The safety question is not ours to answer. It belongs with your midwife or GP and it needs asking before you book, not after.
What we will not do
Tell you whether it is safe, at any stage, in any circumstances. Not by trimester and not with caveats.
Every pregnancy is different and a travel company is not qualified to have a view. Anybody in this market who tells you otherwise is overstepping.
What we will do
Cover the things that are factual, that sit within our remit, and that catch people out.
The two that matter most
Airline policy. Most carriers restrict travel beyond a certain point in pregnancy and require a letter after another. A woman booking for late pregnancy may find she cannot fly.
Insurance. Standard travel policies frequently exclude or limit pregnancy-related claims, and an undeclared pregnancy is a failed claim.
Neither is mentioned anywhere else in this market and both are checkable in an afternoon.
The short version Ask your midwife or GP before booking. That is the whole safety question and it is not ours. Check your airline’s policy. Most restrict late pregnancy and require a letter after a certain point. Declare the pregnancy to your insurer. An undeclared one is a failed claim. Sa’i is around three kilometres. Wheelchairs are available at both mosques and using one is entirely reasonable. November or January. The heat months are a materially different proposition. |
Tell us the situation and we will build around it
The medical question
Who answers it
Your midwife or your GP. Not us, not an article, and not somebody at a mosque who means well.
When to ask
Before you book. Not after the deposit is paid and not when the balance is due.
A conversation that costs nothing at ten weeks is a considerably better position than a cancellation at twenty-eight.
What to ask them
- Whether travelling at your intended dates is advisable in your circumstances
- Whether flying is advisable at that stage
- Whether they would provide a letter for the airline if one is needed
- What vaccinations are appropriate, given the ACWY certificate is a visa requirement
- Whether anything about the trip in particular concerns them
The vaccination point
The meningococcal ACWY certificate is a visa requirement for every traveller. Whether it is appropriate for you is a medical question and it belongs with your GP or midwife.
Ask about it early, because it must be dated at least ten days before you arrive.
On the religious side
Questions about the rites, Ihram, purity and whether anything changes are for someone qualified rather than for us.
It is a normal question and imams are asked it regularly. Ask before you travel rather than working it out there.
And what we will say if you ask us
That we cannot advise on it and that we will build whatever trip your midwife is comfortable with.
If you tell us you have been advised to wait, we will help you plan for later rather than trying to talk you round.
Airline policy
The factual thing that catches most people, and it is checkable in ten minutes.
The general shape
Most airlines restrict travel beyond a certain stage of pregnancy, commonly around the mid thirties of weeks for a single pregnancy and earlier for multiples.
Many also require a letter from a doctor or midwife beyond a certain point, commonly from around twenty-eight weeks.
The essential caveat
Policies vary by airline and they change. The figures above are the general shape and they are not a substitute for checking your specific carrier.
What to do
Look up the policy on the airline’s own website, or ask us and we will tell you which carrier we are booking and you can check it directly.
The letter
Where required, it typically confirms the due date and that there are no complications, and it usually needs to be recent rather than issued months earlier.
What to ask your midwife
Whether they will provide one, what it costs and how close to travel it should be dated. Ask early, because appointments are not always available at short notice.
Why the return date matters
The restriction applies to the flight home as well as the flight out. A trip that starts inside the limit and finishes outside it is a problem.
The practical version
Count from your due date to your return date, not your departure. It is the mistake people make.
What we do
Tell us at the enquiry and we will confirm which airline the booking uses so you can check the policy before you commit.
We will not book a trip that we can see falls outside a carrier’s stated limits.
And on changing dates
If circumstances change, tell us early. Moving a booking at four months out is far more straightforward than at four weeks.
Insurance
The thing that actually goes wrong, and it is entirely preventable.
The problem
Standard travel insurance frequently excludes or limits pregnancy-related claims, and policies differ considerably in what they cover.
The rule
Declare the pregnancy. An undeclared pregnancy is the commonest reason a claim of this kind fails, and medical treatment abroad is expensive.
What to check in the policy
- Whether pregnancy is covered at all, and to what stage.
- Whether cancellation for pregnancy-related reasons is covered, which is separate from medical cover abroad.
- What happens if you are advised not to travel after booking.
- Whether the newborn would be covered if anything happened early.
- Repatriation, and what the limits are.
The cancellation point
The one people miss. Cover for medical treatment abroad is not the same as cover for cancelling because you have been advised not to go.
If there is any prospect of the second, check it is covered before you book rather than afterwards.
Where to look
Specialist policies exist and they cost more than the cheapest comparison-site option. Shop for cover rather than for price on this one.
What we cannot do
Arrange or recommend insurance, or tell you what any policy covers. We are a travel company and that is a separate regulated activity.
What we will do
Tell you plainly that you need it, tell you what to check, and give you the booking details you need to arrange it properly.
And the timing
Arrange it when you book, not before you fly. Cancellation cover only helps if it exists before the thing you might cancel for.
The physical demands, measured
Facts rather than opinion. What the trip involves, so you and your midwife can discuss something specific.
The rites
Rite | What it involves | Approximate distance |
|---|
Tawaf, ground level | Seven circuits of the Kaaba | Under a kilometre |
Tawaf, upper levels | Same seven, bigger radius | Around one and a half kilometres or more |
Sa’i | Seven lengths, Safa to Marwah | Around three kilometres |
The part people do not expect
Sa’i is three to four times the walking of Tawaf and it comes immediately afterwards.
The walking outside the rites
On a seven night trip with four Makkah nights, attending most prayers means around forty one-way walks.
Hotel distance | Total walking across the trip |
|---|
200 metres | Around 8 km |
400 metres | Around 16 km |
700 metres | Around 28 km |
1.2 kilometres | Around 48 km |
Standing
Prayers involve standing, and busy periods involve waiting. Both are worth factoring in and both are things a midwife can give you a view on.
Crowds
Density around the Haram varies enormously by month. In November it is manageable. In the last ten nights of Ramadan it is the densest gathering of the year.
Heat
20 to 32 degrees in winter and 38 to 45 in July and August. Those are materially different propositions and the month matters more here than almost anywhere.
The flight
Around seven hours each way, plus a transfer of about ninety minutes from Jeddah to Makkah and four and a half hours between the cities.
And what to do with all of that
Take it to your midwife. Specific numbers give them something to work with and a general question about Umrah does not.
The hotel matters more than usual
The arithmetic
Forty kilometres of difference between a hotel at 200 metres and one at 1.2 kilometres, across a single week.
What we would recommend
Under 400 metres, and Haram facing at £879 if the budget reaches.
Why Haram facing
Several properties in that band connect through covered walkways, so a large part of the journey is indoors and level.
What to ask about
- How many metres, to which named gate? Both halves.
- Is the route flat or is there a gradient? Ajyad is close and steep on the return.
- Are there steps or road crossings? These are what turn a workable walk into a difficult one.
- Is it covered? For heat and for winter rain.
- How many lifts, and can we have a low floor?
- Is there a fridge in the room?
The district point
Misfalah is worth knowing about. Slightly further than Ajyad, and the walk is flat and largely covered, reaching quieter back gates.
The further district is frequently the easier one. Detail in our Makkah areas guide.
Consider more Madinah nights
The ground is flat, the walks are shorter and the whole city is easier. If you have flexibility on the split, weighting toward Madinah is worth considering.
And on wheelchairs
Available to rent at both mosques, with pushers for hire and designated lanes for Sa’i.
Using one for Sa’i while walking the Tawaf is entirely normal and a great many people do it for all sorts of reasons.
Which month
The answer
November, December or January, at £499, with the mildest weather and the quietest Haram in the calendar.
The comparison
| | November to January | July and August |
|---|
Makkah temperature | 20 to 32 | 38 to 45 |
Walking at midday | Comfortable | Not advisable |
Isha to Fajr | Over ten hours | Around eight |
Crowds | The quietest of the year | The busiest outside Ramadan |
7 nights, 3 star | From £499 | From £699 |
The heat point
A twenty degree difference in a climate where dehydration is a genuine consideration for any traveller. That is a question for your midwife and it is not a close call for most people.
The sleep point
Over ten hours between Isha and Fajr in winter against around eight in summer. Rest is easier to come by in the cool months.
What to avoid
The last ten nights of Ramadan, which is the densest crowd of the year. And July and August.
The one winter note
Madinah nights are cold in December and January, dropping toward ten degrees. Pack a proper layer.
Detail in our winter packing guide.
And the length
Ten nights rather than seven, at £545. A slower pace, room for rest days, and no need to compress everything into four Makkah nights.
What to pack
Practical rather than medical. Anything about medication or supplements is a question for your midwife or pharmacist.
Documents in hand luggage
- Your maternity notes, which is the single most useful thing you can carry
- The airline letter if one is required, dated as the carrier specifies
- Your insurance documents and the emergency number
- Your ACWY certificate, which is a visa requirement
- Copies of your passport, visa and booking confirmation
On the maternity notes
If you needed to see a doctor abroad, they are what makes that conversation possible. Take them and keep them with you rather than in the hold.
Comfort
- Compression socks for the flight, if your midwife recommends them
- Comfortable shoes you have already worn, with grip
- Loose clothing you can walk several kilometres in
- A large shawl, which covers, layers and gives you something to sit on
- A refillable water bottle
The shawl
The most useful item in any bag. It is a layer in cold Madinah mornings, shade in Makkah, and something to sit on when you need to stop.
For the room
Ask us to confirm a fridge and a kettle at your specific hotel. Neither is standard at every three star property and both make a room considerably more liveable over ten nights.
What not to bring
Too much clothing. Laundry in both cities is cheap and quick, so pack for about a week whatever your trip length.
Medication
Whatever your midwife or GP advises, in hand luggage with the pharmacy label attached, and enough for the trip plus several days.
What to take is a question for them, and we will not offer a view on it.
And unscented toiletries
Because scented products are avoided in Ihram. Widely available and worth sorting before you fly.
The honest conversation
Some women will be advised to wait, and a page that will not say so is not worth reading.
What that looks like
A midwife who says not at this stage, or not this pregnancy, or not with these dates. All three happen and all three are a professional judgement rather than a setback.
What we would say
Take the advice. The trip will still be there. Umrah can be performed at any time of year, every year, for the rest of your life.
The practical alternatives
- Before pregnancy, if you are planning ahead and the timing allows it
- After the birth, once your midwife or GP is comfortable with travel
- When the child is older, which a great many families choose
On going with a baby
Under-twos travel as lap infants at minimal cost, which makes it considerably cheaper than most people assume.
The honest note
It is not easier than being pregnant. It is different, and a great many families do it and manage perfectly well.
What we would never do
Encourage anybody to travel against medical advice, or suggest that a package is worth keeping if a midwife has said otherwise.
If your circumstances change, tell us early. Moving a booking at four months out is far more straightforward than at four weeks.
And the thing worth hearing
People who wait and go properly, at a point that suits their circumstances, do not describe it as having missed anything.
There is no clock running on this.
What to book
The month
November, December or January. Mildest weather, quietest Haram, and the floor price.
The length
Ten nights at £545 rather than seven at £499. A slower pace and room for rest days.
The distance
Under 400 metres, or Haram facing at £879 if the budget reaches. It matters more than the tier.
The tier
Four star at £629 as a working minimum, because that is typically what gets you inside 400 metres.
The room
Whatever suits. A quad with family at £499 each, a double with a spouse at £679 each, or a room to yourselves.
What to request
A low floor, and a fridge if you need one. Both are reasonable requests and neither costs anything to ask.
The split
Consider weighting toward Madinah. Flat ground, shorter walks, and an easier city to move around.
What we would build
If you are | Book | From |
|---|
Travelling with a spouse | 10 nights, 4 star double, under 400 m | £929 each |
Travelling with family | 10 nights, 4 star quad | £679 each |
Wanting the shortest walk | 10 nights, Haram facing | £975 each |
On a tighter budget | 7 nights, 4 star under 500 m | £629 each |
And what to tell us
That you are pregnant, roughly what stage you will be at when you travel, and anything your midwife has raised.
It changes the hotel we recommend, the floor we request and the transfer we arrange. And we will check the airline’s policy for your dates before you commit.
Prices
Tier | 7 nights | 10 nights | 14 nights |
|---|
4 Star | From £629 | From £679 | From £769 |
5 Star | From £690 | From £745 | From £825 |
Haram facing, under 200 m | From £879 | From £975 | From £1,129 |
Per person, quad sharing, off-peak. Includes return flights, both hotels named in writing with the distance in metres and the nearest gate, the Saudi Umrah visa, all three transfers and guided Ziyarat in both cities. Held with a £99 deposit.
Why three star does not appear
Because it is typically further out, and here the distance matters more than the room does. We will quote it if you ask and we will tell you what the walk is.
The step worth considering
Five star to Haram facing at £189. The largest step in our range and the one that takes you under 200 metres with covered access.
What we would suggest
Ten nights at four star under 400 metres, £679. Or Haram facing at £975 if the walk is the concern.
The deposit
£99 per person, and it fixes your price in writing.
The instalments
Interest free across the months to eight weeks before departure, when you book four or more months ahead.
How we price
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.
What to do now
- Speak to your midwife or GP before booking. That is the safety question and it is not ours.
- Ask them about the ACWY vaccine, which is a visa requirement and a medical decision.
- Check the airline’s policy for your stage of pregnancy, counting to your return date rather than your departure.
- Ask about a letter if one is required, and when it should be dated.
- Declare the pregnancy to your insurer and check cancellation cover as well as medical cover.
- Book under 400 metres, or Haram facing if you can. Forty kilometres of difference across a week.
- Travel in November, December or January, and take ten nights rather than seven.
The one that decides everything
The first. Everything else on this page assumes your midwife is comfortable, and if they are not then none of it applies.
And the one people miss
The third, counted to the return date. A trip that starts inside the airline limit and finishes outside it is a problem discovered at check-in.
The summary
The safety question is not ours
Ask your midwife or GP before you book. We will build whatever trip they are comfortable with and we will not offer a view of our own.
Check the airline and count to the return date
Most carriers restrict late pregnancy and many require a letter after a certain point. Policies vary and they change.
Declare the pregnancy to your insurer
And check cancellation cover as well as medical cover abroad. They are separate things and people only check the second.
Sa’i is around three kilometres
Three to four times the walking of Tawaf, immediately afterwards. Wheelchairs are available at both mosques with designated lanes.
And if you are advised to wait, wait
The trip will still be there. Umrah can be performed every year for the rest of your life, and nobody who waited describes it as having missed anything.
Tell us the situation and we will build around it
Related reading
Ask your midwife first, then ask us
We will not offer a view on whether you should travel and we will build whatever trip your midwife is comfortable with.
Tell us roughly what stage you will be at, and we will check the airline policy for your dates, put you as close to the Haram as the budget allows, and request a low floor and a fridge without you having to ask twice.
Packages Umrah WhatsApp or call: +44 7737 144 335 Office: 7 Huxley Avenue, Manchester, M8 0SJ English and Urdu. Same-day quotes. Four star from £629pp, Haram facing from £879pp. £99 deposit fixes your price. |
Ask us about your dates
Pregnancy and Umrah: 67 questions answered
Grouped by topic. Direct answer first. Every medical question here is answered by pointing you to your midwife or GP, and that is not a formality.
The safety question
Is it safe to perform Umrah while pregnant?
That is a question for your midwife or GP. Every pregnancy is different and a travel company is not qualified to have a view.
Can you tell me about a specific trimester?
No. Not by trimester, not in general and not with caveats.
When should I ask?
Before you book. A conversation that costs nothing at ten weeks is a better position than a cancellation at twenty-eight.
What should I ask them?
Whether travelling at your dates is advisable, whether flying is, whether they would provide a letter, and what to do about the ACWY vaccine.
Do I need the ACWY vaccine?
It is a visa requirement for every traveller. Whether it is appropriate for you is a medical question for your GP or midwife.
When should I ask about it?
Early, because the certificate must be dated at least ten days before you arrive.
What about the religious questions?
The rites, Ihram and purity are for someone qualified rather than for us. Ask before you travel.
What will you say if I ask your opinion?
That we cannot advise on it, and that we will build whatever trip your midwife is comfortable with.
Airline policy
Can I fly while pregnant?
Most airlines restrict travel beyond a certain stage, commonly around the mid thirties of weeks for a single pregnancy and earlier for multiples.
Is that the same for every airline?
No. Policies vary and they change. Check your specific carrier rather than relying on a general figure.
Do I need a letter?
Many airlines require one beyond a certain point, commonly from around twenty-eight weeks.
What does the letter say?
Typically the due date and that there are no complications, and it usually needs to be recent rather than issued months earlier.
Who provides it?
Your doctor or midwife. Ask early because appointments are not always available at short notice.
Which date does the restriction apply to?
Both. Count from your due date to your return date, not your departure. It is the mistake people make.
Will you check the policy for me?
We will tell you which carrier the booking uses so you can check it directly, and we will not book a trip that falls outside a stated limit.
What if my dates need changing?
Tell us early. Moving a booking at four months out is far more straightforward than at four weeks.
Insurance
Does standard travel insurance cover pregnancy?
Frequently it excludes or limits pregnancy-related claims, and policies differ considerably.
Do I have to declare it?
Yes. An undeclared pregnancy is the commonest reason a claim of this kind fails.
What should I check?
Whether pregnancy is covered and to what stage, whether cancellation is covered, what happens if you are advised not to travel, and the repatriation limits.
What do people miss?
Cancellation cover. Medical treatment abroad and cancelling because you were advised not to go are separate things.
Should I buy the cheapest policy?
No. Specialist policies exist and cost more. Shop for cover rather than for price on this one.
Can you arrange insurance?
No. It is a separate regulated activity and we will tell you plainly that you need it rather than selling it.
When should I arrange it?
When you book. Cancellation cover only helps if it exists before the thing you might cancel for.
The physical side
How far is Tawaf?
Under a kilometre at ground level for seven circuits. The upper levels are longer because the radius is bigger.
How far is Sa’i?
Around three kilometres. Seven lengths at roughly 450 metres each.
Which is harder?
Sa’i, by three to four times, and it comes immediately after Tawaf.
Can I use a wheelchair?
Available to rent at both mosques, with pushers for hire and designated lanes for Sa’i.
Is that unusual?
Not at all. A great many people use one for Sa’i while walking the Tawaf, for all sorts of reasons.
How much walking is there outside the rites?
Around forty one-way walks on a seven night trip. From 200 metres that is 8 kilometres and from 1.2 kilometres it is 48.
How long is the flight?
Around seven hours each way, plus about ninety minutes from Jeddah to Makkah and four and a half hours between the cities.
What about standing?
Prayers involve standing and busy periods involve waiting. Both are worth raising with your midwife.
How should I use these numbers?
Take them to your midwife. Specific figures give them something to work with and a general question does not.
The hotel
How close should we be?
Under 400 metres, and Haram facing at £879 if the budget reaches.
Why does that matter so much?
Forty kilometres of difference between 200 metres and 1.2 kilometres across a single week.
Why Haram facing specifically?
Several properties in that band connect through covered walkways, so much of the journey is indoors and level.
What should we ask about the route?
Metres to a named gate, whether it is flat or has a gradient, whether there are steps, and whether it is covered.
Which do people forget?
The steps. They turn a workable walk into a difficult one and they appear on no listing anywhere.
Is a further hotel ever better?
Frequently. Misfalah is slightly further than Ajyad and the walk is flat and largely covered.
Should we take more Madinah nights?
Worth considering. Flat ground, shorter walks and an easier city to move around.
What should we request in the room?
A low floor and a fridge. Both are reasonable requests and neither costs anything to ask.
The month
Which month is best?
November, December or January. Mildest weather, quietest Haram and the floor price of £499.
How much difference does it make?
20 to 32 degrees against 38 to 45 in July and August. That is not a close call for most people.
What about sleep?
Over ten hours between Isha and Fajr in winter against around eight in summer.
What should we avoid?
The last ten nights of Ramadan, which is the densest crowd of the year, and July and August.
Any winter warning?
Madinah nights are cold in December and January, dropping toward ten degrees. Pack a proper layer.
How long should the trip be?
Ten nights at £545 rather than seven. A slower pace and room for rest days.
Packing
What is the single most useful thing to carry?
Your maternity notes, in hand luggage. If you needed to see a doctor abroad they are what makes that conversation possible.
What else goes in hand luggage?
The airline letter if required, insurance documents with the emergency number, your ACWY certificate and document copies.
What should I wear?
Loose clothing you can walk several kilometres in, and comfortable shoes you have already worn, with grip.
What is the most useful item?
A large shawl. A layer in cold Madinah mornings, shade in Makkah, and something to sit on when you need to stop.
Should I take compression socks?
If your midwife recommends them. That is a question for them rather than for us.
What about medication?
Whatever your midwife or GP advises, in hand luggage with the pharmacy label, and enough for the trip plus several days.
Will you advise on what to take?
No. That is entirely a question for them and we will not offer a view.
How much clothing?
About a week whatever your trip length. Laundry in both cities is cheap and quick.
Do I need unscented toiletries?
Scented products are avoided in Ihram, so yes, and they are widely available.
If you are advised to wait
What if my midwife says no?
Take the advice. The trip will still be there and Umrah can be performed every year for the rest of your life.
What are the alternatives?
Before pregnancy if the timing allows, after the birth once your midwife is comfortable, or when the child is older.
Is travelling with a baby easier?
Not easier, different. Under-twos travel as lap infants at minimal cost and a great many families manage perfectly well.
Would you ever encourage me to go anyway?
Never. We will not suggest a package is worth keeping if a midwife has said otherwise.
What if my circumstances change after booking?
Tell us early. Moving a booking at four months out is far more straightforward than at four weeks.
Do people regret waiting?
People who wait and go at a point that suits their circumstances do not describe it as having missed anything.
Booking
What tier should we book?
Four star at £629 as a working minimum, because that is typically what gets you inside 400 metres.
Why is three star not listed?
Because it is typically further out and here the distance matters more than the room. We will quote it and tell you what the walk is.
What is the deposit?
£99 per person, and it fixes your price in writing.
Can we pay monthly?
Interest free when you book four or more months ahead.
What should we tell you?
That you are pregnant, roughly what stage you will be at when you travel, and anything your midwife has raised.
What difference does that make?
It changes the hotel we recommend, the floor we request and the transfer we arrange, and we will check the airline policy for your dates.
Related reading
Ask your midwife first, then ask us
We will not offer a view on whether you should travel and we will build whatever trip your midwife is comfortable with.
Tell us roughly what stage you will be at, and we will check the airline policy for your dates, put you as close to the Haram as the budget allows, and request a low floor and a fridge without you having to ask twice.
Packages Umrah WhatsApp or call: +44 7737 144 335 Office: 7 Huxley Avenue, Manchester, M8 0SJ English and Urdu. Same-day quotes. Four star from £629pp, Haram facing from £879pp. £99 deposit fixes your price. |
Ask us about your dates
