A hotel transfer is the journey that begins or ends your stay, and the difficulty is usually the hotel end: a restricted zone near the Haram or the Prophet's Mosque, a checkout that everyone has chosen at the same time, a room that is not ready. This page is about planning those.
Getting to the hotel
Hotels around the Masjid al-Haram and Al-Masjid an-Nabawi are inside areas where vehicle access is limited and changes with the crowds. The car may stop at the edge of the area and the last part is on foot. Send us the hotel name when you book. We confirm where the car will stop and, if someone needs help with the walk, we plan for it.
Send your pickup, destination, date and passengers and we will confirm the vehicle and price.
Check-in and checkout timing
Rooms are often not ready until the afternoon, and checkout is often busy in the morning. Tell us your check-in and checkout times and plan the transfer around them. If you arrive early, you can leave your bags at the hotel and go to the Haram, or use the time for Ziyarat. See Ziyarat tours.
Moving between hotels and cities
Many pilgrims split a stay between Makkah and Madinah. We move you and your luggage from one hotel to the other in one vehicle, on the day and at the time that suits your checkout and check-in. The journey is about 450 km: see Makkah to Madinah and Madinah to Makkah. Within one city, a move between hotels is a short transfer that we can also arrange.
Hotels in Jeddah and Taif
Jeddah hotels are spread along the Corniche and across the city, so give us the exact address. Taif resorts can be off the main roads: give us the name and a location pin. See Jeddah taxi service and Taif taxi service.
Departures
For a flight or an onward journey, tell us the time and your checkout time. We plan the pickup with a buffer. For flights from Jeddah, see Jeddah Airport taxi.
What to tell us
Please include:
- Hotel name and area
- Check-in and checkout times
- Number of guests and bags
- Any special needs, such as extra help with luggage
Hotels with more than one entrance
Many large hotels near the Haram have a main lobby, a side entrance for luggage and sometimes a separate door for tour groups. Check which one the hotel wants you to use and tell us, since cars cannot always stop at the main door. If you are given a gate or street name, include it in your message.
Some hotels have porters who collect bags at the kerb and deliver them to the room, which is a useful service when the car cannot stop for long. Ask the hotel what it offers before you arrive.
When your hotel changes mid-trip
Pilgrims who stay in Makkah and Madinah often change hotels, and some move between two hotels in the same city to get a better location for the last nights. A transfer in this case involves two sets of details: where the bags come from and where they go. Tell us the checkout time at the first and the check-in time at the second, so that the car is not waiting for a room that is not ready.
Tell the hotel as well as us
Let your hotel know your arrival time. Rooms may be released early if the reception is aware, and bags can be stored if they are not. We can only arrange the road, but a short message to the hotel often removes the last obstacle between you and a place to rest.
A transfer for a hotel upgrade or a room change
Not every hotel transfer is between cities. Pilgrims often switch hotels within Makkah or Madinah to be closer to the mosque for the last nights, or because the first booking ended. The distance may be only a few streets, but with luggage and a crowd outside it can still be a hard trip to do on foot. Tell us both hotel names and the time you are free to move, and we will plan a short, quiet run between them.