Umrah is a pilgrimage for the Muslims from all over the world. Umrah is basically a trip to two important pilgrim sites in Islam; Makkah and Medina. Unlike Hajj, one can go for the Umrah tour during any time of the year. The meaning of the term Umrah is “visiting an occupied place”. According to Sharia, Umrah is to do Sai in between Al-Marwah and Al Safa hills and offering Tawaf in the region of Kaaba. In Islam, Umrah is not compulsory, however, is highly recommended. During Umrah, a special kind of attire should be worn which is called Ihram. It is a specially designed, white colored dress. Every year, thousands of Muslim devotees from all over the world take the Umrah trip. In the following section of this article, a brief insight will be offered on some of the important aspects of the Umrah packages.
Few Tips for the Tour of Umrah :
For those, who are planning to take the tour of Umrah, might find the following section useful
- Search for Cheap International & Low-Cost Air Tickets : When it comes to the major pilgrimage like Umrah and Hajj, various airlines offer tickets on discounted rates. Thankfully, these days there are multiple options available in terms of airlines. These airlines operate from all over the world and they offer a special rate for the Umrah packages. Some of these airlines offer an additional discount for senior citizens and people can avail even more discounts if they opt for a return ticket.
- Prompt Passport & visa service available : For those, you are planning to make an Umrah trip, need not worry much about the passport and visa issues. In most of the countries, prompt visa and passports are issued to those destined for Umrah. This is a leverage which has been allowed by most of the government. In many countries, there are special quotas which can be availed by the pilgrims for the tour to Umrah. For those who don’t have a passport, can apply for one under the special category for pilgrimage, it may vary from country to country. The passport will be issued within a couple of days. The best way to apply for a passport would be through an agency who deals in issuing of passports. The same thing is applicable when it comes to Visa. There are very few restrictions imposed on the ones who are willing to go for the tour to Umrah.
- Same day Visa service available : In order to make things even easier for the tourists, most of the countries have arranged for issuing a visa on the same day it is been applied for. A formal interview session is being conducted where a couple of basic questions are being asked, certain basic security checks are done and that’s it.
For those who are planning to go for Umrah, it is recommended that they opted for a package tour. These Umrah packages are being conducted by the travel agencies who would ensure a safe and hassle-free journey.