No worries if you were not a part of Hajj. Umrah resumes immediately after Hajj, and you can perform it at any time throughout the year. The cooler months are ideal for most, and November through February see the highest visitor numbers to Makkah.
Performing Umrah after Hajj Season
As soon as the Hajj season ends, the Saudi government allows the cities of Makkah and Madinah to open up for the Umrah again. Not only this, but also every hotel, local area, motel, and park needs to be revamped to get into the situation. The Saudi government takes responsibility for ensuring that all pilgrims are informed about the cleanliness of the areas known as both holy cities.
What is the Best Time to Perform Umrah?
It is very evident in the West that until the Easter holidays, the season will be the busiest. If one has crowd fear, we would recommend you to avoid going in these months, which are normally over-rushed in this time period. The easy season for Umrah in the west comes after Easter, i.e., April to May.
Measures to Be Taken By Pilgrims
Additionally, pilgrims need to consider certain measures before making any decisions.
- You can avoid the crowd by going to Haram before Salah time.
- On Friday, the Haram gates closed prior to 30-40 minutes of Salah.
- You can more easily pray on the first floor than on the ground floor.
- Try sitting in the front of the prayer area so the latecomers don’t squeeze you between other people.
- Between Zuhr and Asar time, perform Tawaf, as it’s less busy.
- Stay in Haram from Zuhr to Asar and from Maghrib to Isha to avoid the rush.
Visa Opening Dates after Hajj
The dates are still not disclosed and will be confirmed once the Saudi Ministry approves. It may be possible that prior to Pakistan, the Umrah Visa openings start for other countries.
Each year the Saudi government accepts or rejects the visa issuance. The evaluation of Muslims by the Saudi government is based on merit. So you need to choose your travel agent very cautiously, as his record will be monitored by concerned Saudi authorities. It demands that the travel agent have positive bonds with the regional player.
Hence, Umrah after Hajj will depend upon many alterations. If you find any travel agent quoting significantly higher prices than other packages after Hajj, you should reconsider that package and search for more reasonable options.
Start preparing for Umrah in advance after Hajj concludes. In Ramadan, the prices get higher as Umrah is equal to Hajj if performed in the holy month. In this way, more options will be open to you and your family and you can make a choice based on different variances. Do remember that June and July are the hottest months, so preserve cool months to perform the pilgrimage.
