Updated · Saudi Arabia Taxi Services
What happens on Umrah departure day?
Your Umrah departure day has three fixed points: your hotel's check-out time, your airline's check-in cut-off and the drive to the airport. The Farewell Tawaf, the last act before leaving Makkah, has to fit between them.
Getting the order right avoids two problems: rushing the Tawaf, and reaching the airport after check-in has closed. This guide shows how to plan the day and what to book.
Is the Farewell Tawaf required after Umrah?
The Farewell Tawaf, Tawaf al-Wada, is the last rite before leaving Makkah. Most scholars hold that it applies after Umrah as well as Hajj, while some differ. Ask a scholar you trust how it applies to you.
Situations such as illness or a woman's menstruation have their own rulings, and so does any delay after the Tawaf. Many scholars say you should leave soon after it, with only short travel-related tasks in between. Ask your scholar before the day, so your plan follows their advice.
Work back from your flight
Plan the day backwards, starting from the one time you cannot move: when check-in closes for your flight.
- Write the times down the evening before, so the whole group knows the plan.
- If the plan is tight, move the Tawaf earlier rather than cutting the margin for the road.
- Check your flight status in the airline's app before the pickup time.
| Step | What to find out | Who sets it |
|---|---|---|
| Check-in closes | The cut-off time for your flight and terminal | Your airline |
| Drive to the airport | About 1 h 25 min from Makkah to Jeddah Airport, plus a margin for traffic | The road and prayer-time closures |
| Pickup from the hotel | Where the car can reach your hotel, ideally at a time away from a prayer | Your hotel and our dispatcher |
| Farewell Tawaf | How long your Tawaf took on earlier days, plus extra for crowds | You; ask a scholar about the ruling |
| Hotel check-out | The check-out time, and whether the hotel can hold your bags | Your hotel |
Hotel check-out and your luggage
- Ask your hotel the day before about check-out time and whether they can hold your bags after you check out.
- Pack the night before, and keep passports, tickets and medicines together in one hand bag.
- Check out, leave your bags with the hotel and go to the Haram with only what you need.
- Return, collect your bags and meet the driver at your hotel's vehicle entrance.
- If your hotel is further out, in Aziziyah for example, an hourly driver from SAR 80 per hour can keep your bags in the car while you go to the Haram; agree a pickup point in advance, as roads near the Haram close at peak prayer times.
- If you have a lot of luggage or Zamzam, tell us so we send a vehicle with space. Our Umrah luggage guide helps you work out what you need.
Which airport, and how long is the drive?
Jeddah has the most international flights of the three. On the Makkah to Jeddah road, Thursday and Friday evenings can add 20 to 30 minutes, and central Makkah roads close near prayer times, so book a pickup away from a prayer if you can. Pickups at night (00:00–05:00) carry a 20% surcharge, shown in your quote.
| From Makkah to | Distance | Typical drive | Economy sedan | Family van | SUV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jeddah Airport (JED) | 102 km | 1 h 25 min | SAR 180 | SAR 330 | SAR 360 |
| Taif Airport (TIF) | 111 km | 1 h 20 min | SAR 190 | SAR 360 | SAR 390 |
| Madinah Airport (MED) | 460 km | 5 h 25 min | SAR 790 | SAR 1,480 | SAR 1,610 |
Leaving from Madinah instead
If you finish your trip in Madinah, the Farewell Tawaf is due when you leave Makkah for Madinah, not on the day you fly. If your plan is different, for example if you return to Makkah before flying, ask a scholar.
From a central Madinah hotel, Madinah Airport is about 25 min away. If you fly home from Jeddah after Madinah, the drive is 402 km, about 5 h, from SAR 690 per car, so leave Madinah with a wide margin before check-in.
Last checks before you leave the hotel
- Passports, visas and tickets in your hand bag.
- Zamzam packed the way your airline allows. Our Zamzam water guide lists the questions to ask.
- The driver's name and plate, sent the day before, and our number saved.
- A charged phone with data for the airline's app.
- The hotel bill settled, keys returned and the room safe checked.