Have Greater Savings on Umrah Packages in UK

by Safeena Rahman Travel Addict

With the presence of several tour operators specialising in the Islamic religious tours of Hajj and Umrah in the United Kingdom, the country's Muslims now have several options in cost-effective packages to perform their Umrah by visiting the holy city of Makkah. Umrah is an Islamic pilgrimage performed by a Muslim by embarking on a journey to Makkah in Saudi Arabia. It is also known as the 'lesser pilgrimage', as the major pilgrimage in Islam is Hajj, which is obligatory for all Muslims who are physically fit and financially capable of undertaking the journey.

The Umrah packages UK tour operators offer for Muslims residing in the country give them greater convenience in performing the lesser pilgrimage. They include flights of the leading airlines that take them to the international airport located at Jeddah from the airport nearest to their homes in the UK. In Makkah, their accommodation is arranged in one of the elegant hotels. Those going for high-end packages that are usually categorised on the websites of some tour operators as 5-star packages would have their stays arranged in any of the 5-star hotels of Makkah. As these hotels are located close to Masjid al-Haram, the pilgrims staying in them would have greater convenience in reaching the holy mosque.

If they book well in advance any of the Umrah packages UK tour operators provide, they can get a significant amount of discount. Many of the tour operators based in this part of the world offer discounted costs for packages that are booked several months in advance. However, before booking the packages early, the prospective pilgrims must be absolutely sure about their departure date. They must also be certain about the number of days, for which, they would be staying in the holy city after performing their Umrah. Once they have decided their departure date and the duration of their stay in Makkah, they can go ahead and book their desired package.

The savings made while booking in advance the Umrah packages UK tour operators offer can be used to visit some important places in and around the holy city. One of them is Jabal al-Noor, which is a sacred mountain located in Saudi Arabia's Hejazi region. It is home to the famous 'Cave of Hira'. This is the cave where Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) had spent a considerable amount of time in deep contemplation. The cave is also the place where he received his first revelation of the Quran from Archangel Jibreel (A.S).

Another sacred mountain worth visiting during your time spent in Makkah is Mount Arafat. This mountain is also known as Jabal al-Rahmah, which literally translates as 'Mountain of Mercy'. This is the place where the well-known 'farewell sermon' was delivered by Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) towards the end of his life to all those who had come with him for Hajj. Mount Arafat is also believed to be the place where the first prophet Adam (peace be upon him) was forgiven for his sin.