My Experience: Solo Female Umrah with my Best Friend & Kids
I embarked on the ultimate girl trip, a solo female Umrah journey, with my best friend and our daughters. Let me assure you, this was by far my favorite DIY Umrah trip ever.
If you follow Muslim Travel Girl, you know I have been to Umrah so many times that I’ve lost count, and in the process, I have helped over 1.5 million Muslims do the same.
Now, I had the opportunity to take a work trip and review the brand new Jumeirah hotel in Makkah Jabal Omar, and decided to take my best friend and our daughters as my plus ones.
Let’s start with the big question of whether women can perform Umrah alone. Evidently, my friend and I went without a mahram for Umrah as women traveling independently.
From a legal perspective, Saudi Arabia allows solo female travelers to enter the country and perform Umrah. You have no issues with Umrah visas, and several visa options are available for your trip to Saudi.
We booked our own DIY Umrah, which includes flights, hotels, and transportation in Saudi Arabia for Umrah.
From a religious perspective, there are different schools of thought and, of course, the religiosity of the person going. I assume, since you are reading this article, you travel solo as a Muslimah wanting to perform Umrah. Many scholars support this, as travel today is safer for women.
I haven’t encountered any Western scholar claiming it is haram for a woman to travel alone for Umrah unless, of course, it’s from the haram police on social media.
Ultimately, I feel it is between you and Allah.
Best time for tawaf is in the middle of the day – hot and empty
Is Saudi Arabia Safe for Solo Muslim Women?
Generally, Saudi Arabia is a very safe country for women. I used to live there and hold a residence permit, so I have been around alone. I would say it is generally very safe, and you can take taxis alone (I have done so), although I prefer Uber when possible.
My Solo Umrah Experience as a Woman
This was one of the most emotional Umrah trips, maybe second only to the first Umrah I performed about 11 years ago with my ex-husband.
The fact that my best friend, who I feel close to as a sister, and our daughters shared these moments made it so emotional and beautiful. We created many memories and laughter during our week’s stay.
Arrival in Jeddah
After exploring the French capital, we arrived from Paris with my daughter, and we had to wait a couple of hours for their flight.
We arrived at Jeddah airport the same night, so I waited for them there. There are plenty of coffee shops and places to wait. My friend had been to Umrah before with her husband six year ago but didn’t feel comfortable taking a taxi alone.
We then headed down to grab a taxi. We took a green taxi from the taxi line – you can just follow the signs. You can also order an Uber; however, after long flights and with children, it was easier for me to just get into a green government taxi for the 1.5-hour drive to Makkah.
our happy photo after tawaf
Our Solo Umrah Experience
Since it was very late at night (2 am) when we arrived at our hotel, we decided that my friend’s daughter and I would perform our Umrah.
This experience made me cry because sharing it with her was so special.
I usually love performing Umrah in the early hours, just before Fajr prayer, since it is quieter and we made tawaf in the Kabah area.
The seven rounds around the Kabah take 30-40 minutes downstairs, rather than 1.5 hours in the upper mataf areas, so I suggest you do it downstairs.
We then prayed our two raqah behind the Maqamat Ibrahim and went to perform our Saii.
This consists of another seven rounds between Safah and Marwa; however, you must do an extra round if you want to return to the right exit for your hotel.
Finally, we cut our hair just after we finished our Saii and prayed for Fajr.
Overall, even though we were so tired, the timing worked best, and I was so proud of Layla for finishing her Umrah mashaAllah.
Saii – Safa Marwa during my solo umrah
How to Perform Umrah as a Single Woman?
You can find many guides on how to perform Umrah, but honestly, it is as easy as I mention above. You can download any duas you might want to say during your tawaf.
There are very few rituals in the sense of steps you might miss during your Umrah.
I usually have the standard duas on my phone, and I always write my own duas before going.
You can get very emotional and miss important duas for your life and future.
With regards to hotels I prefer to spend money for reputable brands and hotels just in case and because I feel safer. You don’t have to do that but Makkah has so many options and close to the Haram.
If you book in advance, they open seats four weeks in advance, and you can get pretty good deals on business class as well.
Since we were flying out from Medinah to Abu Dhabi, we had to go to Medinah.
We had booked ourselves into Nusuk for Rawdah, but unfortunately, I got my period and couldn’t go. So please plan better than me!
After check-out, we took a 10-minute taxi from the hotel to the train station. Since we were booked into business class, I also managed to check out the Makkah business class train lounge before departure.
The train ride lasts around 2 hours and 20 minutes and is very comfortable. Drinks and snacks are included.
Haramain Train full blogger mode
On the other end in Medinah, we took taxis as two women traveling solo without any problem.
Many taxis outside the train station will take you to your hotel.
I find this to be the most accessible and most seamless option. The taxi ride is about 20 minutes, depending on traffic.
Our Stay in Medinah
We stayed at the Pullman Zamzam Madinah in Medinah. I had the choice between Sofitel and Pullman, so I asked my DIY Umrah channel on Instagram which one they felt was the best.
The majority chose Pullman. I will be writing a review of the Pullman Zamzam Medinah as well.
We spent two days in Medinah, and my only struggle was food. Generally, both Makkah and Medinah are safe cities for Muslim women to live in or visit for Umrah. I just felt that on the side of our hotel, there were fewer choices in terms of food and people walking.
I stayed in the Hilton Medinah last time and I felt it was a much better choice at least for me and what I look for in terms of crowds.
However, because both cities are full of pilgrims, you can easily blend in and explore even as a female Muslim traveler.
There are some cute pop-up shops on the side of Sofitel and Hilton Madinah where we ate often. So, you can definitely find options.
Having fun in the hotel
Tips for Solo Female Umrah Pilgrimage
As I mentioned above planning a solo female umrah is not much different than any other trip you might plan.
1Always book reputable or close hotels to the attractions you want to visit. It feels safer as a woman traveling alone, whether for Umrah or in general.
2. Safety is paramount, so share your itinerary with family or friends just in case. Saudi Arabia is safe, and you can explore other cities as well while in the country.
I stick to green government taxis or Uber / Careem, which allow sharing your location. Avoid accepting rides from unregistered drivers.
4. For spending money, I use a Revolut card for easy tracking, and if you don’t live in a country with low or 0% exchange fees, it’s cheaper. I didn’t take much cash out, but you can take up to £200 for free every month on Revolut.
5. Don’t share that you are traveling alone or without a mahram for Umrah, even with hotel staff. Book your rooms as two adults, just in case.
My Instagram DMs are buzzing with solo female pilgrims planning their Umrah, and honestly, I could not be happier. We should be able to travel solo or perform Umrah solo to the holiest place.
I received a lot of criticism for saying this on Instagram, but honestly, I don’t mind.
Muslim women should be able to perform Umrah alone and not wait for a husband or because they don’t have a mahram like myself.
My friend and I spent time alone talking, praying, and enjoying each other’s company. We also enjoyed the closeness of looking at the Kabah while our daughters talked and enjoyed their own company.
The girls “kicked” us out of the bedroom, and we slept on the rollaway beds, which they transformed into castles and jumping beds.
We all performed tawaf together as a unit, crying and laughing. These memories are priceless!
The duas and prayers took on a deeper, more meaningful level. None of this would have been possible if we hadn’t embarked on our solo Umrah trip as two mums with our daughters.
If you’re questioning whether you should perform Umrah without a mahram, trust yourself to make the choice that feels right for your spiritual journey.
Even as a single mum with your child, like I did with my daughter.
Embarking on this journey as a solo female pilgrim has been both empowering and spiritually fulfilling. Not only did it strengthen my faith, but it also reinforced the belief that Muslim women can travel independently to perform their religious obligations.
This experience has deeply impacted me even after so many Umrah, and if it resonates with other women, I hope to inspire them to feel confident and secure in making this sacred journey alone.
Read, empower yourself with knowledge and make a dicisuin that feels right for you. And if that is to go for a solo female Umrah than please keep me in your duas.
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