Every year, some pilgrims save for years, pay an agency, and are left stranded, or arrive to a hotel that is nothing like the one they were promised. Malaysia’s government has reported hundreds of Umrah fraud complaints in a single year, and Saudi authorities regularly warn against fake pilgrimage offers on social media.
In the US, the stories are usually smaller but still painful: a group leader who vanished, a tour group that stopped replying weeks before departure, or a “five-star” hotel forty minutes from the mosque. One post in the Umrah from USA community this year was simply titled Tour Group Ghosted Me.
Here is how to protect yourself, whoever you book with, including us.
Twelve questions to ask before you pay
- Which hotels, by name? “Five-star near Haram” is not an answer. Ask for the hotel names in both cities.
- How far is each hotel from the mosque, on foot? Look them up on a map yourself.
- Are flights included? Many advertised prices are land only.
- What room type is the price for? A quad room price looks much cheaper than a double.
- What dates does the price apply to? Ramadan and December are priced very differently.
- Is the visa included, and how is it issued?
- Are airport transfers and the Makkah to Madinah journey included? Private or shared?
- Is there a group leader or local representative, and how do you reach them in Saudi Arabia?
- What happens if a hotel is overbooked? A good agency upgrades or moves you to an equal hotel.
- What is the deposit, and when is the balance due?
- What is the cancellation and refund policy, in writing?
- Can I pay by credit card?
Any agency worth booking should answer every one of these in writing, without hesitation.
Warning signs
- A price far below everyone else. Umrah costs are driven by hotels and flights that every agency pays for. A package half the market price is being cut somewhere, or it is not real.
- “Or similar” hotels with no names.
- Pressure to pay today to “secure the last seats.”
- Payment only by wire, Zelle, cash apps or cash.
- No written quote or terms.
- No real address or business registration.
- Reviews only on the agency’s own website, or a sudden burst of five-star reviews in one week.
- Promising Hajj packages to US residents. Since 2022, pilgrims from the US apply for Hajj through the official Nusuk Hajj platform. Saudi authorities have warned that Hajj offers outside official channels are deceptive.
- Guaranteed Rawdah access. No agency can guarantee a Rawdah slot. Permits are booked individually in Nusuk.
How to check an agency
- Search the business name with words like “reviews”, “scam” and “complaint”, and read Google, Reddit and Facebook groups.
- Look at Google reviews over time, not just the star rating.
- Check state registration. Some states, including California, Florida and Washington, require sellers of travel to register. Your state’s business registry will show whether the company exists.
- Call the phone number. Does someone answer who knows the product?
- Ask a friend from your masjid who has traveled with them.
Protect your payment
- Pay by credit card wherever possible. It gives you the right to dispute charges for services not delivered.
- Keep every document: quotes, invoices, messages and receipts.
- Do not pay the full balance months early unless the terms require it and you trust the agency.
- Consider travel insurance that covers supplier failure.
Once you arrive
- Get your hotel confirmation numbers before you fly, and check them directly with the hotel if you are unsure.
- Save your agency’s local contact in Saudi Arabia on WhatsApp.
- Keep your passport yourself. Some hotels and groups ask to hold passports; you are entitled to keep your own.
What we do
We would rather you check us than trust us blindly. With every quote, we give you named hotels, room types, transfers, dates and a total price in writing before you pay a deposit, and we answer every question on the list above.
Request a quote and hold us to it. If you are comparing offers, our guide to what Umrah really costs from the USA will help you tell a fair price from a suspicious one.
