How to, What to Check While Choosing Travel Agency for Umrah

Hajj and Umrah are the two journeys that are bestowed on a Muslim as an on obligatory service to pay respect to Allah Almighty. The Supreme is kind and wise enough to set rules for Hajj, such as one who has the financial capability to travel to Him without risking his family can only perform the journey and that Hajj has to be performed once in a lifetime. Umrah is a practice that is not mandatory upon Muslims but it is a Sunnah of The Prophet Mohammed (May Allah bestow His blessings on Him), making it a crucial journey for a Muslim. 

Umrah is a journey that may be taken at any time of the year for as many times one wishes to travel in his or her life. This is in contrast to the rule of Hajj that has to be undertaken only in the holy month of Zull-Haj, that is, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. This time of the year, Muslims from all over the world travel to Mecca and Medina. The current year of 2013 also meets with the holy month wherein the religious voyage has to be carried out. 

Even before you book your tickets for the pilgrimage, you may think of opting for a travel package that offers the journey for Umrah. This might be a convenient option considering the cumbersome procedures involved right from booking flight tickets to procuring visa to staying and travelling within Saudi Arabia. The types of plans for your journey are many, depending on the choice of accommodation you wish for and the number of days you plan to stay there. There are expensive packages that offer luxurious accommodation and transit services to the shrine and there are cheap plans that provide sufficient accommodation and transit services. However , one may not think that the quality of accommodation and transit services the cheaper ones give you is low. All depends on your budget and needs.

Umrah travel packages are provided by many travel agencies; however, you need o choose the best from these companies. Look up the net and search for the reputation of these companies which may give you an idea of the reliability of the travel company. Another option is to take advice from a friend or relative who has already travelled for Umrah or Hajj via a particular agency so that you are assured a hassle-free journey.

A luxurious stay might tempt you but check the location of the accommodation that the travel package company is offering you. The accommodation should not be far away from Haram-al-Ka’bah so that travelling to Masjid-ul-Haram does not become a tedious task. If you are over the age of forty, then travelling on foot for a very long distance might not be suitable for you.

Report this Page