Couples and Mecca: Your Questions Answered

Travel advisory: American advice is to reconsider travel to Saudi Arabia because of regional conflict, and Houthi missiles and drones have reached Saudi cities. UK warnings apply to the Yemen border zone and the Abha and Khamis Mushait area; Mecca is not covered. Consult travel.state.gov and the FCDO’s Saudi page first.

Mecca does not have a couples’ trip to offer, and it is better to know that before booking anything.

Entry to Mecca’s Haram area is restricted to Muslims under Saudi law, enforced at road checkpoints that check ID or visa. Mecca is a pilgrimage city, built around Umrah and Hajj, and there is no leisure product aimed at couples.

Why the question has a short answer

Pilgrims in the state of ihram avoid marital relations, perfume and romantic conversation, so the pilgrimage is a devotional journey rather than a getaway. A trip to Mecca is a different kind of travel from a holiday for two.

What a married pair can do together

Married couples do travel to Mecca together as pilgrims. In practice that means shared logistics:

  • Each person needs their own Nusuk permit, booked at nusuk.sa , in the same time slot if you want to enter together.
  • An Umrah visa and a tourist eVisa are different documents. eVisa holders may perform Umrah outside the Hajj period, but never Hajj.
  • Since 10 October 2022, women of any age may perform Umrah and Hajj without a mahram, with an approved group, though home-country rules can add conditions.
  • Both of you will need the MenACWY meningitis certificate.
  • Plan for the heat; summer highs reach 45 to 50C.

Where couples’ trips belong

Both nearby alternatives are open to all visitors.

Jeddah is about 30 to 45 minutes from Mecca by Haramain train. It has the UNESCO-listed Al-Balad old town and a waterfront Corniche. Fares vary by class at sar.hhr.sa .

Taif is roughly 1 to 1.5 hours by road, a mountain city at about 1,800 m with cooler air, rose farms and fruit orchards. Look at Taif hotels on Booking.com for places to stay.

Combining the two

A common pattern is the pilgrimage first, then a few relaxed days in Jeddah or Taif. Keep the two apart in your planning: pilgrimage days follow prayer times, while Jeddah and Taif days follow your own pace.

For the full picture of the area, see the Mecca places page and the Mecca multi-day trips page .

Tip: if one of you is not Muslim, base that traveller in Jeddah and meet after the Umrah.