and how to make the most of it.

Makkah

The Makkah ziyarat runs by coach between Fajr and Dhuhr. It stops at Jabal al-Nour, the mountain of the Cave of Hira, seen from the base rather than climbed; Jabal Thawr, where the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr sheltered on the Hijrah; and the plains of Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat, so you understand the Hajj route even on an Umrah trip.

The morning ends at Masjid Aisha in Tan'im, the nearest miqat to the city. Anyone who wishes to perform a second Umrah puts on ihram there and returns to the Haram with the group.

Madinah

In Madinah the sites are closer together and the pace is gentler. The route covers Masjid Quba, the first mosque built in Islam, where two rak'ahs carry the reward of an Umrah; Masjid al-Qiblatain, where the direction of prayer changed; the site of the Battle of the Trench and the Seven Mosques; and Mount Uhud with the graves of the martyrs, including Hamza (RA).

Al-Baqi cemetery beside the Prophet's Mosque is visited on foot after Fajr on a separate morning, as its opening hours are short.

The Rawdah and Nusuk permits

Prayer in the Rawdah, the area between the Prophet's ﷺ minbar and his house, requires a timed permit issued through the Nusuk app, with separate slots for men and women. We apply for the whole group as soon as the visas are issued and share the slot time in the group chat. Arrive at the gate named on the permit twenty minutes early.

Fitting it around prayer

Ziyarat days are timed so that no prayer is missed in the Haram: departures leave after Fajr breakfast and return before Dhuhr, or leave after Asr in the cooler months. Wear comfortable shoes, carry water, and keep your hotel card and the group leader's number with you at all times.