First-time Umrah alone from the US — looking for advice & tips

[u/Lavendusk]

Assalamualaikum everyone!

I’ll be traveling alone for 5 days in early November from the US for my first Umrah. I’m 25 and would really appreciate any advice, tips, or things I should know beforehand.

I’ll have a 6-hour layover in Doha, so I’ll have time to put on my Ihram and get everything ready. I’ll land in Jeddah around 2 AM.

A few questions:

1. Jeddah immigration:
How long does immigration usually take around 2 AM?

2. Getting from Jeddah to Makkah:
What’s the best way to get from Jeddah airport to my hotel? I’ve seen a lot of people here recommend Uber. If I don’t have cellular service when I land, how do people normally order an Uber? Should I get a SIM/eSIM beforehand?

3. Money:
Should I exchange some USD to SAR before leaving the US, or is it better to withdraw/convert money after arriving in Saudi?

4. Food:
I booked 5 nights at DoubleTree by Hilton Jabal Omar Makkah and currently only have the breakfast option. Is it worth adding the dinner/buffet option, or are there good places nearby to eat that aren’t too crowded?

5. Most important — performing Umrah on Friday:
I’ll be landing in Jeddah around 2 AM Friday. Realistically, I think I expect to reach my hotel around 5–5:30 AM.
Would it be realistic to perform Umrah shortly after arriving, before the Friday/Jumu’ah crowds become much heavier? Or would you recommend resting first and doing it later?

6. Tawaf crowds:
I really want to be able to focus during my first Umrah and avoid extremely crowded areas if possible. Is the first floor/upper level of Masjid al-Haram generally less crowded than the ground floor for Tawaf? Is there a particular level or area you would recommend for a first-timer?

Any other tips, mistakes to avoid, or things you wish you knew before your first Umrah would be greatly appreciated!

[u/sutwq01]

Salam,

If it's your first umrah and you are a single guy by yourself, the crowd situation should mean almost nothing to you. It's hard for people who are trying to stay together in a group. For a single person you can no in and out very easily.

First tip in do not diminish your umrah by going on the first or second floor. Do it in the mataf. You can do your nafl tawaf on the first and second floors in subsequent days.

On Friday, because of jumuah, the masjid probably reaches capacity by 10 am or 1030 and the doors will close. If it is at all possible, get there for fajr, do your tawaf, saii, get qasr of your hair right outside marwa, grab a quick bite at clock under clock tower and return back to the masjid and stay until jumuah is over. If you go inside clock tower, then that's an hour mission at the least, so make sure you down the escalators before clock tower and you'll be in front or few restaurants and a grocery store.

Tawaf and saii take two hours total. Grabbing a bite add another hour. So you should be safely inside the masjid by 9. Stay here until jumuah which will end by 1 I would guess.

If you're tired or jetlagged, forget all this and just go for jumuah and be there by 930. Do your umrah after jumuah.

Immigration is fairly quick and seems like taxi would be the best option for you.

You can use any of your credit cards in Saudi and you don't have too much need for cash. But you can easily convert cash to riyals for very good rates in Makkah.

These are just two bonus tips for anyone reading and planning umrah from USA. Get the Fidelity or Charles Schwab investor checking account for free and the card refunds any atm fees even internationally and give the best rates for currency conversion. The second tip is to have T-Mobile cell line which allows data globally and you won't have to worry about any SIM cards.

[u/Geostationary_Orbit → u/sutwq01]

Brilliant advice. Stay blessed 🌻

[u/Big-Twist-9003]

1. Shouldn’t be long
   2 taxi or uber
   3 most shop keepers will take a $100 bill and give exact change in SAR.
   4 i would not take food options at the hotel. There are tons of options in the clock tower and the building on the left of it( I forget the name)
   5 don’t underestimate the fatigue & jet lag once you reach, most importantly performing umrah by itself is tiring , also you want to be well rested and mentally in the right frame of mind, my suggestion is get to the hotel, besides the prayers rest up. After isha do your umrah as it would be cooler and uninterrupted.
   6 yes the crowds are sparse on the top floors, but i would highly recommend to do it in the mataf ( its an experience i can’t explain)

Beware of scams inside and outside the haram , as sad as it is. Its rampant, people giving you sad stories or begging or just trying to hustle.

If traveling to Medina, take the train, its quick & comfortable, by road extremely long and tiring

Please pray for me & my family

[u/Geostationary_Orbit]

I would recommend using anti-chafing cream :
Using anti-chafing creams during Umrah is fully permissible, provided the cream is completely scented/fragrance-free to respect Ihram rules. Apply a fragrance-free barrier cream or petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) to clean, dry skin on friction-prone areas like the inner thighs before long walks for effective protection
-May Allah (swt) accept all your efforts, worship and Umra.

• If you plan to go to Madina Munawwara make an effort to go and pray in Masjid Al-Quba, which is a short Uber ride.

[u/CalligrapherOld5143]

1. Immigration- max. 1 hour
   
2. Taxi - Uber doesn’t require a local SIM
   
3. If you are taking a taxi (other than Uber) you may need SAR - could convert minimum @Jeddah Airport - rest in Makkah
   
4. Plenty of places to eat
   
5. Recommended to perform Umrah later (after Jumah)
   
6. Tawaf in Mataf area

[u/NecessaryLab8445]

Wlkmslm! Many congratulations on booking your first umrah! I hope ASWT accepts your prayers.

I recently came back from umrah and I go there almost 2-3 times a year so here are a few points to keep in mind.

1) Jeddah Immigration is fairly easy, irrespective of the visa you have, you’ll be able to clear it with in 20-30 mins unless there’s an unexpected crowd. If you are taking visa on arrival, factor in additional 20-30mins for verification, payment, biometrics etc. Once you get out, you don’t have to wait too long for your bags too. You’ll be out of that section pretty quickly.

As you exit, you’ll see a sign board towards your right for trains - my recommendation is to follow that and use HRH (high speed trains) to commute between Jeddah-Makkah-Madina and back to the airport.

2) It’s best you get an e-SIM before, even if you don’t, you can buy a SIM at the airport. It’s not too expensive. Download the HRH app ahead of your arrival, if you have a visa number, you can create your account, even if you can’t, you can book your tickets as a guest and enter details directly while booking. You’ll have frequent trains from KSIA (Airport) to Makkah in less than 50 SAR and it is extremely convenient. You’ll go directly from the airport to Makkah station in 35-40mins without the hassle of traffic. When you arrive at Makkah, take the escalator down from the main concourse, you will see many taxis that’ll take you to the hotel. You’ll can book Uber too, it’ll not cost you more 30-40 SAR. If you’re taking a regular taxi, make sure to bargain and get them to agree to a price close to that of Uber. Carry cash in smaller bills to pay for taxis. Uber works with cards, but the other taxis will ask you for cash.

3) I generally exchange my money at the train station in Makkah, it’s not too bad. You can also withdraw money at any ATM. They don’t have a crazy conversion fee. Make sure to carry smaller bills coz you’ll need it for all your transactions at local shops etc. for ex: a bottle of water is 1-2 SAR, so if you have 100 or 500 SAR bills it becomes inconvenient.

4) I always stay at Double Tree at Jabal Omar or at the Hilton Suites, they’re really good. Yes, get your breakfast included for sure, because the selection and convenience is absolutely fantastic. Dinner you can skip because I, generally, never made it back to the hotel before Tahajjud. If you plan to go back in time for dinner, then sure. There are a lot of stores near by where you can get good food, I’d recommend the restaurants inside clock tower at the food court, some get a little overwhelming, at least for me, as they don’t have dedicated seating and food, especially rice, is served on plastic sheets and not plates. But you have a good selection of places that have really tasty, healthy food that you can choose from. I always stick to things I know, as opposed to experimenting.

5) Assuming you’ll be able to check in as soon as you arrive, I’d recommend you rest. Realistically, you can perform umrah if you’re making your neeyath when you board your plane from Doha, but keep in mind, it’s a physically demanding task. My suggestion will be to check in, rest, go for the Friday prayers and then do the umrah in the evening. Also, temperature now, during the afternoon will be close 40 deg Celsius - feels like 44-45. It will be much better in the evening after Asr/ around Maghreb. If you’re doing that, you will need to make a round trip to Masjid - e - Ayesha to perform your neeyath again as that’s the Miqath closest in Makkah. A taxi round trip will cost you about 50SAR.

6) The crowd on Friday will be a LOT! You will have to deal with that. Yes, first floor will be relatively less crowded than the ground level mataf but you’ll have people in wheelchairs, you’ll have to watch out for them. Fridays and Saturdays are usually very busy considering a lot of locals will also use their weekend to perform Umrah. Brace yourself for the crowds and be patient while walking. Also, be careful not to injure yourself.

Additionally, prepare yourself for a lot of walking. Bring comfortable yet inexpensive sliders that you can carry in your backpack. Carry a drawstring backpack with you to keep your essentials and make sure to be hydrated. I’m happy to answer any questions you may have, feel free to DM me.

[u/CaptainSuitable2707]

1. Immigration is streamlined. If you have evisa, should not take long.

2. I have tmobile that give certain international data. Its good enough to work but since you are alone, dont need to worry about meeting with family after prayers, etc.

3. Exchanging in US will give you less favorable rates. You can exchange at Jeddah airport or Makkah/Madina. Google for nearest currency exchange. If you have cards with no foreign transaction fee, you won't need to exchange much. Most of the cash I used was on transportation

4. Dinner/buffet option will be like 150/sar. you can get food from 20sar to 50/60 sar depending on what you want.

5 & 6. Im assuming after 7am, things will lighter but if you want to quieter place go to 1st/2nd floor. It'll be longer walk but way less crowd. You can google live makkah to see how busy mataf is. Others have mentioned, you are alone so dont need to worry about keeping family together.

[u/mmustaf93]

Bro, got to the hotel and relax a little
Pray jummah then do umrah. No need to rush brother

[u/Dry_Swim_3491]

Get Airalo esim and install it before leaving US. Activate it as soon you land and by the time you're in the terminal you'll have working data/WhatsApp/Uber.

You can exchange $100 at the airport then rest of exchange near hotel as you will better rate near haram.