How Umrah works.
What happens, in what order, and what to sort out before you go. Written for people who have not done this before.
What to sort out first.
We guide you through the visa process, from documentation and application requirements to submission.
Entry requirements change. Check what is currently required for Saudi Arabia well before you travel, and ask us if anything is unclear.
Ihram garments, comfortable footwear for long walking days, and any medication in your hand luggage.
Know the order of the rites before you land. It is easier to follow when you are tired if you have read it once already.
A planning summary.
This page is a practical summary to help you plan. It is not a substitute for scholarly guidance. If you travel with us on a scholar-led journey, you will have someone to ask throughout.
Ihram and the miqat.
You enter the state of ihram before crossing the miqat, the boundary set for the route you are arriving by. If you are flying, that usually means changing and making your intention before landing or on the aircraft. Once in ihram, certain everyday actions are set aside until you leave it. Which miqat applies depends on where you fly into, and we will tell you which one is yours before you travel.
The rites, in order.
Madinah and ziyarat.
Madinah is not part of the rites of Umrah, but most people travel on to it, and it is worth the time. Masjid an-Nabawi is the center of the visit. Around it, we arrange ziyarat with guides who can tell you what you are looking at rather than simply driving you past it. How long you stay is your call. Most travelers give Madinah three or four days.
Going home.
We arrange transfers back to the airport and, if you are flying out of a different city than you arrived in, the travel between them. Zamzam is handled at the airport rather than in your luggage, and the rules differ by airline and route. We will tell you what applies to yours.
Ready to plan your Umrah?
Tell us your dates and who is traveling, and we will build it around that.