Umrah Packages from San Diego

Assalamu Alaikum. An Umrah package from San Diego with Fond Travels puts the whole journey in one plan: flights from San Diego International (SAN) or nearby Los Angeles (LAX) 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 San Diego, El Cajon, Chula Vista, Mira Mesa, Escondido, Temecula or anywhere in San Diego County, and a travel expert arranges it with you by phone. This guide covers how Umrah flights from San Diego work, how the school calendar fits the 2026-2027 Umrah season, and practical tips for departure day.

Flights from San Diego to Jeddah and Madinah

San Diego has no nonstop flight to Saudi Arabia or the Gulf, but Los Angeles does. LAX has a nonstop to Jeddah three times a week, about 16 hours in the air, and nonstops to Doha, Dubai and Istanbul with onward flights to Jeddah and Madinah. San Diego pilgrims reach LAX by a short flight or a two to three hour drive, so the total journey is usually 19 to 23 hours depending on the routing.

From San Diego itself, the international options are nonstops to London, Munich and Amsterdam, each with onward flights to Jeddah or Madinah, for about 20 to 24 hours in total. These suit families who prefer to start at their home airport, especially with young children or older parents who find the drive to Los Angeles tiring. Your expert compares every routing and confirms current schedules before quoting.

Route options from San Diego

Should you land in Jeddah or Madinah first?

From Southern California you cross ten or eleven 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 San Diego

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

• Round-trip flights from SAN or LAX 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 San Diego 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. San Diego families often aim for the last ten nights, and hotels nearest the Haram go first, so plan four to six months ahead.

San Diego Unified's 2026-2027 calendar offers Thanksgiving week from November 23 to 27, 2026 and a winter break from December 21, 2026, with students back on January 5, 2027. The winter break is the most practical school window for Umrah from the West Coast, where travel takes close to a full day each way. Spring break, March 29 to April 2, 2027, falls after the published last entry date of about March 23, so it cannot be used this season. Other districts in the county differ.

Local planning notes for San Diego pilgrims

At San Diego International, international flights use Terminal 2 West; the new Terminal 1, opened in 2025, serves domestic flights. From El Cajon, Mira Mesa or Chula Vista, allow 20 to 30 minutes by car, and more at rush hour. If you drive to LAX instead, leave four to five hours before the flight to allow for traffic on Interstate 5 and Interstate 405.

San Diego County has large Arab, Iraqi, Somali and Afghan communities, and many families travel with relatives who hold Iraqi, Afghan or other passports. Saudi visa rules differ by nationality, so we check each traveler's documents separately and make sure names match the passports exactly on every ticket.

West Coast pilgrims cross ten or eleven time zones, so a rest day at the start of the trip makes a real difference. Many families choose Madinah first and plan a quiet evening before the first visit to the Prophet's Mosque. Keep passports, visas, the Nusuk permit and vaccination records together in your carry-on bag.

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

Pilgrims from Oceanside, Escondido, Temecula and the Imperial Valley also start at San Diego or LAX. 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 El Cajon, Mira Mesa, City Heights and North County often travel together over the winter break 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 Iraqi, Afghan and other passports common in San Diego families.

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 SAN or LAX.

Why San Diego 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 the LAX nonstop, every LAX connection and the San Diego options 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 Los Angeles (LAX), with the Jeddah nonstop in detail.
• Umrah packages from the San Francisco Bay Area for Northern California.
• Umrah packages from Phoenix (PHX) for Arizona.
• Hajj packages from the USA for the 2027 season.
• Hajj and Umrah travel packages, both journeys in one overview.