The Difference Between Free and Paid Tawaf Carts at the Grand Mosque: Prices and Booking Routes

Free and paid Tawaf carts inside the Grand Mosque of Makkah are divided into three clear options that meet the needs of those performing Tawaf according to their physical ability and financial budget. The first option is manual and entirely free, but it requires a companion of your own to push the cart; the second option provides a licensed pusher for a fixed fee; and the third option gives you complete independence by driving an electric cart yourself or riding in the shared golf carts under an official electronic booking. The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Two Holy Mosques prevents improvisation in managing the crowds around the Holy Kaaba and the Mas'a route. For this reason, separate routes have been drawn for each type of cart to ensure smooth movement and protect pedestrians in the immediate courtyard from crowding.

Free and Paid Tawaf Carts: The Three Categories Available at the Grand Mosque

Transport options within the corridors of the Grand Mosque of Makkah are distributed under a precise classification that makes it easy for the pilgrim and the visitor to identify what suits them as soon as they arrive at the outer courtyards:

• Free manual carts: green carts designated for self-use, provided by the Authority without any fees, and relying for their operation on the pilgrim's companion throughout the circuits of Tawaf and Sa'i.
• Paid manual carts (authorized pushers): carts driven by qualified individuals holding official operating cards and numbered vests, subject to a unified fare supervised by the courtyard administration.
• Golf carts and modern electric carts: mechanical solutions running on rechargeable batteries on independent tracks on the mezzanine floor and the roof, booked for a fee fixed in advance.

Choosing the wrong category may expose you to doubled physical hardship. For example, a person alone cannot use the free cart if they are unable to push it themselves, just as the Grand Mosque's regulations prohibit manual carts from entering the fast electric scooter tracks.

Free Manual Tawaf Carts: Collection Procedures and Field Locations

This service is offered to elderly pilgrims, the sick, and those with mobility disabilities who come to the Grand Mosque accompanied by their relatives. Its essential condition is the presence of a companion able to push throughout both rites.

You collect the cart by presenting the original national ID card for citizens, a resident ID, or the original passport for visitors coming from the Gulf countries and beyond. The employee records your official details and hands you the cart directly, with a reminder that it must be returned to the same point immediately after finishing performing Sa'i.

The free field distribution locations are centered on four main points surrounding the Grand Mosque of Makkah:

1. Shubeikah square: located next to Dar Al Tawhid Hotel and the Makkah Towers complex, it serves those arriving from Ibrahim Al Khalil Street and Jabal Omar.
2. Kudi entrance: a central point receiving pilgrims who rely on the shuttle transport buses from the central Kudi parking areas.
3. Ali Gate square: designated for those arriving from the eastern side, Al-Ghazza, and the public transport bus station.
4. The outer Ajyad bridge: near the Al Rajhi Mosque prayer route, it provides quick access to the ground floors.

Free carts are a practical, money-saving option, but they require excellent physical fitness from the companion. Pushing a person weighing 80 kilograms for a distance exceeding two and a half kilometers during Tawaf and the same in the Mas'a is not an easy task at all amid the crowds.

Paid Manual Carts (Authorized Pushers): Fees and Regulation

If you are alone or your companion is incapable of physical exertion, the Grand Mosque administration provides the authorized pusher service. These are trained workers wearing a uniform of a specified color (usually green or gray) and carrying a clear metal badge bearing the name, permit number, and a personal photo.

The Authority has set a strict fare, written on clear signboards, that precludes financial bargaining:

• Tawaf only (7 circuits): 100 Saudi riyals.
• Sa'i only (7 circuits): 100 Saudi riyals.
• Full Umrah (Tawaf and Sa'i): ranges from 200 to 250 Saudi riyals depending on the seasons and the announced peak times.

Beware of dealing with random pushers outside the official gates. Some violators ask for trivial amounts at first, then leave the pilgrim in the middle of the circuits, pleading fatigue, or demand double the amount inside the Mataf courtyard. Always look for the official assembly points of the licensed pushers inside the King Fahd expansion or beneath the entrance bridges designated for carts.

Paid Golf Carts and Electric Carts: Specifications, Routes, and Prices

The upper routes of the Grand Mosque of Makkah have witnessed a leap in reliance on alternative energy to facilitate Tawaf and Sa'i. The system offers two mechanical options with precise specifications and fixed prices inclusive of value-added tax.

First: the shared golf carts on the roof
The golf carts operate on the open-air roof track of the Mataf and the Mas'a. These carts are driven by professional drivers, and each one accommodates 10 to 12 passengers. A seat is booked for 25 Saudi riyals for a single Tawaf per individual, and 25 riyals for the Sa'i route, bringing the full Umrah ticket to 50 riyals per person. This option is the quietest and most comfortable for those who wish to avoid the noise and crowding on the lower floors, with an open view of the sky and the Mosque.

Second: the shuttle and self-drive electric carts (the mezzanine)
These carts are located on the first-floor mezzanine, dedicated entirely to fast movement. They are distinguished by being self-drive; the pilgrim personally controls the speed and stopping through an extremely easy hand throttle:

• Single electric cart (one seat): 57.5 Saudi riyals for Tawaf or Sa'i alone, and 115 Saudi riyals for the full rite (Tawaf and Sa'i together).
• Double electric cart (two seats for two persons): 115 Saudi riyals for one rite, and 230 Saudi riyals for the full Umrah. Perfectly suited to a couple or a parent with their child.

These carts are equipped with shock-mitigating sensors and maximum-speed limiting devices that do not exceed the safety limits among those performing Tawaf. The seats have also been fitted with comfortable supports and restraint belts.

A Practical Comparison Between Free and Paid Tawaf Carts at the Grand Mosque of Makkah

The following table illustrates the essential differences to help you make the appropriate financial and organizational decision before setting out:

Cart Type	Cost (Saudi riyal)	Floor and Movement Route	Physical Effort	How to Obtain It
Free manual	Free (ID deposit)	The ground courtyard / the various floors	Full effort on the companion	Immediate pickup from the Shubeikah and Kudi points
Manual with a licensed pusher	100 – 250 riyals	The Mataf and the ground Mas'a	None for the rider	Directly via the licensed pusher stations
Single electric	57.5 – 115 riyals	The first mezzanine floor	Light (manual control via the drive handle)	Advance electronic booking or the mezzanine platforms
Double electric	115 – 230 riyals	The first mezzanine floor	Light (driven by one of the two riders)	The Tanaqqol app / self-service screens
Shared golf carts	25 – 50 riyals per rider	The roof of the Grand Mosque of Makkah	None (overseen by an official driver)	Advance booking or the roof booths

Steps to Book a Tawaf Cart via the Tanaqqol Platform and the Nusuk App

The Nusuk app and the Tanaqqol platform allow advance booking of electric carts and roof golf carts, sparing you the waiting in the courtyard lines and the congestion seasons such as Ramadan and the long holiday periods. Follow these steps in order:

1. Open the Nusuk app and go to the additional services menu, then tap the electric cart booking (Tanaqqol) icon, or download the Tanaqqol app directly from the store.
2. Sign in using the national ID number or the residence permit number, or the Borders number and the passport number for pilgrims arriving from abroad.
3. Choose the rite location: Mataf mezzanine carts, Mas'a mezzanine carts, or a seat booking in the roof golf carts.
4. Specify the cart type and size (a single cart seating one person, or a double cart seating two riders).
5. Set the exact entry time by date and hour, taking care that it matches your issued Umrah permit time.
6. Pay the service fee electronically via the Saudi mada (Mada) network, local and international credit cards, and Apple Pay.
7. Keep the Quick Response code (QR Code) shown in the booking document to pass it through the smart gates at the departure point.

Cart Pickup Points at the Grand Mosque and the Booking Cancellation and Fee Refund Policy

You reach the electric cart pickup station by ascending the escalators leading to the first-floor mezzanine via Ajyad bridge, King Abdulaziz Gate, or Shubeikah Gate No. 64. As for the golf carts, their route passes directly through the roof elevators in the northern expansion and the Ajyad elevators.

The Tanaqqol platform is committed to a clear policy for booking cancellation and refunds:

• You can cancel the booking and recover the full amount if the request is made sufficiently before the service's scheduled time (a minimum of two hours via the app).
• The amount is automatically returned to the bank account or card used for payment, and the bank transaction usually takes from 3 to 14 business days depending on your own bank's policy.
• The right to claim a refund lapses if the actual booking start time passes without the beneficiary appearing at the station, in which case the ticket is considered void and the seats are opened to the on-site waiting lists.

Before heading to the Grand Mosque, open the Nusuk app now and confirm your Tawaf permit time, then match your electric cart booking on the Tanaqqol platform to it with a fifteen-minute margin to avoid any confusion at the entrance gates and the inspection routes.