Mecca Province · Saudi Arabia
Where to stay in Mecca
Mecca is a city in Mecca Province, Saudi Arabia, home to about 2,428,000 people.
- Nearest airport
- TIF75 km · Taif International Airport
- Currency
- SARSaudi riyal
- Time zone
- Asia/Riyadh
- Language
- Arabic
About
About Mecca
Mecca, officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, is a city in the Hejaz region of western Saudi Arabia and is the capital of Mecca Province. Mecca is considered the birthplace of Islam and the Islamic prophet Muhammad, as well as being the holiest city in Islam.
Mecca is generally considered "the fountainhead and cradle of Islam". Muslims believe that the history of Mecca goes back to Abraham (Ibrahim) who built the Kaaba with the help of his eldest son Ishmael around 2000 BCE. In 570 CE, Muhammad was born in Mecca. Since those days, Mecca's history and identity has been inextricably linked with Islam. According to Muslim traditions, in 610, it was in Mecca (inside the Hira cave on the mountain of Jabal al-Nour) where Muhammad the age of 40 received his first revelation from Allah, through the Angel Gabriel. Muhammad then began preaching.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Mecca
See
- Masjid al-Haram
- Kaaba
- Maqaam-e-Ibrahim
- Al-Safa and Al-Marwah
- Cave of Hira
- Cave Thawr
- Jannat al-Mu'alla
- Holy Quran Museum
- Al-Haramain Museum
- Mecca Gate
- Al Sakkaf Palace
- Al-Zaher Palace Museum
Do
- The Kiswa Factory of the Holy Ka'aba
- Al-Zaher Palace Museum
- The Two Holy Mosques Architecture Exhibition
- Clock Tower Museum
- Hussainiya Park
- King Abdullah Garden
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Which part of Mecca to stay in
Mecca has a plethora of hotels. Prices vary depending on the hotel's proximity to the Holy Mosque. Some of the world's greatest hotels are situated in Mecca, and are full year-round. Make sure to book early, as soon as you know your dates of travel.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Mecca
54 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata; the 40 best known are shown, by the number of Wikipedia editions that cover them. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Abraj Kudai | 2.3 km | |
| Conrad Jabal Omar Makkah | 0.6 km | |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Jabal Omar Makkah | 2019 | 0.9 km |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Makkah Aziziyah | 2025 | 5.4 km |
| Hilton Hotel & Convention Jabal Omar Makkah | 2017 | 0.6 km |
| Hilton Suites Jabal Omar Makkah | 2014 | 0.5 km |
| Jabal Omar Hyatt Regency Makkah Hyatt Hotels Corporation | 0.5 km | |
| Makkah Millennium Hotel | 0.5 km | |
| OYO 167 Dar Al Raies Hotel OYO Rooms | 3.7 km | |
| OYO 197 Safwat Albayt OYO Rooms | 2.1 km | |
| OYO 372 Nawazi Watheer Hotel OYO Rooms | 1.2 km | |
| OYO 373 Deyar Al Rashed Hotel Apartments OYO Rooms | 1.6 km | |
| OYO 375 Deyar Alrawada Hotel OYO Rooms | 2.7 km | |
| OYO 384 Zumordat Taha OYO Rooms | 2.5 km | |
| OYO 385 Qamar Residential Units OYO Rooms | 3.5 km | |
| OYO 403 Hidaya Towers Hotel OYO Rooms | 6.4 km | |
| OYO 418 Hotel Manazil Al Hour 2 OYO Rooms | 2.4 km | |
| OYO 421 Hyatt Jubail Hotel OYO Rooms | 5.3 km | |
| OYO 423 Rehab Al Marwa Hotel 3 OYO Rooms | 1.5 km | |
| OYO 424 Rehab Al Marwa Hotel 2 OYO Rooms | 1.4 km | |
| OYO 425 Hotel Manazil Alfouz OYO Rooms | 3.9 km | |
| OYO 434 Abdulhameed Shafi OYO Rooms | 4.1 km | |
| OYO 439 Dorat Al Belaad OYO Rooms | 3.9 km | |
| OYO 441 Al Falah Al Raqi OYO Rooms | 14.2 km | |
| OYO 445 Ajyad Bakkak Hotel OYO Rooms | 2.5 km | |
| OYO 448 Eskan 8 Hotel OYO Rooms | 3.5 km | |
| OYO 449 Luluat Bakkak OYO Rooms | 4.0 km | |
| OYO 450 Mawasim Ajyad Al Sudd OYO Rooms | 0.9 km | |
| OYO 451 Eskan 5 Hotel OYO Rooms | 3.7 km | |
| OYO 452 Eskan 7 Hotel OYO Rooms | 1.7 km | |
| OYO 465 Manazil Al Hour 1 OYO Rooms | 3.4 km | |
| OYO 466 Wardat Al Mashaer Hotel OYO Rooms | 2.2 km | |
| OYO 473 Rasiyat Al Safa Hotel OYO Rooms | 1.6 km | |
| OYO 474 Alyousr Royal Hotel OYO Rooms | 1.6 km | |
| OYO 475 Al Rafidien Almasi Hotel OYO Rooms | 1.1 km | |
| OYO 476 Hotel Bakkah Al Salah OYO Rooms | 1.1 km | |
| OYO 477 Manar Al Eiman OYO Rooms | 1.1 km | |
| OYO 478 Dorat Al Taqwa Hotel OYO Rooms | 2.4 km | |
| OYO 479 Jawhart Al Taqwa Hotel OYO Rooms | 2.5 km | |
| OYO 486 Waqf Al Jehani Al Aziziyah OYO Rooms | 4.6 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Mecca
Mecca has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 41 °C; November is the wettest, with about 20 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Mecca: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Taif International Airport (TIF), about 75 km from the city centre in a straight line; King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED, 75 km) is also within reach.
Getting in
For more information on Saudi immigration regulations, please refer to the "Get in" section of the Saudi Arabia article. If you plan on visiting during the Hajj, you must apply for a Hajj visa. Since Mecca is deemed as a sacred and holy land, Mecca is a no-fly zone. There are no airports in the city, and commercial planes are strictly forbidden from flying over the city.
Getting around
Mecca's transportation network is well developed, however, expect getting around to be a literal hassle during the Hajj; millions of pilgrims are in every nook and corner of the city, and it can take ages to get to one place from another. The Al Mashaaer Al Mugaddassah Metro line (Arabic: قطار المشاعر المقدسة الخط الجنوبي) is the only operating metro line in the city. The metro was built in the year 2010 by a Chinese railway construction firm (China Railway Construction Corporation Limited).
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
TIF · Taif International Airport
JED · King Abdulaziz International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Mecca
Eat
Being one of the most visited cities in the world, you can sample food from all over the world! There is an Al-Baik Restaurant adjacent to the Sacred Mosque. You can also try the fullset-chicken with cheap price, even cheaper than KFC.
Drink
During the Hajj, you can try some Zamzam water, which is believed to be divinely blessed. As this is Saudi Arabia, the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages is virtually non-existent.
Stay safe
Mecca in general is a safe city, but one should take extra precautions during the annual Hajj pilgrimage. The various safety tips found in the Saudi Arabia article will come in handy. Refer it to often to stay out of trouble. Overcrowding and stampedes are not unusual in Mecca. Since the development of air travel, pilgrims have been able to access the city much easily than before (earlier people used to travel to Mecca by boat or by other means), and as a result, the city's capacity can be completely overwhelmed. If you're travelling with family members or with a friend, stick together.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Mecca: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Mecca?
Mecca has no month that is both mild and dry by the measure used here. July is the warmest month, with average highs of 41 °C; November is the wettest, with about 20 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Mecca?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Taif International Airport (TIF), about 75 km from the city centre in a straight line; King Abdulaziz International Airport (JED, 75 km) is also within reach.
What currency is used in Mecca?
Saudi riyal (SAR).
Nearby
Destinations near Mecca
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.