Best Airports options for DIY pilgrims

by Ady Grewal Content writer

The most asking question all the time is which airport is better for Umrah, so the answer typically depends upon:

1) when you are going

2) how many people are going with you

3) the duration of your trip

4) if you are only visiting Makkah

While peak season of Umrah such as Ramadan and holidays the best recommendation is to arrive in Madinah. The airport in Madinah is smaller and not many airlines fly into Madinah which is why it is less jammed. Pilgrims can be prepared with arrival and collect their luggage within an hour where in Jeddah it can be 2-3 hours or even longer.

Also if pilgrims are traveling with children thus it is easy to arrive in the hotel and rest since the distance from Madinah airport to a hotel wouldn't exceed a twenty-five min drive. Rates for flights arriving in Madinah and leaving from Jeddah are very cheap and it is less hassle compared to the ten-hour return journey by bus.

Since Jeddah airport is a busier airport so lines and delays are more customary. The best traveling agents recommend not to fly into Jeddah if they can. Of course, if pilgrims cannot avoid it then brace themselves with patience, plenty of it too.

If pilgrims are doing a DIY Umrah option, so they can manage and find flights that can arrive in Madinah and leave from Jeddah which is closer to Makkah. Nowadays numerous Umrah tour operators are contagious up and there have been seen offers for arrivals in Madinah and departure from Jeddah or vice versa.

Departure from Jeddah is much easier as the airport offers more services so pilgrims can make it a more comfortable stay. The peak season of Umrah are the bank holidays, school holidays and during Ramadan where more people have days off and prefer to visit the sacred places for longer.

If pilgrims are going to perform a DIY Umrah from Madinah, so they can take the SAPTCO bus service which is government operated and very comfortable. There is also the availability of the VIP service. The buses stop at the Miqat (place of wearing Ihram) point for Makkah so they can make their intention for Umrah and change the state into ihram.

There is another option pilgrims have and this is less known is arriving in Yanbu which is a city about 220 km from Madinah. Pilgrim's Umrah visa comprises flights in and out of Yanbu as well. The airport in Yanbu is actually by cheap carriers such as Air Arabia, FlyDubai and few larger airlines like Turkish and Saudi Airlines. As there are pretty a few flight options that offer best rates, so they can make sense for those doing a DIY Umrah.

Consequently, the best airport for arrival in Saudi Arabia for Umrah really depends on the worth of pilgrims and their circumstances. The best recommendation is that if you are traveling while peak times such as December to April and in October Umrah packages, so you should avoid arriving in Jeddah unless you make yourself for long postponements and perhaps arriving or departing from the Hajj terminal.