Al Madinah Province in western Saudi Arabia combines Madinah, the city of the Prophet's Mosque, with AlUla's UNESCO-listed Hegra, the Red Sea port of Yanbu, and early Islamic sites at Badr, Khaybar and Uhud. This guide covers sights, hotels, food, access rules for non-Muslims and getting around.
Local currency: Saudi riyal (SAR).
Daily budget by traveller style
Typical per-person daily spend in Al Madinah.
- Mid-range
- ~$170/day (SAR 640)
- Luxury
- ~$550+/day (SAR 2,060+)
Cost breakdown
Typical price ranges across major spending categories.
Accommodation
- Hostel
- Few hostels; basic shared rooms in Madinah ~$20-35 (SAR 75-130, estimate)
- Budget
- ~$35-90 (SAR 130-340) in Madinah side streets or Yanbu
- Midrange
- ~$80-220 (SAR 300-825) in Madinah Central Area, Yanbu or AlUla town
- Luxury
- ~$150-1,000+ (SAR 560-3,750+) near Masjid an-Nabawi and in AlUla desert resorts
Food
- Street
- SAR 8-20 (~$2-5)
- Local
- SAR 15-50 (~$4-13)
- Midrange
- SAR 50-120 (~$13-32)
- Fine
- SAR 120-300 (~$32-80)
Transport
- Bus
- Madinah public bus and city sightseeing buses cost a few riyals per ride (estimate; confirm locally)
- Taxi
- SAR 15-50 (~$4-13) per city trip by Uber or Careem in Madinah
- Airport
- MED airport to the Prophet's Mosque by taxi about SAR 60-100 (~$16-27, estimate)
- Intercity
- Haramain high-speed train Madinah to Makkah/Jeddah from about SAR 150-200 (~$40-53); Madinah to AlUla by road about 4 hours; AlUla airport (ULH) has domestic flights
Activities
- Masjid An Nabawi
- Free; Rawdah visit needs a free Nusuk permit
- Quba Mosque
- Free
- Alula Hegra
- Guided visit tickets from about SAR 95-200 (~$25-53); confirm at experiences.alula.com
- Yanbu Corniche
- Free
Trip budgets by length
What a typical trip to Al Madinah costs end-to-end.
3 Day traveller
~$195-390 (SAR 730-1,460) per person on a budget (excluding flights)
7 Day traveller
~$455-910 (SAR 1,700-3,410) per person on a budget (excluding flights)
Money-saving tips
Practical ways to stretch your budget further.
Travel outside Ramadan, Hajj and school holidays; hotel prices can double or triple at peak times.
Stay a few streets back from Masjid an-Nabawi; the walk is short and rooms cost much less.
Eat at local bakeries and Al Baik for SAR 15-35 (~$4-9) meals.
Refill a bottle with free Zamzam water instead of buying bottled water.
Book Haramain train tickets early to catch low fares.
Combine AlUla sites into one multi-site pass or day itinerary where offered.
Free things to do
Memorable experiences that cost nothing.
Masjid an-Nabawi
Prayer and visits are free for Muslims; Muslims only.
Quba Mosque
Free to visit.
Mount Uhud viewing area
Open area and cemetery viewing point.
Yanbu Corniche
Seafront walkway.
Elephant Rock viewing
Roadside viewpoint in AlUla.