Umrah Packages from San Antonio
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from Greater San Antonio, departing via SAT.
Umrah from San Antonio made simple
An urgent passport in South Texas has usually meant a long drive, since the agencies in Houston and Dallas are hours away. In June 2024 the State Department picked San Antonio for a new passport agency, though no opening date was fixed then, so check its status if your passport needs attention. At the airport, lane closures along Terminal B are expected to last through December 2026, and new terminal space with up to 18 gates is due by mid-2028. Since SAT isn't one of the five gateways behind our package airfare, flying from here may add to it. We confirm that figure before you book. Getting to Saudi Arabia from SAT takes at least one connection.
Departures
SAT
Routing
Count on one or two connections after SAT, with total travel somewhere around 19 to 25 hours depending on the hubs used.
Community
The Islamic Center of San Antonio was established and registered in Texas in 1993, and it describes itself as the first center of its kind in the city. It says it serves an increasingly diverse Muslim community in San Antonio and neighboring cities. According to 2020 US Religion Census figures on the ARDA site, Bexar County had about 12,200 Muslim adherents across nine congregations, in a county of just over 2 million residents.
Getting to Makkah from San Antonio
There's no single right way to route an Umrah from San Antonio, and the calendar often settles it. One pattern flies from SAT with a connection at a bigger US airport, and sometimes a second at an overseas hub. The other begins with a domestic hop to JFK, IAD, ORD, ATL or LAX, the five gateways we price airfare from, and the long-haul leg leaves from there. How well your group copes with long travel days can matter as much.
The whole trip, takeoff to landing, is likely to run 19 to 25 hours. Two connections mean two places where one late flight can cost you the next, so a generous layover is worth more than an hour shaved off the total.
On the day, give yourself extra time at SAT while the Terminal B lane closures last. If a relative wants to come inside to see you off, the Short-Term Garage has 3-hour spaces meant for dropping off and picking up passengers.
Lane closures at Terminal B
Two of the four lanes at the far end of Terminal B are closed on both roadway levels, for roadwork that supports the future Terminal C, and the airport expects this phase to last through December 2026. Hotel shuttles, rideshares and taxis still pick up outside baggage claim on the lower level, though the exact spots may have moved. SAT's advice is to plan ahead and arrive early. On your return, the Cell Phone Waiting Lot, open 24/7 with Wi-Fi, is a good place for family to wait until you have your bags.
VIA to the airport
VIA Route 5 runs every day between the airport and downtown, and the ride takes about 30 minutes, though frequency varies through the day and at weekends. At SAT it boards on the lower roadway, the arrivals and baggage level, at the far west end of Terminal B. Families near Stone Oak have a weekday option too. Route 7, the Stone Oak Express, leaves the Stone Oak Park & Ride every 30 minutes from 5:45 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and runs nonstop to the airport in about 15-20 minutes.
A bigger SAT by 2028
Under its ELEVATE/SAT program, the airport is adding more than 850,000 square feet of new terminal space, with up to 18 domestic and international gates due by mid-2028. The plan includes a new Federal Inspection Station for expanded international service. None of that changes a trip booked for the coming year. It does explain the construction you'll drive past, and it's a good reason to expect building work around the terminals for some time yet.
Three ways to go from San Antonio
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 San Antonio: questions
Check before you count on it. In June 2024, Congressman Joaquin Castro announced that the State Department had chosen San Antonio as one of six sites for new passport agencies, and at that point the opening dates and locations weren't final. The current list is on travel.state.gov. Until one opens here, the agencies in Houston, at 1919 Smith Street, and Dallas, at 1100 Commerce Street, take urgent cases by appointment for travel within 14 days.
SAT has a Long-Term Garage, a Short-Term Garage and two economy lots, Green and Red, and every option except valet can be reserved online. For a trip that long, the long-term garage or an economy lot is the natural fit. Drivers with Texas-registered Disabled Veteran or military specialty plates should look at the airport's parking program for them, which began on November 1, 2025. You have to enroll before you can use it.
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.