There is no religious rule about the order. The Prophet, peace be upon him, lived in Madinah and traveled to Makkah for his Umrahs, and pilgrims today go both ways. So the choice comes down to your flight, your energy and who is traveling with you.
Here is how we help American pilgrims decide.
The case for Makkah first
You do the Umrah while your intention is fresh. Many pilgrims describe the first sight of the Kaaba as the moment they have waited years for, and do not want to wait any longer.
- Ihram is simple on a Jeddah flight. You enter ihram before landing, reach your hotel, rest if you need to, and perform Umrah.
- Nonstop flights go to Jeddah. From New York, Washington and Los Angeles, Saudia’s nonstops land in Jeddah, about an hour and a half by road from Makkah.
- You leave from Madinah at the end, which is a gentle way to finish. The last days are quieter, and many pilgrims say Madinah gave them peace before going home.
A pilgrim who wrote about it on Reddit put it well: going to Makkah first, when her spiritual energy was at its highest, meant the Umrah itself felt like the center of the trip rather than something at the end of it.
The case for Madinah first
You arrive, recover, then do Umrah properly. From the United States you are eight to eleven hours out of your time zone and have been traveling for up to a day.
- No ihram on the plane. You do not have to change in a cramped cabin or watch the flight map for the miqat. You enter ihram at Dhul Hulayfah, a proper mosque, on the way to Makkah.
- Jet lag lands on calmer days. Madinah is quieter, the walks are shorter, and missing a prayer in the mosque because you fell asleep matters less.
- Easier for parents and children. Elderly pilgrims and young families often find it better to build strength before tawaf and sa’i.
- Connecting flights make it easy. Qatar Airways, Emirates and Turkish Airlines all fly into Madinah, so pilgrims from Chicago, Houston, Dallas or Atlanta can land in Madinah with the same one connection they would take to Jeddah.
A quick way to decide
| If this is you | We usually suggest |
|---|---|
| Flying Saudia nonstop to Jeddah | Makkah first |
| Connecting through Doha, Dubai or Istanbul | Either, Madinah is easy |
| Traveling with elderly parents | Madinah first |
| Traveling with children under seven | Madinah first |
| Short trip of 7 nights or fewer | Makkah first, to guarantee Umrah time |
| Traveling for Ramadan’s last ten nights | Madinah first, then Makkah for the final nights |
| Worried about getting sick | Madinah first, so a cold does not hit before Umrah |
How ihram works in each order
Makkah first
Enter ihram before your flight crosses the miqat, usually 20 to 45 minutes before landing in Jeddah. Men often change at the airport before boarding or at the connecting airport. Step by step guide to ihram and the rites.
Madinah first
When you leave Madinah for Makkah, put on ihram and make the intention at Dhul Hulayfah (Abyar Ali), about ten kilometres from the Prophet’s Mosque.
- By road, your driver or coach stops at the Dhul Hulayfah mosque so you can change and pray.
- By Haramain train, there is no stop at the miqat. Put on ihram at the hotel, and make the intention once the train has left the city, before it passes the miqat.
The journey between the cities
- Haramain high-speed train. Around two and a half hours between Madinah and Makkah stations, then a short taxi to your hotel. Comfortable and fast, and included in our five-star packages.
- Private car. Around four to five hours door to door, with a stop at the miqat when heading to Makkah. Included in our four-star packages.
- Coach. Slower and cheaper, included in our three-star packages.
How to split your nights
For most trips, we suggest a little more time in Makkah than Madinah, because Umrah is performed in Makkah and many pilgrims want to do tawaf more than once.
- 7 nights: 4 Makkah, 3 Madinah
- 10 nights: 5 and 5, or 6 and 4
- 14 nights: 8 Makkah, 6 Madinah
Every one of our Umrah packages can start in either city, and the nights can be moved. When you request a quote, choose where you want to start in the form and we will build the trip around it.
