Hajj, the sacred journey of purifying sins manifest millions of Muslims in Mekkah & Medinah every year. It is that sacred Dhu-al-Hijjah lunar month when world’s biggest gathering takes place in Saudi Arabia to offer praying to Allah. The Hajj, as a mandatory duty for Muslims is once in a lifetime experience for all adults, without any language, culture face, and habits barriers, they gather together to amplify the perceptual benefit of our lives in the world. This is determinedly the ultimate act of worship for any Muslim as it involves traveling to the holiest place. That’s why it’s a good idea to take a look at a Hajj pilgrimage package that can take any able-bodied Muslim to the center or Islamic worship.
Tips for choosing Hajj Tour Package
As it’s well known to all Muslims, that Hajj and Umrah are significant obligations in Islam. Allah has offered numerous ways to seek forgiveness of sins by going on holy tours to Hajj and Umrah. Unfortunately, due to tight schedules and overcrowding in Saudi Arabia, many interested travelers remain unable to go there for performing sacred rituals in the month of Ramadan. For that, they need to book special Hajj packages before for accessing that divine opportunity.
Hajj and Umrah packages are affordable and approachable. There are group and tailor made packages for pilgrims who travel to Hajj or Umrah individually or with a crew. The service provider takes good care of pilgrim’s flight, accommodation and transportation, giving them an opportunity to perform their sacred obligations with complete convenience and peace of mind. They are profound in accessing multiple dexterities related to ticket booking, visa processing, accommodation, transport, flight schedule, etc. Some of them are even more exposed to varied rites of Umrah and Hajj. The journey is very sacred, whose spiritual aspect can be overshadowed when faced with logistical troubles. Therefore, choosing the perfect Hajj package is crucial to experience the spirit wholeheartedly.
Tips to consider before choosing a Hajj or Umrah Package:
- Choosing an agency registered and licensed by Ministry of Saudi Hajj ensures complete satisfaction. Registered agencies are quite familiar with government rules and regulations, they have updated information to process visa request, resolve issues, contact Ministry of Hajj and Umrah, booking flights, hotels and transportation arrangement. They are also cheaper because travel arrangement in Saudi Arabia can only be done by authorized agencies.
- All authorized agencies may not be good at service, while some are more professional than others. Therefore, ask for referrals from other customers, preview some reviews from previous clients and then land upto to any conclusion.
- Company of a knowledgeable and experienced guide is essential for you. No matter how much information you have accumulated from books or lectures, you may face questions, you had not anticipated before.
- Most agencies provide one or two imams for a large variety of packages. This troubles pilgrim to contact imams, in case the imams stay at other hotel or traveling in different bus or living in a different tent. Therefore, first ensure that the imam will do the hajj with the pilgrimage of the packages you have selected.
- Prefer a female guide, if the group follows women or girls to the pilgrimage.
- The Agency providing accommodation facility is a convenient option. If they provide Makkah, Madinah stays closest to the Dawain al Hijra or Taj Kartaj in 5 star, 4 star or 3 star hotels for 10-14 days, then it could cut travel cost, conserve energy for worshiping and save time. Form the epitome of luxury and trendiness, these rental homes should be comfortable and pilgrimage friendly. Moreover, some agencies work with famous Saudi Arabia counterparts to cater all tastes and budgets of visitors. Remember the hotel ratings in Saudi Arabia are not same to those done in the United States or other countries.
- Some agencies provide additional complementary service like special AC tents, private coach transfer between Makkah and Madina, shuttle service between Jamarat, Aziziyah, Haram and outskirts of Mina. This can save you a lot of money on transportation and accommodation near the pilgrimage sites.
- Hajj packages that offer flight booking and Visa arrangement are favorable for visitors. It is useful to check all the details carefully to incorporate best value of your money invested. Go through the past records and company’s history and employee base. This will help to build more trust and ensure more satisfaction.
If you are participating in Hajj this year, it is important to understand the above mentioned points. Haji and Umrah is once in a lifetime experience and choosing most suitable Hajj package helps you to get most out of your journey. Make it more memorable and satisfying with best Haji tour operators.