What to look out for in an Umrah Package.

When you look for an Umrah package, what draws you into considering going for that deal? For most people, it's the price. Anything around the £950 mark tends to get many of us interested. The simple rule most of the time when you go for an Umrah package is: you get what you pay for... We'll explain how... Most cheap packages don't offer direct flights to Jeddah. It's ok to have a short stopover, but when you end up with a 5 hour plus stopover, you need to be bear in mind that it eats up into your time - a ten-day package technically becomes a nine day package when you count the long journey time going and coming. When you finally land at Jeddah after a long stopover, you'll be doing your Umrah feeling exhaustion from your journey.

If you fly into Jeddah, you want to fly out of Madinah and vice versa. Otherwise, you’ll have to make the 5-hour journey (bear in mind the cost of this) just to get to the airport. Then there's the choice of airline. Cheap packages often offer airlines that provide below standard service (not to name and shame...). The next factor to look at is hotels. Agents will try and sell you cheap hotels making you feel like you’re getting yourself a bargain. How far are these hotels from the holy Mosques? Remember that you will be walking for as many Salah as you can - a 7-minute walk might not seem long, but when you're going to and fro at least 5 times, it works out to be around an hour. If you plan to take a taxi when you want to go for Salah or Tawaf, do bear in mind that these costs add up. Check if breakfast is included. The last thing you want to do when you are in Makkah and Madinah is wake up and go on a hunt for a decent cafe. The quality of hotels in Saudi tends be lower than that of Europe and North America. Your four star hotel could bring disappointments, which can affect your overall Umrah experience. The final thing to consider is whether there are any hidden expenses that the package does not cover? Are the visa costs included ? (around £115 per person for British passport holders) Is transport from Makkah to Madinah covered? If your package includes Ziyarah (sightseeing of historical places), find out who will be conducting this. Are they a qualified scholar with knowledge of Seerah (Islamic history) and able to articulate in your preferred language? Most of the time, people do not derive the full benefit of Ziyarah because they are unable to understand the tour guide, or are not provided enough information on the significance of Islamic historical places. You want to do Ziyarah with a guide that can take you back in time and really enable you to get a feel of the Prophet's (Peace be Upon Him) life.