A Taif to Makkah taxi for Umrah passes the Qarn al-Manazil miqat, which has two mosques used for entering ihram: As-Sayl al-Kabir, lower down the valley, and Wadi Mahram (also written Wadi Muharram), on the Al Hada mountain road north-west of Taif. Which one a car reaches depends on the road it takes. If you want to stop at a miqat, add that mosque to the booking as a named stop, check that the route summary shows it, and tell the booking team in the notes what the stop is for. For the ritual itself, follow a qualified scholar and the official guidance.
This guide is for pilgrims and families staying in Taif, or arriving there, who are travelling down to Makkah by private car, often for Umrah. It covers what official sources say about the two miqat mosques and their facilities, how the road choice affects the stop, how to book a miqat stop as part of one journey, what to know about the mountain road, and how the Jeddah Cabs booking rules apply from a Taif hotel pickup to a Makkah hotel drop-off. It gives no religious rulings.
Qarn al Manazil miqat: one miqat, two mosques
The Ministry of Hajj and Umrah’s page on miqaats and types of rituals lists Qarn Al-Manazil as the miqaat for the people of Najd, and says the miqaats serve their own people and others who pass by them on the way to perform the pilgrimage.
Saudipedia’s entry on Qarn al-Manazil describes it as an archaeological site in Makkah al-Mukarramah Province, also called As-Sayl al-Kabir, and notes that it has two mosques: one at As-Sayl al-Kabir on the eastern bank of Wadi Qarn, and another at Wadi Muharram. Its separate page on Miqat Wadi Muharram places that mosque in the Al Hada Center, north-west of Taif, at about 2,000 metres, on the Al Hada mountain road, and calls it the “upper Miqat” for Qarn al-Manazil, built after the Al Hada road opened.
| As-Sayl al-Kabir | Wadi Mahram (Wadi Muharram) | |
|---|---|---|
| Other names | Qarn al-Manazil, Al-Sayl Al-Kabeer | The upper miqat for Qarn al-Manazil |
| Position described by Saudipedia | Eastern bank of Wadi Qarn, in the lower part of the valley | Al Hada Center, north-west of Taif, about 2,000 m up |
| Road link described by Saudipedia | At the bottom of the valley, on the Taif to Makkah road | On the Al Hada mountain road towards Makkah |
| Facilities described officially | Ihram changing areas, toilets and ablution facilities, shops, parking (SPA) | The same SPA report, plus Saudipedia’s figures for its prayer halls and ablution facilities |
Saudipedia states that both locations are used for assuming ihram. Whether either one is right for your own journey, and what exactly you need to do there, is a question for a qualified scholar. Nusuk, the official platform for Hajj and Umrah, and the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah are the official sources of guidance.
Why the road decides which miqat you pass
There is more than one road between Taif and Makkah, and the two miqat mosques are not on the same one.
Saudipedia’s page on Aqabat al-Kurr describes the Al Hada road as the mountain road on the route connecting Makkah and Taif. It records three facts that matter for a pilgrim’s journey:
- trucks and large buses are prohibited on it throughout the year;
- it is often closed temporarily when fog forms or in rainy weather, which sometimes causes rockfall;
- it crosses Al Hada mountain at about 2,177 metres.
Saudipedia links Wadi Mahram with the Al Hada road and places As-Sayl al-Kabir lower in the valley, so the road a car takes decides which mosque it reaches on the way. The driver chooses the route on the day for traffic, weather and road conditions, which is exactly why a miqat you care about must be written into the booking as a stop, not assumed.
As Sayl Al Kabir miqat by car
If you would rather use As-Sayl al-Kabir, whether because a scholar or your group leader has advised it, because Al Hada is closed, or because you prefer the lower road, add “As-Sayl al-Kabir miqat” or “Qarn al-Manazil mosque” as a stop and check that the result sits in the As-Sayl al-Kabir area, not on the Al Hada road. Planning the As Sayl Al Kabir miqat by car also matters for a larger group: because large buses may not use the Al Hada road, a party in a big vehicle cannot expect that road or the Wadi Mahram mosque on it. Ask the booking team which route applies to your vehicle class before you book.
Wadi Mahram by car
If you want Wadi Mahram, add it as a stop in the same way and check that it appears on the route. Put a line in the booking notes: “Stop at Wadi Mahram miqat for ihram; please use the Al Hada road if open.” If the road is closed on the day, the driver cannot take it, so agree a fallback with your group leader in advance, usually As-Sayl al-Kabir.
What the miqat mosques offer
A Saudi Press Agency report from March 2024 on the miqat mosques in Taif says the general department of mosques in Taif prepared both sites for Umrah performers, with designated areas for changing into ihram garments, plentiful toilets and ablution facilities, shopping areas for pilgrims’ supplies, and parking for vehicles of various sizes. A June 2024 SPA report on Hajj preparations mentions traffic lanes for Hajj buses, designated parking areas, air conditioning and staff to answer pilgrims’ questions.
Saudipedia gives figures for Wadi Mahram: a mosque of about 2,500 square metres with a minaret about thirty metres high, 190 ablution facilities, seven hundred toilets, and separate prayer halls for 1,500 men and 500 women.
The point for your transport plan is simple. The SPA reports describe parking for vehicles at both mosques, so the stop is planned around the mosque rather than a roadside spot. Exactly where the car waits is managed on the day, so agree a meeting point with the driver before you walk away.
Planning the Taif to Makkah taxi around the ihram stop
A journey in the planner has one pickup, one destination, and up to eight stops added in journey order. For a Taif to Makkah taxi with a miqat stop, that looks like this:
- Pickup: your Taif hotel. The InterContinental in Taif is a popular location in the planner; other hotels are typed by name and checked in the route summary.
- Stop: As-Sayl al-Kabir or Wadi Mahram, named exactly.
- Destination: your Makkah hotel. The Clock Royal Tower (Fairmont) and the Hilton Hotel & Convention Jabal Omar are popular locations; any other hotel is typed and checked.
How long is a miqat stop?
A stop in the planner is a short pause, not an open-ended wait. Families prepare in different ways. Some change into ihram garments at the hotel in Taif before the pickup and use the miqat stop only for what their scholar advises is needed there. Others change at the miqat. Tell the booking team in the notes how long you expect the stop to take and who is travelling, especially with children or older relatives, so the stop can be arranged realistically. The driver will not wait beyond what has been agreed.
Waiting at the hotel before you leave
Free waiting counts from the booked pickup time. That matters on the morning of an Umrah journey, when a family is often slower than planned. The free allowance depends on the class:
| Vehicle class | Free waiting from booked pickup time | Rate after that |
|---|---|---|
| Economy | 15 minutes | SAR 1.50 per minute |
| Business & Executive, VIP van (Staria), MPV/family van (H1) | 30 minutes | SAR 2.00 per minute |
| Minibus (Hiace or Coaster) and Coach | 30 minutes | SAR 2.50 per minute |
| Premium SUV (Tahoe or Yukon) | 45 minutes | SAR 2.50 per minute |
| Luxury (S-Class) | 60 minutes | SAR 4.00 per minute |
Extra waiting can be added at checkout in 15-minute steps up to two hours, charged at the class’s per-minute rate. It applies to the pickup, so it helps if you know the family will be slow at the hotel door.
The distance and the time of day
Our live route check from the Clock Tower in Makkah to the InterContinental in Taif came to about 106 km by road. The distance the other way, from your own Taif hotel and via a miqat stop, may differ, because the route and one-way systems differ by direction. Check the distance shown in the route summary after you add the stop. We do not quote drive times, because they vary with the route, traffic, the weather on the mountain and time spent at the miqat.
A few timing points help:
- Daylight on the mountain. Many families prefer to drive the Al Hada road in daylight. That is a preference, not a rule.
- Weather. Fog and rain can close the Al Hada road. In the cooler months, a margin in your plan protects the arrival.
- Arrival in Makkah. Hotel check-in times and your plans for Umrah shape the arrival. We cannot promise where a car may stop near the Haram or at a hotel frontage; that is managed on the day. Agree a meeting point and share your live location if you need to find each other.
Makkah is for Muslims only
Entry to Makkah is restricted to Muslims. The Saudi Press Agency, reporting a Makkah Police statement, referred to “the laws that prohibit entry to Makkah for non-Muslims”. A Taif to Makkah journey can therefore only be booked for passengers who may lawfully enter the city. If a non-Muslim relative is travelling with you in Saudi Arabia, they cannot join this journey; plan a separate route and base for them, for example in Jeddah, and ask the booking team if you need help with the arrangements.
Choosing the vehicle for a pilgrim family
Search results show only the classes that pass the capacity check for your party and luggage. Umrah travellers often carry more than they expect: suitcases, a bag of ihram clothing, prayer mats and water.
| Party | Classes to consider (examples, “or similar”) |
|---|---|
| Two to three adults, two or three large cases | Economy or Business & Executive |
| Four adults with four large cases | Premium SUV (Tahoe) and larger |
| Five adults with five large cases | Seven-seat vehicles such as the GMC Yukon XL or Hyundai H1, and larger |
| Up to eleven people, ten large bags | Toyota Hiace |
| Larger groups | Toyota Coaster (up to 19) or Coach, subject to the route question above |
The guide to reading seats and bags in the results explains the labels. Child seats and a wheelchair requirement can be added in the search and are confirmed for the vehicle.
Worked example: an Umrah morning from a Taif hotel
Yasmin and Adil Rahman, from Birmingham, have spent three nights in Taif with their son Zayd, aged ten, and Adil’s father, Hamid, who is seventy-four. They want to perform Umrah on arrival in Makkah. Their group leader at the mosque at home has told them that the family can enter ihram at the Qarn al-Manazil miqat and has explained what to do there.
Hamid dislikes winding roads, so the family ask for the lower route and As-Sayl al-Kabir. They book a Hyundai H1 from their Taif hotel to the Hilton Hotel & Convention Jabal Omar, add “As-Sayl al-Kabir miqat” as a stop, and check that the route summary shows the stop in the right place. In the booking notes they write: “Stop at As-Sayl al-Kabir miqat for ihram, family with elderly passenger and child, about 40 minutes needed. Please avoid Al Hada road if possible.” They set the pickup at 9:00 a.m., add 15 minutes of extra waiting, and book six days ahead. They pay the deposit online and wait until the status reads Confirmed, then read the driver-assigned email with the vehicle registration.
On the morning, Adil and Zayd change into ihram garments at the hotel, the family leave at 9:10 a.m., and the stop at the miqat goes as planned. They pay the balance in cash to the driver on arrival in Makkah.
Booking rules from Taif hotel to Makkah hotel
Notice and confirmation
The planner needs your Taif pickup to be at least 48 hours away. After payment the journey sits as a provisional request while the booking team checks it, normally within 1 to 12 hours; plan your Umrah morning around it only once the status shows Confirmed.
Deposit and cash
Jeddah Cabs lets you pay part of the price online as a deposit and the rest in cash to the driver when you travel. Checkout shows the split, and your account repeats the cash figure. Whatever the route, no journey costs less than the equivalent of £40.
Changes and cancellations
A new pickup time is the only change you can ask for online, and it must be requested before the booked time. If it is approved, £5 converted into your booking currency joins the cash for the driver. A different miqat stop, another Makkah hotel, extra passengers or a larger vehicle all need the booking team.
Cancel 48 hours or more before pickup and you are refunded in full; inside 48 hours the deposit is kept. When we or the transport partner cancel, or the journey cannot be supplied and you do not accept an alternative, you are refunded in full. The network cancellation and refund policy is the reference.
Booking for parents or relatives
Many Taif to Makkah journeys are booked by a son or daughter for parents who are travelling. If you book for someone else, checkout asks for the traveller’s name, the traveller’s phone number and an emergency contact, and there is an optional field for a group leader’s phone. Fill that in if a group leader will be advising the family at the Qarn al Manazil miqat, so the driver has someone to call. The basket can also email a secure review link, so the travellers can check the stop, the hotel names and the pickup time before one person pays.
Where Taif fits in the wider trip
Most people who need a Taif to Makkah taxi reached Taif first from Jeddah Airport. The guide to making your first night in Taif the destination covers that arrival, and the guide to choosing a Taif base before a mountain outing helps with the hotel. If you are changing hotels within Taif before heading down, book that as its own journey within Taif. If Makkah is not on your plan and you are flying home from Taif via Jeddah, the guide to timing the Taif to Jeddah Airport taxi is the one you need. And if you are adding a viewpoint rather than a miqat, read about stops on the road to Taif.
Checklist before you book
- Confirm with a qualified scholar or your group leader where and how your party will enter ihram.
- Choose the miqat stop: As-Sayl al-Kabir or Wadi Mahram, and agree a fallback if Al Hada is closed.
- Check that every passenger may lawfully enter Makkah.
- Enter your Taif hotel as the pickup, the miqat as a named stop and your Makkah hotel as the destination.
- Read the route summary: the stop, the destination and the distance.
- Write in the notes what the stop is for, how long you expect it to take and who is travelling.
- Choose a class that fits everyone and their luggage, and ask about the route if you need a large vehicle.
- Set the pickup in Saudi local time, with extra waiting if the family will be slow to leave.
- Book at least 48 hours ahead and wait for the status to read Confirmed.
Once your scholar’s guidance and your hotel dates are settled, enter the journey and the miqat stop in the Jeddah Cabs transfer finder. A deposit online secures it, and the balance is paid in cash to your driver in Makkah.