Umrah Packages
from Nottingham

The airport question for Nottingham pilgrims

East Midlands Airport is only about 23 km from Nottingham, roughly 25 minutes by car, so it is natural to ask why we do not fly from there. The answer is simple: at present it offers leisure routes with Jet2, Ryanair and TUI, but no flights to Istanbul, Doha, Dubai or any of the other hubs that pilgrims connect through, and nothing direct to Saudi Arabia.

Our Nottingham packages therefore depart from Birmingham Airport, about 80 km away and usually around an hour by road. Manchester, roughly 1h45 away, is the alternative for anyone who would rather take a non-stop flight; ask us and we will price it on request.

Nottingham’s Muslim community is long established and spread across the city, and many families here have relatives in Leicester, Derby and Birmingham. That network often shapes how people travel, with one household driving another down to the airport.

How our Nottingham packages fly from Birmingham

Saudia’s non-stop Birmingham to Jeddah service, which ran three times a week from July 2023, is currently suspended, and the earliest it could return is 1 April 2027, after this Umrah season has closed. Every Nottingham package, whatever the hotel level, therefore uses Turkish Airlines via Istanbul.

The Istanbul to Jeddah sector takes about 3h45 to 4h05, and a one-stop journey via Istanbul typically comes to around 9 to 12 hours in total. Schedules change frequently, so the itinerary on your confirmation is the one to rely on.

The Istanbul connection, step by step

1. Drive or get dropped at Birmingham Airport, allowing for traffic on the way west from Nottingham.
2. Check in with Turkish Airlines for both legs; bags are normally checked through to Jeddah on a single ticket.
3. Fly to Istanbul and use the transfer time to rest, eat and, if you wish, change into ihram.
4. Board the Jeddah flight. Because Jeddah lies within the miqat, make your intention before the aircraft crosses the miqat line; crew usually announce it about 30 minutes ahead.
5. On arrival, our transfer takes you to your Makkah hotel, typically 60 to 90 minutes by road outside peak times.

Many first-timers find the stopover helpful, because it breaks a long day in two and removes the pressure of changing into ihram in a cramped aircraft toilet.

Key dates for the 1448 Umrah season

Whether you are planning around Nottingham school holidays or your own leave from work, these official and expected dates set the boundaries.

Ramadan dates depend on moon sighting. The 1449 season has not yet been announced; it is expected to reopen after Hajj, typically around late May or June, and we will confirm dates as soon as the Ministry publishes them.

For families, the Christmas holidays are the most realistic school-break window this season; our Christmas Umrah packages carry seasonal prices. February half-term overlaps the first half of Ramadan, and the English Easter holidays begin after the last entry date, so they are not possible in 2027. Check your own school’s dates, as Nottinghamshire schools and academy trusts do not all follow one calendar.

If you can travel in term time, November and January combine standard prices with pleasant temperatures. Those set on the final stretch of Ramadan should look at our last ten nights packages.

Hotels and prices for Nottingham travellers

Choose from 7, 10, 12 or 14 nights. A week is four nights in Makkah and three in Madinah; longer stays are divided evenly.

3★, from £625 per person. In Makkah you stay at Emaar Andalusia, 700–800 m from Masjid al-Haram, or Al Kiswah Towers at 900 m–1.4 km. In Madinah it is Zowar Alalami (300–350 m) or Al Aqeeq Al Rawda by Sedra (about 650 m). See the full 3★ Umrah packages.

4★, from £725 per person. Elaf Kinda (160–280 m) or Sheraton Makkah Jabal Al Kaaba (about 200 m, with a pedestrian bridge), then Dallah Taibah (160–200 m) or Elaf Taiba (220–500 m). Details are on our 4★ page.

5★, from £895 per person. Swissôtel Makkah (210 m) or Pullman ZamZam Makkah (100 m) in the Abraj Al Bait, then Anwar Al Madinah Mövenpick (50 m) or Pullman Zamzam Madinah (110 m). Compare them on the 5★ packages page.

Prices are per person for four sharing a room, include return flights, the Umrah visa, hotels and transfers, and are confirmed when you book.

A final practical point: allow for the time difference when planning calls home. Your included transfer takes you on from the airport, so share your flight details with family in Nottingham who want to know you have landed safely in Jeddah and are on the road to Makkah.

Between the two holy cities

The Haramain High Speed Railway links Makkah and Madinah in about two to two and three-quarter hours, with economy fares reported at around SAR 150, although service is not guaranteed under current conditions. Madinah’s airport is roughly 20 to 30 minutes from Masjid an-Nabawi.

In Madinah, many pilgrims visit Masjid Quba, where two rak’ahs carry the reward of an Umrah, as well as Mount Uhud and Masjid al-Qiblatayn. A visit to the Rawdah is booked through Nusuk and is limited to once every 365 days.

Travelling with children from Nottingham

Children of any age may enter the Two Holy Mosques with their families, but the minimum age for an Umrah or Rawdah permit has been reported as five. If you are bringing younger children, plan for one parent to stay with them while the other completes the rites, or take turns.

The meningitis ACWY vaccine applies to everyone aged one and over, toddlers included, and must be given at least 10 days before you land. Ask your surgery early, as appointments in the weeks before Christmas can be hard to find.

For a family of four or five, a quad room is usually the best value, and the starting prices on this page assume four sharing. Tell us the ages of everyone travelling when you ask for a quote so we can price the rooms correctly.

Bringing Zamzam back to the East Midlands

Each pilgrim can normally carry one factory-sealed 5-litre bottle of Zamzam, bought at the official counter in Jeddah or Madinah airport and checked in separately from suitcases. Allowances differ between airlines, so confirm the current rule with Turkish Airlines before you fly home to Birmingham.

Paperwork, protection and travel advice

Passports need at least six months’ validity from arrival, and the meningitis ACWY vaccine must be given at least 10 days before you land. Our flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203).

Because the FCDO presently advises against all but essential travel to Saudi Arabia, review the official gov.uk travel advice when you book and before you set off, and confirm your insurer’s position, since policies can hinge on that guidance.

Plan your Umrah from Nottingham

Neighbouring communities share the same airport choices, so our guides for Leicester and Birmingham may be useful, and Yorkshire relatives might look at Umrah from Sheffield. Got a competing price? Use beat my quote. Or get a tailored Nottingham quote and message us on WhatsApp with any questions about flights or hotels.