The Umrah guide step by step

Saudi rules allow it: the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah permits women to perform Umrah without a mahram, and women under 18 should travel with a parent or guardian. The Islamic ruling is a separate question. The Hanafi school, followed by most Pakistanis, holds that a woman should not travel 48 miles (about 78 km) or more without her husband or a mahram, including for Umrah. The Shafi'i and Maliki schools allow a woman to travel with a trustworthy group of women for an obligatory pilgrimage, and some contemporary Hanafi scholars allow exceptions only in cases of real necessity. Please ask your own scholar before booking.

You stay in Ihram and can do everything except Tawaf and entering the mosque: keep reciting the Talbiyah and wait. When the bleeding stops, take a bath and then perform Tawaf, Sa'i and Taqsir (Sahih al-Bukhari 305; Sahih Muslim 1211). If your period starts after you have finished Tawaf, you can complete Sa'i and cut your hair. If your return flight truly cannot be changed and you cannot come back later, some Hanafi scholars allow Tawaf in that state as a last resort, with a dam given in the Haram; the act is sinful but the Umrah is valid. Do not rely on this without asking a scholar. To avoid the problem, plan your dates around your cycle; many scholars allow medication to delay a period if a doctor confirms it is safe.

Yes. Nusuk lists free manual wheelchairs at Masjid al-Haram (eastern courtyard at the mass-transport entrance, southern courtyard near the King Abdulaziz Endowment, and western courtyard at the Shubaikah entrance), electric carts at set entrances, and free golf carts in the courtyards, with dedicated routes on the upper floors. Masjid an-Nabawi also provides free wheelchairs and golf carts, and elderly visitors may enter the Rawdah in a manual wheelchair. The upper-floor route is longer, so allow extra time. In the Hanafi school walking is required for those who are able, but anyone who genuinely cannot walk the distance may ride with no penalty.

The rites usually take 2 to 4 hours: Tawaf about 45 to 90 minutes and Sa'i about 45 to 90 minutes, plus prayer, Zamzam and rest. They can take much longer at peak times (Ramadan, holidays, Fridays and just after congregational prayers) and on the upper floors, where each circuit is longer. Sa'i is roughly 3 km in total. Elderly pilgrims can rest between Tawaf and Sa'i; they do not have to be done without a break.

Before the Miqat, not at Jeddah. Flights from Pakistan usually pass over or parallel to Qarn al-Manazil before Jeddah, and the Saudi Ministry states that Jeddah airport is not a Miqat. Bathe, put on your Ihram clothing and pray two rak'ahs at home or at the airport in Pakistan, then make the intention and start the Talbiyah after take-off, at least about half an hour before landing. If you are going to Madinah first, you do not need Ihram on this flight. If you crossed the Miqat without Ihram, return to a Miqat before Tawaf; otherwise a dam is due.

The meningococcal ACWY vaccine (conjugate within 5 years or polysaccharide within 3 years, at least 10 days before arrival); a polio dose (bOPV or IPV) at least 4 weeks before travel, with the NADRA-linked NIMS certificate that is checked at Pakistani airports; and proof of COVID-19 vaccination if you are over 65, pregnant or have certain chronic illnesses (1447H rules; check for updates). The seasonal flu vaccine is recommended. Carry your medicines in their original packaging with prescriptions and a short medical report.