The Cost-effective Umrah Packages UK Tour Operators Offer

by Safeena Rahman Travel Addict

The Islamic pilgrimage of Umrah can be performed at any time during the year and can be accomplished within a few hours as compared to the major pilgrimage of Hajj. It is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and is therefore of great importance for Muslims across the world. Every year, many of them undertake this pilgrimage, which is also called the 'lesser pilgrimage' or the 'minor pilgrimage'. Just like the major pilgrimage of Hajj, Umrah is to be performed only by the Muslims who are physically fit and financially capable to make the journey to the holy city of Makkah in Saudi Arabia.

For the Muslims living in the United Kingdom, this journey is quite a long one and involves a certain amount of cost. The Umrah packages UK tour operators offer play an important role in reducing the overall cost of this journey for the country's Muslims. Earlier, many of them had to postpone their plans of performing the lesser pilgrimage owing to budget concerns. However, in the past few years, many of the prospective pilgrims are getting the opportunity to accomplish their Umrah with the help of such packages. The presence of many tour operators or travel companies providing these packages has also given the UK Muslims more freedom to compare the costs of different packages and choose the one best suited to their budget.

As the internet connectivity has improved a lot over the years and the tour operators have their own websites, the Muslims of the UK can now browse through the Umrah packages listed on any of these websites and select a suitable package. Before they go ahead with their booking, it is important to know whether the tour operator is a reliable one. Not all of them may be authorised by Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Hajj. The UK Muslims must book their packages only with the companies that have been authorised by the Hajj Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Muslims residing in the UK can also reduce the cost of their Umrah packages even further by booking any of them several months in advance. This must be done after deciding the departure date and the number of days that they plan to spend in the holy city after performing their lesser pilgrimage. Once the prospective pilgrims have decided their dates, they can go ahead and book their chosen package well in advance. The amount that they save on their booking can be utilised during their time spent in Makkah for buying souvenirs or to visit the important Islamic sites in and around the city.

Some of the prospective pilgrims may not be concerned about the cost of packages at all. They can go for the high-end packages that provide luxurious accommodations in any of the 5-star hotels in Makkah. Some of them are located very close to the Masjid al-Haram. A stay in any of them would give the pilgrims great convenience in visiting the holy mosque and performing their rituals of Umrah with complete peace of mind.

The opportunities for Umrah Easter holidays provide can also be useful for UK Muslims to fulfil their dream of performing the lesser pilgrimage.