Mecca Activities: Umrah Rites and Permits

Travel advisory: The US State Department advises reconsidering travel to Saudi Arabia because of regional conflict, and Houthi missiles and drones have targeted Saudi cities in the past. UK restrictions cover the Yemen border area and Abha and Khamis Mushait, not Mecca. Read the latest on the US State Department and UK FCDO pages before you book.

Almost everything a pilgrim does in Mecca follows a fixed sequence, and most of the paperwork behind that sequence is settled before the flight.

The Haram area is open only to Muslims: Saudi law restricts entry, and road checkpoints check ID or visa. Everything below is written for Muslim pilgrims performing Umrah. Readers who are not Muslim will find open options in Jeddah and Taif.

Paperwork first

An Umrah visa and a tourist eVisa are different products. Holders of the eVisa can perform Umrah outside the Hajj season, but the eVisa never covers Hajj. Whichever visa you hold, every pilgrim also needs a timed permit booked through the official Nusuk platform . The permit, not the visa, is what gets you into the Grand Mosque.

Pilgrims must carry a valid MenACWY meningitis vaccination certificate, and the health ministry strongly recommends seasonal flu and COVID-19 shots too. Since October 2022, women of any age may perform Umrah without a mahram when travelling with an approved group, though your home country and tour operator may add conditions of their own.

Be wary of websites that sell “guaranteed Hajj slots” or copy Nusuk’s look. Only Nusuk and licensed operators issue valid permits and packages.

The rites in order

  1. Enter ihram at the miqat, the boundary point for your route.
  2. Tawaf: seven circuits of the Kaaba.
  3. Pray two rak’ahs near Maqam Ibrahim.
  4. Sa’i: seven crossings between the hills of Safa and Marwa.
  5. Halq or taqsir, shaving or trimming the hair.

Plan on several hours in total, longer at peak times. Permit slots are timed to control crowd density, so arrive early for yours.

Small costs in riyals

The riyal is pegged at 3.75 SAR to the US dollar. Licensed barbers near the Marwa exit charge roughly 15 to 30 SAR (about US$4 to $8) for a shave or trim. A two-piece ihram set sells for roughly 35 to 60 SAR (US$9 to $16) in the shops around the mosque, and a pilgrim money belt for about 15 to 25 SAR. Zamzam water is free inside the mosque, and the taps are marked as chilled or not chilled.

Heat decides the schedule

Summer temperatures often pass 45C, and Hajj 2024 saw at least 1,301 heat deaths in temperatures above 50C, mostly among people without permits or cooled facilities. Travel only with a permit and official arrangements, avoid walking outdoors between about 11:00 and 16:30 in summer, drink water steadily, and rest in shade or cooled areas.

Where to stay

Hotels cluster in the towers around the Grand Mosque. You can compare Makkah hotel rates on Booking.com and check the walking distance to your gate before choosing, since a hotel that looks close on a map can still mean a long walk through crowds.

Next steps

For the other holy sites in the area, see the sightseeing guide . To combine Mecca with Medina, the 3-day itinerary shows how the days fit together. Hajj 2027 is expected around 14 to 19 May, with the Day of Arafah on Saturday 15 May, subject to moon sighting. Book your Nusuk slot first and everything else around it.