Umrah Packages from Richmond
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from Greater Richmond, departing via RIC.
Umrah from Richmond made simple
Getting out of Richmond takes one extra step, and it's worth settling early how you'll take it. You can fly from RIC on a regional flight that feeds into the long-haul leg. RIC isn't among our priced gateways, so any added airfare is confirmed before you commit. Or you can head north to Dulles, the nearest airport we price from, by car or by train and Metro. Flying from RIC keeps the drive short. Starting at Dulles keeps the airfare as priced. The notes below cover RIC's early hours, parking and the city bus, the time change, and where to turn for an urgent passport, because Virginia has no passport agency of its own.
Departures
RIC
Routing
The nearest priced gateway is Dulles, reached by car or by train and Metro. RIC works too, with any airfare difference confirmed up front.
Community
Organized Muslim life in Richmond started small. A World Religions and Spirituality Project profile says five or six Muslims met in 1969 to discuss forming an organized Muslim community, and the city's first Islamic Sunday school soon followed, held on Sunday afternoons at a church on Kensington Avenue. The Islamic Center of Virginia says it was established in 1973 and acquired its land in November 1981. Now on Buford Road in North Chesterfield, it describes itself as the largest Islamic center in Central Virginia.
Getting to Makkah from Richmond
Downtown is only a few minutes from RIC, and the airport has easy access to I-64, I-295, I-85 and the Pocahontas Parkway. Taxis wait in the center section of the lower-level curb, and they're available from the first departure of the day to the last arrival.
Out of RIC, the first flight is normally a short domestic hop to a larger hub, where you pick up the long-haul leg, sometimes with a further connection in Europe, Turkey or the Gulf. Counting layovers, the whole trip to Jeddah or Madinah can run roughly 17 to 24 hours. A comfortable gap between the first flight and the long one is worth asking for, so a late regional flight doesn't put the international one at risk.
Starting at Dulles means a drive north or a train. Amtrak's Staples Mill Road station has service north to Washington, and from Union Station you can take Metro's Red Line to Metro Center and then the Silver Line out to Dulles. There, an indoor tunnel with moving sidewalks leads from the Metrorail station to the main terminal.
Early flights and the bus
Security checkpoints for RIC's Concourses A and B open at 4:00 a.m. every day. The airport suggests arriving about 90 minutes before departure in quieter periods, and two hours at busy times such as weekends and holidays. If nobody can drive you, GRTC's 7A Nine Mile/Airport route runs between the terminal and downtown Richmond, Church Hill, the East End and Nine Mile Road. Check its timetable against your departure time before relying on it for an early flight.
Economy parking and the EasyPark shuttle
RIC's Economy Parking is gated, on airport property and no more than half a mile from the terminal, just off Airport Drive on Ferncroft Road. The airport says no reservation is needed. Free EasyPark shuttles take you between the lot and the terminal door to door, and they run 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, all year. Cashiers are on duty around the clock too, so a late-night return is covered.
Your body clock in Makkah
Makkah runs on Arabia Standard Time, three hours ahead of UTC all year, with no daylight saving. Richmond's clocks change twice a year, so the gap does too. From March to early November, Makkah is seven hours ahead of Virginia. Once the clocks go back (on November 1 in 2026), the gap becomes eight hours. Midday prayer in Makkah falls in the early morning back home, so shifting your sleep a little in the days before you fly can help.
Three ways to go from Richmond
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 Richmond: questions
Put two things side by side: the extra airfare and the trip north. A departure from RIC may cost more because RIC sits outside our five priced gateways, and the team gives you the exact difference before any booking. Going to Dulles removes that difference but adds a road trip, or Amtrak into Washington followed by Metro. Older travelers, or anyone who dreads a long day in the car, may find the extra regional flight worth it.
No. None of the passport agencies and centers on the State Department's list is in Virginia, so the nearest is the Washington Passport Agency at 600 19th Street NW. To qualify for an appointment, your departure has to be no more than 14 calendar days away, or you need a foreign visa within 28. It's open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. If your Umrah dates are months away, apply the ordinary way now rather than counting on an urgent slot.
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.