Umrah Packages from New Jersey

Assalamu Alaikum. An Umrah package from New Jersey with Fond Travels puts the whole journey in one plan: flights from Newark Liberty International (EWR) 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 Paterson, Clifton, Jersey City, Newark, Edison, Piscataway or anywhere in North and Central Jersey, and a travel expert arranges it with you by phone. This guide is built around Newark: which connections work best from EWR, when the JFK nonstop is worth the drive, how New Jersey school calendars fit the 2026-2027 Umrah season, and practical tips for departure day.

Flights from Newark to Jeddah and Madinah

Newark has no nonstop flight to Saudi Arabia, so Umrah flights from EWR connect once on the way. The airport has daily nonstop flights to Istanbul and nonstops to Dubai on selected days, and both cities have frequent flights on to Jeddah and Madinah. Newark also has many nonstops to Europe, including London, Frankfurt, Paris and Amsterdam, which add departure times when the other connections are full. Counting the layover, the total journey from Newark usually takes 15 to 20 hours.

New Jersey pilgrims also have a nonstop within reach. JFK, about an hour from much of North Jersey, has a nonstop to Jeddah up to daily, taking roughly 12 hours eastbound. For families who want one flight straight to Jeddah, the drive to Queens can be worth it, and we arrange ground transport to JFK if you prefer not to drive.

Your expert compares the Newark connections and the JFK nonstop for your dates, looking at total time, layover length and arrival hour, and confirms current schedules before quoting.

Route options from New Jersey

Should you land in Jeddah or Madinah first?

From New Jersey you cross seven or eight time zones. Jeddah first suits energetic travelers and short trips, and it is the natural choice with the JFK nonstop. 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 before boarding or on board.

Madinah first gives 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, 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 New Jersey

Every package is built around your family. A typical New Jersey package includes:

• Round-trip flights from Newark or JFK 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 New Jersey 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 travel.

Ramadan 2027 is expected to run from approximately February 8 to March 9, 2027, with Eid al-Fitr around March 10, which Paterson Public Schools marks as a day off. New Jersey families often aim for the last ten nights, and hotels nearest the Haram go first, so plan four to six months ahead.

Paterson Public Schools' 2026-2027 calendar shows the windows many North Jersey families use. The NJEA convention closes schools on November 5 and 6, 2026, giving a four-day weekend that can start a short trip. Thanksgiving break is November 26-27. Winter recess runs from December 24, 2026 to January 1, 2027, and a February break on the 15th and 16th falls in the first week of Ramadan. Spring break, March 26 to April 2, 2027, comes after the published last entry date of about March 23, so a spring break Umrah is not possible this season. Clifton, Jersey City, Newark and Edison calendars differ, so bring your own dates.

Local planning notes for New Jersey pilgrims

International flights at Newark leave mainly from Terminals B and C, depending on the airline, and your itinerary confirms which one. From Paterson and Clifton, the airport is usually 30 to 45 minutes by car via the Garden State Parkway or Route 21, and longer at rush hour. NJ Transit trains stop at Newark Airport station, where the AirTrain connects to the terminals, which suits travelers with light bags.

Be at Newark at least three hours before an international departure, and three and a half hours during Ramadan, Thanksgiving and the winter recess. If you choose the JFK nonstop, allow extra time for bridge and tunnel traffic, especially on Friday evenings. Winter nor'easters can delay departures, so we avoid tight connections in January and February and explain travel protection before you pay.

Coming home, US immigration and customs are handled at the arrival airport before you collect your bags, so arrange a pickup about an hour after landing. Zamzam water must stay within the airline's allowance, which your expert explains when you book, and Global Entry shortens the wait after a long trip.

Pilgrims from Staten Island, Rockland County and northeastern Pennsylvania also find Newark convenient. 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 Passaic, Hudson, Essex and Middlesex counties often travel together in the winter recess and in Ramadan. 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: relatives on Palestinian, Jordanian, Egyptian, Turkish or other passports need a separate check, 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, Newark or JFK, 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.

Why New Jersey 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 Newark connection and the JFK nonstop 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 New York (JFK and Newark), including the JFK nonstop.
• Umrah packages from Philadelphia (PHL) for South Jersey and Pennsylvania.
• Umrah packages from Washington, DC (Dulles), with a nonstop to Jeddah.
• Hajj packages from the USA for the 2027 season.
• Hajj and Umrah travel packages, both journeys in one overview.