One of the questions I receive all the time is which airport is better for Umrah? As always there is no straight answer, but that wouldn’t be fun would it?
The answer typically depends on:
1) when you are going
2) how many people are going with you
3) the duration of your trip
4) if you are only visiting Makkah
During busy times such as Ramadan and peak holidays it is best to arrive in Medinah. The airport is smaller and not many airlines fly into Medinah therefore it is less congested. You can be done with immigration and collect your luggage within an hour where in Jeddah it can be 2-3 hours or even longer.
Also if you are travelling with small children it is easier to arrive in the hotel and rest since the distance from Medinah airport to your hotel wouldn’t exceed a 25 min drive. Prices for flights arriving in Medinah and leaving from Jeddah are not too expensive either and it is less hassle compared to the 10 hour return journey by coach
Jeddah airport is a busier airport so queues and delays are more prevalent. I would recommend to aim not to fly into Jeddah if you can. Of course if you cannot avoid it then brace yourself with patience, plenty of it too. 🙂
If you are doing a DIY Umrah option you can manage and find flights that can arrive in Medinah and leave from Jeddah which is closer to Makkah. Today many Umrah tour operators are catching up and I have seen offers for arrivals in Medinah and departure from Jeddah or visa versa.
Leaving from Jeddah is much easier and the airport has more facilities so you can make it a more comfortable stay. During Umrah I have heard of people being sent to the Hajj terminal for arrival or departure which is not ideal since there are no facilities whatsoever there. They even tried to send me there on my last Umrah in Ramadan however the agent changed his mind in the end.
Peak Umrah times are the bank holidays, school holidays and during Ramadan where more people have days off and prefer to visit the holy land for longer.
If you are doing a DIY Umrah from Medinah you can take the SAPTCO coach which are government operated and very comfortable. I vote for the VIP service. You can check a full guide for transportation during Umrah here. The coach stops at the meeqat point for Makkah so you can make your intention for Umrah and change into ihram.
Another option you have and this is less known is arriving in Yanbu which is a city about 220 km from Medinah. Your Umrah visa includes flights in and out of Yanbu as well.
Yanbu has a small airport serviced by low-cost carriers such as Air Arabia, FlyDubai and some larger airlines such as Turkish and Saudi Airlines. Because there are quite a few flight options sometimes they have good prices which can make sense for those doing a DIY Umrah.
In short the best airport for arrival in Saudi Arabia for Umrah really depends on you and your circumstances. However I would advice if you are travelling during peak times December to April and in Ramadan to avoid arriving in Jeddah. Unless you prepare yourself for long delays and possibly arriving or departing from the Hajj terminal. 🙂
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caveman says
18/01/2016 at 4:02 PMYanbu would be a big pain as you have to drive an extra 2-3 hours which kills the whole purpose.
I also hear that a fast speed train between Madinah, Makkah and Jeddah would open soon. That would be a game changer
Muslim Travel Girl says
18/01/2016 at 5:16 PMIt is far but there are some really good prices to Yanbu so if there is no option for Medina airport instead of Jeddah I would take Yanbu.
I can’t wait for the train and I hope it happens in 2016 since we hear about it, we read about it but we don’t see it 🙂
Tom says
18/01/2016 at 5:12 PMFunny, the arguments we have in the US about whether we should ever even consider excluding Muslims. Turns out, the Saudis have been doing in for decades! They do not deserve our respect.
A says
29/05/2016 at 12:26 PMIt’s part of religion you can visit anywhere else in Saudi Arabia except Makkah and Madina
Muslim Travel Girl says
31/05/2016 at 2:56 PMHi A, unfortunately you cannot visit other cities at the moment other than Makkah and Medina and Jeddah as Muslims. They are opening tourism options soon though.
thalha says
18/01/2016 at 6:37 PMwhats the bus fare from medinah to mecca and how far is hilton by cab once you get to mecca bus station. Thanks
Muslim Travel Girl says
18/01/2016 at 8:29 PMBus fare for the VIP I believe it was £35 return, and the Hilton is about 1,5miles so it’s very close. All depends on traffic of course.
Thalha says
18/01/2016 at 9:34 PMThanks. Do I need to buy the bus ticket few days in advance or can it be purchased the same say?
Muslim Travel Girl says
18/01/2016 at 10:39 PMI would recommend you book it couple of days in advance so you have the time you want. They are frequent but just in case. Have a blessed Umrah
Mir says
19/01/2017 at 11:21 PMHi
Can someone please tell me is it possible to land Jeddah and depart from Jeddah via Riyadh. I am traveling from NY and this is my first time. somebody told me i am not allowed to travel via Riyadh on an Umrah visa. Thanks
Muslim Travel Girl says
22/01/2017 at 10:45 AMI have asked an agent about this and they have said it is OK if you are transiting. So if you have a flight to catch via Riyadh you can transit. But you cannot exit the airport and go around for a bit and then catch a flight. Confirm again with few more agents as well.
hamza says
28/02/2017 at 6:55 PMis it possible to enter from jeddah airport for umrah and depart from madinah airport…? or is it necessary to arrive and depart from the same airport please guide i am planning to go for umrah after a week . i m planning to arrive on jeedah airport than will go to macca perform umra than take buss for madinah which takes 6 hours to reach there… and from madinah airport i wanna fly back to my country is it possible
Muslim Travel Girl says
28/02/2017 at 6:56 PMYes you can.
Aak says
28/03/2017 at 10:54 PMYour blogs are a great help, ot helped me get great info on my previous trip but as trips go there a always some hiccups.
Now i am planning another trip. So if i choose to Arrive in KSA from Madinah it will save me from tension of haj terminal and one will be able to get off the plane using those briges and not stairs? Avoiding the problem of those buses and getting dropped off at haj terminal ?
Secondly from Madinah Air port i can easily get a cab or call an uber ?
I want 2017 ravelant info.
Lastly is it possible to departure back to my country from madinah ? If i can avoid the problem of haj terminal?
Muslim Travel Girl says
29/03/2017 at 7:17 AMThanks for your comment. Yes you can come and leave from Medina with no issue, you will just have to travel to Makkah via bus in both directions. However the hassle might be worth it.
Asif says
23/09/2017 at 12:11 AMAssalaumualikum,
can you land in Medina or Jeddah , and depart out of Yanbu with an Umrah visa?
will there be any restrictions on the umrah visa, or any issues in getting the umrah visa, if you have to depart out of Yanbu, say on Turkish Airlines?
Jzk
Asif
Muslim Travel Girl says
08/10/2017 at 8:48 AMYanbu is part of the Umrah visa airport.
Mohammed says
11/10/2017 at 5:59 PMIf I’m travelling with Turkish Airlines during April will we arrive at North Terminal, Jeddah ?
Any idea how long immigration will take on a midnight arrival ?
Muslim Travel Girl says
16/10/2017 at 6:51 AMNo idea, depending on the traffic that time.
Ramiart@hotmail.com says
15/10/2017 at 9:03 PMcan i go to dammam on umrah visa any problem
Muslim Travel Girl says
16/10/2017 at 6:46 AMno you cannot go
Syed Rizwan Hussain says
24/11/2017 at 3:44 PMHi,
Thank you for your great blog. Its really helpful.
I along with family (mother, wife and 3 young kids) will soon be going for Umrah Insha Allah on Umrah visa. I am the only mahram.
At the end after we arrive at Jeddah airport South Terminal to leave, what is the procedure of departure from Jeddah airport South Terminal? Is it immigration first then check-in to get boarding pass and then boarding? What things are checked at each step?
My family would be going to another country in different flight while I will be going back home in another flight. Their flight is 3 hours before my flight. I am not clear how it will work. Please help.
Jazak Allah
Rizwan
Muslim Travel Girl says
02/01/2018 at 6:49 AMI am not very sure on this, you will have to check with Saudi airlines or immigration. You are checked once on the immigration once you are in you are ok. However not sure about you going on a different flight than them.
M Iftikhar says
27/01/2018 at 3:30 AMHi,
Thanks for your blog with full of information.
I will be travelling to Makkah Inshallah next month alongwith my wife and 3 children. Booked the whole package through an agent including any transfer through taxi.
On our return from Madinah airport which is 0400 in the morning the agent booked a taxi for us leaving 6 hours margin, mean we have to leave at 10pm a day before. Upon asking he said this is how it works you got to be there 6 hours before the flight departure time.
Can you tell me if this is the case.
Regards
M iftikhar
Muslim Travel Girl says
29/01/2018 at 5:32 AMSorry, where is your flight from? Is your flight from Medina and you have to get them, or you will be in Medina? Never heard of 6hr rule especially if you are in Medina and it is close the airport.
Mahasin Amin says
02/11/2018 at 5:51 PMNow that the law hs pssed that Umrah Visa holders can travel to any city in Saudi Arabia within the 15days of their valid umrah visa please telle if I can book NY-Dammam-NY and fly locally Dammam-Jeddah-Dammam? I chexked woth 2 agents in NY and NJ USA and they were not sure
Thanks
Note:The law came into effect Sept 18,2018
Muslim Travel Girl says
02/11/2018 at 6:03 PMSalams, According to my agent this is NOT into effect yet! They will start potentially to allow this within the 2019 year. Saudi many times does PR on things for publicity than things actually working 100%. It is a great confusion for people but last time I checked it was not working.
Mo says
25/03/2019 at 4:38 PMAssalamualaikum.
Visa got stamped on 21st.
When I checked my umrah visa status online, it shows a travel date of 26th March to Madinah. However, traveling happens on 28th March and visa is still valid for the 15 days. And, Jeddah is where we want to land so we can get over with Umrah first.
Would this be an issue if we chose to land in Jeddah on a different date than what it states online? It is a DIY umrah visit.
Muslim Travel Girl says
26/03/2019 at 12:03 PMI don’t think it will be an issue, however I am not 100% sure. Give price visa a call and ask their opinion. I personally think agents need to put something on the visa application so they just add that.
Ejaz ahamed says
28/04/2019 at 6:17 PMAssalamualaikum
I would like to know how to travel from south terminal to terminal 1 ……are there available shuttel buses or we should hire a private taxi…how much time it takes
Muslim Travel Girl says
28/04/2019 at 6:24 PMAre you talking in Jeddah? They have Hajj terminal and the normal terminal. From Hajj terminal you can’t hire a taxi you will need to negotiate with someone outside to take you to the other terminal.