How Packages for Umrah Can Be Booked at Lower Costs

The Islamic pilgrimages of Hajj and Umrah are undertaken by Muslims living in different parts of the world by making a journey to the holy city of Makkah from their place of residence. Both of these pilgrimages require pilgrims to enter the state of 'ihram' or the 'pure state' by wearing the prescribed clothing. Hajj is one of Islam's five pillars and is compulsory for all the Muslims who are able-bodied and can bear the expenses involved in making the pilgrimage. It is performed in the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, which is the last month according to the Islamic calendar.

In recent times, many tour operators or travel companies offering packages for performing Umrah have come up in different parts of the world. This has given many Muslims the chance to fulfil their dream of accomplishing this pilgrimage, which is also known as the 'lesser pilgrimage'. These packages are made available today on the websites of the tour operators and are classified according to months or seasons. Most of these websites are mobile-friendly, which gives greater convenience for the prospective pilgrims in browsing through the available packages and choosing the one that suits their budget.

About a couple of decades ago, Muslims living in places far from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia had to depend upon their nearest travel agent specialising in the Islamic religious tours to have their journey to the holy city of Makkah arranged. This involved a significant amount of cost and since there were no other excellent options to choose from to reduce the travel costs, many of the prospective pilgrims had to postpone their plans of going on the lesser pilgrimage. However, this has changed in recent times with the availability of numerous tour operators. It enables Muslims to compare the packages offered by different tour operators and select the one offered at the lowest cost.

Upon booking a package offered at a lowest cost several months in advance, the prospective pilgrims can reduce their overall costs involved in the journey even further. Before booking their desired package in advance, they must first decide the date when they would be departing from their home and the number of days they intend to spend in the holy city of Makkah. Once they decide the dates, they can go ahead and book the package of their choice at a discounted cost. The amount saved on such bookings can be utilised for buying attractive souvenirs from the shopping centres in Makkah and while exploring some important Islamic sites.

Some of the packages are offered as 5-star packages by the tour operators on their websites. They can be booked by those who are not so concerned about the budgets but want the best with regards to quality accommodations and travel arrangements. Such packages have stays of the pilgrims arranged in one of the five-star hotels of Makkah. Some of them are located very close to the Masjid al-Haram, which gives pilgrims staying in them greater convenience in getting to the holy mosque.