Makkah Ziyarat Places: The Complete Guide for Pilgrims

The main Ziyarat places in Makkah are Jabal al-Nour and the Cave of Hira, Jabal Thawr, the plains of Arafat and Jabal al-Rahmah, Mina and the Jamarat, Muzdalifah, Masjid Aisha at Taneem, Masjid al-Jinn and the Makkah Museum. Most sit within a thirty-minute drive of the Haram and a standard half-day Ziyarat tour covers them in four to five hours.

Ziyarat means visiting, and in Makkah it means visiting the places where the early history of Islam happened. None of it is obligatory. None of it is part of Umrah. It is history you can stand in, and for most pilgrims it turns out to be the part of the trip they describe most vividly afterwards.

One thing to be clear about before the list: several sites that appear on older Ziyarat itineraries no longer exist or can no longer be entered. This guide says which, because arriving at a demolished site expecting to visit it is a common and avoidable disappointment.

Makkah Ziyarat Places at a Glance

Jabal al-Nour and the Cave of Hira

The mountain where the first revelation of the Quran was received. The Cave of Hira sits near the summit, and it is where the Prophet, peace be upon him, would withdraw to worship before Jibreel appeared to him with the command to read.

The climb is the serious commitment of any Makkah Ziyarat itinerary. It is roughly 640 metres of ascent on an uneven stepped path, and it takes most people between one and two hours up. In summer heat this is not a casual activity, and the sensible approach is to start before dawn or after Asr rather than in the middle of the day. There are rest points and vendors selling water on the way.

Many pilgrims visit the base, look up, take in what happened there, and do not climb. That is a perfectly reasonable way to do it, particularly for older travellers or anyone with knee or heart conditions.

Jabal Thawr and the Cave of Thawr

The mountain south of Makkah where the Prophet and Abu Bakr sheltered for three nights during the migration to Madinah, while the Quraysh searched for them. The story of the spider’s web and the nesting dove at the cave mouth belongs to this place.

Jabal Thawr is the harder of the two climbs. It is higher, the path is rougher, and the cave entrance itself is a narrow squeeze. Allow three to four hours if you intend to reach the top. Far fewer pilgrims attempt it than Jabal al-Nour, which does mean it is quieter.

Masjid Aisha at Taneem

The nearest Miqat to Makkah, about seven kilometres from the Haram on the road to Madinah, and the most practically useful site on this list.

If you are already in Makkah and want to perform an additional Umrah, you cannot simply enter Ihram at your hotel. You must leave the sacred precinct and enter Ihram at a Miqat boundary, and each Umrah requires its own permit booked through the Nusuk platform. Masjid Aisha is where pilgrims go to do that. The mosque has changing facilities and ablution areas built for exactly this purpose, and taxis run there constantly for a few riyals.

The mosque is named for Aisha, may Allah be pleased with her, who was instructed to enter Ihram from this point for her own Umrah.

Arafat, Muzdalifah and Mina

The three sites of the Hajj rites sit on the road east of Makkah and are usually visited together as one loop.

Arafat is the plain where pilgrims stand on the ninth of Dhul Hijjah, and where the Farewell Sermon was delivered. Jabal al-Rahmah, the Mount of Mercy, rises from it with a white pillar at the summit. Outside Hajj season it is open, quiet and strange to stand in, an enormous empty space that holds two million people for a single afternoon each year.

Muzdalifah lies between Arafat and Mina, where pilgrims spend the night under the open sky after Arafat.

Mina is the valley of the tent city and the three Jamarat pillars. Outside Hajj the tents stand empty in their tens of thousands, which is a sight in itself. You can drive through and see the Jamarat bridge structure, though the pillars themselves are not approached outside the Hajj days.

All three are worth seeing precisely because they are empty. Understanding the geography of Hajj is much easier standing in it without the crowds. Our guide to the difference between Hajj and Umrah explains what happens at each of these sites during the pilgrimage itself.

Masjid al-Jinn

A small mosque near Jannat al-Mu’alla, roughly a kilometre and a half from the Haram, built on the spot where a group of jinn are said to have listened to the Prophet reciting the Quran and accepted Islam. The event is referred to in Surah al-Jinn.

It takes twenty minutes and it is close enough to walk to from the Haram area if the weather allows.

What You Can No Longer Visit

This is the section most Ziyarat listicles leave out, and it is the reason pilgrims arrive somewhere expecting a shrine and find a building site or a library.

The birthplace of the Prophet at Shi’b Abi Talib still stands as a building, a short walk from the Haram, but it has functioned as a public library for decades and the interior is not maintained as a visitor site. You can see it from outside.

Jannat al-Mu’alla, the historic cemetery holding Khadijah, may Allah be pleased with her, and other members of the Prophet’s family, is open to men at set times around prayers. Women are not permitted to enter. The graves are unmarked, in line with Saudi practice.

The house of Khadijah no longer exists as a visitable site. The location has been redeveloped.

Several historic sites around the Haram were removed during the successive expansions of the mosque. Older guidebooks and many websites still list them. If a site appears on a list here but not in your tour operator’s itinerary, this is usually why.

It is worth adding that visiting these places is not an act of worship in itself. You do not pray to them or seek anything from them. The value is in seeing where events happened and letting that inform how you understand them.

How Do You Get Around the Ziyarat Sites?

Three practical options.

An organised Ziyarat tour is what most pilgrims use. A half-day coach or minivan tour covering the main sites runs four to five hours and is included in many UK Umrah packages. It is the efficient choice because the sites are spread across twenty kilometres and a driver who knows the route saves a great deal of time.

A private car for the day gives you control over timing, which matters if you want to climb Jabal al-Nour before sunrise or spend longer at Arafat. Expect to negotiate a half-day rate with a driver.

Taxis site by site works for the close ones, Masjid Aisha and Masjid al-Jinn in particular, but becomes expensive and awkward for the Arafat loop.

Whichever you choose, go early. The heat between 10am and 4pm makes outdoor sites genuinely difficult from May through September, and the mountain climbs unwise.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many Ziyarat places are there in Makkah?
A standard tour covers eight to ten sites. The core list is Jabal al-Nour, Jabal Thawr, Masjid Aisha, Arafat, Muzdalifah, Mina, Masjid al-Jinn and the Makkah Museum.

Is Ziyarat part of Umrah?
No. Umrah consists of Ihram, Tawaf, Sa’i and cutting the hair. Ziyarat is optional sightseeing with historical and spiritual value, performed before or after your rites.

How long does a Makkah Ziyarat tour take?
Four to five hours for a standard half-day tour. Add two to four hours if you intend to climb Jabal al-Nour, which most organised tours do not include.

Can women visit all the Ziyarat places in Makkah?
All except Jannat al-Mu’alla cemetery, which admits men only. Women can visit every other site on this list, including the mountain climbs.

Can you enter the Cave of Hira?
Yes, if you climb Jabal al-Nour. The cave is near the summit and the interior is very small, so there is often a queue to step inside.

How far is Arafat from Makkah?
About 20 kilometres east, roughly 30 to 40 minutes by road outside Hajj season.

Why do people go to Masjid Aisha?
To enter Ihram for an additional Umrah. It is the closest Miqat to Makkah, so pilgrims already inside the sacred precinct travel there to begin a new Umrah properly.

Should I do Ziyarat in Makkah or Madinah?
Both, if your itinerary allows. They cover different periods: Makkah sites relate to the revelation and the early years, Madinah sites to the migration and the establishment of the community. Our complete Madinah Ziyarat guide covers the other half.

Is it better to visit Ziyarat sites before or after Umrah?
After. Complete your rites first, exit Ihram, then sightsee without the Ihram restrictions in force.

Makkah Ziyarat is optional, and it is the part of the trip most pilgrims wish they had given more time to. The mountain where the revelation began is four kilometres from the mosque you are already praying in, and most people fly home without having stood at the bottom of it.

If you want Ziyarat built into your itinerary properly rather than squeezed into a spare afternoon, view our Umrah packages or speak to the team. If you are travelling on to Madinah afterwards, our Makkah to Madinah transport guide compares the train, bus and private car options.