Umrah Packages
from Birmingham

The Birmingham flight picture for 2026–27

Birmingham Airport is only about 13 km from the city centre, a drive of roughly 20 to 25 minutes, which makes it one of the easiest airports in the country to reach. What it does not have this season is a non-stop flight to Saudi Arabia.

Saudia launched a Birmingham–Jeddah service in July 2023, flying three times a week, but the route is now suspended. The earliest date the airline has given for its return is 1 April 2027. Because the last entry date for Umrah visas this season is 23 March 2027, that means there will be no direct Birmingham flights for the rest of the 1448 Umrah season.

The one-stop options that are running

Birmingham is still well connected through the big hubs. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul twice a day, Qatar Airways flies daily to Doha and Emirates flies twice a day to Dubai. easyJet is also due to start Birmingham–Istanbul flights from 23 November 2026, although low-cost seats are not part of our packages.

Our Birmingham packages use Turkish Airlines through Istanbul for every hotel level. The second leg, Istanbul to Jeddah, takes about 3 hours 45 minutes to just over 4 hours, and the whole journey usually comes to around 9 to 12 hours, depending on the connection.

If you would rather begin in Madinah, Qatar Airways flies from Doha to Madinah about twice a day, and the hop takes roughly two and a half hours. We can quote this routing on request.

What a Birmingham package includes

Your price covers Turkish Airlines flights from Birmingham, the Umrah visa, hotels in Makkah and Madinah, and transfers throughout. Packages start from £625 per person at 3★, £725 at 4★ and £895 at 5★, based on a room for four, and we confirm the final figure at booking. Choose from 7, 10, 12 or 14 nights.

Popular pairings with Birmingham families include Emaar Andalusia in Makkah, around 700–800 m from the Haram, with Zowar Alalami in Madinah at 300–350 m, on our 3★ packages. On the 4★ option, Elaf Kinda sits 160–280 m from Masjid al-Haram and Dallah Taibah 160–200 m from Masjid an-Nabawi. Our 5★ packages put you in the Pullman ZamZam Makkah, about 100 m away in Abraj Al Bait, and the Anwar Al Madinah Mövenpick, around 50 m from the Prophet’s Mosque.

Prefer a non-stop flight?

Some pilgrims, especially older travellers, would rather drive further for a direct flight. Saudia currently flies non-stop to Jeddah from Heathrow and Manchester, and we can build a Birmingham package around either airport if you ask. Our London Umrah page explains the Heathrow service in more detail.

Birmingham school holidays and the Umrah season

Birmingham City Council term dates are a good guide for families across the city, although academies and free schools can set their own, so check with your child’s school. Here is how the 2026–27 holidays line up with the Saudi Umrah calendar.

Reading the table

The Christmas break is the main family window before Ramadan, and our Christmas Umrah packages fill quickly from the Midlands. February half-term overlaps the early part of Ramadan, which is expected to start around 8 February 2027, so a half-term trip doubles as a Ramadan Umrah.

Easter is ruled out for 2027 because it starts after the final entry date. Families who need a spring trip should look at March Umrah before the season closes. The next season has not yet been announced; it is expected to reopen after Hajj, typically around late May or June, and we confirm dates as soon as the Ministry announces them. That makes summer Umrah the likely choice for 2027.

Ihram and the Istanbul stopover

Because Jeddah is inside the miqat, you must be in ihram before your Istanbul–Jeddah flight crosses the boundary. The stopover gives you a calm chance to wash, change and pray two rak’ahs in the airport before boarding the second flight. Many Birmingham pilgrims prefer this to changing in a cramped aircraft toilet.

You then make your intention when the crew announce the miqat, usually about half an hour before. If your itinerary starts in Madinah, you do not wear ihram on the flight at all; you enter it at Dhul-Hulayfah on the way to Makkah. As ever, follow your own scholar’s guidance.

How long to stay, and how you move between the cities

Birmingham pilgrims often weigh up time off work against time in the Haram. Our 7-night package splits four nights in Makkah and three in Madinah, which suits a single week of leave. The 10-night option gives five nights in each city, while 12 and 14 nights stretch that to six and seven, leaving room for extra tawaf, ziyarat and rest between prayers.

Once you land at Jeddah, our transfer drives you roughly 85 to 95 km to your Makkah hotel. Between Makkah and Madinah the journey is by road as part of your package, and some pilgrims also ask about the Haramain high-speed railway, which links the two cities in about two hours on a direct service. Note that the railway’s timetable is not guaranteed during the current situation, so we confirm the best option close to your travel date.

Coming home with Zamzam

Each pilgrim may bring back one factory-sealed 5-litre bottle of Zamzam, bought at the official counter in Jeddah or Madinah airport and checked in as its own piece rather than packed in a suitcase. Allowances differ by airline, so we will confirm the Turkish Airlines rules for your booking before you fly back to Birmingham.

A city where Umrah is a family affair

Birmingham has one of the country’s largest and longest-established Muslim communities, with deep roots in Pakistan, Kashmir, Bangladesh, Yemen and Somalia, alongside many converts and newer arrivals. In neighbourhoods across the east and south of the city, it is common for grandparents, parents and children to travel together.

That is why we plan Birmingham trips around family needs: rooms for four, hotels close enough for elderly relatives to walk, and enough nights in Madinah to visit Quba, Uhud and Jannat al-Baqi without rushing. Mosque groups from the city are welcome too, and we can quote for a full coach-load of pilgrims.

For many Birmingham households, this is also the trip where a parent finally performs the Umrah they have talked about for years. If that is your family, tell us about mobility, diet or medication needs when you enquire, and we will factor them into the hotel choice and the pace of the itinerary rather than leaving them to chance.

Relatives in the East Midlands travel through the same airport, so our Leicester packages can be matched to yours if you want to fly together.

Booking, protection and travel advice

Flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203), and we confirm the protection that applies to your booking. See our booking policy for the full terms.

Before committing, look up the current Foreign Office advice on Saudi Arabia and check how it affects your travel insurance, since some policies depend on it. Remember the meningitis ACWY jab at least 10 days before you land, and a passport with six months left from your arrival date.

Get your Birmingham Umrah price

Send us your preferred dates, the number of travellers and the hotel level you have in mind, and we will come back with a full breakdown. Ask for a Birmingham quote or message us on WhatsApp; if you already hold a quote elsewhere, try our beat my quote service.