Umrah Packages from Cincinnati
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from Greater Cincinnati, departing via CVG.
Umrah from Cincinnati made simple
Cross the Ohio River and you're in Kentucky, which is where the region's main airport actually sits. Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport is in Boone County, off I-275. Because CVG isn't one of our five pricing gateways, plan on either a connection at CVG or a positioning flight to a gateway first, with Chicago O'Hare the nearest of them. The team will tell you before booking whether a CVG start changes the fare. For older relatives, the trip out to the gates deserves some thought as well, because both concourses are reached by an underground people mover. Passport timing matters too, since there's no passport agency in Ohio or Kentucky.
Departures
CVG
Routing
CVG trips reach Jeddah after at least one change of planes, at a European, Turkish or Gulf hub or at a gateway such as O'Hare.
Community
Clifton Mosque, run by the Islamic Association of Cincinnati, says it has served the city since 1969, and it stands on Clifton Avenue near the Cincinnati Zoo. Further north, the Islamic Center of Greater Cincinnati in West Chester Township opened on November 9, 1995. It holds several Jumu'ah prayers each Friday and runs Quran and weekend school programs, youth activities and social services, including food, employment and financial coaching support.
Getting to Makkah from Cincinnati
From downtown, the drive crosses into Kentucky and reaches the airport from I-275 at exit 4, and TANK's 2X bus makes the same trip for anyone not driving. At CVG, leave time to reach the gate, since both concourses sit apart from the main terminal.
How the flights run depends on where the ticket begins. Begin at CVG and you connect onward through a European, Turkish or Gulf hub. Begin at a gateway, O'Hare being the closest, and you'll need a positioning flight first, which can add another stop. The total, door to gate in Jeddah, is likely to be roughly 18 to 24 hours.
A layover is a sensible place to put on ihram if Makkah is where you're heading first. An airport washroom gives you far more room than an aircraft lavatory, and the ihram has to be on before the plane reaches the miqat, so don't leave it until the final leg is nearly over.
Coming home, the last flight lands back in Kentucky. Make sure whoever is collecting you knows it's CVG, and send them the flight number rather than just the arrival time.
Your airport is in Kentucky
CVG is in Boone County, Kentucky. From downtown Cincinnati you cross the Ohio River to reach it, and the airport exit is number 4 on I-275. Give whoever is driving the full name, Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, along with the exit number. The airport's website shows security wait times and open parking spots and links to parking reservations, so look there before you set off.
Getting out to the concourses
CVG has one terminal and two concourses, A and B, and both are islands reached by an underground moving walkway and people mover. For a grandparent who walks slowly, that means extra distance and a train ride between check-in and the gate. The airport says wheelchair assistance can be provided by airlines and by third-party assistance at the airport, so ask for it well ahead of the day, and build extra time in between check-in and boarding.
No passport agency in Ohio or Kentucky
Neither Ohio nor Kentucky has a passport agency on the State Department's list. From Cincinnati, the nearest are Detroit and Chicago, and both work by appointment for urgent trips abroad, within 14 days of travel. Children under 16 must attend with both parents or guardians, so a last-minute fix can mean the whole family on a long drive. Check every expiry date first, then apply the ordinary way, through an acceptance facility, by mail or online, while there's still time.
Three ways to go from Cincinnati
Seven nights, flights included. The tier decides how close your hotels are.
- AffordableVoco Makkah (IHG)5-7 minutes by shuttle, or about 15 minutes' walkShaza Regency PlazaAbout 3 minutes' walk$1,590per person, quad
- PremiumRotana Jabal Omar MakkahUnder 2 minutes' walkPullman Zamzam MadinahUnder 1 minute's walk$1,790per person, quad
- LuxurySwissotel Makkah, Clock TowerFacing the HaramAnwar Al Madinah MövenpickFacing Masjid an-Nabawi$1,890per person, quad
Umrah from Cincinnati: questions
Yes. TANK, the Northern Kentucky bus operator, runs Route 2X, the Airporter, from downtown Cincinnati to the CVG terminal and on to the Florence Hub. Downtown stops include 5th at Elm, 5th at Vine and Government Square. On weekdays the first bus leaves downtown before 4 a.m. and the last one after midnight, and for most of the day there's a bus about every 30 minutes, seven days a week. The bus suits anyone travelling light.
Because the airport's code comes from Covington, Kentucky, the nearest city when the airport opened. Its full name is Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, and it serves the Cincinnati area, even though it sits across the river in Boone County. So CVG on your itinerary, boarding pass and bag tags is correct. When you search flights or share your plans with relatives, use CVG and you'll land in the right place.
Our 7-night flight-inclusive packages run from $1,590 to $1,890 per person on quad occupancy, with airfare, the e-visa, medical insurance, both hotels and the Haramain train inside that figure. Advertised prices are based on departures from JFK, IAD, ORD, ATL and LAX. Flying out of your city may add to the airfare, and we'll confirm exactly how much before you book anything.