Mecca in 7 Days: An Umrah Plan (Costs)
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Non-Muslims cannot enter Mecca; this is a 7 day Umrah plan for Muslim pilgrims that pairs Mecca with Medina, the most common combination for pilgrims with a full week.
This plan nests our 6 day plan exactly through day 6, then adds a day in Medina rather than flying straight home. If a week is more than you need, the 6 day plan drops Medina and ends with departure from Jeddah.
Before you travel
- Umrah visa and permit confirmed through Nusuk
- MenACWY meningitis vaccination certificate (mandatory for entry)
- Ihram garments packed (men); modest dress confirmed (women)
- Haram-area hotel booked in Mecca, plus a Medina hotel if pairing the two cities
- Haramain train tickets booked for both the Jeddah-Mecca and Mecca-Medina legs
The 7 days at a glance
| Day | Focus | Key rite |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Arrival and rest | Ihram entered at the miqat |
| 2 | Umrah | Tawaf, sa’i, halq/taqsir |
| 3 | Ziyarah to Jabal al-Nour | The Cave of Hira climb |
| 4 | Rest or second Umrah | Optional repeat tawaf and sa’i |
| 5 | Ziyarah to Jabal Thawr and Jannat al-Mu’alla | Devotional climb and cemetery visit |
| 6 | Farewell tawaf, transfer to Medina | Tawaf al-Wada |
| 7 | Medina and departure | Visit to the Prophet’s Mosque |
Day 1: Arrival and rest
Fly into Jeddah (JED) and transfer to Mecca, 1-1.5 hours by car or bus, or 30-45 minutes by Haramain train. Enter ihram at or before the miqat if you haven’t already. Check in and rest before the rites.
Day 2: Umrah
Perform the full Umrah sequence: 7 circuits of tawaf around the Kaaba, 7 passes of sa’i between Safa and Marwa, and halq or taqsir to close the ihram state. Drink from the Zamzam well and spend the rest of the day at the Haram.
Day 3: Ziyarah to Jabal al-Nour
Climb Jabal al-Nour early, before the heat. The roughly 1,750-step path to the Cave of Hira, where the first revelation came, takes 1-2 hours each way. Rest through the afternoon.
Day 4: Rest or second Umrah
Use the spare day to rest, or to re-enter ihram from a nearby miqat and perform a second Umrah. With 7 days total, there’s no need to rush this one.
Day 5: Ziyarah to Jabal Thawr and Jannat al-Mu’alla
Jabal Thawr, about 8 km south of Mecca, is a harder, less-crowded climb than Jabal al-Nour, the cave where the Prophet and Abu Bakr sheltered during the Hijra. Visit the Jannat al-Mu’alla cemetery the same day, where Khadijah bint Khuwaylid, the Prophet’s first wife, is buried.
Day 6: Farewell tawaf and transfer to Medina
Perform Tawaf al-Wada before checking out of your Mecca hotel; this is your last act at the Kaaba before leaving the city. Take the Haramain High-Speed Railway to Medina, roughly 2-2.5 hours, and check into your Medina hotel. Visit the Prophet’s Mosque in the evening; the same non-Muslim restriction applies to Medina’s central Haram area.
Day 7: Medina and departure
Spend the day at the Prophet’s Mosque and its surrounding sites in Medina, then transfer to Medina’s airport (MED) or back to Jeddah for your flight home, depending on your ticket.
Costs for a 7 day trip
A 7 day Umrah trip pairing Mecca and Medina typically runs toward the higher end of the $2,500-4,500 per person range, given the added Medina hotel and rail tickets; Ramadan adds another 30-40%. For the deeper history behind the rites this itinerary is built around, see our guide to Mecca .
One concrete tip: book your Mecca-Medina Haramain train tickets as soon as your Umrah permit is confirmed. Seats on the popular afternoon departures sell out well ahead during Ramadan and the cooler winter months.