Umrah Package Itinerary Checklist

A missing detail on an Umrah itinerary, such as an unclear transfer time, an ambiguous room-sharing price or a blank visa field, turns into a phone call at an inconvenient hour, or worse, confusion for the client in Makkah at night. Most of these gaps are not carelessness. They happen because an Umrah package has more moving parts than a normal ticket-and-hotel booking: a licensed operator, a visa process, two holy cities, a domestic leg and often a mixed group of ages.

This checklist covers what a complete Umrah package itinerary needs before it goes to a client. It is arranged in the order you will usually gather the information, with a note on why each item earns its place. For the layout side, see our guide to creating a professional Umrah itinerary.

Before You Build Anything: Intake Questions

A good itinerary starts with five minutes of questions. Ask them before you quote, because the answers change the package.

• How many travellers, and what are their ages? Are there children, elderly parents or anyone who uses a wheelchair or walks slowly?
• Are all travellers on the same passport nationality? Visa processes can differ by nationality, so this affects what the operator needs.
• Do the passports have enough validity left? Saudi Arabia expects a minimum validity beyond the travel date, so confirm the current rule with your operator and check every passport before you quote.
• Is this a first Umrah? First-timers need more explanation and more reassurance in the document.
• Do they want to start in Makkah or Madinah, and do they have flexibility on dates?
• Is anyone travelling from a different city or country and meeting the group there?

Booking Details

• Client full name(s) exactly as they appear on the passport
• Booking reference number
• Agent name (who booked it, for accountability and follow-up)
• Licensed operator name and contact, where the agency works with one
• Date of issue and version number if the document is reissued
• Offer validity date, if pricing is time-limited
• Package name (for example "7 Night Deluxe Umrah Package, Ramadan Special")

Names deserve their own paragraph. Many pilgrims have names with several parts, particles such as "bin", "bint" or "al", or a single-name passport. The ticket, the visa application and the hotel booking must all match the passport, letter for letter. Check the names on the itinerary against the passport scan, not against the enquiry form.

Flight Itinerary

• Every segment listed separately (outbound, any inter-city hop, return)
• Airline and flight number for each segment
• Departure and arrival airports, written in full, not only codes
• Correct departure and arrival dates, including next-day arrival for overnight flights
• Departure and arrival times, noted as local time at each airport
• Baggage allowance for each segment, including any domestic Saudi hop
• Ticketing status: ticketed, or still on hold with a time limit

Confirm the segments are actually confirmed before any of this goes into a document. A PNR health check catches waitlisted segments, missing contact elements and timing problems. For group departures, our batch conversion guide shows how to process several PNRs at once.

Hotels

• Hotel name and star category for Makkah
• Hotel name and star category for Madinah
• Distance or walking time to the Haram in Makkah and the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah, with the method (walking, shuttle)
• Check-in and check-out dates for each city, and the standard check-in time
• Room type, bedding configuration and view if relevant
• Whether meals are included, and which ones
• Whether the hotel is one of the properties linked to the Nusuk booking, where the operator uses it

Be specific about distance. "Five minutes" is an opinion; "350 metres, level walk" is information. If the route involves stairs, a long underpass or a steep gradient, say so for clients with mobility concerns.

Transport

• Airport pickup and drop-off arrangements, with the meeting point and who will be holding the sign
• Inter-city transport between Makkah and Madinah: coach, private car or the Haramain High Speed Railway
• For rail: whether tickets are included, whether they are issued per named passenger, and the departure station
• Any local transport included during the stay, such as shuttles to the Haram
• A local contact number for the driver or representative

The Haramain railway links Makkah, Jeddah, King Abdulaziz International Airport and Madinah, and the fastest journeys between the two holy cities take a little over two hours. It is popular in Ramadan and during the Hajj period, so if your package relies on it, state clearly when and how tickets are secured.

Visa, Permits and Health

• Visa type and the name of the party applying (agency, licensed operator, or the client directly)
• Reference or application number, if available at the time of issue
• The date by which the visa is expected, and what happens if it is late
• A reminder that Umrah permits and Rawdah visit slots are normally booked through the Nusuk app
• A note that health requirements, such as meningococcal vaccination, should be confirmed with the operator

Umrah and Hajj are different, and the rules differ too. Umrah visas are generally restricted around the Hajj season, on dates the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah announces. Hajj needs a dedicated Hajj visa, and an Umrah visa cannot be used for it. Visa validity, permitted stay and entry deadlines have changed in recent seasons, so avoid hard-coding a number into a template. Write the dates the operator gives you for this booking and ask the client to confirm the current rules with the Saudi authorities or the operator.

Ziyarat and Sightseeing

• List of included sites, if a ziyarat tour is part of the package
• Day, start time and pickup point
• Whether a guide is included and which languages the guide speaks
• Any physical demands, such as walking or time in the sun

Inclusions and Exclusions

• A clear list of what is included in the price (meals, transport, guide, visa, insurance)
• A clear list of what is excluded (personal expenses, optional tours, laundry, Zamzam shipping)
• Who pays for what if a hotel or flight changes

Price Breakdown

• Per-person price by room-sharing type (quad, triple, double)
• Child pricing, if applicable, with the age bands stated
• Currency and whether prices could move with exchange rates
• Deposit required and the date it is due
• Balance due date, written as a calendar date

Payment and Terms

• Accepted payment methods (bank transfer, card, instalment plan)
• Bank details, if paying by transfer, and the reference the client should quote
• Cancellation and amendment policy, including what happens if the visa is refused
• Passport validity requirement
• Who to call if the schedule changes, and the hours they are reachable

Special Cases to Plan For

Standard checklists fail on the unusual booking, and Umrah has more unusual bookings than most trips.

• Elderly travellers. Ask about wheelchair assistance at the airport, and state whether wheelchairs for the Haram are arranged by the client or the package. Put the walking distance to the Haram in writing.
• Families with children. List the ages used for child pricing, and check each child is on the correct passport and visa application. Children travelling with one parent may need extra paperwork, so ask the operator.
• Women travelling in a group without a male relative. Rules about mahram requirements have changed in recent years for adult women. Do not assume. Ask the operator for the current position and write what you are told into the document.
• Mixed-nationality groups. Different passports can mean different visa timelines, so show each traveller's status separately.
• Extensions. If a client wants extra nights, check that the visa conditions, not only the hotel, allow it.

A Simple Timeline From Quote to Return Flight

1. At quote: send an indicative itinerary with a validity date.
2. At deposit: collect passport scans and confirm every name.
3. At ticketing: issue the full itinerary once the flights are confirmed.
4. At visa issue: reissue with the visa details added and the version date updated.
5. About a week before departure: re-check the airline schedule, confirm transfer pickup details and send a short departure-day summary.
6. During travel: make sure someone in the agency can be reached, and know the time difference.
7. After return: ask for feedback and keep the file for the next booking.

Airlines retime flights, sometimes by only twenty minutes, and a changed time that never reaches the client is the commonest cause of a missed transfer. If you save bookings in My Bookings on PNRGenius, schedule-change alerts can flag a change on a saved PNR, but you should still make your own check close to departure.

What to Do When Something Goes Wrong

Even a complete itinerary meets surprises. A short plan helps.

• A flight is retimed or cancelled. Contact the airline first for the new schedule, then reissue the itinerary and call the client. Tell them what changed and whether pickup times move too.
• A visa is delayed. Speak to the operator immediately and tell the client the date you will next update them. Do not guess at an outcome.
• A hotel is changed. Confirm the replacement's distance to the Haram and its category in writing, and explain any difference in price.
• A traveller is ill before departure. Check the cancellation terms and any insurance, and handle the conversation kindly. These situations are stressful for the family.

This page is general guidance only. For anything that depends on current Saudi entry rules, fees or permit procedures, confirm with the Saudi authorities or your licensed operator.