Planning

I am jotting down few notes to help those who intend to travel from the UK to Mecca and Madina for Umrah, it might be helpful for others as well (but few of the links and tips will be specific to UK travellers).

We had valuable inputs from family and friends. May Allah reward them in abundance.
Please remember us in your dua.

School Leave

Plan the dates in advance, usually, the air tickets are expensive during school holidays. You may ask for leave from school if you are travelling with school going children telling them about Umrah, it usually works if its 2-4 days school absence for a pilgrimage.

Book tickets in time

You may get the Visa first and then air/hotel tickets, but the chances of Visa rejection are bleak and because the ticket costs get dearer closer to dates, so its worth booking tickets and hotels  2-3 months in advance.


Please leave comments with anything you find different or your own suggestions after your travel which you think might be beneficial for others.





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Expenses


I have jotted down some expense to give a rough idea of 2 adults and 2 children travelling for Umrah.

This was around February 2019, obviously cost varies depending on the time of the year.

GBPSaudi RiyalNote
Detail
Flight£1,700.4Adult - £482.62 Child - £367.62 (Economy - BA) - Heathrow - Jeddah
Hotel - MeccaRial 2,249.10SAR 562.275 per night
Hotel - MadinaRial 783.88SAR 391.94 per nights
Visa photo£20.00£5 per person, passport size 1 photo
Visa£300.00£75 per person
TrainRial 787.50Adult - 262.5 Child - 131.25*2 (Business Class)
TaxiRial 200.00Jeddah Airport - Mecca
TaxiRial 30.00(Mecca) From Hotel to Train Station
TaxiRial 23.00Madina) From Train Station to Hotel
TaxiRial 15.00(Madina) To Quba Masjid
TaxiRial 15.00(Madina) Back from Quba Masjid
TaxiRial 10.00(Madina) From Al-Baik to Hotel
TaxiRial 10.00(Madina) Nirala Tayabba Restaurant to Masjid Nabwi
TaxiRial 400.00Madina Hotel to Jeddah Airport
Total£2,020.4Rial 4,523.48
Saudi Riyal expenses in GBP£934.60
Total (GBP+SAR) in GBP
£2,955.08
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Visa

You have to get Visa through an agent, although Saudi websites say there are no charges for Visa application in reality agents will charge you for each application. At the time of writing this blog, it costs about GBP 75-80 per person (same for adults/children).

You only need to hand over -

  • Passport
  • 1 Photograph (passport size)

You get the visa back in 1 - 2 weeks, keep in touch with the agent in the meanwhile asking him about the progress.

The visa date starts from the day it gets stamped, it is usually valid for 30 days and you have to travel within 30 days. So, apply for the visa about a month before your travel date. Check with agent for more details.

The Visa agents might insist that you will have to take hotel and flight tickets through them but you don't have to, it's just them selling their product.

You need to have a gap year before you can get a second Umrah Visa, else you pay an extra fee. You may check if you are going for a second Umrah and if the fee is applicable for you -
https://eservices.haj.gov.sa/eservices3/pages/VisaInquiry/SearchVisa.xhtml?dswid=-9689

You may search for travel operators here -
https://eservices.haj.gov.sa/eservices3/pages/TravelAgency/searchExternalAgents.xhtml?dswid=-9689


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Air Tickets


I booked tickets from Sky Scanner -

Once you enter the details and click on search, on next page switch to month view "Show whole month" and check for best prices for the month.

When you change Outgoing date on Sky Scanner, prices for return dates also change, so keep that in mind.



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Hotel

I booked both my Mecca and Madina hotel from -

Check for hotel reviews, and distance from Haram in Mecca and in Madina when shortlisting the hotel.

I was travelling with kids so decided on the closest possible hotels, but there are other hotels which although are at distance but have bus shuttles to and from Haram, so it all depends on your choice, options are endless.


Mecca Hotel

We chose Swisshotel, it is in Clock Tower, the closest hotel you can get probably, there are several others which are in Clock Tower and other towers around Haram.

Breakfast was included by default, if the price difference in with/without is not a lot, I would suggest you go for breakfast included option. They served buffet breakfast from 6:30 to 10:30, so you can pray Fajr in Haram, and then go straight for breakfast and then sleep afterwards till Zuhar.


Madina Hotel

There are rows of hotels on the North side of Haram, you can choose any from first 3 rows they are all nearby (basically inside the King Faisal Road area).

It was busy and for my needs, I was able to get Movenpick -

It was okay not as good as Swisshotel Mecca, but friends told me later that hotels in Mecca are anyways better than Madina.

Ladies pray on the North side of Haram area, which is somewhere around Gate 15, so if you have got kids travelling with you to avoid booking any hotel towards the South of Haram, otherwise its a bit of walk every time you go for congregational salah (from the hotel on the south side to the ladies area on north).


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Training


Get the authentic books, talk to friends who have been to Umrah especially in recent past, ask for tips, and prepare in advance.


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Currency

I would highly recommend ordering at least following 2 cards 1-2 months in advance, not just for Umrah but they are handy for travelling anywhere around the world.


Halifax Clarity Card (Credit Card)

It's a Credit Card and you can spend depending on your credit limit, remember to pay back by the due date :)
Whatever you spend abroad will be converted to Sterling at a rate set by MasterCard®. Use it to pay on the tills or for online hotel payments etc. as the conversion rates are great and they don't charge a fee.

Avoid withdrawing cash as they will start charging interest from the day you withdraw cash, they don't charge a fee though.


Revolut Card (Debit Card)

Download the Revolut app on your phone (using iTunes or Play Store) and top up for about GBP 5, you can use your debit or credit card to top up your revolut account.  You can top up using the app on your phone and its quite simple.
This is more of a Debit Card and you can use the amount you top up with.

There are 3 different types of the card, I went for the basic one 'Standard' which was sufficient for my needs. Initially, it said that I need to pay about £5 for card postage, and I did not order the card then, a week later got an email from Revolut offering free postage :)

On 'Standard' card you can withdraw up to £200 from any ATM in foreign currency without any transaction fees. After £200 they charge a fee of 2%. I did withdraw more than £200 and discovered that its better than using any currency exchange shop.

 Remember to top up with a decent amount before you leave your home country so that you have sufficient when you land in Saudi, you can then withdraw in local currency (Saudi Riyal) from Jeddah/Madina airport ATM for taxi etc.

You can top up more when you are in Saudi using the app, basically, transfer money from your other accounts to Revolut, and then use in local currency.
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Transport

Taxi

You will find taxis all around, they are a cheap and quick mode of transportation.

There is usually no fixed price and bargaining works.

I was told by a lot of people to go for taxis with taxi drivers who can speak your language, so if you are from Indian Subcontinent go for a taxi driver who can speak Urdu. It helps to strike a conversation and you get lots of handy tips for free.

Similar to Uber, there's an app-based taxi service called "Careem", I used them twice locally and they were good, some times cheaper. Even if you don't use them but still search for the price and you get an idea how much you the taxi drivers on roadside must charge you.

You can download from iTunes or Google play store.

Taxi from Jeddah airport will cost about SAR 200 to Mecca.
Taxi from Madina to Jeddah airport usually costs about SAR 400.

Bus

Use Saudi Public Transport Company or “SAPTCO” for travel between cities, they are cheaper than taxis but travel time increases.

https://www.saptco.com.sa/TripReservation/Search.aspx?lang=en-Uk

Go for "VIP" buses, there's an option when you search.

Train

Haramain High Speed Rail (HHR) is a 300 kilometres per hour electrified line that links Makkah to Madinah and passes through three stations: Jeddah, King Abdul Aziz International Airport, and King Abdullah Economic City in Rabigh.

Train currently runs only 4 days every week - Thu-Fri-Sat-Sun. It takes 3 hours for Makkah - Madinah journey.

There are 2 classes - Business and Economy, both are decent.

You can book the train ticket in advance online -
There is a globe icon at the top left, if you click on it, it lets you switch language to '"English'.

You will need to take a taxi between the train station and Hotel/Haram in Mecca, usually costs about SAR 15 - 20, depending on distance and time of the day.




You will also need a taxi between the station and Hotel/Haram in Madina, usually costs about SAR 25 - 35, depending on distance and time of the day.

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Airport

There's an airport in Jeddah and another in Madina.

I took a British Airways flight (booked using Sky Scanner) from Heathrow Terminal 5 to Jeddah and back. However, I would suggest taking a flight to Jeddah when going and returning from Madina (if you are going to Mecca first and Madina later).

Or if you are going to Madina first then take a flight to Madina and return from Jeddah. It saves a long 4 hours travel between Madina and Jeddah airport.

Jeddah Airport

There are 3 terminals on Jeddah airport - North, South and Umrah.

Remember to check which terminal you are flying to and from because terminals are not interconnected and you will have to take a taxi to go from one to another.

For us British Airways landed at North Terminal, both arrival and departure are on the same floor right next to each other. There are coffee shops, ATM, money exchange and Taxi counters. There are 2 big prayer rooms (for men and women).

I would suggest taking a taxi from the counter rather than outside for your first leg of the journey. Again try to go for a taxi driver who speaks your local language.





On the way out, you can buy ZamZam cans right outside the departure entry, from the official counters. You will need to show the passport. It costs SAR 7.5 for a 5-litre bottle.

Most airlines including BA allow 1 can per passenger, and this is not counted in your luggage/weight for checked in baggage.

I only got to know of this after returning that you can actually buy more than 1 bottle per passenger if you have luggage space (check-in baggage). I am not certain of this though.

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Ihram


Buy Ihram online or from local stores in London quite a few weeks in advance, so that you do not have to rush at the last moment, and also know how to wrap.

Ihram for men also come as towel Ihram, these were recommended by family and friends and I found them quite good. Remember to buy Ihram belt separately or buy the combo pack (Ihram and belt)

eBay Towel Ehram -
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-Piece-Cotton-Ihram-Ehram-Ahram-White-Towel-Adult-Cloth-Waist-Belt-Hajj-Umrah/121445719313

You will also need fragrance free soap -
www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Hajj-Umrah-Transparent-Soap-Bar-Halal-Free-From-Fragrance-Animal-Fats-100g/253114659246

You may dress up in Ihram either from home or at Heathrow airport. Use either the prayer room after the security or the toilets. It is recommended to pray 2 rakat nafil salah afterwards.

Few people change into Ihram clothes in the flight, but its slightly tricky to do it in flight toilets which are very small, and usually not clean.

Ladies and Kids Ihram are also available online.

If you are ordering online make sure seller is sending the item from within the UK (Check - Item location), else it takes more than a month to get the Ihram delivered.

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Local Sim

Get a SIM on Jeddah/Madina airport, there are counters in the arrivals area.

We got 'Mobility' SIM for SAR 50 each, they have got Hajj and Umrah package which offers about 200 minutes local call and 1 GB data included for 5 or 7 days.

Get a SIM for each adult travelling, and maybe for grown-up children if they have got a phone with them, it helps a lot to coordinate and meet after congregational salah etc.

Whatsapp Calls do not work in Saudi, you can still send text/voice messages using WhatsApp. Download IMO for international calls.

Hotels have free wi-fi, use it for data when in the hotel.

Remember to enjoy the experience, and keep your phone in your pocket for a while.
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Food

It's a tricky bit, there are lots of options but you need to be careful not to get a tummy upset.

I heard too many stories, so decided to stick to basics.

Al-Baik is possibly the best option I could find, kids loved it, it was not greasy/oily/spicy and suited the palette. They have stores in Mecca, Madina and at the Jeddah airport, so you could literally find them anywhere, a bit of walk-in Madina though. Queues were usually 10-15 minutes. I was told its hours wait during Ramadan and Hajj.
Al-Bake in Mecca

You will find Bin-Dawood superstores in almost every other mall, they are reasonably priced and have got loads of useful stuff.

Most of the stores close few minutes before Salah, so get into payment queue in time.

Hardee's is another burger takeaway we found in Madina, they have the finest Angus Burgers.

When we got tired of eating Al-Baik, we decided to venture out to the city. One of the taxi drivers recommended "Nirala Tayabba" in Madina, unfortunately, when we reached there the next day after Asar they were closed. I tried to check there opening time before going there but couldn't find it anywhere on the internet and no one picked the phone. So remember they are closed between Asar and Isha (in February).

Nirala Tayabba in Madina
If possible try to go for breakfast included option when booking Hotel if the price difference is not a lot.

Masala tea in the shopping malls around Mecca Haram is fantastic. Make sure you try Arabic Kahwa/Coffee. More than likely someone will offer you one in the evening in Haram, around the Tawaf area.
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Shopping

It's actually good to shop around, it provides livelihood to locals in Mecca and Madina.

Dates, prayer mats, tasbeeh, miswaq, decoration items and gold there's lots of stuff to empty your pockets. You just need to know your limit.

Madina is a lot cheaper than Mecca for almost everything.

There's a shop near gate 22 on King Fahd Road which gives away all profits for Madarsa education in Madina, it clearly says outside the shop, they don't bargain but it's worth buying some stuff from there. You may also buy chairs from there (as Sadaqah Jariyah) and request them to send these to Masjid Nabwi (for people who offer Salah sitting on the chair).

Dates

There's a Date Market on South of Masjid-e-Nabawi, few minutes taxi drive. However, you must know what are you buying, keep your eyes open when it's being packed and check inside.

Ajwa (cultivated in Madina Tayyiba), Medjool and Sukri are few popular varieties. You have Ajwa by grades, so Grade 1 would be largest dates, and then grade 2 and so on. If you buy say Ajwa Grade 1 make sure its the same when it is packed.

Bargaining is the key.

You don't necessarily need to go to Date market unless you are buying in very large quantity, because you would have anyways spend SAR 30 in the taxi, so sometimes it makes sense to buy near Haram which is slightly more expensive.

Gold

There's a Gold market south of Haram, there are several stores north of Haram which are slightly dearer.




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Going with kids

I would highly recommend taking kids along, its a lifetime learning and memory for them.

Few things which we learned from friends and our own experience -
  1. Prepare them beforehand, give them story books about Umrah, Prophets
  2. Tell them stories about Safa Marwa and other related stories
  3. Share your itinerary, discuss your plans with them, engage them and make them feel part of the experience
  4. Pack light for yourself, pack well for kids
  5. Pack snacks, cookies etc which they like as it might be difficult to find something straightaway of their liking as soon as you arrive
  6. Get them ice-creams, they are fantastic especially in Mecca, they love it
  7. If you are taking a pushchair, remember -
    - in Mecca you can although leave them outside most of the gates, every few hours cleaners collect them and put them in 'Lost & Found' area, this is in between Haram doors and Clock Tower, we found our pushchair twice over there
    - in Madina, you can take pushchair to prayer areas in the courtyard of Masjid Nabwi, and pray there with a pushchair on your side
  8. Ask them and make them understand to make dua for themselves and family and friends
  9. Remember to buy gifts for them when shopping, these necessarily don't need to be expensive but are memories for long
  10. For school going kids, make sure you decide/discuss with them a place they must come back to if they are lost (say gate number 90 in Mecca and gate number 22 in Masjid Nabwi)
  11. DO REMEMBER to print slips before you leave and keep them in your bags and tuck them in kids pockets every time you are leaving the hotel, these must contain -
    - your child's name
    - your name
    - your contact numbers (UK and local - write it down as soon as you get a local SIM)
    - the emergency contact number of friend/family who is not travelling
    - Hotel name in Mecca and Madina
    - Flight Name and Number and date of travel

Keep them happy and they will keep you happier, have fun and enjoy your time and experience.
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Useful Links

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Umrah - Experience

Fajr Athan in Al-Masjid Al-Haram 🕋
Jum'ah Athan in Al-Masjid Al-Haram 🕋
Imam of Al-Haram praying sunnah in Hateem before Fajr
Athan in Al-Masjid an-Nabawī
Umbrella ☔ opening in Al-Masjid an-Nabawī

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