Economy Umrah Packages from the UK | From £499 per Person

Economy Umrah packages start at £499 per person for 7 nights, including return flights, your Saudi visa, hotels in Makkah and Madinah, all transfers and guided Ziyarat in both cities.

Economy is the default, not the compromise

The overwhelming majority of UK pilgrims fly economy and stay in a 3 star hotel. That is not the budget version of Umrah. That is Umrah.

The rites are identical. You enter the same state of Ihram, perform the same Tawaf around the same Kaaba, walk the same Sa’i between the same two hills, and shave or shorten your hair the same way. There is no separate queue, no priority lane and no premium anything at the Haram.

What the higher tiers buy is metres and a softer flight. Both are worth having if you can afford them. Neither changes the thing you came for.

So what is this page for?

Making a standard trip a good one. Not finding bargains, which is a separate page, but the practical business of doing an economy Umrah properly. What a 3 star hotel in Makkah is actually like. How the shuttles really work, which is the single thing that decides whether a 3 star booking is comfortable or frustrating. And the free hours at the Haram that give an economy pilgrim a better experience than somebody paying five times as much at the wrong time of day.

Get an economy quote on WhatsApp

What a 3 star hotel in Makkah is actually like

The most common worry we hear from first-time pilgrims, and mostly it is based on the wrong comparison.

Star ratings there are not star ratings here

Makkah and Madinah classifications are assigned locally and the emphasis is different. In a British seaside town, 3 star tells you something about the building, the age of the carpet and whether the shower works.

In Makkah, a great many 3 star properties are modern, purpose-built pilgrim hotels put up in the last fifteen years. Clean, functional, air conditioned, with a lift, a prayer area and a shuttle. What makes them 3 star rather than 5 is the absence of a gym, a spa, a concierge and a marble lobby, none of which you came for.

What you are actually trading

Distance, mostly. A 3 star sits typically 700 metres to 1.2 km from the Haram. A 5 star sits at 200 to 500. That is the difference you are buying, and it is a real one, which is why we go on about metres rather than stars on every page we write.

Secondary trades are room size, which is usually smaller, and breakfast, which varies by property rather than being guaranteed. We confirm breakfast per hotel in your quote instead of making a blanket claim.

What you should still expect

A clean room. Working air conditioning, which matters more than anything else on the list. A Qibla marker and a prayer mat, which every hotel room in both cities has. Hot water. A lift. Someone at reception at 3am, because these hotels run on pilgrim hours rather than office hours.

What we tell you before you pay

The property name, the distance in metres, the nearest Haram gate by name, and whether that specific hotel runs a shuttle and how often.

If allocation is not confirmed for your dates yet, you get a shortlist and a guaranteed maximum distance rather than the words near Haram, which mean nothing.

The shuttle, which nobody explains

This is the most useful section on the page. On a 3 star booking the shuttle decides your day more than the hotel does, and almost no agency tells you how it works before you arrive.

What it is

Most hotels beyond about 800 metres run a free bus between the hotel and a drop-off point near the Haram. It is included, it is not a taxi, and it runs to a timetable rather than on demand.

How often it runs

Commonly every twenty to thirty minutes through the day, and more frequently around prayer times. Frequency varies by property and by season, so ask us for the specific hotel rather than assuming.

The question to ask, and it is the important one

Does it run for Fajr?

Some do and some do not, and it changes your whole trip. Fajr at the Haram is one of the best hours of the day and the least crowded. If your shuttle starts at 7am you are either walking in the dark or missing it.

We check this for every 3 star booking and tell you the answer before you pay. If the shuttle does not cover Fajr we will say so and suggest a different property.

Where it actually drops you

Not at the door of the Haram. Traffic management means shuttles stop at designated points that can be a few hundred metres from the nearest gate. So a hotel advertising a shuttle at 1.2 km may still involve a walk at both ends.

What happens at peak times

After Maghrib and on Fridays the buses fill and you may wait for the second one. In Ramadan the roads around the Haram close to traffic for periods, and the shuttle either stops further out or stops running.

That is the single biggest reason we push people toward a closer hotel in Ramadan even at the economy end. A shuttle you cannot use is not an amenity.

The practical answer

Photograph the timetable at reception on your first day. Know the last one back. And on the nights when you want to stay late at the Haram, plan to walk or share a taxi rather than watching the clock.

Economy class on the Jeddah routes

Better than people expect, and worth knowing what you actually get.

The flight length

About six and a half hours direct from Heathrow, Manchester or Birmingham. Often overnight. That is short as long-haul goes, which is exactly why we argue on the business class page that the upgrade is usually the wrong place to put a fixed budget.

Baggage, which is generous

Economy on the Saudi and Gulf carriers is typically 30 to 40 kg, which is well above what you get on a European short-haul airline. Confirmed in your travel pack.

That matters on Umrah because you are taking gifts out and bringing dates and gifts back. Most people find they have more allowance than they expected rather than less.

Zamzam comes home free

The official factory-sealed 5 litre bottle bought at the Saudi airport counters is carried free and outside your standard allowance on the main Umrah carriers. Economy passengers get this exactly the same as anybody else.

Meals and prayer

A full meal service on the direct routes, and halal throughout on the Saudi and Gulf carriers. Cabin crew on these routes are entirely used to passengers praying, and to the Miqat announcement.

What is genuinely harder in economy

Changing into Ihram on the aircraft. On a full flight that means a queue for a small cubicle while a lot of other people do the same thing in the same twenty minutes.

Two free ways round it

Change at your UK airport after security, before you board. Costs nothing and removes the problem entirely.

Or fly into Madinah first, where you do not enter Ihram on the plane at all. You enter it on the ground at Dhul Hulayfah, about 9 km outside Madinah on the road to Makkah, with proper facilities and no clock running.

Tell us which you prefer and we build the routing around it.

How to make an economy Umrah an excellent one

Six things, none of which cost money, and which together matter more than any upgrade.

1. Go at Fajr and past midnight

The single best piece of advice on this page.

The Mataf in the hour around Fajr and again somewhere past midnight is the emptiest it ever gets. The marble is cold underfoot, the courtyard has space, and you can complete Tawaf at your own pace rather than being carried by a crowd.

Somebody in a 3 star hotel who goes at those hours has a better experience of the Haram than somebody in a Kaaba view room who only goes after Maghrib. That is not a consolation, it is simply true, and it is free.

2. Use the upper levels

The upper floors of the Mataf are far less crowded than the ground level. The circuit is longer because the radius is bigger, so it takes more time, and in exchange you are not shoulder to shoulder.

For older pilgrims, for anyone with a child, and for anyone who finds crowds difficult, this is the answer and it costs nothing.

3. Book longer rather than fancier

If you have £150 spare, three extra nights buys you more than a hotel upgrade does. Ten nights at 3 star is £545 against £499 for seven, and those three nights are all in Makkah.

At fourteen nights you are down to £45 a night. Full detail on the 10 nights and 14 nights pages.

4. Quad sharing is free money if you are a family

Four to a room is the headline rate. Twin or double adds roughly £180 to £340 per person. If you were going to share anyway, take the quad and put the difference into nights or into the month you travel.

5. Travel in the right month

The largest single lever available to you and it costs nothing but flexibility. January and November are the cheapest and among the most comfortable to walk in.

The difference between a January departure and a December one on identical hotels can be several hundred pounds a head. If your dates are flexible, give us a range rather than a date.

6. Eat where local people eat

Both cities are full of good, inexpensive food at all hours, and hotel restaurants are the most expensive option in walking distance. Half the pleasure of a longer trip is that by the second week you have stopped eating like a visitor.

Water inside the Haram is free and everywhere. You do not need to buy it.

What economy genuinely costs you

Four things, honestly, because you should book knowing them.

The walk

On a ten night trip you will make around sixty journeys between your room and the Haram. At 1.2 km that is a real amount of walking, and by the second week it becomes a factor in whether you go back for a particular prayer.

The timetable

A shuttle is a timetable, and a timetable shapes your day. You will occasionally leave the Haram earlier than you wanted to, or wait longer than you wanted to, because of it.

Returning between prayers

At 400 metres you go back to the room between Asr and Maghrib without thinking. At 1.2 km most people stop doing it, which means long stretches sitting in the Haram. That is fine for a fit thirty year old and hard on a seventy year old with a bad knee.

Summer and Ramadan

These are the two windows where the distance stops being an inconvenience and becomes a real obstacle. In July at 43 degrees, or in the last ten nights when the roads close, a 3 star booking a kilometre out is genuinely difficult.

If you are travelling in either, we will push you toward 4 star even where the budget is tight, and explain why rather than just upselling.

Where your next £100 should go

The question we get asked most often at this end of the range, and the answer depends on your trip rather than being fixed.

What we would not spend it on

A flight upgrade, unless somebody has a back, hip or mobility problem. On a six and a half hour direct flight it is the weakest use of money at this end of the range. There is a full honest comparison on the business class page, including a premium economy option that costs a fraction of the price.

Prices

Per person, quad sharing, off-peak departures. Includes return economy flights, both hotels, the Saudi Umrah visa, all three transfers and guided Ziyarat in Makkah and Madinah. Ramadan, Christmas and school holidays price higher.

The next tier up, for comparison

Roughly £130 to £144 moves you from 700 metres to 1.2 km down to 300 to 700 metres. Whether that is worth it depends entirely on the month you are going and who is travelling, which is what the table above is for.

What is not included

Travel insurance. Your meningococcal ACWY vaccine, which is a visa requirement and which many GP practices charge for. Meals beyond breakfast where breakfast applies. UK airport parking or train fares. Anything you buy out there.

How the price is set

We check comparable UK packages every month and sit £20 under the lowest we can find for the same nights and the same hotel tier. Check that anything you compare us against includes the visa and all three transfers, or it is not the same product.

Tier detail: 3 star, 4 star, 5 star. If price is your main driver, the cheap packages page sets out which savings are real and which cost you the trip.

Best months at this end of the range

Month matters more on an economy booking than on any other, because you are walking further and the weather is doing more of the work.

The pattern is simple. In the cool months, economy is genuinely comfortable and the money is better spent on extra nights. In the hot months and in Ramadan, distance is the binding constraint and the money is better spent on the hotel.

Month pages: January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December.

What is included

• Return economy flights from your nearest UK airport, one ticket, bags checked through
• Hotel in Makkah, named in writing with the distance in metres, the nearest gate and the shuttle position
• Hotel in Madinah, same detail
• Saudi Umrah visa, submitted through Nusuk and tracked to approval
• Airport to hotel transfer on arrival
• Makkah to Madinah transfer, around four and a half hours by air conditioned coach
• Hotel to airport transfer at the end
• Guided Ziyarat in both Makkah and Madinah
• A named agent on WhatsApp throughout, at Saudi hours

Things economy does not change

Worth stating plainly. Your visa is the same. Your Nusuk permits are the same and they are free for everybody. Your access to the Haram is the same. Your Rawdah slot depends on the app and how early you book it, not on what you paid.

Details on the visa page, and the full eight-item package checklist on the flights and hotel page.

How to book

1. WhatsApp +44 7737 144 335 or call. Give us a date range rather than a single date if you can, plus nights, how many adults and children with exact ages, and your nearest airport.
2. Tell us the month you are considering and who is travelling, particularly anyone over seventy or with mobility issues, because that changes what we recommend.
3. We come back the same day with an itemised quote. Hotel names, distances in metres, whether there is a shuttle and whether it runs for Fajr.
4. Pay a £99 deposit per person. Interest-free instalments on the balance when you book four or more months ahead.
5. Book your ACWY vaccine appointment. It is a visa requirement and needs at least ten days before you arrive.
6. Send us passports, photos and ACWY certificates by WhatsApp.
7. We submit the visa through Nusuk and track it to approval.
8. The day your visa lands, book your Umrah permit and Rawdah permit in the Nusuk app yourself. Both are free.
9. You travel. Your named agent is on WhatsApp throughout.

Balance due eight weeks before departure.

Found something cheaper? Send it over and we will price under it, provided it includes the same things. Beat My Quote.

Economy Umrah: 71 questions answered

Grouped by topic. Direct answer first, detail underneath where it earns its place.

The basics

How much is an economy Umrah package?

From £499 per person for 7 nights, £545 for 10, £579 for 12 and £625 for 14. All inclusive of flights, visa, both hotels, transfers and Ziyarat.

Is economy Umrah a lesser experience?

No. The rites are identical and there is no separate queue at the Haram. What the higher tiers buy is metres and a softer flight.

What percentage of pilgrims fly economy?

The overwhelming majority. Economy and 3 star is the standard UK Umrah, not the budget version of it.

What is actually included?

Return flights, both hotels, the Saudi visa, all three transfers and guided Ziyarat in both cities.

What is not included?

Travel insurance, your ACWY vaccine, meals beyond breakfast where it applies, UK parking or train fares, and anything you buy out there.

Is the visa really included?

Yes, submitted through Nusuk and tracked to approval, with the cost inside the price.

What is the deposit?

£99 per person, with the balance due eight weeks before departure.

Can I pay monthly?

Yes, interest free, when you book four or more months ahead.

How is this different from your cheap packages page?

That page is about which savings are real and which cost you the trip. This one is about doing the standard trip well.

The 3 star hotel

Is a 3 star hotel in Makkah acceptable?

Yes. Many are modern purpose-built pilgrim hotels put up in the last fifteen years. Clean, air conditioned, with a lift and a shuttle.

Is a Makkah 3 star like a British 3 star?

No. Classifications are assigned locally and the emphasis is different. What makes them 3 star is the absence of a gym, spa and concierge, none of which you came for.

How far will it be from the Haram?

Typically 700 metres to 1.2 km.

What am I actually trading?

Distance, mostly. Then room size, and breakfast which varies by property rather than being guaranteed.

Will the room have air conditioning?

Yes, and it matters more than anything else on the list. If it ever fails, tell reception immediately rather than enduring it.

Will there be a prayer mat and Qibla marker?

Every hotel room in Makkah and Madinah has both.

Will you tell me the hotel name before I pay?

Both of them, in writing, with the distance in metres and the nearest gate.

What if the hotel is not confirmed yet?

You get a shortlist and a guaranteed maximum distance rather than the words near Haram.

Is breakfast included at 3 star?

It varies by property. We confirm it per hotel in your quote rather than making a blanket claim.

How far is the Madinah hotel?

Usually closer than the Makkah one. The proximity premium in Madinah is much smaller and the walking is flat.

The shuttle

Do 3 star hotels have a shuttle?

Most beyond about 800 metres do. It is free and included, and it runs to a timetable rather than on demand.

How often does it run?

Commonly every twenty to thirty minutes, more frequently around prayer times. It varies by property so ask us about your specific hotel.

What is the most important question to ask?

Does it run for Fajr. Some do and some do not, and it changes your whole trip.

Do you check that before I book?

Yes, on every 3 star booking, and we tell you the answer. If it does not cover Fajr we suggest a different property.

Does the shuttle drop me at the Haram door?

No. Traffic management means it stops at designated points that can be a few hundred metres from the nearest gate.

What happens at busy times?

After Maghrib and on Fridays the buses fill and you may wait for the second one.

Does it run in Ramadan?

Roads around the Haram close to traffic for periods, so the shuttle either stops further out or stops running. This is why we push people closer in Ramadan.

What should I do on arrival?

Photograph the timetable at reception on day one and know the last one back.

Can I walk instead?

Yes, and plenty do, especially in the cooler months. At 1.2 km it is fifteen to eighteen minutes.

Are taxis expensive?

Not particularly, and sharing one with another family is common. Worth budgeting for the nights you want to stay late.

Economy flights

How long is the flight?

About six and a half hours direct to Jeddah from Heathrow, Manchester or Birmingham. Longer with a connection.

What is the baggage allowance?

Typically 30 to 40 kg on the Saudi and Gulf carriers, which is generous compared with European short-haul.

Can I bring Zamzam home in economy?

Yes. The official factory-sealed 5 litre bottle from the Saudi airport counters is carried free and outside your allowance, same as any other cabin.

Is the food halal?

Yes on the Saudi and Gulf carriers throughout.

Will the crew understand about Ihram?

Entirely. These routes carry pilgrims constantly and the Miqat announcement is standard.

What is hardest about economy on this route?

Changing into Ihram on the aircraft. A queue for a small cubicle while a lot of people do the same thing at once.

How do I avoid that?

Change at your UK airport after security before boarding. Or fly into Madinah first and enter Ihram on the ground at Dhul Hulayfah.

Is it worth upgrading the flight?

Usually not at this end of the range, unless somebody has a back, hip or mobility problem. See the business class page for the honest comparison, including premium economy.

Is a connecting flight much worse?

It adds hours and a second boarding. On a longer trip it matters less because the overhead spreads further.

Making it a good trip

What is the single best free thing I can do?

Go to the Haram at Fajr and again past midnight. Those are the least crowded hours and they cost nothing.

Is it really less crowded then?

Substantially. The marble is cold underfoot at Fajr and the courtyard has space in a way it does not after Maghrib.

What about the upper levels?

Far less crowded than ground level. The circuit is longer because the radius is bigger, and in exchange you are not shoulder to shoulder.

Who should use the upper Mataf?

Older pilgrims, anyone with a child, and anyone who finds crowds difficult. It is free and it is the answer.

Should I book longer or upgrade the hotel?

In the cool months, longer. In summer or Ramadan, the hotel. There is a table on this page setting out which applies to you.

Is quad sharing worth taking?

If you are a family, yes, because you were going to share anyway. It saves roughly £180 to £340 per person.

Where should I eat?

Where local people eat. Hotel restaurants are the most expensive option within walking distance.

Do I need to buy water?

No. Water inside the Haram is free and everywhere.

Can I do laundry?

Yes, easily and cheaply in both cities, which is why you should pack less than you think.

The honest downsides

How many times will I walk to the Haram?

Around sixty over a ten night trip if you attend most prayers.

Does the distance become a problem?

By the second week it can, and at 1.2 km most people stop returning to the room between prayers.

Is 3 star hard in summer?

Genuinely, yes. At 43 degrees the walk is the binding constraint and we would push you to 4 star even on a tight budget.

Is it hard in Ramadan?

Yes, mostly because road closures make the shuttle unreliable exactly when you need it.

Is it suitable for elderly parents?

In the cool months and with a shuttle that runs for Fajr, often yes. In summer, no, and we would say so.

Is it suitable for young children?

Manageable, though the shuttle timetable is harder with a pushchair. A closer hotel helps more with children than almost anything else.

Will I regret not upgrading?

Most people do not. The ones who do are almost always those who went in July or in the last ten nights of Ramadan.

Prices and upgrading

How much more is 4 star?

Between £130 and £144 depending on the duration, and it moves you from 700 metres to 1.2 km down to 300 to 700.

Is that worth it?

It depends on the month and who is travelling. In July or Ramadan, yes. In January with fit adults, put the money into nights instead.

What does an extra three nights cost?

£46, going from 7 nights to 10. It is the best value decision we sell.

What is the cheapest per night?

£45 at 14 nights, against £71 at 7 nights, on the same flights and hotels.

What is the cheapest month?

January, then November. Both are also among the most comfortable to walk in.

How far ahead should I book?

Three to four months normally. Six or more for Ramadan and December.

Do children cost less?

Yes. Under twos travel as lap infants for a nominal fare, two to elevens get a reduced rate sharing with two adults, twelve and over pay adult.

Do you price match?

We price under. Send a written quote through Beat My Quote, and check theirs includes the visa and all three transfers.

Practical

Does economy affect my visa?

Not at all. The cabin and the hotel tier make no difference to the visa or the process.

Does it affect my Rawdah permit?

No. Permits are free through the Nusuk app and depend on how early you book, not on what you paid.

Is Ziyarat included?

Yes, guided Ziyarat in both cities on every package. More on the Ziyarat page.

Do I still need the vaccine?

Yes. Meningococcal ACWY is a visa requirement regardless of tier, dated at least ten days before you arrive.

How far is Jeddah airport from Makkah?

About 90 km, an hour to ninety minutes by road, included in your package.

How long is the Makkah to Madinah coach?

About four and a half hours, air conditioned, included.

Which airport should I fly from?

Whichever is closest, unless another prices meaningfully better. We price every UK airport identically as a package.

Do you do group bookings at this tier?

Yes, from five people up to fifty plus. Most mosque groups travel economy and 3 star.

Where can I read more?

Our blog covers the practical side, and the packages hub has every tier, month, city and airport.

Related pages

• Umrah packages from the UK: the full range, every tier and every month
• All Umrah packages hub: browse by star rating, month, city or airport
• 3 star Umrah packages: the tier detail, from £499
• 3 star 7 nights package: our most booked option
• 4 star Umrah packages: from £629, the next step up in distance
• 10 nights Umrah packages: from £545, the length we recommend most
• 14 nights Umrah packages: from £625, £45 a night
• Cheap Umrah packages: which savings are real and which cost you the trip
• Business class Umrah packages: the honest comparison, including premium economy
• Luxury Umrah packages: what closing the distance actually costs
• Beat My Quote: send us a competing quote and we price under it

Book an economy Umrah

From £499 per person. Return flights, both hotels named with the distance in metres and the shuttle position, the Saudi visa, all three transfers and guided Ziyarat in both cities. Held with a £99 deposit.

Tell us the month, how many of you and who is travelling. If anybody is over seventy or you are going in summer, say so, because at this tier that changes what we would recommend more than the budget does.

And ask us whether your hotel shuttle runs for Fajr. It is the question almost nobody asks and it makes more difference than the star rating.

Get your economy quote now