What Is an Umrah Package, and What Should Be In One?

What is normally included

• Return flights from a UK airport
• Visa processing and the Nusuk permit for the Haram
• Hotel accommodation in both Makkah and Madinah
• All ground transfers — airport to Makkah, Makkah to Madinah, and back
• Guided Umrah on arrival, and Ziyarat tours in both cities

What is normally excluded

This list is shorter and matters more, because it is where the unexpected costs sit:

• Travel insurance — required, and worth buying properly rather than cheaply
• Meals beyond hotel breakfast
• Vaccinations, including the mandatory MenACWY
• Personal expenses, laundry, room service
• Excess baggage, which catches people carrying Zamzam home

Questions worth asking

1. How far is the Makkah hotel from the Haram, in metres? Not minutes, not "close" — metres.
2. Is that distance to the gates or to the mataf? The difference can be several hundred metres in a crowd.
3. What is the room sharing basis for the price quoted? Quad, triple or double changes the figure substantially.
4. Is the package ATOL protected, and what is the number?
5. Does a group leader travel with us, and are they contactable in Saudi Arabia?
6. What happens if the hotel changes? Reputable operators name a same-tier alternative rather than "or similar".

Package or independent?

You can perform Umrah independently — book your own flights, hotel and visa. It sometimes works out cheaper, particularly for experienced travellers going alone in a quiet month.

What a package buys is the coordination: transfers that meet the flight, a hotel that is where it says it is, a permit already issued, and somebody to call when a flight is delayed at 2 a.m. For a first Umrah, or one with elderly parents or children, that is usually worth the difference.