Umrah Packages
from Leicester

Leicester’s nearest airport isn’t the one you’ll use

East Midlands Airport is only about 32 km from Leicester, roughly half an hour by car, so it is natural to look there first. Unfortunately it is a leisure airport, served mainly by Jet2, Ryanair and TUI, with no flights to Saudi Arabia and no services to Istanbul or the Gulf hubs that connect onwards to Jeddah.

That leaves Birmingham as the practical choice. Birmingham Airport is about 64 km from Leicester, a drive of around 45 to 50 minutes, and it has the hub connections East Midlands lacks. All our Leicester packages fly from there.

The Birmingham connection, explained

From Birmingham we use Turkish Airlines, which flies to Istanbul twice a day. The onward flight to Jeddah takes just under or just over four hours, and the full journey is usually between 9 and 12 hours, depending on the connection. Because the whole trip is on one ticket, your bags go straight through to Jeddah.

You may have heard of a direct Birmingham–Jeddah flight. Saudia did fly it, three times a week from July 2023, but the route is suspended and will not return before 1 April 2027 at the earliest, which is after this season’s last entry date. More detail on the Birmingham options is on our Birmingham Umrah packages page.

If a non-stop flight matters to you

Some Leicester families, especially those travelling with older parents, would rather spend longer on the motorway in exchange for a single flight. Saudia flies non-stop to Jeddah from Heathrow and Manchester, and we can quote a Leicester package from either airport on request.

Leicester package prices and hotel pairings

Every Leicester package includes return flights from Birmingham, your Umrah visa, hotels and transfers in Saudi Arabia. Prices begin at £625 per person for 3★, £725 for 4★ and £895 for 5★. Those figures assume a quad room and are confirmed when you book. Choose 7, 10, 12 or 14 nights.

The jump from 3★ to 4★ is mostly about walking distance: several hundred metres less each way, five times a day, adds up over a week. At 5★ level you are in the Abraj Al Bait complex in Makkah and almost at the gates of the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah.

How a 10-night Leicester trip might run

Pilgrims often ask what the days actually look like. Every group is different, but a typical 10-night package, with five nights in each city, tends to follow this shape:

1. Day 1: drive to Birmingham, fly via Istanbul, change into ihram during the stopover and land in Jeddah. Transfer to your Makkah hotel.
2. Day 2: after rest, perform Umrah: tawaf, sa’i and the shaving or trimming of hair.
3. Days 3 to 5: prayers in Masjid al-Haram, extra tawaf, and a ziyarat to sites such as Jabal al-Nour, Jabal Thawr and Jannat al-Mu’alla, where Khadijah (RA) is buried.
4. Day 6: travel to Madinah and check in near Masjid an-Nabawi.
5. Days 7 to 10: prayers in the Prophet’s Mosque, your Rawdah slot through the Nusuk app, and visits to Quba, al-Qiblatayn, Uhud and the Seven Mosques.
6. Day 11: transfer to the airport for the flight home via Istanbul to Birmingham.

On a 7-night package the same pattern is compressed into four nights in Makkah and three in Madinah. If you are travelling with elderly relatives, the longer options leave more room for rest days, which matters more than people expect in the heat.

A diverse community, many first journeys

Leicester’s Muslim community is one of the most varied in the Midlands. Families with Gujarati and East African Asian heritage have been part of the city for generations, alongside households with roots in Pakistan, Bangladesh and Somalia, and a steady number of converts. In areas such as Highfields, Spinney Hills and Evington, a trip to Makkah is often a shared family event.

We hear from many Leicester pilgrims who are taking a parent for the first time, or who are first-timers themselves. If that is you, we will explain each step, from the visa to the hotel check-in, and keep the itinerary realistic for older travellers. Groups from local masjids are welcome to ask for a combined quote.

Best months to travel from Leicester this season

Leicester City Council and individual academies set their own term dates, so check your school calendar. Nationally, the 2026–27 pattern gives families a Christmas break from around 19 December, half-term in mid-February and an Easter holiday starting in late March.

Winter: comfortable heat, school holidays

The Christmas holidays are the most popular family window, and our Christmas Umrah dates from Birmingham are worth securing early. January is one of the coolest months of the year in the holy cities: Makkah averages about 31°C by day, while Madinah drops to around 12°C at night, so pack a warm layer for Fajr.

Ramadan 1448

Ramadan is expected to start around 8 February 2027, so most of the holy month falls in February Umrah dates. The February half-term, 15 to 19 February in neighbouring Birmingham, lands in its first half. Expect busier mosques, higher prices and an atmosphere many pilgrims describe as unforgettable. Eid al-Fitr is expected around 9 March.

The March deadline

The last day to obtain an Umrah visa is 9 March 2027, and the last day to enter the Kingdom is 23 March. After Ramadan, a short March Umrah is still possible, with Makkah averaging around 35°C. Easter holidays begin after the entry deadline, so a school-holiday trip at Easter cannot go ahead in 2027. The following season is expected to reopen after Hajj, typically around late May or June, and we confirm dates as soon as the Ministry announces them.

On the day: from Leicester to the miqat

Plan to leave Leicester with plenty of margin; the M69 and M6 can be slow at peak times. Once through security at Birmingham, the first leg to Istanbul is an ordinary flight with no ihram needed.

Pack your ihram garments, a small bottle of unscented soap and a spare set of clothes in your hand luggage rather than your hold bag, because your checked suitcase will not be seen again until Jeddah. A light prayer mat and a refillable water bottle are also handy for the connection.

The stopover in Istanbul is the most comfortable place to prepare. Men can change into the two white sheets and women into loose, modest clothing, and then everyone makes the niyyah on the Jeddah flight when the crew announce the miqat, usually around 30 minutes before. Jeddah itself lies inside the miqat boundary, so ihram cannot wait until landing. Check the details with your scholar.

Paperwork and vaccinations

You need a passport valid for at least six months beyond your arrival date and a meningitis ACWY vaccination at least 10 days before you land; this applies to everyone aged one and over. Children under five can travel with the family, though the minimum age for Umrah and Rawdah permits has been reported as five.

Protection, payments and travel advice

Our flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203), and you receive an ATOL Certificate where the protection applies. Full terms are in our booking policy.

Advice from the Foreign Office can change at short notice, so look at the FCDO page for Saudi Arabia when you book and before you set off, and make sure your insurer’s terms match what it says.

Your Leicester Umrah, priced in full

Tell us who is going, roughly when, and which hotels you prefer. Get your Leicester quote through our website or on WhatsApp, browse Umrah packages by month, or compare with our Nottingham departures if family live across the East Midlands.