Umrah in 2026 — The Questions Every UK Muslim Should Ask Before Paying a Deposit

My father booked his first Umrah in 2019.

He did everything right. He saved carefully. He chose a reputable-looking agency. He paid a full deposit without hesitating. He told the whole family he was going to Makkah. Everyone was proud of him.

Three months before departure, the agency stopped answering calls. Their website went offline. His money was gone. He had no legal recourse because the agency did not hold ATOL protection and he had never thought to check.

He did eventually perform Umrah with us, the following year. But the first experience, the planning, the excitement, and the money were lost.

This is not a rare story. It happens to UK Muslims every year. And in almost every case, it was preventable with one question asked before any money changed hands.

Can I Verify Your ATOL Licence?

This is the question my father never asked.

ATOL Air Travel Organiser's Licence is a UK government protection scheme managed by the Civil Aviation Authority. Every UK travel agency selling flight-inclusive packages is legally required to hold a current, valid ATOL licence. Without it, they are not legally permitted to sell you a complete Umrah package.

The verification takes 30 seconds. Go to atol.org.uk. Type in the agency name or their ATOL number. Confirm it appears and is currently valid.

If the agency is not listed do not book. Do not accept explanations. Do not be reassured by a professional-looking website or positive reviews. An unlicensed agency has no legal obligation to protect your money if anything goes wrong.

Hajj and Umrah Experts holds ATOL licence 11375. Verify it at atol.org.uk right now. We have held uninterrupted ATOL protection for over 10 years.

What Is the Hotel Name and How Far Is It From the Haram?

Not which star rating. Not whether it is near the Haram. The specific hotel name. And the actual number of minutes on foot from the nearest entrance of Masjid Al Haram.

This question reveals more about a package than almost anything else. Here is why.

In Makkah, you visit the Haram multiple times every day. Fajr before sunrise. Dhuhr at midday. Asr in the afternoon. Maghrib at sunset. Isha at night. Many pilgrims also pray Tahajjud in the early morning hours. Most make additional visits for Tawaf and personal worship.

Each visit is a round trip from your hotel. If your hotel is 20 minutes from the Haram, every round trip is 40 minutes. Across 10 nights with 8 daily visits, that is over 50 hours of walking to and from the mosque.

If your hotel is 5 minutes from the Haram, every round trip is 10 minutes. The mosque is simply there accessible and immediate.

For a young healthy adult travelling alone, the longer walk is manageable. For a 70-year-old father with joint pain, it is not. For a family with a four-year-old who needs carrying after every prayer, a 40-minute round trip is genuinely exhausting. For anyone who wants to spend their time in Makkah in worship rather than in transit — proximity is not a preference. It is the most important practical variable in the entire trip.

Our Silver 3-star packages place you 10-15 minutes from the Haram. Clean, functional hotels with all inclusions. Most affordable complete option.

Our Gold 4-star packages place you 5-7 minutes from the Haram. Breakfast included. Larger rooms. The right choice for most UK families.

Our Platinum 5-star packages place you 2-3 minutes from the Haram — within the Abraj Al Bait complex. Swissotel Makkah, Pullman Zamzam, Al Marwa Rayhaan by Rotana. Some rooms look directly at the Haram. Others have views of the Kaaba itself.

Are All Five Inclusions Confirmed?

A complete all-inclusive Umrah package covers exactly five things. Every single one must be confirmed in writing before you pay a deposit.

Return flights from your UK airport. Both directions. Confirmed airline. Confirmed routing. Not a promise of flights — a booking.

Saudi Umrah visa. Processed by the agency. Included in the price. Our fee is £49 and our success rate across thousands of applications is 100%.

Hotel accommodation in Makkah. Specific hotel named. Nights confirmed.

Hotel accommodation in Madinah. Specific hotel named. Nights confirmed.

Ground transportation. Airport transfers in both Saudi cities. The transfer between Makkah and Madinah. Confirmed and included.

If any of these five is absent from your quote, the package is not complete. A land-only quote without flights. A booking that charges visa separately at checkout. A package with no transport included. All of these are legitimate products but they are not all-inclusive and they are not directly comparable to a package that includes all five.

When Is the Right Time to Travel?

The answer depends entirely on who is travelling.

For flexible pilgrims without school-age children: October is the answer. 28 to 34 degrees in Makkah warm and comfortable, not the extreme heat of summer. Crowds noticeably smaller than Ramadan or school holiday peaks. Pricing the most competitive of any month in the year. October is the most underrated month in UK Umrah travel and experienced pilgrims consistently choose it.

For families with school-age children: February half-term offers 18-22 degree temperatures the best weather of any school holiday window. The Haram is active but not at peak intensity. A 7-night package fits comfortably in one week.

Easter gives a two-week window practical for a 10-night package. Temperatures of 25-30 degrees.

December school Christmas holidays. 20-24 degrees. Very popular with UK families. Book by July for December travel the window fills early.

Summer July and August. Longest school holiday window. Temperatures reach 40-44 degrees. Entirely manageable with planning — Fajr and post-Maghrib are the optimal Haram visiting hours. Gold or Platinum hotel strongly recommended for summer to reduce outdoor walking in the heat.

For pilgrims seeking the most spiritual experience: Ramadan. The Prophet described Umrah in Ramadan as carrying the reward of Hajj. The atmosphere in Makkah this month the Haram alive around the clock, Tarawih prayers after Isha, Iftar at the mosque, the extraordinary last 10 nights is unlike any other experience available to a Muslim on this earth.

Book Ramadan now. Do not wait. Every year hotel allocations near the Haram fill months before Ramadan begins. Every year pilgrims who delay find their preferred options are gone.

Which Airport Should We Fly From?

You do not have to drive to London for Umrah.

If you are in Manchester, Lancashire, or anywhere across the North of England Manchester Airport has direct Saudia flights to Jeddah. Non-stop. 7-8 hours. The most convenient option for millions of Northern UK Muslims.

If you are in Birmingham, the Midlands, Leicester, Coventry, Wolverhampton, or surrounding areas Birmingham Airport is 20-30 minutes from most Midlands Muslim residential areas. Connecting services via Dubai, Doha, and Istanbul.

If you are in Bradford, Leeds, Huddersfield, or West Yorkshire Leeds Bradford Airport serves your region directly.

If you are in London or the South East Heathrow has the most frequent direct services to Saudi Arabia. Gatwick serves South London and the Home Counties.

We arrange packages from all five UK departure cities. Tell us where you live and our team advises on the most practical option for your specific journey.

What Happens When You Book With Us

When you book with Hajj and Umrah Experts, our team takes over every practical aspect of your pilgrimage.

Your visa application is prepared, reviewed for errors, and submitted on your behalf. We follow up until the visa is confirmed and send it to you with your full documentation pack.

Your flights are confirmed. Your hotels in both Makkah and Madinah are booked and confirmed in writing. Your airport transfers and the Makkah to Madinah transfer are arranged before you travel.

Before departure you receive a complete document pack ATOL certificate, visa, flight tickets, hotel vouchers, and a pre-departure guide covering everything you need to know.

During your stay, our team is available 24 hours a day. If anything needs resolving at any point before departure, during your stay, or after you return you have a direct contact who knows your booking.

Complimentary wheelchairs and cots are available free on request. Our team includes Urdu and Punjabi speaking staff for customers who prefer their home language.

Beat Any Quote Guarantee

If you have a genuine ATOL-protected all-inclusive Umrah package quote from any UK agency at a lower price bring it to us. We will beat it.

Same tier. Same departure city. Same duration. All five inclusions confirmed. ATOL protected. We will review and beat the price.

Call 0203 475 4003. Available 24 hours a day.

May Allah make every Umrah journey in 2026 easy, safe, and fully accepted. Ameen.

FAQ

My previous agency was not ATOL protected can I still be protected if I book elsewhere now?

Yes. When you book with an ATOL-protected agency like Hajj and Umrah Experts, your new booking is fully protected from the moment of deposit. Previous experiences with unprotected agencies do not affect your new booking.

How do I know if a price is genuinely all-inclusive?

Ask the agency to confirm in writing that the quoted price includes: return flights, Saudi visa, Makkah hotel, Madinah hotel, and ground transportation. Any addition to this list is a separate charge.

What is the minimum age for Umrah?

There is no minimum age. Children can perform Umrah at any age. We provide complimentary cots for hotel rooms and wheelchairs on request.

Do you offer Umrah packages for people travelling from Ireland?

Yes. We offer Umrah packages departing from Dublin and other Irish airports. Contact us directly to discuss Irish departure options.

How early should I book for Ramadan 2026?

Now. Ramadan allocations at good hotels near the Haram are already moving. There is no benefit to waiting and significant risk of limited options if you delay.