Many visitors choose to start their trip in Madinah, landing at Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz International Airport and spending time at the Prophet's Mosque before travelling on to Makkah. The airport is smaller and easier to move through than Jeddah's, but knowing what comes next, step by step, saves a lot of head-scratching after a long flight. This guide follows you from the aircraft door to your hotel door, and back again on departure day.
Step 1: aircraft to immigration
Follow the signs to the passport hall. Have your passport, your visa (electronic or printed) and your hotel address ready, as you may be asked for it. At peak times such as Ramadan and holidays the queue can be long, which is exactly when your driver's free waiting time earns its keep.
Step 2: baggage
Screens show the belt for your flight. Count your bags before leaving the hall. If a bag is late or missing, report it at the baggage desk before you exit, and send your driver a quick message so they know.
Step 3: phone and money
The arrivals area has counters for local mobile operators where you can buy a SIM or data package, plus ATMs for riyals. A local number makes it easy to stay in touch with your driver and hotel throughout your stay. If you have pre-booked your car, you don't need cash at the airport for it: you pay on arrival at the hotel.
Step 4: meeting your driver
If you booked with Mishwar Al Haramain, your driver will be in the arrivals hall holding a sign with your name. The flight is tracked and you have 60 minutes of free waiting from the moment you land, so there is no need to rush. The driver helps with bags to the car, and the ride is private to you.
Step 5: the road to the central area
The airport lies outside the city centre, and the drive to the hotels around the Prophet’s Mosque usually takes 20–30 minutes, a little longer close to prayer times when the streets around the Haram fill up. You are dropped at the closest permitted point to your hotel.
A private car from the airport to a hotel in Madinah starts from 100 SAR per car in a sedan. Every class is on our Madinah Airport to hotel transfer page. For more on the airport itself, see our Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz Airport page.
Before you board: a quick checklist
- Send your flight number, arrival date and hotel name on WhatsApp, and make sure you have received the booking confirmation.
- Write your hotel address in Arabic and English and save it on your phone and on paper.
- Check visa requirements and any health or regulatory instructions on official sources such as Nusuk or the visa portal, as they change from time to time.
- Keep medicines and travel documents in your hand luggage, not in checked bags.
- If an older relative needs a wheelchair, request airline assistance in advance and let us know so a suitable car is sent.
How the seasons affect the airport
For most of the year the airport is relatively calm, but it gets busy in the last ten days of Ramadan and during other peak pilgrimage periods. At those times arrival formalities take longer and the roads around the Prophet's Mosque fill up, so a pre-booked car matters more than ever, and you should build a larger buffer into your departure timing.
Heading straight to Makkah?
Some travellers land in Madinah and want to continue to Makkah the same day. It is about 450 km, roughly 4.5–5 hours. Pilgrims intending Umrah enter ihram at Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali) on the edge of Madinah, not at the airport, and the driver can stop there. Details on Madinah Airport to Makkah and the Madinah to Makkah taxi page.
If you have just come off a long-haul flight, consider resting a night in Madinah first. Arriving in Makkah exhausted, late at night, and then performing Umrah straight away is hard on anyone, and especially on older pilgrims.
Departure day: back to the airport
- Book ahead: send your departure time, flight number and hotel name on WhatsApp at least a day before; the fare for the airport run is confirmed then.
- Timing: allow three hours before international flights, more in peak season, then add the drive time.
- Avoid the post-prayer rush: after the main prayers, and on Fridays in particular, the roads around the mosque get congested. Leave a little before or after.
- Zamzam water: follow your airline's rules for carrying it, and tell us if you have large containers.
- Keep documents handy: passport and boarding details in a small bag, not packed in the boot.
Frequently asked questions
Is the train station at the airport?
No. Madinah's Haramain railway station is not at the airport, so you need a car to reach it.
Is there a prayer room in the terminal?
Yes, the terminal has prayer rooms for men and women with ablution facilities.
What if my flight is delayed by hours?
The flight is tracked and the driver's timing follows the new landing time. Let us know if the flight number itself changes.
Can I book the arrival and departure together?
Yes, and it is the easiest way. Send both times in one message.
To book: WhatsApp +966582918075, or visit our Madinah taxi page.