DIY Umrah Blog

Welcome to MuslimTravelGirl’s DIY Umrah Blog 

This website has helped over one million Muslims worldwide understand how to organise DIY Umrah, how to manage their Umrah or tourist visas and to help them plan a trip without breaking the bank. 

I am genuinely grateful to everyone who has read a post or two because it was a dream come true. 

I started this website to share my travel experiences, and the DIY Umrah part of it grew from my love and desire to do Umrah without paying the high fees back in 2015.

After looking at Umrah packages and the prices, I was so disappointed I couldn’t afford to visit the Holy cities of Makkah and Medinah in style just like I wanted, so I decided to perform my own DIY Umrah.

Since then I have become the “Umrah girl” and I have performed Umrah several times with amazing savings and also helped million of other Muslims through MuslimTravelGIrl to do precisely the same.

Umrah should not be an unattainable dream; it should be a spiritual uplift in a busy world!

Umrah (Islamic Pilgrimage) was one of the best trips I have ever taken. I never even dreamt of having the ability to perform an Umrah during the last ten nights of Ramadan with massive savings.

My first Umrah was in 2013 for under £300 per person, including flights and hotels but excluding the visas! Which back then were about £150 per person. 

My second Umrah was in 2015 during the last ten nights of Ramadan in the newly opened Hyatt Makkah, and we travelled in business class on points. 

The trip’s total price was £2,000 for two people and saving on a standard Umrah package of £18,000 during that busy time. 

In Ramadan 2022, we did Umrah again Alhumdulilah with similar savings of about £10,000 for the hotels alone. 

Over the last 9 years since I started this website and my DIY Umrah journey with the tips I share here, I have saved well over £50,000 for luxury hotels in Makkah on the most expensive nights of the year during Ramadan. 

My goal is to help Muslims experience an amazing Umrah by elevating their experience with tips on loyalty points, hotel savings and more.

So if your budget is for a three-star hotel, I want to ensure you get a four-star option without paying extra. 

In my DIY Umrah Book, How to Plan your Umrah like a Pro, you can find the short version of these tips. 

While you are on the DIY Umrah section of MuslimTravelGirl, you can find up-to-date information on Umrah-related. 

Now, it is much easier to perfect Umrah without packages and agents, especially for those in the West, so I am truly grateful we get to experience this. 

What Can you learn about DIY Umrah on MTG?

• Regulations on visas
• How to plan your own DIY Umrah and save money
• How to use loyalty points for Umrah
• Helpful tips while you are in Makkah and Medinah
• The best up-to-date Umrah transportation options all in one place
• DIY Umrah packages done for you with prices and links to book-saving cash
• The best, most cost-effective ways to find flights and accommodation in Makkah
• Reviews of the biggest hotel chains in Makkah and Medinah
• Umrah tips for travelling with kids
• Many more Umrah tips and options for the best experience possible without breaking the bank

My readers can expect fantastic savings between 25% to 40%, depending on how savvy they are with their Umrah planning and how they use the information on this website.

“The land-only packages are expensive, and I have a family of 4. Getting things done on my own is costing me only 25% of the cost they are charging for packages.” – Babar, USA

What is the difference between Umrah Visa and Tourist Visa?

This question gets asked a lot, and people are still confused about it.

Umrah visas are issued to those countries that cannot apply for a tourist visa. They also require Umrah packages through an agent, and the Umrah visa is applied through agents in their respective countries. For example, Pakistan or Bangladesh. 

A tourist visa, as the name suggests, is the new visa that Saudi started in 2019 to entice more tourists to visit the country. You can apply online quickly and usually get the result in less than one hour, and you can also perform Umrah on a tourist visa. You don’t need agents or Umrah packages; they are perfect for DIY Umrah.

The tourist visa is available to all North American citizens, the EU, and several other countries.

You can find a full article with details on the tourist visa here. 

On MuslimTravelGirl, we cover the up-to-date details on anything Umrah-related.

I write mostly now about the tourist visa option since our readers are from Western countries or those with the tourist visa available. 

A Quick Guide to DIY Umrah 

It can be intimidating to try and plan your own DIY Umrah for the first time. However, I would approach it similarly to planning a family holiday. 

This is a very simplified version for a quick guide but if you want a more in-depth option with tips please check out this post. 

Hotel Reviews in Makkah and Medinah

• Conrad Makkah
• Hyatt Regency Makkah Suite 
• Hilton Convention Makkah 
• Makkah Towers Hotel (Former Hilton Tower)

Where to start your DIY Umrah Journey 

With so many articles and travel tips on Umrah, it is very easy to get confused and not sure where to start your DIY Umrah journey on this website. 

The first article you should read on The Ultimate Guide on How to do a DIY Umrah 

Learning about Loyalty points and how they can help your Umrah journey check the guide. 

1. Saudi tourist visa
2. Best Hotels for Umrah 2022
3. Best Hilton Hotels in Makkah
4. Haramain Train for Makkah and Medinah
5. Ultimate Umrah Transportation Guide from Jeddah to Mecca and Medinah
6. Umrah tips for travelling with kids 
7. Can you go for Umrah after Ramadan? 
8. Best Airport for Departures and Arrivals during Umrah

All other Umrah articles can be found here. 

If you are looking for a shortcut that can help save you money not only for your DIY Umrah but also on every other trip you take then check out our DIY Umrah Book as well. 

For more in-depth information on some aspects of Umrah check out my Youtube videos.

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