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Destination KSA - Your Guide to Saudi

A First-Timers Guide To Madinah

By Destination Team

By Molly Morris

As the city where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) lived and taught before his triumphant return to Makkah, Madinah is central in Islamic history. Millions of pilgrims visit Madinah each year, but many fail to experience it fully.

So for first-timers to the Holy City, we have created a 1-day itinerary for you that will allow you to experience Madinah in all its glory.

Head From Jeddah to Madinah

07:30 – 11:30 Take The Journey: Head From Jeddah to Madinah

The road to Madinah from Jeddah takes about 4 hours and there are a few rest stops along the way. On this road trip prepare to witness jagged mountains protruding from the sand, extinct volcanoes surrounded by expanses of black rocks, and the occasional oasis of green palms. At times, you will even come across herds of camels as they graze near the camps of their Bedouin owners and baboons basking under the sun near the highway.

Stopover At Quba Mosque

11:30 – 12:15 Stopover At Quba Mosque

Quba was the first mosque in Islam, and Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) himself laid its foundation.The Prophet (PBUH) also said, “Whoever purifies himself in his house then comes to the mosque of Quba’ and prays there, he will have a reward like that for ‘Umrah.” (Narrated by Ahmad, al-Nasaa’i, Ibn Maajah and al-Haakim).

Don’t forget to mingle with the residents of Madinah, as they are known for being hospitable and friendly.

 Get In Touch With Your Spiritual Side At The Prophet’s Mosque

12:30 Get In Touch With Your Spiritual Side At The Prophet’s Mosque

The 2nd largest mosque in the world, Masjid Al Nabawi’s domes cover skylights that flood the mosque with sunlight during the day. This is the place where you can just sit back, pray and meditate.

Nearby, is a huge cemetery (Baqeea’ al Garqad), where many companions of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) were laid to rest.

Lunchtime: A Blessed Abundance

15:00 Lunchtime: A Blessed Abundance

Enjoy a traditional Madini meal, including boukhary (chicken and rice) and savory mantu (dumplings) from a local restaurant. But if you are not in the mood for something local, then worry not as Madinah has many foreign fast food brands as well.

Read also  Explore Makkah & Madinah

Witness History At Ohud

16:00 Witness History At Ohud

You can even hike up the rocky terrain to the cave where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) prayed and recovered from battle wounds. Within walking distance from that small cavern is another rocky crevice where it is believed that the Prophet (PBUH) once rested his head on a boulder.

At the battle site of Shohada Ohud, there are graves of 70 martyred Muslim soldiers. You can also climb the hill where Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) instructed his soldiers to wait throughout the battle.

Traipse Through The Ruins Of The Saad Palace

17: 00 Traipse Through The Ruins Of The Saad Palace

We pulled off the highway to explore Dar al Sa’ad ibn Al Wakka, a former palace that belonged to one of Prophet Muhammad’s (PBUH) companions. The building’s architectural beauty is still evident after 1,400 years, and the view from the roof at sunset is not to be missed.

Traverse The Palm Groves

18:00 Traverse The Palm Groves

Visit the Ka’ab ibn al Ashraf palm grove which is one of the city’s oldest palm groves. Madinah is renowned for more than 150 varieties of dates. Although Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) prayed blessings upon all food in the city, dates are particularly famous. Some believe that by keeping a Madinah date pit in your wallet you will never run out of cash.

Read also  Madinah Is About To Change Here’s Proof

Visit Enigmatic Hejaz Railway’s Madinah Station

18:45 Visit Enigmatic Hejaz Railway’s Madinah Station

Built during the Ottoman Empire, Madinah’s beautiful train station was a point on the old Hejaz Railway that transported Muslims all along the west coast of the Kingdom and continued to Damascus. The railroad has not operated since World War I, but visitors to the station can admire the beautiful architecture, learn about the site’s history, and enjoy a short ride in an original train car pulled by a steam engine. The station is now part of a recreational park.

Buy Souveneirs

20:00 Buy Souveneirs

No trip to Madinah is complete without sampling the city’s famous food. In addition to the famous dates, loaves of sesame seed bread called shruraik from the famous Kaki Bakery or bags of mint and green tea make tasty souvenir gifts.

Read also  Hajj Riders Cycled Through 9 Countries to Reach Madinah

A trip to Madinah is definitely an enriching experience for first time visitors after all it is this city which the Prophet had so much love for.

Sayyidina Anas bin Malik (RA) narrates that, “Whenever the Prophet returned from a journey and observed the walls of Madinah, he would make his mount go fast, and if he was on an animal (i.e. a horse), he would make it gallop because of his love for Madinah.”  [Bukhari, Vol. 3, Book 30, Hadith no. 110]

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Madina City Tour

Madina has to be one of the most tranquil places on Earth besides Masjid Haram. It is a place that you never want to leave, subhanAllah! Here is a short tour of the city for those who have never been and even if you have, a refresher to make you all want to go again inshAllah!

Privacy Overview

Things To Do In Madinah! Sightseeing in Madinah Guide

Categories Middle East , Saudi Arabia

Madinah/Medina, the second most holy place in Islam is an incredibly peaceful city and worth spending a few days in, whether you are Muslim or Non-Muslim. Aside from the most famous Medina attraction – the Prophets Mosque-  Al-Masjid An Nabawi , what are other things to do in Madinah and places to visit in Madinah are there?

Here is my guide to things to do in Madinah and sightseeing in Madinah as a tourist and why the Madinah Hop-On Hop-Off Bus is the best way to see Madinah!

Things To Do in Madinah

Related Post: I am not a Muslim but I did visit Madinah as I wanted to learn more about Islam, read this blog post for how to visit Medina as a Non-Muslim .

Al-Masjid An Nabawi

I will save you the history lesson as if you’re reading this you probably know more than me about the Prophets Mosque. Of course, this is the most important place to visit in Madinah and the central place to visit and top of the list of things to do in Madinah!

Al-Haram is huge and I loved walking around the outside observing everyone and taking in the tranquillity.

Museums in Madinah

There are a number of museums in Medina you can visit and add to your list of things to do in Madinah.

I was recommended to visit Dar Al Madinah Museum. 

Assalam Museum is located just outside of Al-Masjid An Nabawi so it’s in a really good location to visit.

Hejaz Railway Museum is also very close to Al Haram, it’s also a stop on the City Hop On Hop Off Bus which I really recommend doing!

The Beautiful Names of Allah Exhibition also shows as a popular museum to visit in Madinah.

From my experience trying to visit museums in Saudi Arabia, I advise double-checking the opening times before visiting as they can seem to open and close whenever they want.

Related Post: Are you visiting Jeddah before Madinah? If so, read my post on how to get from Jeddah to Madinah via bus, train & flight !

Places to Visit in Madinah

For all of the other things to see in Madinah, things to do in Madinah and for sightseeing in Madinah, I am going to recommend that you use the Hop-On, Hop-Off Tourist Bus that runs in Medina.

For me, visiting Saudi Arabia as a tourist has been hard because of the lack of public transport options and tours on offer, however, because Madinah is set up for tourism, it is not an issue here and it makes sense to take this bus to see the many places to visit in Madinah.

Book the hop-on, hop-off bus tour here for a hassle-free sightseeing!

Look for the best flights to Madinah here!

I use Skyscanner to book all of my flights! I’m a huge fan of Skyscanner because I love how easy it is to compare different dates and routes to help me find the best flight at the best price! 

Open Skyscanner by clicking here and search for the best flights as you read this post.

Madinah Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

The bus starts and ends at the ClockTower by Al Masjid An Nabawi.

There are 2 lines, a green line and a red line . The green line is only very short and it only goes around the outside of Al-Haram so you should do the red line to see everything Medina has to offer.

The highlight of the bus for me was not only the ease of getting it but the audio guide as I did not take a Madinah tour so this gave me so much historical information about Madinah.

The audioguide is available in 16 languages so it is perfect for everyone visiting!

You can book the bus at the ticket office by the Clocktower in Medina, or you can book and pay for it online . The prices are the same.

Personally, I decided to book online and I recommend you do too.

You can book the Madinah Hop-On, Hop-Off Bus on Get Your Guide here like I did which offers a 24hour free cancellation period.

And you can book it on Viator here too for the same price.

Accommodation in Madinah

I loved my Madinah Hotel so I really recommend it to you too if you haven’t booked accommodation yet.

I stayed at Mawaddah Altaqwa Hotel   which I really recommend. I had an amazing view of Al-Masjid a Nabawi from my room, the room was clean and comfy with welcoming staff. It definitely gets used as a hotel for big groups visiting Medina on their Pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina but that was not a problem for me!

For more Medina Hotels for your trip, have a look on Agoda here as there is a huge selection!

Also known as Ohud Battlefield , this is one of the extremely  historical places in Madina . Once the hop-on, hop-off bus has been around the Al-Haram Mosque it travels out of the city here as the first real stop.

I recommend getting off the bus here so you can visit the mosque and see the views of the city and mountain from a small hill next to the mosque.

Al Noor Mall

This is a stop on the Red bus route. I stopped here for a bathroom break and to get lunch. Unless you want either or you want to shop I don’t suggest visiting as it is a pretty standard mall and not different from any other mall in Saudi Arabia.

Sultanah Road

If shopping is on your list of things to do in Madinah , Sultanah Road is a good stop. There are lots of shops along the street and lots of places to eat too.

Masjid Quba

Have you booked your flight to Madinah yet??

I use Skyscanner to book all of my flights! I’m a huge fan of Skyscanner because I love how easy it is to compare different dates and routes to help me find the best flight at the best price!  Open Skyscanner by clicking here and search for the best flights as you read this post.

Quba Square

For what to do in Medina, Quba Square is a good place to visit on the bus or walking from Al-Haram. It is a good walking street full of shops and one of the good things to do in Madinah at night.

I hope this helps you understand the many places to visit in Madinah and things to do in Madinah. Whether you are visiting Medina as part of a pilgrimage with Mecca or you are visiting only Medina as I did , you can easily spend 2 days in Madinah doing lots of sightseeing in Madinah!

Update: I actually became Muslim 5 months after visiting Madinah. Visiting Saudi Arabia but Madinah especially really sparked my interest in Islam and with Covid happening afterwards I was able to spend time learning more about Islam before becoming Muslim in August!

To SEE all of the best things to do in Madinah, watch my YouTube video here ! 

• For more of my blog posts on Saudi Arabia see:
• Visiting Madinah as a Non-Muslim.
• How to Get from Jeddah to Madinah via Bus, Train & Flight.
• A Complete Tourists Guide to Old Jeddah / Al Balad Neighbourhood!
• My Complete Riyadh Travel Guide for Tourists!
• Buying a SIM card at Jeddah Airport as a tourist
• Buying a SIM card at Medina Airport as a tourist
• ALL MY SAUDI ARABIA BLOG POSTS

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Wednesday 29th of November 2023

MashaAllah, I am so happy for you congratulations on your conversion to Islam may Allah SWT bless you, protect you and keep you guided to the straight path Ameen. also great post sis loveeddd ittt:)

TheWanderingQuinn

Jazakallah Khair!

Wednesday 20th of September 2023

MasyaaAllah, subhanallah.... Allah swt have given you his blessing & hidayah for all your pleasant words & respect on his holy city. Even though I have been to Madinah/Mekah 3 times, I found your advise for touring the madinah rather simple and easy to follow. Im rather looking for soemthing different from the normal/usual visiting plans which ive been thro a few time. Preferable the local touch, food and place, which not normal tourist go thro. Insyaa Allah.. I plann to do umrah again this december and while browsing , found yr site. Thank you again for the efforts youve put in to help others... salam,,

Friday 9th of June 2023

Thanks for this post. Most hotels in Madinah check out at 12pm. Suppose you have 4-5 hours before your flight, with kids, what's a good way to spend that time in Madinah (particularly ways to get rest for the kids). I'm not sure if Madinah airport has rest facilities. Please advise, thanks!

Tuesday 20th of June 2023

I found Madinah airport to be quite small but I did fly internally so that might be why. There are plenty of malls near the masjid and around the city you can relax in for a bit and hotels allow you to keep your bags at reception until you need to head to the airport.

Wednesday 3rd of May 2023

The hotel you stayed had amazing view but I couldn't find it in google map or booking.com. Could there be a change of name? What is the geographical coordinate? I'll arrive by a rental car, but I'm rather intimidated driving in the city centre. Hotels in the centre may not have parking space. What is your impression of the city traffic?

Monday 8th of May 2023

Hello, yes, it doesn't seem like its on Booking.com anymore but it is on Agoda to book: https://agoda.tp.st/HwMONfDE I didn't drive, I remember it being busy around the hotel areas near the masjid but the outer roads were much quieter, although driving in Saudi is a challenge in itself anyway!

Sunday 24th of July 2022

Do you know if non Muslims are allowed on the hop on hop off bus.

Monday 25th of July 2022

Yes I believe they are, I wasn't a Muslim when I went on but I was wearing appropriate clothing so I think that's why I didn't get questioned anyway,

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