In recent years, many travelers have started to perform Umrah independently rather than joining organized tours. We also chose to go individually in 2024 — and it turned out to be one of the best decisions we made. Even though it was our first time, we learned a lot during the planning process and had full control over our schedule.
We started our Umrah preparations by getting a passport. Since we wanted a long-term (10-year) passport, the cost was around 7,500 TL per person (as of 2024).
We searched for hotels via booking.com, filtering options based on proximity to the Kaaba. We chose a hotel in the Mahbas Jin area — a convenient location since shuttle buses run to the Kaaba every minute, so walking wasn’t necessary.
The best part? It was about 3–5 times cheaper than the hotels directly near the Kaaba.
After receiving our passports (within three days), we started checking flight prices through Skyscanner and KAYAK. Once we found a good deal for the new Jeddah airport, we booked immediately.
