Umrah Packages
from Manchester

Manchester Airport: the North’s direct link to Jeddah

Outside London, Manchester is the only UK airport with a non-stop flight to Saudi Arabia this season. Saudia operates it from Terminal 2, and the flight time is about 6 hours 20 minutes to 6 hours 40 minutes. For pilgrims across the North West, Yorkshire and beyond, that makes Manchester the natural starting point.

The airport sits about 14 km south of the city centre, normally a 20 to 30 minute drive. Families from towns further out often drive in or get dropped off, and our packages for Bradford, Leeds and Oldham all depart from here too.

Approximate drive times to Manchester Airport

• Oldham: about 27 km, roughly 30 minutes
• Blackburn: about 56 km, roughly 50 minutes
• Sheffield: about 65 km, around 1 hour 15 minutes
• Bradford: about 72 km, around 1 hour 15 minutes
• Leeds: about 80 km, around 1 hour 15 minutes

These are rough guides for a clear road; motorway roadworks and rush hour on the M60 or M62 can add a good deal more, so leave plenty of slack before a long-haul check-in.

The Saudia timetable from Terminal 2

Saudia has been flying Manchester–Jeddah daily, and from 1 November 2026 it adds a second service to reach ten flights a week. The extra flight had originally been planned for January 2027, so northern pilgrims gain more seats sooner than expected.

Times are as filed by the airline and can change. We confirm your flight numbers and times in writing before you pay.

Afternoon or overnight?

The afternoon departure suits families who would rather not start with a 3 a.m. alarm, though it lands late at night Saudi time. The overnight flight gets you into Jeddah in the morning, which some pilgrims prefer for a daylight transfer to Makkah. If you have a preference, tell us when you ask for a quote and we will try to match it.

Choosing your Manchester package

All our Manchester packages include return flights, your Umrah visa, hotel stays in both cities and every transfer. Prices start from £625 per person for 3★, £725 for 4★ and £895 for 5★, sharing a quad room, with the exact price confirmed at booking. Durations are 7, 10, 12 or 14 nights.

• 4★ and 5★: Saudia direct. On a 4★ package you could stay at the Sheraton Makkah Jabal Al Kaaba, around 200 m from the Haram via a pedestrian bridge, and Elaf Taiba in Madinah at 220–500 m. A 5★ package might pair the Swissôtel Makkah in Abraj Al Bait, about 210 m away, with the Pullman Zamzam Madinah at roughly 110 m.
• 3★: Turkish Airlines via Istanbul. Our 3★ packages use hotels such as Al Kiswah Towers in Makkah (900 m–1.4 km from Masjid al-Haram) and Al Aqeeq Al Rawda by Sedra in Madinah, around 650 m from the Prophet’s Mosque.

The direct flight is a real benefit for older pilgrims from Greater Manchester. Avoiding a change of aircraft means one check-in, one security queue and no risk of a missed connection.

Other one-stop routes from Manchester

Manchester is unusually well served by hub airlines, which gives flexibility if the Saudia flights are full. Turkish Airlines flies to Istanbul three or four times a day, and Pegasus also flies to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gökçen airport. Etihad flies to Abu Dhabi two or three times daily, EgyptAir goes daily to Cairo, and Gulf Air flies to Bahrain several times a week.

A one-stop journey usually takes between 9 and 14 hours in total, depending on the hub and the connection. These routings are available on request; our standard 3★ option is Turkish Airlines via Istanbul.

Timing your trip around the Manchester school year

Manchester and the surrounding councils set their own term dates, and academies may vary, so check your school’s calendar. Across England the pattern for 2026–27 is broadly similar, with Christmas starting around 19 December and February half-term around the middle of the month.

Winter and Ramadan

The weeks before Christmas are a good time to go. In November, average daytime highs in Makkah are around 35°C, easing to about 32°C in December. Our Christmas packages are popular with Manchester families who want to use the school break.

Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027. Many Mancunians aim for the final third of the month, and our last ten nights packages are built for that, with the 21st night expected around the evening of 27 February. Eid al-Fitr is expected around 9 March.

What is not possible this season

The final entry date for Umrah visas is 23 March 2027, and the last departure is 7 April. English Easter holidays start after that entry deadline, so an Easter Umrah is off the table in 2027. Bookings for the following season open once the Ministry publishes its calendar; it is expected to reopen after Hajj, typically around late May or June, and we confirm dates as soon as the Ministry announces them.

Ihram on a direct flight from Manchester

Because there is no stopover on the Saudia flight, you need a plan for ihram before you board. Jeddah is inside the miqat, so pilgrims must be in ihram before the aircraft crosses the boundary, and the crew usually give a warning around 30 minutes ahead.

Most Manchester pilgrims put on their ihram garments at home or in the terminal and make the niyyah on board when the announcement comes. Women simply wear loose, modest clothing. Which miqat line the flight crosses is something to discuss with your scholar.

After you land, and on the way home

From Jeddah’s King Abdulaziz International Airport, Makkah is roughly 85 to 95 km by road. Our driver meets you after immigration, and outside the busiest times the transfer takes about 60 to 90 minutes. If you arrive on the late SV124 flight, expect to reach your hotel in the early hours, so it is worth planning to rest before performing Umrah.

Later in the trip you travel on to Madinah by road. Should your return flight leave from Madinah, the airport there is only about 25 km from Masjid an-Nabawi, around 20 to 30 minutes by car.

Zamzam on the Saudia flight

One of the small advantages of flying Saudia back to Manchester is Zamzam. The airline carries one sealed 5-litre bottle per pilgrim as a free extra piece, provided it is bought at the official counter at Jeddah or Madinah airport and checked in separately, not inside your suitcase. You cannot fill your own container. Rules can change, so check with the airline before you travel.

Greater Manchester’s community and group travel

Greater Manchester is home to a large and varied Muslim community, with families of Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Arab, Somali and other heritage, plus a growing number of converts and students. Many local masjids organise an annual Umrah trip, and we are happy to quote for them.

For a group, the main advantages of flying from Manchester are a single meeting point and the chance to keep everyone on one direct flight. Give us a rough headcount and a preferred month and we will suggest hotel combinations that fit the group’s budget.

Booking safely and staying informed

Our flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203), and the ATOL Certificate names who protects your trip. Payments are explained in our booking policy.

We recommend reading the current FCDO travel advice for Saudi Arabia before booking and again in the days before you fly, as it can affect whether your travel insurance is valid. You will also need a meningitis ACWY vaccine at least 10 days before arrival.

Start planning from Manchester

Whether it is your first Umrah or your fifth, we will put together a clear, all-in price from Manchester. Get a Manchester Umrah quote online or send us a message on WhatsApp, and see our full list of UK departure cities if relatives are flying from elsewhere.