Umrah Packages from Paterson
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from Northern New Jersey, departing via EWR & JFK.
Umrah from Paterson made simple
Neither of the region's big international airports is inside the city limits, so the first leg is the part to plan. Newark Liberty is the closer of the two, reachable by car or by NJ Transit with one change at Secaucus Junction. JFK is farther, on the far side of New York City, but it's the gateway our airfare is priced from. If EWR suits your family better, ask. Leaving from there may add to the airfare, and you'll hear the exact difference from the team before booking. Once that choice is made, the rest looks like any East Coast departure, with a connection at a hub on the way to Jeddah.
Departures
EWR & JFK
Routing
EWR is one train change away via Secaucus Junction; JFK, the priced gateway, is a longer trip across New York City.
Community
The 2020 US Religion Census estimated about 61,600 Muslim adherents in Passaic County, close to 12 of every 100 residents, in 23 congregations. Local reporting describes Palestinian-owned businesses along Main Street in South Paterson, and Palestinians have called the city home since the early 1930s. In 2022, after a City Council measure, the stretch from Gould Avenue to Buffalo Avenue also became Palestine Way. The Islamic Center of Passaic County is on Derrom Avenue.
Getting to Makkah from Paterson
With a car, EWR is the simpler airport to reach. Without one, head to Paterson station at Market and Ward Streets. It's on NJ Transit's Main Line, which runs toward Hoboken and stops at Secaucus Junction, where you change to a Northeast Corridor or North Jersey Coast Line train for Newark Liberty International Airport Station. The AirTrain covers the final stretch to the terminals. It's being modernized, and shuttle buses step in whenever it isn't running.
JFK takes longer by any mode, and building work is closing parts of its roadways, so start early if that's your airport.
Itineraries to Jeddah often stop once on the way, in Europe, Turkey or the Gulf, and 15 to 20 hours is a fair rough expectation for the whole trip. Your aircraft reaches the miqat before it lands in Jeddah. Pilots carrying pilgrims conventionally announce it about 30 minutes ahead, but don't rely on hearing that on every airline, so decide before the last flight when each of you will change into ihram.
The Secaucus change, with bags
Secaucus Junction has two levels and no track connection between them. Main Line trains from Paterson use the lower level, and the trains toward the airport use the upper one. To transfer, you go up to the upper concourse, pass through the fare gates, then go down to your platform. That's manageable for one traveler with a carry-on and a lot more work for a family with checked bags, so give yourself a generous gap between trains or consider a car.
Boarding at Paterson station
The station sits on an elevated viaduct above Market and Ward Streets, with a single high-level island platform between them. There's an elevator on the Ward Street side, so that's the entrance to use with suitcases or a wheelchair. Get there with time to spare. A missed Main Line train pushes back the Secaucus connection and everything after it, and at the Newark end an AirTrain outage during the current modernization work can add a shuttle bus to the trip.
School breaks and Eid in Paterson
Paterson Public Schools close for Eid al-Fitr, which on the approved 2026-27 calendar falls on Wednesday, March 10, 2027. Spring break that year runs from March 29 through April 2, and winter recess covers December 24-31, 2026. Those are the obvious windows for a family trip that costs little class time. The calendar is marked subject to change, and the lunar dates shift every year, so confirm with the district before you commit to dates.
Three ways to go from Paterson
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 Paterson: questions
Makkah runs on Arabia Standard Time, three hours ahead of UTC, and Saudi Arabia doesn't observe daylight saving. New Jersey does. That puts Makkah 7 hours ahead of Paterson from the second Sunday in March until the first Sunday in November, and 8 hours ahead through the winter. Flying east overnight costs you most of a night's sleep, so plan a slower first day and eat and drink well on the long leg.
It's a chain of trains. Take the Main Line to Secaucus Junction, change to an upper-level train for New York Penn Station, then ride the LIRR or the subway to Jamaica, where the AirTrain begins. Compare that with one change for Newark. JFK is still the gateway our airfare is priced from, and with the airport itself steering travelers toward transit during its rebuild, the chain may be worth it. Leave plenty of time.
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.