Makkah to Madinah for 35–50 Riyal, Jannat al-Mu'alla Timings and Other Umrah Tips

If you want to go from Makkah to Madinah on your own, go to the parking area outside Al-Hijrah Road and Shabeeha Road. Ask the taxis and larger cars there for "Madinah". They usually charge 35 to 50 riyal and get you to Madinah in 3 to 4 hours.

Most people on an Umrah visa package don't need this, because bus transport between Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah is normally part of the package. This option is for individuals and iqama holders travelling on their own.

Jannat al-Mu'alla (Maqbarat al-Ma'lah) is Makkah's oldest graveyard, where the grave of Hazrat Khadija (R.A) is. The most important thing to know:

It opens only after Fajr and after Asr. At any other time you'll find the gates closed.

Some other things I learned on the walk:

• Women can't go inside. They can see the graveyard from outside the gate. Men can enter.
• It's a long walk. From Ibrahim Khalil Road, through Masjid al-Haram, past Safa and Marwa and then Masjid Jinn, it was roughly 2.5 to 3 km.
• The graves are almost flat and look alike. Only Hazrat Khadija's grave is known by name.