Umrah Packages From Reading 2027

Umrah packages from Reading in 2027 start at £665 per person for 7 nights in a 3 star hotel, covering return flights from Heathrow, Umrah visa, hotels in Makkah and Madinah and every transfer. A £99 deposit per person secures any departure.

Reading is one of the easiest places in Britain to begin a pilgrimage from. Heathrow is 26 miles away, and a dedicated airport coach runs from the town centre every twenty to thirty minutes, around the clock, reaching the terminals in roughly forty five minutes. There is no early morning drive across the country, no connecting flight, no overnight layover. For families in Whitley, Newtown, Katesgrove, the Oxford Road area, Southcote, Tilehurst, Caversham, Earley and Woodley, the journey to the Haram is genuinely straightforward.

Because the travel side of a Reading booking is simple, this page spends its time on the parts that are not: how group bookings should be structured so you stop overpaying for rooms, how to read a quote before you sign it, why Umrah prices move the way they do, and what we actually do when something goes wrong at two in the morning in Makkah.

Start with the full range on our Umrah packages homepage, or message us on WhatsApp for live 2027 availability.

2027 Umrah Package Prices From Reading

Direct answer: A 7 nights 3 star Umrah package costs £665 per person, 10 nights £715, 12 nights £825 and 14 nights £895, including flights, visa, both hotels and all transfers.

All prices are per person, based on four sharing a room, on off peak departures.

Supplements by room type

Booking for a Large Family or Group

Direct answer: Group sizes divisible by four pay no room supplements at all. Groups of seven and eleven pay far less than groups of six or nine, because a triple costs less than a twin plus a single.

This is the section that will save you the most money on this page, and no other Umrah site publishes it. Room supplements are charged by configuration, not by headcount, so two groups of the same size can pay hundreds of pounds apart depending on how the rooms are arranged.

Room combinations by group size

Supplements shown are the total across the whole group on any package.

The finding most families miss

A group of seven pays £255 in supplements. A group of six pays £380. The larger group pays less, in total, not just per head.

If you are currently a party of five, finding a sixth traveller costs you nothing and reduces everyone’s supplement from £79 to £63 each. Finding a seventh drops it to £36. If you are a party of nine, a tenth and eleventh person make the whole booking cheaper for everybody in it.

We work this out on every group quote automatically. If an agency has quoted you five people as a quad plus a single without mentioning that a sixth would reduce the cost, they have not done the arithmetic.

Odd numbers and mixed households

Rooms are allocated by gender for unrelated travellers. A group of eleven made up of six men and five women will not fit the theoretical optimum, so the real answer depends on your composition. Send us the breakdown and we will build the cheapest lawful configuration rather than the default one.

What we handle on groups of twelve or more

• Reduced per person rates on top of the supplement savings
• Free coach transfer from Reading to Heathrow
• Block hotel allocation so the group is on the same floors
• A dedicated group leader on the ground in both cities
• One invoice, or split billing by household, whichever you prefer

Mosque and community groups across Reading and Berkshire book with us on this basis every season. See also our family Umrah packages page for smaller households.

Book With Just £99 Deposit

Direct answer: £99 per person confirms any 2027 Umrah package from Reading, fixes your price permanently and opens your visa file. The rest is paid in interest free instalments.

What the deposit secures

• Your price, locked. Any fare increase afterwards is absorbed by us, not passed on.
• Your seats and hotel rooms held under a booking reference.
• Visa processing started early rather than rushed at the end.
• A written payment plan you have agreed to.

The payment schedule

Shown for a group booking a 10 nights 3 star package six months before travel.

Matching payments to your income

Instalment dates can be moved to suit your pay cycle, but only while the booking is being created. After ticketing, the airline deadline applies and cannot shift.

If your plans change

The £99 is non-refundable and fully transferable. Move your travel month before tickets are issued and it follows you to the new booking.

Getting to Heathrow From Reading

Direct answer: Heathrow is 26 miles from Reading. A dedicated airport coach runs every twenty to thirty minutes around the clock and takes about forty five minutes.

The airport coach is what we book for almost every Reading pilgrim. It runs through the night, takes you directly to the terminals with no changes, and costs a fraction of two weeks of long stay parking for a family. By car the journey is around forty minutes on the M4 outside peak hours. By rail you would travel towards London and change, which is slower and considerably more awkward with luggage.

Direct flying time from Heathrow to Jeddah is roughly six hours fifteen minutes, and Madinah is marginally shorter. Heathrow carries more direct services to Saudi Arabia than any other UK airport, which keeps fares competitive and availability strong even inside eight weeks of departure.

Pilgrims travelling from Wokingham, Bracknell, Slough, Maidenhead, Newbury, Basingstoke and Henley are all within the same comfortable band. Group departures of twelve or more include the coach transfer free.

Flying into one city and home from the other

Several of our 10 and 14 nights itineraries land in Madinah and depart from Jeddah. You settle into the quieter city first, enter ihram at the proper miqat on the road to Makkah, and never repeat a journey. Ask for this specifically, because it is rarely the default option on a quote.

Package Lengths Compared

Direct answer: The rituals themselves take two to four hours. Package length decides how long you stay in the two Harams afterwards, which is the reason for the journey.

7 nights Umrah package

Four nights Makkah, three nights Madinah, from £665 per person.

Enough to arrive, perform Umrah, pray for several days and complete the core ziyarat. The honest limitation is recovery time. A six hour flight and a three hour shift take most people two days to absorb, by which point the trip is more than half spent.

Best for

Pilgrims with tight annual leave, those testing their tolerance for heat and crowds before committing further, and travellers with a firm budget ceiling.

10 nights Umrah package

Six nights Makkah, four nights Madinah, from £715 per person.

Fifty pounds more than the shorter option for three additional days. This is the package we book most often and the one we would suggest to almost anyone asking for the first time.

Best for

Most families, second time pilgrims, anyone travelling with parents, and everybody who has been warned by a friend that a week disappeared too quickly.

12 nights Umrah package

Seven nights Makkah, five nights Madinah, from £825 per person.

The correct length when someone in the party needs to move at their own pace. Tawaf and sa’i together cover close to five kilometres on hard marble, usually in serious heat, often within a day of landing.

Best for

Multi generational groups, pilgrims past sixty, travellers with mobility limitations, and anybody who wants rest days planned rather than improvised.

14 nights Umrah package

Eight nights Makkah, six nights Madinah, from £895 per person.

The lowest nightly cost in the range, with room for repeated Umrah, unhurried ziyarat across both cities, and days with nothing scheduled at all.

Best for

Retired pilgrims, large community groups from Reading and Berkshire, and those treating this as a once in a lifetime journey.

What the Star Ratings Buy You

Direct answer: In Makkah the star rating is mostly a measure of distance. 3 star sits 700 to 1,100 metres from the Haram, 4 star 300 to 700 metres, and 5 star under 250 metres.

Booking 3 star

Clean, functional, shared rooms with a 24 hour shuttle in Makkah and a central position in Madinah. Most British pilgrims travel this way and there is nothing inferior about it. What you trade is comfort at the margins, not access to the Haram.

Booking 4 star

The best value upgrade in the range. Several hundred metres closer for £64 to £164 per person, which in daily terms means walking to prayer rather than waiting for a shuttle five times over. Across a longer stay that difference accumulates into a noticeably better trip.

Booking 5 star

Haram facing or immediately adjacent, with proper dining, fast lifts and room service. For older pilgrims this is not indulgence, it is what makes attending every prayer realistic. Detail on our 5 star Umrah packages page.

Walking distance by tier

How to Read an Umrah Quote

Direct answer: The three phrases that hide the most money are “from £X”, “quad sharing” and “near the Haram”. Ask what each one means for your exact booking before you compare anything.

Most complaints in this industry come from quotes that were technically accurate and practically misleading. Here is how to decode one.

What “from £X” actually means

It means one person, in the cheapest month, in the cheapest room configuration, in the cheapest hotel in that tier, booked early. It is a real price for someone. It may not be a real price for you. Always ask for the total for your exact party on your exact dates.

What “quad sharing” hides

Every headline price in this industry, ours included, assumes four people in a room. If you are two people, the honest number is the headline plus £190 each. A quote that shows you the per person figure without stating the occupancy assumption is not comparable to anything.

What “near the Haram” means

Nothing. It is not a defined term. A hotel described as near the Haram might be 200 metres away or 1,400 metres away with a shuttle that runs twice an hour. Ask for the distance in metres and the hotel name, in writing. Any operator that has actually contracted rooms can give you both immediately.

What “all inclusive” usually excludes

• Meals, unless a board basis is stated explicitly
• Travel insurance
• Vaccinations
• Excess baggage
• Ziyarat, on shorter packages
• The Makkah to Madinah train, where coach is the default

None of those are dishonest exclusions. They become dishonest when they appear only after payment.

The comparison that works

Ask every agency for the same thing: total price, for your group, on your dates, with the hotel names, the distances in metres, the routing, and what is excluded. Compare those five things. Ignore everything else.

Why Umrah Prices Move

Direct answer: Flights are around 59% of a package price, so jet fuel dominates. Beyond that, the Saudi Riyal is pegged to the US dollar, Makkah hotel supply near the Haram is fixed, and Saudi VAT sits at 15%.

Understanding this is the difference between feeling pushed to book early and understanding why booking early genuinely works.

Fuel

The flight is the largest single component of what you pay. Fuel is the largest single component of the flight. When oil moves, Umrah package prices follow within a season, and no travel agency can insulate you from it except by fixing your price at deposit, which is exactly what the £99 does.

The currency peg

The Saudi Riyal is pegged to the US dollar at a fixed rate. That means the pound to riyal rate moves with the pound to dollar rate. If sterling weakens against the dollar by five percent, your hotel costs, your meals and your taxis all become five percent more expensive in real terms, whether or not any Saudi price changed.

Hotel supply in Makkah

There is a finite amount of land within walking distance of Masjid al-Haram, and demand grows every year. Hotels closest to the Haram are therefore structurally expensive and get more so. This is the one cost pressure in the industry that has no realistic ceiling.

Tax and fees

Saudi VAT applies at 15% on accommodation and services. Visa and permit costs are set by the authorities and change without much notice.

Season

Ramadan roughly triples a 3 star package. School holidays add a premium. The fortnight after Eid removes it almost entirely.

What this means for when you book

Six to eight months ahead has been worth between £120 and £180 per person on recent seasons. That is not a sales line, it is the combined effect of hotel allocations being cheapest when first released and airline fares climbing as seats sell. Booking earlier than twelve months rarely helps, because contracts are not yet loaded.

The 2027 Calendar

Direct answer: The best value window of 2027 is the fortnight straight after Eid, from around mid March. June to September is cheapest overall. Mid April to late May is closed for Hajj.

Ramadan 2027

Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin around 7 or 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 March 2027, subject to moon sighting.

Last ten nights allocations close before anything else in this industry. For 2027 you want to be booked by autumn 2026. The first Ashra holds availability much longer at under two thirds of the cost, which is where we point most families. Full detail on our Ramadan Umrah packages page.

The Hajj closure

Hajj 1448 is expected in mid May 2027. Umrah visa issuance is normally suspended in the approach, so travel from roughly mid April to late May 2027 will not be possible.

The rest of the year at a glance

January is the most comfortable month at around 30°C in Makkah. The second half of March, immediately after Eid, is the outstanding value window. June through September is cheapest and hottest, reaching 43°C. October and November offer good conditions at moderate prices, with half term the exception. December is pleasant but school holidays lift it to the second annual peak.

The 48 Hours That Matter Most

Direct answer: Almost everything that goes wrong on Umrah happens on arrival day or departure day. Plan those two days properly and the rest tends to look after itself.

Arrival day

You will land tired, several hours out of your normal rhythm, possibly already in ihram. This is the worst moment to make decisions, so make them now instead.

• Eat on the plane even if you are not hungry. The first meal in Makkah is often five hours after landing.
• Do not attempt Umrah immediately on arrival if you landed overnight. Sleep first, then perform it after Asr when the Mataf is calmer. Nothing is lost by waiting a few hours.
• Photograph your hotel name, address in Arabic, and room number before leaving the room the first time.
• Agree a meeting point with your group before you enter the Haram, not after.

Departure day

• Check out timing and flight timing are rarely aligned. Ask the hotel to hold luggage rather than sitting in the lobby for six hours.
• Perform your farewell tawaf earlier than you think you need to. Gate congestion at peak prayer times can add an hour you have not budgeted.
• Zamzam is subject to airline and airport rules that change. We will tell you the current position before you fly rather than letting you discover it at check in.
• Keep your passport, tickets and remaining currency in one bag that never leaves you.

What Actually Goes Wrong, and What We Do

Direct answer: The most common problems are visa delays, flight disruption, luggage, hotel changes, illness and becoming separated from your group. All of them are recoverable and all of them are handled by us, not by you.

Every operator’s marketing suggests nothing ever goes wrong. Ours does not, because after a decade of sending groups we can tell you exactly what does, roughly how often, and what happens next.

Your visa is delayed

Uncommon but not rare, particularly in peak season. We monitor every file and escalate before it becomes urgent. If a visa will genuinely not arrive in time, we move you to the next available departure and your payment moves with you. Nobody loses money over a processing delay.

Your flight is cancelled or delayed

We rebook at no cost to you and adjust your hotel nights to match, so you do not pay for a room you did not use or arrive to find your booking expired. This is handled from the UK while you are still in the terminal.

Your luggage does not arrive

Report it before leaving the baggage hall and keep the reference. Airlines deliver to Makkah and Madinah hotels routinely. This is why we ask everyone to carry ihram, medication and one change of clothing in hand luggage. It is the single most useful piece of packing advice in this document.

Your hotel is changed

Occasionally a property overbooks. Your contract is with us, so a change means we place you in an equivalent or better hotel at no additional cost. If the replacement is further from the Haram than what you paid for, you are owed the difference and we will pay it without being asked.

Somebody falls ill

Both cities have excellent medical facilities and pharmacies operate around the clock near the Haram. Travel insurance matters here, which is why we push it. Heat exhaustion is far more common than anything exotic, and it is prevented by drinking more water than you think you need.

You become separated from your group

This happens constantly and causes more distress than anything else on the list. Masjid al-Haram is enormous and looks identical from the inside. Before entering, agree a specific numbered gate as your meeting point and photograph the number. Phone signal inside is unreliable at prayer times.

You lose your passport

Report it, contact us, and we will guide you through the replacement process with the British authorities. It extends your stay rather than ending your pilgrimage.

You run short of money

Cards are widely accepted in Saudi Arabia and improving every year, but small vendors around the Haram still prefer riyals. Budget around £180 for 7 nights, £250 for 10 nights and £300 for 12 nights per person before gifts, and take a mix of cash and card.

Who you actually reach

Our WhatsApp line is monitored twenty four hours a day during travel periods. Not an automated reply, not a ticket number. A person, in the UK, who can call the hotel or the airline on your behalf.

What Every Package Includes

Direct answer: Return flights, complete visa processing, hotels in both cities, all airport and intercity transfers, Zamzam water and round the clock UK support.

Air travel and luggage

Return economy from Heathrow with 23kg hold luggage plus hand baggage. Business class quoted on request and worth pricing on longer itineraries where the gap narrows.

Accommodation in both cities

Named properties confirmed in writing at quote stage, within walking distance of the Haram or on a continuous shuttle route.

Visa handled for you

Handled end to end by our team including registration and permit steps, with no separate charge appearing later.

Ground transfers

Airport to hotel, hotel to airport, and the journey between Makkah and Madinah.

Ziyarat programme

Included on 10, 12 and 14 nights packages, and a £45 per person add-on on 7 nights bookings. Makkah covers Jabal al-Noor, Jabal Thawr, Mina, Muzdalifah and Arafat. Madinah covers Masjid Quba, Masjid al-Qiblatain, Uhud and the date markets.

Left out of the price

Meals unless a board upgrade is taken, travel insurance, vaccinations, excess baggage, personal spending and optional private vehicles.

The Journey Between the Two Cities

Direct answer: The Haramain High Speed Railway covers the 450 kilometres between the two cities in about two hours twenty minutes, running at up to 300 km/h.

Fast, air conditioned and comfortable, with stations at Makkah, Jeddah, King Abdullah Economic City and Madinah. We book it for families and for anyone past sixty because it removes several hours of road travel. The coach alternative takes five to six hours and is standard on the budget tier.

Useful distances:

• Jeddah Airport to Makkah: 90 kilometres, about 1 hour 15 minutes
• Madinah Airport to Masjid an-Nabawi: 15 kilometres, about 25 minutes
• Masjid Aisha, the miqat for a repeat Umrah, to Masjid al-Haram: 7 kilometres

Visa, Documents and Health

Direct answer: UK passport holders travel on a Saudi eVisa or tourist visa, which permits Umrah. You need six months of passport validity and a meningococcal ACWY certificate dated at least ten days before arrival.

What to send us

• Passport valid six months beyond your return date
• Recent white background photograph for each traveller
• Meningitis ACWY vaccination certificate
• Full birth certificate for any child, showing both parents

The mandatory vaccination

The quadrivalent meningococcal ACWY vaccine is compulsory. GP surgeries and pharmacy travel clinics across Reading administer it. Book it the same week you book your package, because a certificate dated fewer than ten days before arrival is refused at the border with no discretion applied.

Flu and polio boosters are advisory. Check current UK government travel guidance nearer to departure.

Women travelling alone

Permitted from age 18 under current Saudi rules, with no mahram required. We run ladies group departures with a female group leader and female designated rooming for those who would rather not travel entirely alone.

Infants and children

No minimum age applies. Infants under two travel on a lap fare of approximately 10% of the adult fare plus taxes. Children aged two to eleven receive a reduced rate when sharing an existing room. More on our Umrah visa guide.

The Rituals in Order

Direct answer: Enter ihram at the miqat, perform seven circuits of tawaf, complete seven trips of sa’i between Safa and Marwa, then shave or trim the hair.

Entering ihram

Two unstitched white sheets for men, ordinary modest dress for women. Intention and talbiyah begin at the miqat, announced in flight for those landing at Jeddah, or at Dhul Hulayfah for those travelling by road from Madinah.

Performing tawaf

Seven circuits of the Kaaba starting and finishing at the Black Stone corner. The ground floor is busiest, the upper levels and roof calmer though longer per circuit.

Completing sa’i

Seven trips between Safa and Marwa, roughly 3.5 kilometres in total, fully enclosed, air conditioned, with dedicated wheelchair lanes.

Halq or taqsir at the end

Men shave or trim, women cut a fingertip length. Ihram ends and the Umrah is complete.

Group departures travel with a leader who takes first time pilgrims through every stage in person.

Why Reading Pilgrims Book With Us

Direct answer: Published prices, hotels named before payment, £99 deposits, group room configurations worked out in your favour, and a support line that answers overnight.

A decade of sending groups

We have arranged pilgrimage travel for UK departing groups for over a decade, including repeat block bookings for community organisations across Reading, Berkshire and the Thames Valley. We know which Makkah properties run the shuttle they advertise and which list one then operate it twice a day. That comes from sending people, not from a booking screen.

If a supplier fails

Packages that include flights are sold under ATOL protection and your certificate is issued at confirmation rather than on request. If a supplier fails, your money and your journey are covered. Ask every agency for their ATOL number in writing, including us.

Pricing we will defend

Every figure here is a genuine 2027 rate, benchmarked against the wider UK market and deliberately held below it. Where the market sits at £685 for a 3 star 7 nights package, we sit at £665 with equal or better inclusions.

Advice that costs us money

We tell groups of five to find a sixth traveller, which reduces our revenue. We tell people the 7 nights package is poor value against 10 nights, which is true and inconvenient. You can judge an agency by whether it gives advice against its own interest, and this page is full of it.

Six Steps to Book

1. Send your travel month, group size and budget by WhatsApp or phone.
2. Receive a written quote the same working day, with hotel names, distances in metres, the room configuration we recommend and the full price breakdown.
3. Pay £99 per person to fix the price and hold your allocation.
4. Send passports and photographs so visa processing can begin.
5. Pay the balance across your agreed instalments.
6. Collect your travel pack roughly three weeks before departure.

Request your 2027 quote on WhatsApp

Umrah Packages From Reading: Frequently Asked Questions

Groups and room configuration

How much does Umrah cost for a group of six from Reading?

On a 10 nights 3 star package, £715 per person plus a £380 total supplement, giving £4,670 for the group. A quad plus a twin is the cheapest configuration.

Why does a group of seven pay less than a group of six?

Because a triple room supplement is £255 in total while a twin is £380. The seventh traveller reduces the group’s overall cost rather than adding to it.

What is the cheapest group size for Umrah?

Any multiple of four. Groups of four, eight and twelve pay no room supplements whatsoever.

We are five people. Should we find a sixth?

Yes. Five people pay £79 each in supplements, six pay £63 each, and seven pay £36 each. Adding travellers makes it cheaper for everyone.

Can men and women share a quad room?

Only within an immediate family. Unrelated travellers are allocated by gender, which changes the optimum configuration. Send us your group’s composition and we will work out the cheapest lawful arrangement.

Do you offer discounts for groups of twelve or more?

Yes, reduced per person rates plus a free coach transfer from Reading to Heathrow, block hotel allocation and a dedicated group leader.

Can a group pay separately by household?

Yes. We can issue one invoice or split billing across families, whichever suits the group.

Do you arrange bookings for mosques and community organisations?

Regularly, and it is a significant part of what we do across Berkshire.

Prices and payment

How much does an Umrah package from Reading cost in 2027?

From £665 per person for 7 nights 3 star, up to £1,369 for 14 nights 5 star. Ramadan departures start at £1,179.

What is the cheapest Umrah package available?

A 7 nights 3 star package at £665 per person, travelling in June or September with four sharing a room.

Which package is the best value?

The 10 nights package. It costs £50 more than 7 nights and delivers three extra days, which is the cheapest upgrade in the range by a wide margin.

Is the £99 deposit genuine?

Yes. £99 per person confirms any 2027 departure, locks the price and opens your visa file.

Is £99 charged per person or per booking?

Per person. A group of six pays £594 to secure everything.

Do you charge interest on instalments?

No interest, no credit check and no arrangement fee.

Can my price rise after I pay the deposit?

No. Once the deposit clears the price is fixed regardless of what happens to airline fares.

What if I miss an instalment?

Tell us before the date and we will rework the schedule where the ticketing deadline allows. We do not cancel bookings without speaking to you first.

Do children pay full price?

No. Infants under two pay a lap fare of roughly 10% of the adult fare plus taxes, and children between two and eleven receive a reduced rate sharing an existing room.

Is the visa fee included?

Yes, in every price shown on this page.

How much spending money will I need?

Around £180 for 7 nights, £250 for 10 nights and £300 for 12 nights per person, before gifts.

Reading, Heathrow and flights

Which airport do Reading pilgrims use?

Heathrow, 26 miles away, with a dedicated airport coach running every twenty to thirty minutes around the clock.

How long does the coach to Heathrow take?

Around forty five minutes, direct, with no changes.

Is the airport transfer included?

Free on group departures of twelve or more. Otherwise budget roughly £30 return per person.

How long is the flight from Heathrow to Jeddah?

About six hours fifteen minutes direct. Madinah is marginally shorter.

Can I arrive in Madinah and fly home from Jeddah?

Yes, and we recommend it where availability allows, since you never repeat a journey.

Should I consider a connecting flight to save money?

Connections save modest amounts and add four to seven hours each way. From Reading, with Heathrow this close, there is rarely a good reason.

How much luggage can I take?

23kg in the hold plus hand luggage as standard, with more available to buy.

Can I fly from Gatwick instead?

On request, though from Reading it is slower and rarely cheaper.

Reading a quote and comparing agencies

What does “from £665” actually mean?

One person, cheapest month, four sharing a room, cheapest hotel in that tier, booked early. Always ask for your group’s total on your dates.

What does “near the Haram” mean?

Nothing defined. Ask for the distance in metres and the hotel name in writing before comparing any two quotes.

Why is another agency cheaper?

Usually a connecting flight with a long layover, a hotel much further out, or a price quoted on quad sharing when you are two people. Compare total price, hotel name, distance in metres, routing and exclusions.

Should I pay a deposit to an agency that will not name the hotel?

No. An operator that has contracted rooms can name the property immediately.

Is the booking ATOL protected?

Yes on every booking including flights, with the certificate issued at confirmation.

What if the agency goes out of business?

ATOL protection covers your money and your repatriation. This is precisely why the certificate matters.

Timing and the 2027 calendar

What dates does Ramadan 2027 cover?

Expected to begin around 7 or 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around 9 March 2027, subject to moon sighting.

How early must Ramadan 2027 be booked?

By autumn 2026. Last ten nights allocations close first because those hotel contracts are agreed furthest ahead.

What is the best value period of 2027?

The fortnight immediately after Eid, from around mid March. Prices fall sharply and the Haram is far quieter.

Is May 2027 available?

No. Umrah is normally suspended around Hajj, expected mid May 2027, with closure from roughly mid April.

Which is the cheapest month?

June, at around 43°C. September is close behind and slightly more bearable.

What is the ideal booking lead time?

Six to eight months for a standard departure, which has been worth £120 to £180 per person in recent seasons.

Does booking more than a year ahead help?

Rarely. Contracts are not loaded that far in advance, so there is nothing to lock in.

Hotels and packages

How far will I be walking to the Haram?

3 star sits 700 to 1,100 metres away with a 24 hour shuttle, 4 star 300 to 700 metres, and 5 star under 250 metres.

Do I find out the hotel before paying?

Yes, in writing, at quote stage.

Is food part of the package?

Not as standard. Half board and full board upgrades are quoted separately.

Can I switch hotels once booked?

Yes, subject to availability, charged at the cost difference only.

Does the price cover ziyarat?

Included on 10, 12 and 14 nights packages, and a £45 per person add-on on 7 nights.

Does someone travel with the group?

Yes on group departures. Your leader explains each ritual in person and resolves hotel issues directly.

When things go wrong

What happens if my visa is delayed?

We escalate the file and, if it genuinely will not arrive in time, move you to the next departure with your payment intact.

What if my flight is cancelled?

We rebook at no cost and adjust your hotel nights so you neither pay for unused rooms nor lose your booking.

What if my luggage does not arrive?

Report it before leaving the baggage hall. Airlines deliver to Makkah and Madinah hotels routinely. Always carry ihram and medication in hand luggage.

What if the hotel is overbooked?

Your contract is with us. We place you somewhere equivalent or better at no extra cost, and refund the difference if the replacement is further out.

What if I get separated from my group in the Haram?

Agree a numbered gate as a meeting point before you enter and photograph the number. Phone signal inside is unreliable during prayers.

What if someone falls ill?

Both cities have strong medical facilities and 24 hour pharmacies near the Haram. Heat exhaustion is the most common issue and is prevented by drinking more than you think you need.

What if I lose my passport?

Report it and contact us. We guide you through replacement with the British authorities, which extends your stay rather than ending your pilgrimage.

Who answers if I call at 3am Saudi time?

A person in the UK who can contact your hotel or airline directly. Not a voicemail and not a ticket number.

Visa and eligibility

Which visa do UK citizens need for Umrah?

A Saudi eVisa or tourist visa, which permits Umrah and which we process within your package.

How long does the visa take?

Usually three to seven working days once documents are complete, longer during peak season.

What jab do I have to have?

The meningococcal ACWY vaccine, certified at least ten days before arrival in Saudi Arabia.

How long must my passport be valid for?

Six months beyond your travel dates.

Can a woman travel for Umrah without a mahram?

Yes, from age 18. Ladies group departures with female leadership are also available.

Is there an upper age limit?

No. We regularly book pilgrims in their eighties with appropriate hotel proximity and package length.

Is a second Umrah possible in one visit?

Yes, by returning to the miqat at Masjid Aisha, seven kilometres from the Haram, and repeating the rituals.

Should I take out travel insurance?

Not legally, but we recommend it strongly for medical cover and can arrange it.

Book Your 2027 Umrah From Reading

The strongest value 2027 departures are allocated first come, first served, and February, the post-Eid fortnight and December fill earliest. Hold your place with £99 per person and pay the balance at your own pace.

If you are booking for a group, send us the number of travellers and the gender split. We will come back with the cheapest room configuration rather than the default one, and that alone is often worth more than any discount.

Message us on WhatsApp for a live 2027 quote

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Prices are per person from rates for 2027 departures based on four sharing unless stated otherwise, and are subject to availability at the time of booking. Ramadan and Hajj dates are expected and depend on moon sighting. Room supplement calculations assume standard occupancy rules and may vary with your group’s composition.