Practical planning
The unglamorous half of the trip
Entry
Visas, in one paragraph
There are four routes and they are covered properly on their own page, including the difference between the visa that admits you to the country and the permit that admits you to the ritual.
Most travellers use either a tourist eVisa (independent, multi-entry, valid a year, not usable in the Hajj season) or an Umrah visa issued through a licensed operator (bundled with the package, tied to its dates). GCC residents and Saudia transit passengers have their own simplified routes.
Whichever you hold, the Umrah permit is separate and is booked in Nusuk once your account is verified. Do the account before you fly.
Health
What is required, and what actually goes wrong
One entry requirement, and one risk that sends more pilgrims to a clinic than everything else combined.
Meningitis ACWY, required
A quadrivalent certificate is an entry requirement and must be administered at least ten days before arrival. Clinics book out; treat this as the first thing you do, not the last.
Polio, for some origins
Required for travellers from certain countries. Check the requirement for your passport, not for where you are flying from.
Heat is the real risk
Summer runs past 45°C. Heat exhaustion, not injury, is what ends most people's second day. Carry rehydration salts, refill at every Zamzam cooler, and use an umbrella, permitted in ihram, since it does not touch the head.
Medication
Original packaging plus a doctor's letter. Loose pills in an organiser get questioned. Some common painkillers and sedatives are controlled, check before packing.
Feet
You will walk 15–20 km a day, much of it barefoot on marble. Blister plasters and antiseptic cream earn their space.
Care on the ground
Clinics inside both mosques, pharmacies on every street, and hospitals within minutes. Care is good and not free, insurance matters.
On the ground
Money, power and connectivity
- Currency
- Saudi riyal (SAR), pegged to the dollar at roughly 3.75.
- Cards
- Accepted almost everywhere, including small restaurants. Apple Pay and Google Pay are widely used.
- Cash
- Still needed for barbers, porters, some souq stalls and taxis. SAR 300–500 in small notes is enough.
- ATMs
- Better rates than exchange counters. Plenty in both cities and in the airport arrivals hall.
- Tipping
- Not expected, and normal for porters and drivers who go out of their way. SAR 10–20.
- Connectivity
- An eSIM installed before you fly is cheaper and faster than a counter SIM. Haram wifi exists and buckles at prayer times.
- Power
- UK-style three-pin, type G, 230V. Bring one adapter per two people and a power bank.
Etiquette
Dress, conduct and the things visitors get wrong
None of this is complicated. All of it is noticed.
- Dress, men
- Long trousers and sleeves outside ihram. Shorts are out of place near either mosque.
- Dress, women
- Abaya is customary in Makkah and Madinah though not legally required; loose, opaque clothing and a headscarf in both cities. Jeddah is noticeably more relaxed.
- Photography
- Permitted, and think about who is in frame. Never photograph people praying or crying without asking.
- Prayer times
- Many shops still close for 20–30 minutes at each adhan. Plan errands around it rather than being caught out.
- Queueing
- Crowd behaviour at the Haram is not what you are used to. Do not push, do not fight for the Black Stone, and give way to elderly pilgrims, it is part of the worship.
- Ramadan
- Eating and drinking in public during daylight is not acceptable, including for non-fasting travellers.
Accessibility
Umrah in a wheelchair, step by step
It is entirely doable, and the Haram is better set up for it than most travellers expect. What it needs is planning rather than courage.
At the airport
Request assistance when you book, then confirm 48 hours ahead. Wheelchair support runs from the aircraft door to arrivals.
Tawaf
Upper floors of the mataf are step-free and far calmer. Wheelchairs and electric carts hire at the main gates; carts have dedicated lanes. Assisted tawaf can be arranged.
Sa'i
The corridor has separate wheelchair and cart levels for the full 3.2 km. This is the easiest part of Umrah to do seated.
Hotels
Ask specifically about the route from the door to the gate, not just the room. A 'step-free room' six minutes away over a pedestrian overpass with stairs is not step-free.
Timing
Avoid Maghrib entirely. Mid-morning and the hour after Isha are manageable; the last ten nights of Ramadan are not, at any hour.
Madinah is easier
Flat, less crowded, and shorter distances throughout. If mobility is a concern, weight your trip towards Madinah.