Trip to Makkah
Umrah package · UK pilgrims
3 Star 7 Days Umrah Package
£499 pp · 7 Nights · Emaar Andalusia (4 Nights) · 0203 727 6364
- ATOL protected
- IATA accredited
- Written quotes
Umrah + Hajj gallery
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Package overview
Seven nights split four in Makkah and three in Madinah, in 3-star hotels roughly 10 to 15 minutes' walk from the Haram or a short shuttle ride. This is our lowest published price and it suits first-time pilgrims, anyone travelling on a single week of annual leave, and families watching the total rather than the nightly rate. Return UK flights, Saudi visa processing, Nusuk permit registration and all transfers are included, quoted per person on quad sharing.
What £499 covers
Included
- Return flights from your chosen UK airport to Jeddah or Madinah
- Saudi Umrah visa processing
- Nusuk permit registration — Umrah permit and Rawdah booking
- 4 nights in Makkah at Emaar Andalusia or similar, named on your quote with the walking distance to the Haram
- 3 nights in Madinah at Emaar Taiba or similar, named on your quote with the walking distance to Masjid an-Nabawi
- Airport transfers, both ends
- Makkah–Madinah ground transport
- ATOL protection on the flight-inclusive booking, certificate issued on payment
- A named UK contact before departure and a reachable team throughout the trip
- Wheelchair assistance and infant cots, free on request
Not included
- Travel insurance with medical cover — required before the Saudi visa is approved
- MenACWY meningitis vaccination and certificate
- Meals — the 3-star packages are room only
- Guided Ziyarat — available as a paid add-on
- Single, twin and triple room supplements
- Haram-view and Kaaba-view room upgrades
- Personal spending, gifts and Zamzam shipping
Your hotels
Makkah — Emaar Andalusia or similar, 4 nights
Emaar Andalusia sits in the Ajyad and Misfalah area south of the Haram, where most of the affordable Makkah stock is. Walk 10 to 15 minutes to the gates, or take the shuttle when crowds build before Maghrib. Rooms are plain and clean, with four beds, air conditioning, a fridge and a kettle. The lifts get busy at Fajr, so leave ten minutes before the adhan rather than at it.
Madinah — Emaar Taiba or similar, 3 nights
Madinah is the easier of the two cities. The central zone around Masjid an-Nabawi is compact and flat, and Emaar Taiba sits a similar 10 to 15 minutes from the mosque, much of it shaded or covered. The heat matters far less here than it does in Makkah.
Day-by-day shape of the trip
No package carries fixed dates, and the city order depends on which airport you land at. The table shows the Jeddah-first routing; arriving into Madinah swaps the two blocks.
| Day | Where | What is realistically achievable |
|---|---|---|
| Day 1 | UK to Jeddah, transfer to Makkah | A road transfer of roughly 1.5 hours. Many enter ihram before landing and perform Umrah that night; others go after Fajr. |
| Days 2 to 4 | Makkah, 4 nights | Umrah completed, then full days of prayer in the Haram, with room for Jabal al-Nour or Masjid Aisha at Tan'im. |
| Day 5 | Makkah to Madinah | Morning road transfer of about 4.5 hours, then Maghrib and Isha at Masjid an-Nabawi. |
| Days 6 to 7 | Madinah, 3 nights | Your booked Rawdah slot, plus Masjid Quba, Jannat al-Baqi and Uhud. |
| Day 8 | Madinah to UK | Transfer to Prince Mohammad bin Abdulaziz airport, 20 to 30 minutes from the central zone. |
Who this package suits — and who it doesn't
A good fit for
- First-time pilgrims, because seven nights is long enough to perform Umrah without the trip becoming an endurance test
- Anyone with a single week of annual leave — a Saturday-to-Sunday absence costs five working days
- Households watching the total, where four people at £499 is a different conversation from four at £1,079
Look elsewhere if
- You are travelling with elderly parents, managing mobility difficulties, or intend to pray all five prayers in the Haram. A 10 to 15 minute walk repeated five times a day becomes the defining feature of the trip — the 4-star cuts it to 5 to 10 minutes, and adds breakfast, for £50 more: 4 Star 7 Days Umrah Package, £549.
- You want more time rather than more comfort. Flights and visa are fixed costs whatever the length of stay, so extra nights are cheap — three more nights costs £60: 3 Star 10 Days Umrah Package, £559.
The full range sits on the Umrah packages page.
Departure airports
The £499 is built on the cheapest sensible routing from your airport, usually one stop through a Gulf or Turkish hub. Regional connections go on a single ticket, so a late first leg stays the airline's responsibility.
| Departure airport | Typical routing |
|---|---|
| London Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton | Widest choice; direct to Jeddah, or one-stop at a lower fare |
| Manchester | Direct to Jeddah, or one-stop; the strongest option outside London |
| Birmingham | Direct to Jeddah, or one-stop through a Gulf or Turkish hub |
| Leeds Bradford and Newcastle | One-stop through a Gulf or Turkish hub |
| Glasgow, Edinburgh, Bristol, Cardiff, Belfast | Connection through London or Manchester on one ticket |
Price, room basis and what moves it
£499 is a quad-sharing price, four pilgrims to a room, which is how the figure gets this low and how most families travel anyway. Fewer people in the room splits the cost fewer ways, so a triple carries a modest supplement, a twin a larger one, and a single is the most expensive way to travel per person. Supplements are quoted in pounds before you commit. Three things move the headline price.
- Season. Shawwal is the cheapest window of the year, with late January and September to November close behind. June to August is cheap too, but Makkah runs above 40°C and the walk matters in that heat.
- UK school holidays. December, Easter and half-terms push flight prices up sharply. The hotel cost barely moves; the seat does.
- Ramadan. The highest prices of the year, and the last ten nights close first, so book four to six months ahead. One Umrah per person is permitted during Ramadan, and the Taraweeh permit for the last ten nights is separate.
We contract hotel rooms in Makkah and Madinah directly and buy flights through consolidator access, so where a published price can be beaten on your dates, we say so.
Visa, Nusuk permit and vaccination
The visa
British passport holders can perform Umrah on a Saudi tourist eVisa or an Electronic Visa Waiver outside the Hajj season, or on a dedicated Umrah visa through an authorised operator, and GOV.UK sets out the e-visa route. Passports need six months' validity from entry. Medical insurance is bundled into the visa fee, and it is worth checking what that policy covers.
The Nusuk permit
A visa gets you into the country; a Nusuk permit is what allows you to perform Umrah and enter the Rawdah in Madinah. The two are separate registrations, and Rawdah slots are limited, released in batches roughly a week ahead. We register both for you.
The meningitis certificate
There is no flexibility in this one. A valid MenACWY certificate must be dated at least 10 days before you arrive in Saudi Arabia, and it applies to everyone aged one year and over. Conjugate certificates are accepted for five years, and the NaTHNaC Hajj and Umrah factsheet carries the detail. Most GP surgeries charge adults privately, so book about six weeks out.
Frequently asked questions
What does the £499 price cover?
The £499 covers return UK flights, Saudi visa processing, Nusuk permit registration for Umrah and the Rawdah, four nights in a 3-star Makkah hotel, three nights in Madinah, airport transfers and the road journey between the two cities. Travel insurance, the MenACWY vaccination, meals and guided Ziyarat sit outside the price.
Can I perform a second Umrah during a 7-night trip?
A second Umrah is possible but tight on four nights in Makkah. You would travel to Masjid Aisha at Tan'im to re-enter ihram, which takes two to three hours in total including traffic. Most pilgrims on seven nights do one Umrah properly rather than two in a rush.
Is £499 available during Ramadan?
No. The £499 applies to quiet departures, meaning Shawwal, late January and September to November. Ramadan is the most expensive month of the year in Makkah, and the last ten nights sell out first, so that period should be booked four to six months ahead at a higher price.
How far is the hotel from the Haram on this package?
Hotels on this package are 3-star and sit 10 to 15 minutes on foot, or a short shuttle ride from the Haram. That distance is the main trade-off built into the £499 price. Pilgrims who want a shorter walk should compare the higher grades, where the approach is measured in minutes rather than a quarter of an hour.
Is 7 nights long enough for Umrah?
7 nights covers one full Umrah, prayers at both Harams and the main Ziyarat sites. With one arrival day and one travel day between the cities, that leaves roughly five usable days. Pilgrims who want a second Umrah from Tan'im are generally more comfortable on ten nights or more.
Do I need a Nusuk permit as well as a Saudi visa?
Yes. A visa gets you into Saudi Arabia and a Nusuk permit lets you perform Umrah and enter the Rawdah in Madinah. Rawdah slots are limited and released in batches roughly a week ahead. Registration of both is part of this package, so there is nothing separate for you to apply for.
Is the meningitis vaccination compulsory?
Yes. A MenACWY certificate dated at least 10 days before you arrive in Saudi Arabia is compulsory for every pilgrim aged one year and over. Conjugate vaccine certificates last five years. Most UK surgeries treat it as a private travel vaccine for adults, so book the appointment around six weeks before departure.
What room basis is the price based on?
£499 is quoted per person on quad sharing, four pilgrims to a room. Triple, twin and single rooms are available and carry a supplement, which we quote in pounds before you commit rather than as a percentage. Family and connecting rooms can be requested at the quote stage.
Are these live fares?
No. £499 is a from price, the lowest we publish for this package, on quad sharing and off-peak departures. Flight and hotel costs move with the season, the departure airport and how far ahead you book, so your confirmed figure comes from a written quote for your specific dates and group.