There is a kind of travelling that you cannot plan like you would for a city break or A beach holiday. While flights, hotels, and transport all require meticulous planning, the journey itself—and what it means to the person who takes it—operates on an entirely different plane.
To the Muslim community in Blackburn, one of the most Muslim towns anywhere in the UK, from Bastwell to Audley to Wensley Fold and now Ewood where I’m at today, a trip to Makkah and Madinah is often the pilgrimage of a lifetime. For first time travellers from Blackburn, to ensure the logistics work as they should and this can be what it is meant to be, here is the guide of what you need to do, expect and bring.
Step One: Understanding What You Are Actually Booking
Unlike Hajj, Umrah is the free will journey (once-in-a-lifetime Islamic journey to Makkah). Umrah is not a fixed major pilgrimage with set dates in the Islamic calendar and quotas taking place like Hajj, but can take place almost any time of year and by almost all Muslims; hence the lower Pilgrim capacity.
It takes from two to four hours to perform the rituals itself. The majority of UK pilgrims travel for between seven to fourteen nights, usually divided between Makkah (where the Kaaba is located inside Masjid al-Haram) and Madinah (the city of the Prophet ﷺ, home to Masjid an-Nabawi). Seven nights is a reasonable number for first-timers from Blackburn, it allows adequate time to complete Umrah and be able to spend good time within both mosques without missing too much work or family during the trip.
Step Two: Getting the Documents Right First
Nothing ruptures a pilgrimage trip more than delayed paperwork. This is exactly what Blackburn pilgrims need on top of the basics before they are ready to Board your flight.
Passport: Must be valid for at least six months from your planned date of return. UK passport renewals take weeks, so apply early… before boarding their flight.
MenACWY vaccination: Umrah pilgrims must have a new meningitis vaccine, Saudi Arabia says You can get it from your GP (General Practitioner) and at a travel clinic. Remember to book early GP appointments are not always available when you need them and you want your departure to be Not delayed by preventable issues.
Umrah visa: Additionally, the standard Umrah visa cannot be applied for directly from the UK. It is organized through a licensed travel agency as a part of your reservation. Hence, the visa has to be processed once your accommodation has been booked – under Saudi regulations confirmed hotel accommodation should be logged in the Nusuk system before applying for a visa prior to departure.
Nusuk permit: This is different from the visa itself, and it is what allows you to do the actual rituals such as performing Tawaf around the Kaaba and visit The Rawdah in Madinah. The travel agency will guide you to register through the Nusuk platform.
Step Three: Choosing Your Departure Airport
Since there is no commercial airport in Blackburn, travelers have convenient access to major regional hubs: Manchester Airport (MAN), 35 miles to the south of Blackburn, travelling on M65 & M61. Direct and connecting flights from Manchester to Jeddah, Madinah via Saudia, Turkish Airlines, Emirates + Qatar Airways.
The closest airport with a decent amount of air traffic is around 44 miles away, Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA), which would be a great option for pilgrims in the north and east of Blackburn. Depending on the availability of flights and cost Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LPL) is also used by some pilgrims.
As is the case with most first-timers, the easiest option for you will be to book a full package and have the flight from your closest airport as default; then you’re not constantly digging up route options, comparing airlines and attempting to coordinate arrival times in a place you’ve never been before with hotel check-ins. Results of Blackburn pilgrims’ full packages which airports are being used and what each price block includes can be seen at Umrah Packages from UK.
Step Four: Knowing What to Expect When You Arrive
If this is your first trip; that initial shock when you step off the plane at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, a feeling like no other. It is definitely a huge airport and it gets really chaotic during peak travel times (after you have finished with your flight). If your land transfer is included as part of a package then a driver will greet you on arrival and drive you the direct transfer to Makkah (around 90 minutes). This is definitely one of the more obvious practical experiences in a simple tour experience as opposed to self-travel; you arrive and are whisked away, direct from your arrival area to wherever you need to go, without worrying about how Local routes work or attempting to negotiate with taxi drivers during a period of an unfamiliar city.
Arriving, pilgrims flying out of Madinah land instead at Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz Airport, which is significantly less jammed and more organized than Jeddah’s airport.
Step Five: The Rituals: What Actually Happens
For first-timers, understanding the four steps of Umrah before you arrive makes an enormous difference to how the experience feels in the moment.
Ihram is both the holy condition of spiritual being and the basic dress that is worn in it. For men, it consists of two plain unstitched white sheets. Women wear modest attire, with faces and hands uncovered. For UK pilgrims flying into Jeddah, you enter Ihram before crossing the Miqat, which usually happens on the flight. And from this time until Tawaf where has to say Talbiyah labbaika Allahuma labbaik.
Tawaf consists of performing seven circuits around Kaaba, starting and finishing at Black Stone in an anti-clockwise direction. After all seven have been completed Two rak’ahs are performed near Maqam e Ibrahim; the stone that Prophet Ibrahim(AS) stood on to build the kaaba.
Sa’i is travelling seven times between the two hills of Safa and Marwa, or within that mosque, (Commemorating Hajar’s search for water. Distance total: ~3.15km
Halq or Taqsir (shaving or trimming) the hair marks the end of Umrah and exits the pilgrim from the state of Ihram.
Step Six: What to Pack
You need to prepare for Umrah differently from a normal holiday. Below are some important things you don’t want to forget.
Men should bring an extra set of two plain white unstitched sheets as a backup. The female form requires modest, breezy attire for tropical climates. Everyone should have a comfortable and effortless shoe that can be taken off once you enter into the Haram. One of the most common and preventable newcomers’ mistakes is that they wear new, unbroken shoes for walking between sites for the very first time.
Unscented toiletries should be used as scented products are not allowed in the state of Ihram. Necessary: a small bag for putting your shoes inside the Haram, refillable water bottle (free Zamzam water is available in both mosques), power bank and printed out hotel address/itinerary.
A Final Word for First-Timers from Blackburn
Every veteran pilgrim started out as a complete novice who had no idea what they were in for. There is so much to juggle though, the logistics of getting from Blackburn to the Kaaba the airport,visa transfer hotel? rituals itself it can sometimes feel like a lot to keep in your head. The easiest approach is to simply buy through an agency who will carry out the logistics accurately and intently, and be contactable in the event of a hiccough while you are away.
The journey itself the moment you walk into the Haram for the first time and see Kaaba, or sit in the quiet of Masjid an-Nabawi at night is something any guide won’t prepare you for. You get to experience that part for yourself.
Author Bio:
The author of this article is the team from Umrah Packages from UK, a Muslim owned 3-star, 4-star and 5-star Umrah packages providers in the UK with From £655pp including flights from Manchester Airport, complete Visa processing, Makkah and Madinah hotels and ground transport. Please go to for information on the full package and availability umrahpackagesfromuk.com/umrah-packages-blackburn.
