Umrah Packages from Columbus
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from the Columbus metro area, departing via CMH.
Umrah from Columbus made simple
A new terminal is going up at John Glenn Columbus International Airport, with opening expected in early 2029, and until then the airport is working around its own construction site. Roads and parking have been moved to make room. Our fares are built on five gateway airports, JFK, IAD, ORD, ATL and LAX, and CMH is not one of them. That leaves two ways to start: a connection out of CMH, or a positioning flight to Chicago O'Hare or Washington Dulles, the nearest gateways. When a CMH start changes the fare, you'll hear the number from the team before you book. Below, you'll find the parking changes, the pickup spot for your return and the ID you need at security.
Departures
CMH
Routing
From CMH, the route to Jeddah runs through at least one other airport: an overseas hub, or a gateway like O'Hare or Dulles.
Community
CRIS, a Columbus refugee services agency, says Somali refugees who arrive in the city are often reunited with family and friends or find a support network already in place. The Noor Islamic Cultural Center, with campuses in Dublin and Hilliard, holds several Friday prayers and runs Quran studies, weekend schools and youth programs, along with marriage, funeral and counseling services and a monthly food drive for people in need across Central Ohio.
Getting to Makkah from Columbus
Give yourself more time at CMH than you used to. By early September 2026 a new eastbound International Gateway roadway had opened, and the airport announced more overnight changes, including to the garage exit, so follow the posted signs rather than memory.
After security, a Columbus start means at least one connection. The ticket either links from CMH to a routing through a European, Turkish or Gulf hub, or it begins with a positioning flight to one of the five gateways. Count on roughly 18 to 24 hours between leaving the house and stepping off the plane in Jeddah, and more if a layover runs long.
With that many hours and more than one flight, your hand luggage matters. Pack a change of clothes and any medication there, since a checked bag has more chances to go astray on a ticket with several legs. Bring an empty refillable bottle and fill it after security. If there are children in the group, a charged tablet and a few familiar snacks will do more for everyone's patience than any travel tip.
Parking while the airport rebuilds
The CMH Next program is replacing the terminal, and parking has shifted to make space. To prepare the site, the airport closed its Blue Shuttle Lot to new parkers in December 2024 and opened a 2,550-space expansion of the Red Lot at the same time. When the new terminal opens, it's planned to come with a garage of more than 5,000 spaces. Until then, check the airport's parking page in the week you leave rather than heading for the lot you used last time.
Your pickup point on the way home
You'll be tired when you land, so settle the pickup spot before you go. For Uber or Lyft at the current terminal, go to the arrivals level, which is level 1, cross the Arrivals drive to the ground transportation area, and wait between the columns to the right. Taxis wait on the ground transportation level. For the bus, COTA's trip planner covers the terminal, and COTA runs a paratransit service for riders who can't use its fixed-route buses.
The ID you show at security
Every departure from CMH starts at a TSA checkpoint, including a short positioning flight. Since May 7, 2025, state driver's licenses and IDs that aren't REAL ID compliant are no longer accepted at airports. A US passport is on TSA's list of acceptable ID, and you'll be carrying it for the international part of the trip anyway. Show it at the first checkpoint and keep it somewhere zipped and consistent, the same pocket every time, until you're back in Columbus.
Three ways to go from Columbus
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 Columbus: questions
Probably not, unless your trip is in 2029 or later. The airport's CMH Next timeline expects the new terminal to open in early 2029. Until then you'll use the current terminal, which was first unveiled in 1958. When the new building does open, the airport says it will have 36 gates, two of them international gates with customs facilities, and a single TSA checkpoint with 12 screening lanes.
Possibly. CMH was one of 13 airports chosen for the national launch of GateSide by TSA PreCheck, which lets eligible visitors who aren't flying go through to the secure side. The visitor must already have TSA PreCheck or a Known Traveler Number, apply online one to three days before the visit, and show the approved reservation and valid ID at the PreCheck lane. Children can come along if they're on an eligible adult's reservation.
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.