Mecca is the holiest city in Islam and a journey there differs from every other route. What matters here is not a list of places to see but the rules of worship and the permit system. One point has to be known in advance without fail: only Muslims may enter the city. Below I have written about the permit, the season and the practical questions of organisation.
Who may enter Mecca
Entry to the city of Mecca is open only to Muslims and this rule is strictly applied. There are checkpoints on the roads into the city, and breaking the rule results in a fine and deportation. So if you are planning a trip with a mixed group, the route has to be built accordingly.
Umrah is possible on Saudi Arabia’s tourist electronic visa and a separate Umrah visa is not required. Even so, the permits are formalised through the official platform called Nusuk, and advance registration is needed for certain times at the Great Mosque. Hajj, on the other hand, is an entirely separate system and is not performed on a tourist visa.
The Great Mosque and the rules of the visit
The Great Mosque is the largest mosque in the world and the Kaaba stands at its centre. The complex is wide, new floors and escalators have been added, so identifying the right gate in advance saves time. Take a bag for your shoes, because finding the gate again on the way out becomes difficult.
For the Tawaf and Sa’i rites the quietest time is the hours after midnight. The complex is at its densest after the afternoon and evening prayers. For the elderly and those with difficulty moving there is a wheelchair service, and it can be requested at the entrance.
Other places of visit in the city
Jabal al-Nour is to the north of the city and the cave of Hira is there. Climbing to the summit takes an hour or two, the steps are steep and irregular, so the climb has to be made early in the morning or towards evening. Water and comfortable shoes are essential.
Jabal Thawr and the plain of Arafat are also included in the visiting route. The distances between these places are large and public transport is limited, so a car with a driver is the comfortable option; booking a transfer in advance fixes the price and saves you waiting in a queue.
Accommodation and budget in Mecca
The hotel price depends entirely on the distance to the Great Mosque. The hotels in the clock tower complex are the most expensive, but in exchange they are a few minutes away on foot. Hotels one or two kilometres out are two or three times cheaper and run free shuttle buses.
| A hotel near the mosque | 150–400 dollars a night |
| One or two km out | 60–150 dollars |
| Train from Jeddah | About half an hour on the Haramain line |
| Entry | For Muslims only |
In the Ramadan and Hajj periods prices rise several times over and the hotels fill months ahead, so compare hotels by distance to the mosque. There are direct flights from Baku to Jeddah and you continue to Mecca by train or bus, so check ticket prices in the Jeddah direction early. The permit and registration rules are on the official Nusuk platform.
Season and crowds in Mecca
November–March is the most comfortable period in terms of weather, with the temperature at 25–30 degrees. May–September is very hot, passing forty degrees in the afternoon hours. The month of Ramadan is the densest period and in the last ten days the crowds reach their peak. In the Hajj season Umrah permits are temporarily suspended and entry to the city is restricted, so when planning dates that period has to be checked against the official calendar.
A last word
A journey to Mecca is not tourism, so the preparation has to be different as well. Know that Umrah is possible on a tourist visa, formalise the permit in advance, choose your hotel by distance, and check the Hajj and Ramadan periods against the calendar beforehand. If you want to organise an Umrah journey, you can look at the ready-made programme options. For the visa and documents, fill in the application form.
Note: permit rules and seasonal restrictions change, so check from an official source before travelling.
