How Umrah Packages Have Become Affordable for Muslims Today

Umrah is Prophet Muhammad's Sunnah and this is the reason why many Muslims across the world perform this pilgrimage by visiting the holy city of Makkah located in Saudi Arabia. It is often called the 'lesser pilgrimage' as the major Islamic pilgrimage is Hajj, which is also one of Islam's five pillars. The major pilgrimage of Hajj is performed in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, while Umrah can be performed at any time of the year. The lesser pilgrimage is usually completed within a few hours as it involves fewer rituals as compared to the major pilgrimage.

For Muslims who live in countries that are located at greater distances from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the journey to Makkah is quite a long one and would involve a significant amount of cost. There was a time when many of them postponed their pilgrimage owing to the huge costs involved in the journey. However, the Umrah packages that the tour operators provide has significantly reduced the overall costs. Over the years, an increase in the number of tour operators offering the Islamic religious tours of Hajj and Umrah has also provided several options for the prospective pilgrims to choose from.

As most of these tour operators have their websites that are mobile-friendly, the packages can be booked on the go using smartphones. In recent times, the use of mobiles and tablets has increased to a great extent, while the internet has become much cheaper and accessible. The individuals who intend to perform their lesser pilgrimage can now browse through the available packages on the websites of tour operators and choose a suitable package based on their budget. They can also gather information on various packages with an online search on any of the leading search engines.

The search results would give them the chance to compare between various packages and choose the best one from them according to their budget. However, before they go ahead and make the booking, it is extremely necessary that they know all the details about the tour operator they are booking with. All the travel agents or tour operators who offer the Islamic religious tours of Hajj and Umrah must be authorised by the Hajj Ministry of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is also essential that the prospective pilgrims also go through the online reviews of the tour operator before booking their desired package.

Upon booking a package several months in advance, the prospective pilgrims can reduce their cost of the journey to a great extent. Before going ahead with the booking, they must be sure about their date of departure and the number of days they intend to stay in the holy city of Makkah. Once they decide their dates, they can go ahead and book their chosen package well in advance to get a considerable amount of discount. They can then utilise the savings while in the holy city for visiting the most important religious sites in and around Makkah and for buying some souvenirs at any of the shopping centres.