Land Only
Umrah Packages UK
2026

A land only Umrah package covers everything on the ground in Saudi Arabia but excludes your flights. That means hotels in Makkah and Madinah, your arrival transfer, the journey between the two cities, Ziyarah transport, the return transfer to the airport and support from a group leader. You book your own air travel, which gives you control over the airline, the route, the timings and the price you pay to fly.

No, and any operator telling you otherwise is mistaken. ATOL is a flight inclusive scheme run by the Civil Aviation Authority, so it applies only where the same company sells you flights alongside accommodation. A booking with no flight in it sits outside the scheme by definition. We hold ATOL licence 12834 for our flight inclusive packages and we say plainly that it does not extend to land only. Ask any operator in writing what protection applies to your money before you pay, and keep their answer.

Sometimes, but not automatically, and this catches people out. Operators buy seats in blocks and can often secure fares that individual travellers cannot match, particularly in Ramadan and school holidays. Land only genuinely saves money when you are flying on points, have access to staff or industry fares, or have found unusually cheap availability. Price your flights properly first, then compare the full total against a flight inclusive quote before deciding.

Jeddah suits pilgrims who want to begin in Makkah, since the transfer is roughly ninety minutes and you would enter Ihram before landing. Madinah suits those who prefer to start in the Prophet's city and travel to Makkah afterwards, and the airport is noticeably calmer, which helps when arriving with children or elderly parents. Both work well. What matters is telling us which airport before we confirm your hotel dates, because the arrival city determines the order of your nights.

We guide you through the requirements and, more importantly, the timing. Since October 2025 the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah requires arrival within 30 days of the permit being issued, and it cancels automatically if you do not travel inside that window. On a land only trip you control the flight dates, so applying too early against a fare you booked months ahead can create a genuine problem. We tell you when to apply relative to your confirmed flights.

Your hotel nights and transfers are booked to fixed dates, so a significant delay can cost you a night you have already paid for. Contact us as soon as you know and we will do whatever we can to adjust, though Makkah hotels rarely refund at short notice during busy periods. This is the honest downside of land only travel compared with a flight inclusive package, and it is exactly why we recommend leaving a buffer in your flight times and taking insurance that covers missed departure.

Yes. Land only removes the assumption of a UK departure entirely. It suits pilgrims flying from the Gulf, those extending a business trip, students studying overseas and family members joining from a different country. Because we are not tied to a fixed departure, we build the ground arrangements around whatever arrival time your flights give us, wherever they come from.

Yes, and it is one of the more common reasons families choose land only. We can arrange separate transfers for each arrival and place everyone in the same hotel across the same nights. The one thing we ask is that you give us each person's airport, date and landing time at enquiry stage. Told upfront it is a planned arrangement. Told the week before departure it becomes an expensive scramble.