3 Crucial Factors to Consider in your Hajj and Umrah Packages

Hajj and Umrah are the noble practices that millions of Muslims from across the globe perform. Visiting the Holy Cities is the dream of almost every single Muslim no matter how much he practices Islam. To dream is one thing but to actually make your dream come true is entirely a different thing. It is undeniable that Allah calls whoever He wills but it is up to us how we plan to perform it. And better planning will help us in performing these tasks effectively and efficiently. We plan our visits to these cities through travel agencies by opting their "Hajj or Umrah Packages". Therefore, selecting the right package holds great importance. Following are the three crucial factors to consider in your Hajj and Umrah packages:

1. Living location:

The first thing to consider is how close you should rent a place to live that you can afford as well. In both cities, the hotels that are nearest to Majid Al-Haram or Masjid Nabvi like Jabal Omar Hilton, Abraj Towers or Medina Oberoi or Medina Hilton in Makkah and Madinah respectively is very expensive. If you can afford these luxury places, great. Go for them.  But if you can't afford, there is no need to panic. There are plenty of hotels nearby that you can select which offer you somewhat the same facilities. Choosing the closest affordable living location is important not because it's luxurious but because the routine can be extremely hectic and tiring and you will not want to spend extra energy on just walking back to your place. Similarly, if you live far, it will require more time to come to the Masjid from your place like if you have to offer prayer you have to leave early to reach on time and even if you reach on time you won’t find a place in the main ground.

2. Optimum Schedule

Whether you are going to perform Umrah or Haj, your schedule will play a key role in determining how you end up performing your obligation of Haj or Umrah rituals. In Umrah case, if you are going on the non-holiday season, your Umrah package, as well as flight tickets, will cost more, and these places will be crowded. You may not get the chance to kiss the black stone or offer Nawafil in Riyadul Jannah or performing Tawaf closest to Kabah. And if you have scheduled a stay of continuous 10 days in Makkah, you might find yourself fatigued after three or four days if you are not habitual of walking. Similarly, if you are on Hajj and you have selected a package with Hajj in the middle days of the package you will the cities crowded throughout your stay. But if you select a package in which you are to go in the early days of Hajj program, you will find the cities less crowded as all the pilgrims will not have reached by that time. Another good option is to choose the package which has Hajj in starting days of the package because, after the Hajj, the crowd will eventually decrease as return flights start immediately after Hajj.

3. Transportation

Transportation is a very key factor you should be looking while selecting your Hajj or Umrah package. You should select the package that offers quality transportation. There is no airport in Makkah. You either fly to Medina or Jeddah. If you have a flight to Jeddah, you will be entering “Meeqat” mid-air and you have to be in “Ehram”. To travel with Ehram will become even tougher if you don’t have a transportation facility in your package or if your transportation means is not up to the standard. Even if you are coming from Madinah and entering Makkah from the Meeqat of “Zulaikha” you have to travel approximately 400km in Ehram so you should make sure your transport is comfortable. Good transportation will make the Hajj rituals easy as well and it will boost your overall experience and eventually help you perform your worship better.

Make your occasion more memorable with Easter Umrah Packages 2019

Muslims across the globe don’t want to miss an opportunity of going to the Holy places to perform Umrah. There is never the wrong the time to visit the House of Allah and his beloved Prophet S.A.W. But because of the nature of our routines and of the routines of the people affiliated with us, we have to maintain a balance between the religion and the world. Therefore, when it comes to performing Umrah, we try to find a schedule which is compatible with our daily routine. So, many of the Muslims prefer the holiday season to visit these Holy Places.
This is a good practice as during holiday season, you can easily manage to go because during workdays, your employer might not give you days off or the school of your children might not allow your children to take so many days off from the school. So, if you are planning a trip for your holidays there is no better trip then to visit the Holy Cities of Makkah and Madinah. This is the best way to spend your “Easter Holidays” as Christians celebrate the resurrection of Prophet Jesus, we select an Umrah Package, go visit the Holy Cities and Thank Allah for blessing us the gift of Islam.
But before you select your "Easter Umrah Package", keep a note of the following things:
1. Trip Schedule:
Since Easter this year is coming very close to the blessed month of Ramadan, you should keep your trip in mid-April by squeezing a couple of holidays prior to the Easter so you can return before it starts to over crowd.
2. Prefer Madina during Easter:
It really doesn’t matter which city you visit first Makkah or Madinah but choosing optimally can give you an extra advantage. Since people will be coming from all over the world utilising these holidays, so you can expect these cities to be more crowded during these days. But if you plan your trip in such a way that you stay in Madinah right during Easter days, it can be a smart move. Because you can expect the maximum crowd right on Easter and Madinah is generally less crowded than Makkah. And even with a heavy crowd you will get the chance to offer Nawafil in Riyad ul Jannah and offer “Durood” at “Roza e Rasool” but kissing Hijr e Aswad or performing Tawaf right adjacent to Kabah might not be possible on crowded days.
3. Choose Package Wisely:
Many travel agencies or travel agents will give you the “Best Umrah Package” offers but be careful to select what best suits your needs. We have prepared another article for you to help you in this which you must give a read {link for the article 6 basic steps}
4. Compromise on facilities not distance:
If you are on a limited budget and can’t afford a luxurious Umrah package, there is no need to panic as our “Easter Umrah packages” accommodate people of different classes. Even if you don’t opt our packages, opt the one which are providing you the residence closest to the Mosques. Because your stay there will be short and limited and you won’t want to waste your time. So even if a nearby residence doesn’t give you the additional facility of food or whatever, prefer it.
5. Choose and Optimize:
We at Heathrow travel centres have prepared Best Umrah packages for you on Easter occasion so you can fully enjoy your Holy trip and perform all the religious rituals with complete dedication. Our packages are flexible and are designed according to your budget keeping in mind each and every important factor. To read about the crucial factors you should consider read {link to the crucial factors}. We have also given you additional liberty to optimize or modify your package to an extent according to your needs. You can check out our packages on {link to page containing packages}
Additional Tip:
The best to offer Nawafil for males in Riyad ul Jannah is after the Zohr prayer because right after the Zohr prayer, they start to organize people in batches. You don’t have to rush or push anyone, just be a part of the batch and wait for your turn! Similarly, for females, the best time is after Isha prayer. May Allah bless you all. Have a wonderful journey!

How to Book Best Umrah tour packages in 6 Simple Steps?

Are you planning to go to Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah and looking are for Best Umrah tour packages? Well then you have come at the right place because what’s best for others may not be best for you so before you opt the “Best Umrah tour package” as every travel agency claim, here are the 6 Simple steps you should adopt to help you select the best Umrah package.

1. Set a budget limit:

The first thing you should consider is your budget. Before you consult a travel agency or an agent, set a budget in your mind with a slightly flexible upper limit because each year millions of Muslims including rich, middle class or poor, from across the globe visit the Holy Cities for Umrah purpose and travel agencies have predefined packages based on the affordability of the people. So, before you consult, keep a figure in your mind that you can afford. It will help you narrow down the category of the packages you should be looking.

2. Analyse your physical strength:

Performing Umrah is not as easy physically as you can assume. It requires a lot of walking. When you are on Umrah tour, you have to do a lot of walking. The tawaf can range from 1.4 km to 4.1km depending upon the crowd and Sa’ay is approximately 2.8 km. Now if you are going for an Umrah, you will try to do as much tawaf as you can. You will also want to visit all the historical places like Jabl e Noor, Jabl e Soar etc. A healthy physically fit and active person can cope with that much amount of walking, but an aged person or children won’t be able to walk that much. So, if you are physically fit and young, you may choose a hotel for staying which is a little far from Masjid Al Haram or Masjid e Nabvi but if you are old or travelling with children you may want to prefer the hotels that are nearby.

3. Prepare your schedule:

Set a schedule for yourself like when do you want to go? For how long do you wish to stay there? Which city do you want to visit first? If you have a thin budget, you can’t afford to stay for long. Similarly, you may want to avoid the holiday season because during holidays because flights’ fare increases significantly in holiday season. If you are planning to go for three weeks or more, you should visit Madinah in the middle days because it will give you time to refresh your muscles. Stay in Madinah is comparatively easier because you don’t have to perform tawaf or Umrah, so it you will be able pray and prepare for your Umrah.

4. Determine what you want and what you can manage on your own:

Its important that you should know what you can manage on your own like can you manage the inter city travel? Can you manage food on your own? Can you manage to do your own laundry? Can you manage the guided travel to the historical places (Ziaraat) on your own? Or do you want these facilities to be provided in your Umrah package? Obviously, these facilities will add the cost of the package but knowing these things will help you select the Best Umrah Package for yourself.

5. Consult and Compare:

Once you have a defined budget and a clear schedule, it is time to consult with travel agents and travel agencies. Look for their “Best Umrah Packages” that they offer and compare them with what you need. Don’t rush into finalising the decision. By following above steps, you will have a very clear image of what you want and now by consulting the agents, you will see what they are offering. Consulting two or three agents will help you in drawing comparison and it will further narrow down the package that best suits you.

6. Counter Check before Finalising:

The last thing to do is to check whether the facilities the agencies are providing are true or not. If the package mentions a particular hotel at a distance of 300 meters, then check it on Google maps. Similarly, you can check the hotel rating and read reviews to confirm that the hotel offers the facilities mentioned by the travel agent. 

Conclusion:

Choosing the best Umrah package can be tough but if you follow the above steps, you might end up choosing the best Umrah package that suits your needs. If you want to save your time further without worrying about comparing the prices and still getting the best Umrah Package you should visit Heathrow travel centre who has created best Umrah packages keeping your needs in mind. Heathrow travel centre offers flexible packages that best suits your requirements.