Millions of Muslims worldwide travel to Mecca each year to perform Umrah, the sacred pilgrimage in Islam. Completing this holy journey is a beautiful desire for every Muslim because of its tremendous spirituality. However, many travellers sometimes need to be reassured about the costs of successfully completing the religious travel to Mecca. You can overcome this challenging situation by taking several critical steps, including careful planning and purchasing Umrah Packages. To accomplish these essential steps, an individual can make his minor pilgrimage to Mecca successful and budget-friendly. Read this article in detail for additional information, “How do I make an Umrah trip within my budget?”
Tips for Making a Budget-Friendly Umrah Travel
A complete list of various guidelines for making a budget-friendly religious trip to Mecca is below:
- Travelling during off-peak seasons
- Booking flights and accommodation early
- Choosing shared accommodations
- Choosing affordable hotels
- Using public transportation
- Comparing Umrah Packages
Travelling during off-peak seasons:
Travelling during off-peak seasons is a critical way to reduce expenses throughout an Umrah trip. Different Islamic festivals, like Ramadan, Eid al-Fitr, and Hajj, are considered the busiest seasons to travel to Mecca. During these remarkable events, millions of Muslims worldwide travel to Saudi Arabia to complete their duties. Masjid al-Haram and Masjid al-Nabawi are very crowded during these months.
Due to this large crowd, the cost of flights, accommodations and other amenities in Mecca and Medina are incredibly high. Choosing the off-peak seasons for Umrah can reduce expenses throughout the spiritual journey. March, May, September, and November can be less busy months to travel to Mecca. Furthermore, visiting Mecca during off-peak seasons can increase your spiritual experience and strengthen your connection with the forgiving God, Allah (SWT).
Booking flights and accommodation early:
Booking airline tickets and lodging early is critical for travellers seeking cost-effective Umrah options. If you book early, airlines and hotels frequently give you better deals. For example, to complete your sacred pilgrimage during Ramadan, you must book your flights and accommodation many months before Ramadan. This consideration will give you better deals for airline tickets and hotels to travel to Umrah during Ramadan. Moreover, pilgrims can obtain discounted rates by planning and securing their travel arrangements early. These discounted rates for your travel arrangements can make your sacred pilgrimage more budget-conscious.
Choosing shared accommodations:
A person must keep in mind that the cost of lodging may be significant component of an Umrah trip’s expenses. If you save money on this aspect, consider sharing lodging with fellow travellers. Small groups can stay together at discounted rates since numerous hotels offer rooms with multiple beds. Besides, when two or more travellers share a room, they can share their traditions, values and norms. This consideration will offer assistance pilgrims keep in mind the pilgrimage’s lovely memories all through their lives. So, choosing shared lodging can advantage cultural immersion as long as reduces Umrah expenses.
Choosing affordable hotels:
Although proximity to the holy sites is advantageous, this consideration comes at a higher cost. If you travel to Mecca on a budget, choosing luxury hotels close to the sacred locations is inappropriate. So, pilgrims seeking travel on a budget must consider affordable hotels that may be slightly farther away from Haram. The significant savings on lodging can be used for other pilgrimage expenses, including buying souvenirs for your loved ones.
Using public transportation:
Public transportation during your pilgrimage is another critical factor for a cost-effective Umrah trip. If you travel on a budget, do not choose expensive private taxis. The charges of these taxis for exploring sacred locations in Mecca and Medina can range from 500 to 600 SAR. These charges are costly for those travellers who make a minor pilgrimage on a budget. The charges of Uber and Careem taxis are higher than those of regular taxis. So, pilgrims must consider using public transportation, like buses and trains, to reduce transportation costs in Mecca and Medina.
Moreover, if you travel to Medina from Mecca quickly (within 2 hours), the Haramain Railway is the best option. The ticket price of this fastest train can range from 150 to 300 SAR. Therefore, in this way, pilgrims must use public transportation throughout the entire pilgrimage if they travel on a budget.
Comparing Umrah Packages:
Many UK tour companies and travel agents offer different types of Umrah packages with varying inclusions and cost ranges. It is essential to compare the services provided by various agencies and carry out complete research. You must seek travel bundles that meet your financial limitations and offer necessary services. Remember that more costly packages sometimes change into a more satisfying spiritual journey. Booking Umrah packages from a reliable UK travel agency, like Labbaik Hajj Umrah, can be advantageous if you want to make a successful Umrah trip from the UK.
To Finalize
To summarize this article, many travellers worldwide want to make a budget-friendly Umrah adequately. To achieve this difficult task, you must follow different exceptional guidelines, like booking flights and accommodations early. Choosing affordable hotels and using public transportation are the two main ways to make a cost-effective Umrah journey.
