Umrah Packages
from Bradford

Over the M62: why Bradford pilgrims fly from Manchester

Leeds Bradford Airport is close, only about 13 km from the city and around 25 minutes by car. But it has no direct flights to Saudi Arabia, and we have not found any Turkish, Qatar, Emirates or Etihad services from there that would connect you onwards. In practice, almost every Bradford pilgrim ends up crossing the Pennines.

Manchester Airport is about 72 km from Bradford, usually an hour and a quarter along the M62 when the motorway is clear. It is worth the drive: Manchester is one of only two UK airports with a non-stop service to Jeddah, and it has a wide choice of one-stop routes as well. All our Bradford packages depart from there.

The flights we use

• 4★ and 5★ packages: Saudia non-stop from Manchester Terminal 2 to Jeddah, about 6 hours 20 to 6 hours 40 minutes in the air. Saudia flies daily and moves to ten flights a week from 1 November 2026.
• 3★ packages: Turkish Airlines from Manchester via Istanbul, with a total journey usually between 9 and 12 hours.

Our Manchester Umrah packages page has the full Saudia timetable if you want to plan around a particular flight.

Leaving Bradford for the airport

The M62 across Saddleworth Moor is reliable most of the year, but winter weather can occasionally slow it, and the approach to Manchester can be heavy at rush hour. For a December or January departure, we suggest allowing a generous buffer rather than cutting it fine. Many Bradford families book a people carrier or ask relatives for a lift so the whole group arrives together.

Prices and hotels for Bradford departures

Bradford packages start from £625 per person for 3★, £725 for 4★ and £895 for 5★, with four people sharing. That includes return flights from Manchester, the Umrah visa, your hotels and all transfers, and the price is confirmed at the time you book. Choose 7, 10, 12 or 14 nights.

Which level suits your family?

The 3★ option keeps costs down with hotels such as Emaar Andalusia, around 700–800 m from Masjid al-Haram, and Al Aqeeq Al Rawda by Sedra in Madinah, about 650 m from the Prophet’s Mosque. It suits fit adults happy to walk.

The 4★ option adds the direct Saudia flight and moves you much closer, for example to Elaf Kinda at 160–280 m in Makkah and Dallah Taibah at 160–200 m in Madinah. For many Bradford families travelling with grandparents, this is the sweet spot.

The 5★ option uses hotels like the Swissôtel Makkah, about 210 m from the Haram, and Anwar Al Madinah Mövenpick, roughly 50 m from Masjid an-Nabawi, so the walk to prayer is minimal even in the heat.

Key 2026–27 dates for Bradford pilgrims

This season runs to a hard deadline, so it helps to see the key dates in one place. Islamic dates depend on the sighting of the moon and may move by a day.

Bradford Council and local academies publish their own term calendars, so confirm your child’s exact dates with the school. The school dates above follow the typical English pattern.

What this means for your plans

For many in Bradford, Ramadan is the trip of a lifetime. Our Ramadan packages cover the whole month, and our last ten nights packages focus on the search for Laylat al-Qadr. Demand for these dates is strong across the North, so it is wise not to leave booking until the new year. Most of the month falls in February this year.

If you would rather avoid the Ramadan crowds, November is a calm month before the Christmas rush, with Makkah averaging around 35°C by day. Easter 2027 is not possible because the holidays start after the 23 March entry deadline. Looking further ahead, the next season is expected to reopen after Hajj, typically around late May or June, and we confirm dates as soon as the Ministry announces them.

From a Yorkshire winter to the heat of the Hijaz

Most Bradford pilgrims travel between November and March, which means leaving behind wet, grey weather for a very different climate. Makkah’s average daytime highs run from about 31°C in January to about 35°C in March, and the sun is strong even in winter. Madinah is milder, with average highs of around 24 to 27°C in January and February and nights that can fall to roughly 12 to 14°C.

Pack light, breathable clothing for Makkah, but keep a warm layer for Fajr in Madinah, and a coat for the walk back to the car at Manchester on your return. Comfortable sandals or trainers make a big difference when you are walking to five prayers a day on marble floors.

Bringing children along

There is no age limit for children entering the Two Holy Mosques with their family, so many Bradford parents take even very young children. Everyone aged one and over needs the meningitis ACWY vaccine. The minimum age for Nusuk Umrah and Rawdah permits has been reported as five, so let us know the ages of any children when you enquire and we will advise. Travelling outside school holidays may need permission from your child’s school.

A city with Umrah woven into family life

Bradford’s Muslim community is long-established and close-knit, with many families tracing their roots to Pakistan, particularly Kashmir, as well as to Bangladesh and beyond. The city is home to a great many masjids and madrasahs, and for many households, going on Umrah is something planned and saved for over years.

That shapes the kind of trips we arrange from Bradford: multi-generational families in one or two quad rooms, mosque groups led by a local imam, and couples taking a parent for the first time. Tell us who is coming and we will suggest hotel combinations that keep the walking manageable for everyone.

If you are organising for a masjid, it helps to agree a budget per head early on. That lets us suggest whether the group is better suited to 3★ hotels with a longer stay, or a shorter 4★ trip with the direct flight, and to hold rooms together before availability tightens.

Ihram on the direct flight from Manchester

On the non-stop Saudia flight there is no stopover to change in, so think ahead. Jeddah is inside the miqat, which means you need to be in ihram before the plane crosses the boundary. Many Bradford men put on their ihram at home before the drive, or in the terminal at Manchester, and make the intention when the crew announce the miqat, usually around 30 minutes before.

On the 3★ route, the Istanbul connection gives you time to change instead. Women wear loose, modest clothing, without niqab or gloves while in ihram. Your local imam can advise on the detail.

Before you set off

Check that your passport has at least six months left from your arrival date and that everyone aged one or over has had the meningitis ACWY vaccine at least 10 days before landing. Our team will confirm what else you need once you book.

Protected bookings and travel advice

Our flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203), and the ATOL Certificate confirms who protects your trip. Our booking policy has the details.

Bradford travellers should look at the FCDO’s Saudi Arabia travel advice before booking and again before leaving for Manchester, since whether your insurance applies can depend on it.

Plan your Umrah from Bradford

Give us your dates and group size and we will send a full, itemised quote including the Manchester flights. Ask for a Bradford Umrah quote or message us on WhatsApp. If another agent has quoted you already, send it to our beat my quote team, and if you have family in the neighbouring city, our Leeds Umrah packages use the same flights.