How Pilgrims Can Book Affordable Packages for Umrah Online

There are two pilgrimages that Muslims living in different corners of the world perform by embarking on a journey to the holy city of Makkah from their homes. One is the major pilgrimage of Hajj, which is among Islam's five pillars and an obligation for every Muslim who has the physical and financial capability to perform it. The second is Umrah, also called 'lesser pilgrimage' or 'minor pilgrimage'. It is not obligatory for Muslims, but since it is the Sunnah of Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him), it is given significant importance and has some spiritual rewards in store for the pilgrim who performs the pilgrimage.

About two decades ago, many of the Muslims living in countries far from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had to depend on their nearest travel agent to have their journey to Makkah arranged. This involved a certain amount of cost, which was not affordable for many of the prospective pilgrims. Over the past few years, many tour operators specialising in the Islamic religious tours of Hajj and Umrah have come up in various parts of the world. This has considerably lowered the costs involved in performing the lesser pilgrimage as the tour operators have reduced the cost of packages for attracting maximum bookings. 

In recent times, the internet has become more accessible than ever before owing to its decreased cost and increase in the usage of smartphones. Today, those intending to perform their lesser pilgrimage can simply browse the website of a tour operator and go through the packages that have been made available on them. Upon browsing through the packages, the prospective pilgrims can choose the one best suited to their available budget. They can also get the package booked immediately by calling up the tour operator on the number given on the site.

Muslims residing in countries that are located at greater distances from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia can also reduce their package cost for performing Umrah by booking one of the cost-effective packages well in advance. However, there are certain things they need to keep in mind before going ahead with their booking. One is to decide their date of departure and the number of days they would be spending in the holy city of Makkah. They must also make their booking in advance without any delays, as the cost would increase with every passing day. As soon as they decide their dates, they must make their booking immediately to get their chosen package at a discounted cost.

Some of the prospective pilgrims may not be concerned about the costs at all and would want to have the best accommodations in elegant 5-star hotels of Makkah. For such pilgrims, the tour operators offer packages that are often categorised by most of them on their websites as 5-star packages. Upon booking any of such packages, these pilgrims would get the chance to stay in one of the elegant hotels with the latest facilities located close to the Masjid al-Haram. This would also give them greater convenience in getting to the holy mosque and performing all their rituals with complete peace of mind.