First Time Umrah
Guide & Packages
from the UK 2026

The four rituals — Ihram, Tawaf, Sa'i, and Halq or Taqsir — can technically be completed in a single day if you are familiar with them and the mosque is not too crowded. In reality, most first time pilgrims spread the experience across their first couple of days in Makkah. There is no rush. Many pilgrims choose to perform Umrah multiple times during their stay. Your group leader will advise on the best times to perform each ritual based on crowd levels during your specific trip dates.

No. While Arabic is the language of prayer and you will be reciting certain supplications in Arabic, you do not need to be fluent or even conversational. We provide every first time pilgrim with a printed ritual guide containing all the key duas and phrases you need, written in both Arabic and English transliteration. Your group leader will also guide you through each dua at the time. Many UK Muslims perform Umrah every year with no Arabic beyond their daily prayers.

You can, and many people do — performing Umrah in Ramadan carries enormous spiritual reward. However, we generally advise first time pilgrims to consider travelling outside of Ramadan for their first experience. The Haram is significantly more crowded during Ramadan, the heat can be intense, and the physical and spiritual demands are higher. Going in a quieter month first gives you the chance to learn the rituals calmly. Many of our pilgrims then return specifically for Ramadan Umrah once they know what to expect.

For a UK passport holder, you will need a valid passport with at least 6 months remaining, two recent passport-sized photographs, a completed visa application form (which we fill in for you), and a certificate confirming you have received the meningococcal meningitis ACWY vaccination. Women under 45 may also require proof of a mahram. We handle the entire visa application process as part of every package — just provide the documents and we do the rest.

October through to February offers the most comfortable weather for UK pilgrims, with temperatures in Makkah ranging from around 20 to 35 degrees Celsius. This makes walking between the Haram and your hotel, and performing outdoor rituals, far more manageable. The busiest and most expensive periods are Ramadan and the weeks around school holidays. For a first time pilgrim looking for a calm, unhurried experience, November and January are particularly good months.

All hotels in our first time Umrah packages are within 50 to 300 metres of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah. This proximity matters enormously in practice — being close to the Haram means you can attend Fajr prayer without a long walk in the dark, you can return to your room between prayers to rest, and you spend your energy on worship rather than commuting. We never book hotels that require a long walk or a bus transfer to the Haram for our standard packages.

Yes. Aqdas Travel is fully ATOL protected under licence number 12834. This means that every penny of your booking payment is financially protected from the moment you confirm your booking. You will receive an ATOL certificate by email within 24 hours of booking. If anything were to happen to us as a business before or during your trip — which we work very hard to ensure never happens — your money would be fully refunded or your travel fully covered.