Umrah Packages from Philadelphia
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from the Greater Philadelphia area, departing via PHL.
Umrah from Philadelphia made simple
A SEPTA Regional Rail train from Center City runs right to the terminals at PHL. The Airport Line has four stops there, from Terminal A East out to Terminal E/F, so a car isn't essential for the first stretch of an Umrah trip. Where you fly from takes a little more thought. Our airfare is priced from five US gateways, and Philadelphia's airport isn't one of them. You can still fly from PHL. Any extra airfare is worked out and confirmed with you before a booking is made. JFK and Dulles are both priced gateways, though, and starting at either one keeps you on the airfare as priced.
Departures
PHL
Routing
PHL isn't a priced gateway, so the team confirms any added airfare before you book. JFK and Dulles are both priced and within reach.
Community
For decades, African Americans have made up the largest share of Muslims in the Philadelphia area, according to the Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia. It dates the region's first mosque to 1949, when the International Muslim Brotherhood was founded in South Philadelphia. That mosque later moved to Lancaster Avenue. By 2017 more than two dozen Sunni mosques in the region served mainly African American congregations, Masjidullah on Limekiln Pike among them. Palestinian immigrants founded Al-Aqsa in Lower Kensington in 1992, and Bangladeshi families are concentrated in parts of West Philadelphia.
Getting to Makkah from Philadelphia
PHL asks passengers to arrive at least three hours before an international departure and two hours before a domestic one. If your first flight is only a domestic hop, giving yourself the full three hours costs little. From Center City, the airport's own directions send drivers down I-95 South or along I-76 East. From the New Jersey Turnpike it's Exit 3 and the Walt Whitman Bridge, then I-95 South, and from Delaware you stay on I-95 North to the airport exit. Curbside stops are for active loading only. A car left unattended at the curb gets towed.
Expect to change planes somewhere between PHL and Saudi Arabia, either at a larger US airport or at a European, Turkish or Gulf hub. Allow roughly 15 to 20 hours from takeoff in Philadelphia to landing in Jeddah or Madinah, depending on the layover. One small help: once you've cleared security at PHL, you can walk from one terminal to another without being screened again, which matters if your gate moves.
If you'd rather begin at JFK or Dulles, there's no airfare difference to work out. You just need to allow for the trip there.
Taking SEPTA to the airport
Airport Line trains run every 30 minutes. Temple, Jefferson, Suburban and 30th Street are among the stops on the way, and the line finishes at the airport stations for Terminals A East, B, C/D and E/F. PHL says every station on the Airport Line is wheelchair accessible, which is worth knowing if an older parent is traveling with you. At 30th Street you can connect to Amtrak or to NJ Transit's Atlantic City Rail Line. SEPTA Key cards are sold at kiosks at the airport and at Center City stations. You can pay on board, but it costs more.
Leaving a car for the whole trip
PHL's economy lot is reached through the entrance at 4400 Island Avenue and has about 4,200 spaces, handed out first come, first served. Free shuttle buses run between the lot and the terminals 24 hours a day, holidays included, and they're wheelchair accessible. The Philadelphia Police Department patrols the lot. If you come back after two weeks away to a flat battery or a flat tire, jump starts and flat-tire service are among the free help on offer, along with lockout assistance.
Being collected on the way home
Whoever picks you up doesn't have to circle the terminals while your flight taxis in. PHL has a free Cell Phone Waiting Lot on airport property, easy to reach from both I-95 and Route 291, where drivers can wait until you call. One more thing, in case a return trip ever routes you through PHL with another flight still to catch: you'll go through security again after leaving the Customs area. Leave room for that in the connection.
Three ways to go from Philadelphia
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 Philadelphia: questions
The Philadelphia Passport Agency is in the Robert N.C. Nix Federal Building at 9th and Chestnut, Suite 100, with its entrance on Ninth Street. It sees people by appointment only, Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. You can book if your international travel is within 14 calendar days, or if you need a foreign visa within 28. On the day, arrive 15 minutes early for security screening and bring valid government ID. With more time than that, a regular application is the better route.
Yes. PHL just isn't one of the airports our airfare is built on, which are JFK, IAD, ORD, ATL and LAX. Leaving from PHL may add to the airfare, and you'll see that number, confirmed by the team, before anything is booked. If you'd rather keep to the priced airfare, JFK and Dulles are the two priced gateways closest to Philadelphia. Just allow for the time and cost of getting yourself there.
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.