Makkah · Attraction
Clock Tower Museum Visit
⏱ 2 hours · Any size
Facts checked August 2026. Someone else sets the hours and ticket prices here — confirm them before you travel.
The Clock Tower Museum visit takes you to the upper floors of Makkah's Abraj Al-Bait tower for about 2 hours of clock, astronomy and timekeeping exhibits, with high viewing galleries over the city — entry from around SAR 150.
A ticketed museum spread over the top floors of the Abraj Al-Bait clock tower, exploring the mechanics of the world's largest clock face, astronomy and the science of timekeeping in Islamic civilisation. The visit culminates near the clock faces themselves, with viewing areas high above Makkah. Tickets are timed; balcony or terrace access may be sold as an upgrade.
Key takeaways
- Non-Muslims cannot enter Makkah, so this museum is only reachable by pilgrims already in the city.
- Friday is the trap: it does not open until 14:00, so a post-Jumu'ah plan works and a morning one does not.
- The terrace, roughly 480 m above the Grand Mosque, is the real draw. Telescopes are trained on the Haram.
- Three ticket tiers exist — terrace only, museum plus terrace, and a VIP tier that skips the queue.
- It is a walk from the Haram, not a drive. The entrance is inside the Clock Tower shopping mall.
Almost every photograph you have seen looking down on the Kaaba was taken from one place: the terrace near the top of the Makkah Royal Clock Tower, about 480 metres above the Grand Mosque. That view is what the ticket is really for.
What you actually see
Four themed exhibition floors, then the balcony. The first covers how the tower and its clock were built; the second, older methods of keeping time; the third, how the sun, moon and earth ordered daily life; the fourth, space and the planets. The museum opened in May 2019 and is run by the Misk Foundation.
Be honest with yourself about which part you came for. Many visitors buy the terrace-only ticket, spend twenty minutes up there taking photographs, and leave happy. The full museum with the terrace runs closer to an hour.
Opening hours, and the Friday trap
Saturday to Thursday, 09:00 to 23:00. Friday it does not open until 14:00.
That catches people out constantly. A family who plan a quiet Friday morning here find a closed door. Plan it for after Jumu'ah instead, or pick another day.
Ramadan hours are different again, and we will not print them — no official source publishes them and the versions circulating disagree. Check the museum's own site in the week you travel.
Tickets
Three tiers: terrace only, museum plus terrace, and a VIP tier with fast-track entry and a guide. Buy at the counter on the ground floor of the Clock Tower mall, or online in advance.
We are not printing a price here, deliberately. The museum's own site, the Saudi ticketing platforms and the travel agents all quote different figures, and a number we cannot stand behind is worse than none. Check the official site before you go — and note that the VIP tier exists specifically because the standard queue can be long.
Large bags and luggage are not allowed inside, and neither is outside food or drink.
Getting there
You walk. The tower stands directly across King Abdul Aziz Road from Masjid al-Haram, and the museum entrance is inside the shopping mall at its base. A car is no use for the last part of this journey.
If you are staying further out and want a car to the Haram area, our Makkah Ziyarat round covers the city's sites with a driver who waits — but for this one, if you can reach the Haram, you can reach the museum.
Who cannot come
Non-Muslims cannot enter the city of Makkah at all. That is not a museum rule, it is the law, and it is checked at the road checkpoints on every approach. If you are planning a Saudi trip that includes this, it is for pilgrims only.
Run by a local operator. We arrange it for you and confirm the exact price and timings before you pay.
- City
- Makkah
- Duration
- 2 hours
- From
- SAR 150
- Highlight
- Views from the clock level
FAQ
Standard entry covers the museum floors; balcony or terrace access is often a separate tier, so check the ticket option when booking.
Late afternoon into evening is popular — you can watch the city lights come on from the viewing level.
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