Umrah Packages from Fremont
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from East Bay / San Francisco Bay Area, departing via OAK, SFO & SJC.
Umrah from Fremont made simple
Few US counties have as many Afghan-born residents as the one Fremont sits in. The Migration Policy Institute lists Alameda County among the top four, and the Afghan Coalition, which has supported Afghan families since 1996, keeps its office on Liberty Street. For getting to the airport, the city's real advantage is BART. Northbound trains from Fremont and Warm Springs/South Fremont stations reach Coliseum, where a separate airport train runs to Oakland's airport, and SFO is reachable with a change. None of the Bay Area airports is on our list of five priced gateways, so flying from any of them may push the airfare up, and we confirm that figure before you book.
Departures
OAK, SFO & SJC
Routing
No priced gateway nearby. From OAK or SFO you'll make at least one connection, or you can position through LAX first.
Community
Alameda County had 35 Muslim congregations and an estimated 57,322 adherents in the 2020 U.S. Religion Census, which put Muslims third in the county by adherents, behind the Catholic Church and nondenominational Christian churches. In ISPU's 2013 Bay Area study, Alameda held 37 percent of the region's Muslim community, more than any other county, and Afghans made up 17 percent of the Muslims it described.
Getting to Makkah from Fremont
Head north on BART for Oakland's airport. The Fremont timetable labels northbound trains as OAK Airport services, so ride one to Coliseum, go upstairs, and take the airport train, which stops across from the Terminal 1 baggage claim. Getting to SFO takes more effort. Neither line through Fremont runs there, so you'll change trains on the way, and BART's Trip Planner shows where. At the far end, the SFO station opens into the International Terminal. San José Mineta is a third option, by BART south to Milpitas and then a bus.
Once you're in the air, the journey to Jeddah usually includes at least one connection, from OAK, SFO or SJC alike, and something like 20 to 26 hours in transit is a fair expectation. You could also begin with a quick flight south to Los Angeles, since LAX is on the list of five gateways our advertised airfare uses, and take the long leg from there. No Bay Area airport is on that list, so flying from home may cost more in airfare. The team works out how much and lets you know ahead of any booking.
The change at Coliseum
At Coliseum, BART's guidance is to go upstairs for the airport train, so give yourself a few spare minutes if you're wheeling cases. BART lists the Coliseum to Oakland Airport link as a line of its own. The airport station is just across from the Terminal 1 baggage claim, and Terminal 2 is a short walk away. One more habit worth having: look at BART's alerts and advisories in the week you fly, so a service change doesn't catch you out on the morning itself.
Calling home from Makkah
Family calls are easier once you know the gap. Saudi Arabia doesn't use daylight saving, while Fremont moves between Pacific Standard and Pacific Daylight Time. In the winter months you'll be 11 hours ahead of home, and once the clocks go forward in March the difference drops to 10. So a call at 9 p.m. in Makkah reaches Fremont at 10 a.m. in winter and 11 a.m. in summer. That's a comfortable hour for grandparents at home and for you.
SJC by BART and bus
Ride BART south from Warm Springs and the next stop is Milpitas, the northernmost BART station in Santa Clara County, which sits inside VTA's Milpitas Transit Center. From there VTA's Airport Flyer bus, Route 60, runs to both terminals at San José Mineta. SJC's website describes the route as free to ride from the airport, so check VTA's fare for the ride in. It's worth asking about flights from SJC as well, though a trip from there normally begins with a domestic leg.
Three ways to go from Fremont
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 Fremont: questions
Either works. Fremont Station, at 2000 BART Way in central Fremont, and Warm Springs/South Fremont, on Warm Springs Boulevard, are served by the same two lines, so pick the one nearer home. BART says every station has elevators and extra-wide fare gates for large luggage. On board, bags can go in the space near the doors when a rider with a disability doesn't need it, but keep them under your control.
Yes, with a change of train. Neither BART line that stops in Fremont goes to SFO, so you'll switch partway, and BART's Trip Planner tells you where for your time of travel. At the airport end, the BART station is inside the International Terminal, the one most overseas departures use. For domestic flights, BART points riders to Terminals 1, 2 and 3, and the free AirTrain connects each of them to the station.
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.