When my family came to Saudi Arabia for a two-and-a-half-month vacation, planning a visit to the holy city of Madinah was not just an option—it was an absolute essential. The profound peacefulness of the Prophet’s city is something every visitor and resident looks forward to experiencing. But as a frequent traveler, my main goal was to plan this beautiful, spiritual journey in a way that was highly comfortable for my wife and three kids, while still keeping a smart eye on our travel budget.
Ishabil Trip at a Glance
The golden secret to a great, budget-friendly family trip often lies in booking early. I successfully managed to secure return tickets on the state-of-the-art Haramain High-Speed Railway for the second day after my family's arrival. I struck absolute gold with an incredible promotional online offer: just 430 SR for the entire family of five (two adults and three kids) traveling directly from the Jeddah Sulaymaniyah main station to Madinah. My good friend, Dr. Ijas, also happily joined us for this blessed trip, making the long-awaited day even more special and memorable.
Starting the Journey: The Grandeur of Sulaymaniyah Station
Our exciting day began very early. We left our home in the Mahjar district and rode with Dr. Ijas in his car toward the massive Sulaymaniyah Railway Station. Since our return train was scheduled to arrive back in Jeddah late at night around 11:00 PM, finding a secure, long-term place to park was crucial. We safely parked his car in the designated, well-lit station parking area and eagerly made our way inside the complex.
If you have never personally been to the newly built Haramain Railway stations, you might expect a standard, bustling train depot. Instead, stepping into Sulaymaniyah feels exactly like walking into a massive, world-class international airport terminal. The sheer, awe-inspiring scale of the architectural design, the towering geometric high ceilings, the immaculate cleanliness, and the highly efficient, smooth flow of thousands of passengers left me in complete wonder. Anyone who follows my global travel journeys knows I have a deep, enduring appreciation for modern public transit infrastructure, and this pristine station is truly a crowning masterpiece of modern Saudi engineering.
💡 Ishabil Fact: The Pride of Saudi Transit
The Haramain High-Speed Railway officially ranks as one of the top ten fastest electric train systems in the entire world! Reaching blazing operational speeds of 300 km/h, it seamlessly connects the holy cities of Makkah and Madinah via Jeddah and King Abdullah Economic City, safely covering over 450 kilometers of harsh desert terrain in just over two hours.
We swiftly completed the smooth, airport-style security checks and waited comfortably in the massive departure hall. Our train was officially scheduled for departure at 9:00 AM. Exactly ten minutes before arrival, friendly staff guided us down the escalators to the ground-level track area. Right on the dot, the beautiful, sleek white bullet train glided silently and gracefully into the station.
Racing Across the Desert at 300 km/h
This was only my second time boarding the famous high-speed train. Years ago, I took it from this exact same station down to Makkah. However, because the geographic distance to Makkah is less than 80 kilometers, that specific journey ended in just a few short minutes, and the train never truly had the physical runway space to utilize its absolute maximum speed. Today, heading north to Madinah, was going to be an entirely different thrill.
We quickly found our highly comfortable, spacious seats, safely settled the excited kids in, and within a few short minutes, the train silently began to move. The dense urban sprawl of Jeddah's concrete city buildings disappeared completely in the blink of an eye, rapidly replaced by the vast, wide-open, golden expanse of the Arabian desert.
🎢 Ishabil Fun: The Gravity Illusion
When you look straight out the window at the endless, flat desert, it doesn't actually feel like you are traveling very fast because the ride is so incredibly smooth. But the exact moment you bravely stand up and try to walk down the aisle to visit the cafeteria car, you instantly feel the massive, heavy pulling momentum of the train slicing through the wind! It's like trying to walk on a spaceship!
As we cleared the outer city limits, the train’s speed steadily and aggressively increased until the digital display inside the passenger cabin proudly and steadily read 300 km/h. We passed right through the Rabigh station in an absolute flash without slowing down, a breathtaking testament to the raw, unbridled speed of this express route. Exactly one hour and forty-five minutes later, precisely at 10:45 AM, we arrived refreshed and relaxed at the Madinah station.
Serenity at the Prophet’s Mosque and a Classic Lunch
Stepping out of the grand station doors, the remarkably cool, deeply blessed air of Madinah warmly greeted us. Initially, I enquired about taking the local public buses heading directly to the Haram area. However, realizing it might take a bit too much waiting time under the sun with three eager, bouncing children, we opted to hire a private taxi instead. It conveniently dropped us right near the majestic gates of the Prophet’s Mosque (Al-Masjid an-Nabawi).
Entering the sprawling courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque is a deeply emotional experience that words can hardly capture. The towering, elegant minarets reaching high into the clear blue sky, the massive, beautifully engineered mechanized umbrellas providing vast fields of shade, and the pristine white marble floors that miraculously remain perfectly cool under the blazing sun—it is an absolute architectural marvel. But far beyond the physical architecture, it is the profound, overwhelming sense of absolute peace and spiritual tranquility that instantly fills your heart the very moment you step inside. We humbly performed our Dhuhr prayers in the massive, unified congregation, completely soaking in the spiritual atmosphere.
📋 Ishabil Tips: Budget Family Travel in Madinah
- Book Train Tickets Early: Promotional fares for the Haramain train can save you massive amounts of money. Always check the official SAR (Saudi Arabia Railways) website or app weeks before your intended travel date.
- Smart Budget Dining: For an incredibly delicious, family-friendly, and budget-conscious meal, grab boxes of "Al Baik" chicken—the absolute local favorite—and enjoy a quiet picnic right within the comfortable, shaded outer courtyards of the Prophet’s Mosque.
- Optimize Your Afternoon Time: Madinah has beautiful, easily accessible historical sites like the Salman Al Farsi Date Farm that are perfectly timed for a short afternoon visit right after performing your Dhuhr and Asr prayers.
After finishing Dhuhr, it was definitely time for a hearty lunch. And honestly, what is a true family trip anywhere in western Saudi Arabia without a stop at Al Baik? We excitedly picked up several hot boxes of their famous, perfectly crispy broasted chicken and enjoyed a wonderful, highly relaxed family picnic right within the safe, extended mosque compound. The kids were absolutely thrilled, and it was the perfect, highly budget-friendly meal to completely recharge our energy. We spent the next few hours simply sitting on the cool marble, deeply reflecting, and silently enjoying the serene, holy environment of the mosque until we successfully completed our Asr prayers in congregation.
Stepping Back in Time: The Salman Al Farsi Date Farm
Shortly after Asr, we hailed another local taxi and headed out to explore our very first historical destination of the afternoon: the deeply historic Salman Al Farsi Date Farm.
Leaving the brilliant white marble surroundings of the city center behind, we rapidly entered a totally different, highly agricultural environment. This specific, lush farm holds massive, profound historical significance. According to recorded Islamic history, this is the very exact land where the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and his dedicated companions personally planted hundreds of young date palm trees to successfully help secure the physical freedom of Salman Al Farsi from slavery.
Walking slowly inside the massive gates, the dry desert air immediately felt noticeably cooler and more humid. It is a deeply lush, vibrant, greenish haven completely filled with towering, ancient date palms stretching toward the sky. The sprawling farm features beautiful, highly intricate man-made water streams that gently and constantly flow between the tree roots, bringing vital life to the arid soil. We happily explored the shaded area, eagerly showed the kids the traditional, old-world agricultural methods still in use, and closely examined the deep, historical stone wells that have reliably drawn sweet water from this blessed earth for many centuries. It was a truly beautiful, highly educational blend of raw nature and deep, profound historical roots.
The Very First Mosque: Masjid Quba
Our next quick stop by taxi was to the highly revered Masjid Quba. This brilliant, glowing white structure is deeply, monumentally significant to Muslims worldwide, as it is officially the very first mosque ever built in recorded Islamic history, founded directly by the Prophet immediately upon his safe arrival during the migration (Hijrah) to Madinah.
The mosque’s modern architecture is absolutely stunning, with its multiple smooth domes and tall, elegant minarets glowing softly in the warm, fading late afternoon light. The wide courtyard is always heavily bustling with devoted visitors arriving from absolutely all corners of the globe, yet it beautifully retains a deeply humbling, highly peaceful atmosphere. There is a very famous, widely known Hadith stating that formally offering two Rakat of voluntary prayer inside Masjid Quba is spiritually equal to the massive reward of performing an entire Umrah. We were incredibly blessed to be able to perform our Maghrib prayers right here as the desert sky slowly darkened, standing humbly shoulder to shoulder with fellow believers from entirely different cultures and nations around the world.
The Red Sands of History: Mount Uhud
For our absolute final historical visit of the long evening, we took a short taxi ride to the vast, open plains of Mount Uhud. Even in the rapidly dimming twilight, the dark, highly distinct reddish rocks of the massive, imposing Uhud mountain range stood out sharply and dramatically against the evening sky.
We carefully climbed the small, highly significant dusty hill known as Jabal Rumat (The Archers’ Hill). Standing quietly on top of this small, rocky mound, you get a full, highly strategic panoramic view of the vast, flat battlefield where the highly famous, deeply tragic Battle of Uhud originally took place. I took a quiet, highly educational moment to carefully explain the heavy history to the young children—detailing exactly how the appointed archers were historically stationed right where our feet were currently standing.
Just a very short, respectful walk away from the hill is the highly solemn graveyard of the brave martyrs of Uhud (the Shuhada). Enclosed simply by a low stone wall, this completely barren, unmarked patch of sandy earth is the final resting place of 70 incredibly brave companions of the Prophet, notably including his beloved, fearless uncle, Hamza. Standing there silently in the quiet, cooling evening breeze, humbly offering our respectful prayers (Salam) to the fallen heroes, was a profoundly emotional, highly fitting way to beautifully conclude our long historical tour.
The Fast Journey Home
With our family hearts completely full and our physical bodies pleasantly, deeply exhausted from the long walking tours, we easily caught one final, quick taxi ride back to the modern Madinah Railway Station. We efficiently boarded our waiting night train, settling deeply into the highly comfortable, reclining seats as the powerful train once again accelerated smoothly and rapidly into the dark, silent desert night.
We safely and punctually arrived back at the massive Jeddah Sulaymaniyah station exactly at 10:30 PM. We quickly found Dr. Ijas's car waiting completely safely right where we left it in the massive parking lot and drove happily back home to our apartment in Mahjar.
It was a perfectly executed, absolutely flawless day of travel. From experiencing the highly thrilling, cutting-edge 300 km/h speeds of ultra-modern Saudi public transit to walking slowly and respectfully through the highly ancient, deeply peaceful histories of Madinah—all while efficiently keeping the large family highly comfortable and the travel budget strictly in check—it was a highly blessed, incredible journey we will absolutely, fondly remember for a lifetime.
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