Is the bus fare per person?

No. The fare is per vehicle, so the cost per person falls as you fill more seats. Our post on taxi cost per person for groups shows how to work it out.

Can a group bus do Ziyarat tours?

Yes. Book it by the hour, from SAR 350 per hour with a 3-hour minimum. The driver waits at each stop while the group visits.

Do you work with Umrah agencies?

Yes. We provide ground transport for Umrah and Hajj operators, with itinerary pricing per group and monthly invoicing on a corporate account.

Can we add a separate van just for luggage?

Yes. A cargo van takes 20 suitcases or more and travels with the group, which frees seats in the passenger vehicles.

We are exactly 10 or 11 people. Is one family van enough?

For seats, yes: a family van takes up to 11. Check luggage too, as the van takes about 10 suitcases. If you carry more, add a cargo van or book a coaster.

Umrah transport for groups of 10 or more: vans, buses and planning

For Umrah group transport, one family van carries up to 11 people and a group bus carries 12 to 50, with fares fixed per vehicle, not per person. Jeddah Airport to Makkah costs from SAR 330 in a family van and SAR 670 in a group bus, and Makkah to Madinah from SAR 1,440 and SAR 2,930.

Updated 29 October 2026 · Saudi Arabia Taxi Services

What does Umrah group transport involve?

Umrah group transport covers the same journeys as a family trip: the airport to Makkah, Makkah Ziyarat, Makkah to Madinah, Madinah Ziyarat and the ride back to the airport. The difference is scale. With 10 or more people you also have to plan seats, luggage, different arrival flights and hotel access for larger vehicles.

This post is for extended families, mosque groups and organisers. It explains which vehicles fit, when one bus beats several vans, and what to send us so the quote is right first time.

Which vehicles fit a group?

Group buses come with a luggage hold, a microphone and screens and a seat for the group leader, and are driven by licensed group-transport drivers. A cargo van carries luggage separately when the passenger vehicles are full.

Vehicle	Seats	Luggage	Typical models
Family van	7 to 11	10 suitcases	Hyundai H1, Toyota Hiace, GMC Savana
Group bus or coaster	12 to 50	40 suitcases or more	Toyota Coaster (22 seats), Mercedes Tourismo (45), Yutong (50)
Cargo van	1 to 3 plus luggage	20 suitcases or more	Toyota Hiace high-roof, Hyundai H350
Wheelchair-accessible van	1 to 4 plus a wheelchair	4 suitcases	Converted Hiace with rear ramp

One bus or several vans?

Because fares are per vehicle, the cheapest option depends on how many seats you fill. Here is how the airport run compares.

Price is not the only test. Vans can split between hotels and leave at different times, and family vans are permitted for Makkah's central area. One bus keeps the group together with one leader, one timetable and one luggage hold.

Group size	Option	Jeddah Airport to Makkah
12 to 22 people	Two family vans	2 × SAR 330
12 to 22 people	One coaster	SAR 670
23 to 33 people	Three family vans	3 × SAR 330
23 to 33 people	One coach	SAR 670

Group fares on the main Umrah legs

Fares are per vehicle and fixed before the trip, including fuel, tolls and the driver. For Ziyarat, an hourly family van costs from SAR 150 per hour and an hourly group bus from SAR 350 per hour, with a 3-hour minimum.

Journey	Family van	Group bus
Jeddah Airport to Makkah	SAR 330	SAR 670
Makkah to Madinah	SAR 1,440	SAR 2,930
Madinah Airport to Madinah hotels	SAR 120	SAR 400
Madinah to Jeddah Airport	SAR 1,290	SAR 2,620

When the group lands on different flights

Every pickup is tracked against its flight, and the driver waits free for 60 minutes after landing. If your group arrives on two or three flights hours apart, book a vehicle for each flight rather than keeping the first arrivals waiting at the airport for the last.

If everyone lands within a short window, one bus collecting the whole group works well. Send us every flight number and we suggest the split.

Hotel drop-offs for larger vehicles

In Makkah, the roads closest to the Haram close at peak prayer times, and the driver uses the nearest open drop point and helps with luggage. Family vans are permitted for Makkah's central area. For a full-size coach, we confirm the drop point for each hotel when you book, so your group knows where to walk.

In Madinah, central hotels have controlled vehicle access and drivers use each hotel's assigned entrance. Hotels in Kudai or Aziziyah in Makkah, and outside the central zone in Madinah, have easier access at the door. If your group is split across several hotels, vans are usually more practical than one bus.

What to send us before you book

The number of passengers, with how many are children, elderly or wheelchair users.
Every flight number, date and terminal.
Hotel names in Makkah and Madinah.
The total number of suitcases, including Zamzam and folding wheelchairs.
The group leader's name and phone number on WhatsApp.
Your Ziyarat dates and the language you would like the driver to speak.
How you will pay; agencies and companies can be invoiced monthly on a corporate account.

Permits and seasons

Every pilgrim needs an Umrah permit, booked through the Nusuk app. Check the current rules in Nusuk, especially if one person is booking for the whole group. In the Hajj season, only vehicles with Hajj permits may enter Makkah and the holy sites, so plan group Umrah trips outside that period. Our post on Makkah entry permit rules explains the details.

Group buses and family vans are in demand in the first weeks after Hajj, when international Umrah resumes, and in Ramadan. Book as early as you can for those periods.