Money is one of the first things people worry about once the trip is booked, and it is usually simpler than they fear. If you travel on a package, most of the big costs are already paid. What is left is the day to day spending, and that is easy to plan for.
What your package already covers
When you book an all inclusive Umrah package, the expensive parts are handled before you leave home: your flights, the Umrah visa, your hotels in both cities, your airport and intercity transport, breakfast each day, and guided ziyarat. That means you are not budgeting for the trip itself, only for the extras while you are there.
What you actually spend money on
Here is where your riyals really go once you arrive.
- Meals beyond breakfast. Lunch and dinner are usually on you. Food around the mosques ranges from cheap and filling to proper restaurant meals.
- Gifts and zamzam. Dates, prayer mats, perfume, gifts for family, and zamzam water to bring home. This is often the biggest extra.
- Sadaqah and charity. Many pilgrims give generously in the holy cities. Set this aside on purpose.
- Local taxis. For short trips a taxi or a ride app like Careem is handy, even if your main transfers are included.
- Small extras. A local SIM or eSIM, laundry, snacks, an extra ihram, bottled water and the occasional coffee.
A simple way to budget
A common rough guide is around 30 to 60 US dollars a day per person for food and small extras, then a separate pot for gifts, zamzam and sadaqah, which is entirely up to your heart and your means. A family can share many costs, so the per person figure often comes down.
How to pay once you are there
- Cards work almost everywhere. Hotels, malls, pharmacies and most restaurants take Visa, Mastercard and contactless, including Apple Pay and Google Pay.
- Carry some cash for taxis, small shops, tips and charity. ATMs are plentiful if you run low.
- Tell your bank you are travelling so a foreign transaction is not flagged and frozen.
- Keep a little US cash as a backup, and split your money and cards between two places so a lost wallet is never a disaster.
The Saudi Riyal is fixed to the dollar, so you do not need to watch exchange rates. One dollar is worth about 3.75 riyals, and that does not move.
The bigger picture
Spending money is only one part of the cost of the trip. To understand the whole thing, from flights and hotels to the visa, read our honest breakdown of what Umrah really costs from the USA. And if you plan to bring zamzam home, our guide on taking zamzam water back to the US will save you trouble at the airport.
Want a clear, all in price so you know exactly what is left to budget? Request a quote and we will lay it out for you.
