Umrah Packages from Austin and San Antonio

Assalamu Alaikum. An Umrah package from Austin or San Antonio with Fond Travels puts the whole journey in one plan: flights from Austin-Bergstrom (AUS) or San Antonio International (SAT) to Jeddah or Madinah, a hotel within walking distance of Masjid al-Haram in Makkah, a hotel near the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, airport transfers, the high-speed train between the two cities, and guidance on the e-visa and Nusuk permit. Call +1 (323) 800 6001 at any hour from Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville, Cedar Park, San Antonio, New Braunfels or anywhere in Central Texas, and a travel expert arranges it with you by phone. This guide covers how Umrah flights from Central Texas connect, how local school calendars fit the 2026-2027 Umrah season, and practical tips for departure day.

Flights from Austin and San Antonio to Jeddah and Madinah

Neither Austin nor San Antonio has a nonstop flight to Saudi Arabia or the Gulf, so every Umrah itinerary connects. The most common plan is a short flight to Houston or Dallas, about an hour, where Gulf and Turkish carriers fly nonstop to Doha, Dubai and Istanbul with onward flights to Jeddah and Madinah. Counting both connections, the journey usually takes 20 to 24 hours. Some families drive to Houston instead, about two and a half to three hours from Austin.

Austin also has nonstops to London, Frankfurt and Amsterdam, each with onward flights to Jeddah or Madinah, for about 18 to 22 hours in total. These suit travelers who want one connection instead of two. San Antonio has no transatlantic flights, so San Antonio pilgrims connect in Houston or Dallas or start in Austin. Your expert compares every routing and confirms current schedules before quoting.

Route options from Austin

Should you land in Jeddah or Madinah first?

From Central Texas you cross eight or nine time zones and spend close to a full day traveling. Jeddah first suits energetic travelers and short trips: the high-speed railway station is connected to Terminal 1 at King Abdulaziz International Airport, and Makkah is about an hour to 90 minutes away by car. Because the miqat is crossed in the air, most pilgrims flying to Jeddah change into ihram at the connecting airport or on board.

Madinah first gives you time to rest near Masjid an-Nabawi before the more demanding days in Makkah. You enter ihram at the Madinah miqat as you leave for Makkah, travel by train or private car, and fly home from Jeddah. We usually suggest this order for seniors, families with young children and first-time pilgrims. For the rites themselves, please follow your scholar or group leader.

What is included in an Umrah package from Austin

Every package is built around your family's pace. A typical Austin package includes:

• Round-trip flights from AUS or SAT to Jeddah (JED) or Madinah (MED), compared for journey time, layover and arrival hour, with baggage rules explained up front.
• Hotels in Makkah by walking distance to the Haram: facing the courtyard, a 10 to 15 minute walk, or a shuttle-served property with more space.
• Hotels in Madinah in the central zone, most five to ten minutes on foot from the Prophet's Mosque.
• Transfers from the airport, between Makkah and Madinah by high-speed train (about two to two and a half hours) or private car, and back for your flight home.
• Visa guidance covering the e-visa, Nusuk permit, passport validity and vaccination proof.
• Ziyarat tours such as Jabal al-Nour and Mount Arafat near Makkah, and Quba Mosque and Masjid al-Qiblatayn in Madinah.
• Group or private options, plus wheelchair and other assistance requests on every segment.

When to travel from Austin for Umrah

For the 1448 Umrah season, the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announced that visa issuance opened on May 31, 2026. The last visa issuance is set around March 9, 2027, the last entry around March 23, 2027 and the last departure around April 7, 2027. Umrah visas then pause for the Hajj season, expected in mid-May 2027, and reopen afterwards. The dates follow the lunar calendar, so confirm them before you book.

Ramadan 2027 is expected to run from approximately February 8 to March 9, 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around March 10. Central Texas families often aim for the last ten nights, and hotels nearest the Haram go first, so plan four to six months ahead.

Austin ISD's 2026-2027 calendar offers three windows: Thanksgiving week from November 23 to 27, 2026, winter break from December 21, 2026 to January 4, 2027, and spring break from March 15 to 19, 2027, which comes just after Ramadan and before the published last entry date of about March 23. The district also gives a student holiday for Eid al-Fitr on March 10, 2027. Northside ISD in San Antonio has spring break from March 8 to 12, 2027, which overlaps the end of Ramadan and Eid. Other districts differ, so bring your calendar.

Local planning notes for Austin pilgrims

Austin-Bergstrom has one main terminal, and traffic on State Highway 71 and Interstate 35 can be heavy at rush hour. From Pflugerville, Round Rock or Cedar Park, allow 30 to 45 minutes, and more on Friday evenings. San Antonio International uses Terminal A for international flights, and a new terminal is under construction, so some curbside lanes are closed and drop-off can take longer.

Summer heat in Central Texas is intense, but it matters more for the waiting at home than for the trip itself: Makkah and Madinah are hotter still from June to September, so most Central Texas families travel between November and March, when evenings in both cities are pleasant for walking to the mosques.

Book the whole trip on one ticket so bags are checked through to Jeddah or Madinah and a delayed short flight to Houston or Dallas is protected. Keep passports, visas, the Nusuk permit and vaccination records together in your carry-on bag, and allow at least two and a half hours for each connection.

Coming home, you clear US immigration and customs at the first US airport, usually Houston or Dallas, before the short flight back to Austin or San Antonio. Zamzam water must stay within the airline's allowance, which your expert explains when you book.

Pilgrims from Killeen, Temple, Waco, San Marcos and the Hill Country also start in Austin or San Antonio. Wherever you begin, we request wheelchair assistance at every airport, reserve aisle seats and pick hotels with short walks. Our senior travel reservations desk handles these arrangements every day.

Mosque and community groups from Austin, Round Rock, Pflugerville and San Antonio often travel together over Thanksgiving week, the winter break and spring break. For ten or more travelers we reserve a block of seats on one routing, keep hotels and transfers together and name a single coordinator. See how we manage group travel flights. First-time pilgrims can call without any preparation.

Umrah visa and documents for US passport holders

Saudi authorities set these rules and revise them between seasons, so confirm them before travel. Before booking, also read the current US State Department travel advisory for Saudi Arabia and the countries you connect through, consider enrolling in its STEP alert service, and expect some Gulf flight schedules to change at short notice in 2026. In recent seasons the checklist has been:

• Visa: the Saudi tourist e-visa, which US citizens have been eligible for and which the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah has confirmed allows Umrah outside the Hajj period, or an Umrah e-visa through Nusuk or a licensed provider.
• Nusuk permit: an Umrah permit reserved in the Nusuk app before performing Umrah at Masjid al-Haram.
• Passport: valid for at least six months from your entry date.
• Vaccination: quadrivalent (ACWY) meningococcal vaccine at least 10 days before arrival and within the last three to five years, depending on vaccine type.
• Mixed-nationality families: a separate check for anyone traveling on a non-US passport, including any transit rules in Europe.

How booking by phone works

1. Call +1 (323) 800 6001 at any hour to reach a travel expert.
2. Describe your trip: dates, travelers, city order and preferred hotel distance.
3. Hear your options and total for flights, hotels, train and transfers on the call.
4. We book and email everything, with a checklist for departure day at AUS or SAT.

Why Austin pilgrims book with Fond Travels

Fond Travels is an independent US travel agency in Woodbridge, Virginia, planning pilgrimages since 2017. We are not an airline, so we set every Austin and San Antonio routing, including connections in Houston and Dallas, side by side and recommend what fits your family. We are BBB accredited, rated 4.8 out of 5 by more than 2,500 Google reviewers, and reachable around the clock. Read how booking flights by phone works with our team.

More Umrah and Hajj planning guides

• Umrah packages from the USA, our national guide by departure airport.
• Umrah packages from Houston (IAH) with its Gulf and Istanbul nonstops.
• Umrah packages from Dallas (DFW) for North Texas.
• Umrah packages from Atlanta (ATL), including the new Riyadh nonstop.
• Hajj packages from the USA for the 2027 season.
• Hajj and Umrah travel packages, both journeys in one overview.