Umrah Packages from Philadelphia

Assalamu Alaikum. An Umrah package from Philadelphia with Fond Travels puts the whole journey in one plan: flights from Philadelphia International (PHL) 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 West Philadelphia, North Philadelphia, Upper Darby, Delaware County, Cherry Hill, Wilmington or the Lehigh Valley, and a travel expert arranges it with you by phone. This guide covers the new daily nonstop from PHL to Doha, the other routings, how the Philadelphia school calendar fits the 2026-2027 Umrah season, and practical tips for departure day.

Flights from Philadelphia to Jeddah and Madinah

Philadelphia has no nonstop flight to Saudi Arabia, but since August 1, 2026 it has a daily nonstop to Doha again. The flight leaves PHL in the evening and reaches Doha the following afternoon, and Doha has several flights a day on to Jeddah and Madinah, each about two and a half hours. Counting the layover, the total journey usually takes 16 to 19 hours, which makes this the most convenient one-stop option from the Delaware Valley.

Philadelphia also has nonstops to several European hubs, including London and Frankfurt, with onward flights to Jeddah and Madinah, useful on dates when the Doha connection is full. For a nonstop straight to Jeddah, JFK is about two hours away by car and Dulles about three, and both have nonstop flights to Jeddah. Some families prefer that drive or a short train ride to a single long overseas flight.

Your expert compares these options for your dates, looking at total time, layover and arrival hour, and confirms current schedules before quoting.

Route options from Philadelphia

Should you land in Jeddah or Madinah first?

From Philadelphia you cross seven or eight time zones. 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 in Doha or on board before the announcement.

Madinah first gives time to rest near Masjid an-Nabawi before the more demanding days in Makkah, and the Doha connection makes it easy to arrange. 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 Philadelphia

Every package is shaped around your family. A typical Philadelphia package includes:

• Round-trip flights from PHL 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 Philadelphia 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. Philadelphia families often aim for the last ten nights, and the School District of Philadelphia observes Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as days off when they fall on weekdays. Hotels nearest the Haram go first, so plan four to six months ahead.

The School District of Philadelphia's 2026-2027 calendar offers three windows. Thanksgiving break runs from November 25 to 27, 2026, a five-day gap with the weekends that suits a short trip with a few extra days. Winter recess begins on December 23, 2026, with students returning on January 4, 2027. Spring recess runs from March 22 to 26, 2027, right at the published last entry date, so a spring recess Umrah needs visas issued by about March 9 and arrival by about March 23. Suburban, South Jersey and Delaware calendars differ, so bring your own dates.

Local planning notes for Philadelphia pilgrims

International flights at PHL leave mainly from Terminal A, and your itinerary confirms the terminal before departure. From West and North Philadelphia the airport is usually 20 to 40 minutes by car via Interstate 76 or Interstate 95, longer at rush hour. The SEPTA Airport Line runs from Center City to every terminal, which suits travelers with light bags.

Be at PHL at least three hours before an international departure, and three and a half hours during Ramadan, Thanksgiving and the winter recess. Keep passports, visas, the Nusuk permit and vaccination records together in your carry-on bag. Winter storms can delay departures from December to February, so we avoid tight connections at that time and explain travel protection before you pay.

Coming home, the Doha flight lands at PHL in the afternoon, and US immigration and customs are handled 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.

Pilgrims from Allentown, Reading, Lancaster, Wilmington and South Jersey also start at PHL, which is often closer than Newark or Dulles. 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 across the Delaware Valley 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: a separate check for anyone traveling on a non-US passport, including transit rules in Doha or 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 PHL.

Why Philadelphia 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 put the PHL connections and the East Coast nonstops 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 Jersey (Newark) for North and Central Jersey.
• Umrah packages from New York (JFK and Newark), including the JFK nonstop.
• 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.