One of the most common questions we hear from parents planning Umrah is simple: is there somewhere safe for the children while we pray? The answer is yes, with some planning. Here is how childcare actually works in Makkah and Madinah.
Kids club vs full daycare: the difference matters
These two terms get mixed up, and the difference decides whether it works for your family:
- A kids club is a supervised play area, usually inside a hotel, open for set hours. Children play under staff supervision while parents stay in the hotel or visit the Haram for a prayer or two. It is entertainment with light supervision, not all day care.
- A full daycare (hadanah) is a licensed facility with trained carers, structured hours, and often meals and nap arrangements. You can leave your child for a longer block of time, for example a full morning at the Haram.
If you only need cover for one or two prayers, a kids club or hotel babysitting is usually enough. If you want unhurried, uninterrupted hours of worship, look for a proper daycare.
Do hotels near the Haram offer childcare?
Several five star hotels in the central areas of both cities offer kids clubs, children’s play areas, or in room babysitting arranged through the concierge. Two honest cautions from experience:
- Amenities change. A hotel that offered a kids club last season may have paused it. Never rely on an old review, have it confirmed in writing at the time of booking. When we book families, we confirm the exact childcare arrangement with the hotel before you pay.
- Babysitting is usually a paid, on request service, charged per hour, and needs to be reserved a day or more ahead, especially in peak season.
Public and charitable children’s centres
Both cities have long had charitable and publicly supported children’s hospitality centres near the Haramain, where children are looked after during prayer times, often free or for a small fee. They are a blessing, but capacity is limited, hours follow prayer times rather than your schedule, and staff mainly speak Arabic. Availability changes season to season, so treat them as a helpful option on the ground rather than the plan itself. Your group leader can point you to what is currently open near your hotel.
What does childcare cost?
Prices vary widely by city, season, and the type of care, and they change often enough that we do not publish a fixed table. As a general rule, hotel babysitting is the most expensive option, private daycares charge by the hour or by session at more moderate rates, and charitable centres are free or nominal. Tell us your dates and children’s ages and we will confirm current options and prices in writing as part of your quote.
The real key: stay central
Whatever childcare you use, everything becomes easier when your hotel is minutes from the Haram, dropping off, picking up, and returning for a feed or a nap between prayers. That is one more reason we choose hotels for proximity above all, and why our Family Umrah package is built around families with young children.
Planning Umrah with little ones? Read our family Umrah guide, then tell us who is travelling and we will plan the childcare details around your worship.
