Umrah Packages from San Diego
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from the San Diego area, departing via SAN & LAX.
Umrah from San Diego made simple
Pilgrims from this corner of California have a decision to make before they pack: start the trip at San Diego International, or head north and start it at LAX. LAX is one of the gateways our package airfare is priced from, and SAN is not. Beginning at home therefore means an extra flight, which may add to the airfare, and our team confirms any difference before you book. Going north instead means a train ride up the coast and a bus to the terminals, after which the long-haul part of the trip starts at the priced gateway. Neither choice is wrong. It mostly comes down to how much luggage you're carrying and how early you're willing to leave the house.
Departures
SAN & LAX
Routing
Fly from SAN to LAX or another hub, or take the train and FlyAway bus up to LAX, then connect through a hub in Europe, Turkey or the Gulf.
Community
Many of San Diego's East African refugees have settled in and around City Heights, where the United Women of East Africa Support Team, founded in 2008, has its center. Its calendar has included Eid and Ramadan bazaars, tutoring and help with college applications. The Islamic Center of San Diego, on Eckstrom Avenue, posts iqama times for all five daily prayers and holds two Jumuah services. It also runs Al Rashid School on Saturdays and an Introduction to Islam class on Sundays that you can join online.
Getting to Makkah from San Diego
The first flight takes you to LAX or another hub, and from there you usually make one more connection in Europe, Turkey or the Gulf before landing in Jeddah. With two connections, allow something like 22 to 28 hours from your first takeoff. Changing planes twice in one day is tiring, so a relaxed layover is worth more than a fast one, particularly with older parents.
The ground route asks more of you before the airport and less once you're there. Amtrak's Pacific Surfliner runs along the coast between San Diego and Los Angeles Union Station, and the two trains it added in June 2025 were each timetabled at a little under three hours between the cities. At Union Station, the LAX timetable shows a FlyAway bus every half hour from 5 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
A late train or a short-hop delay shouldn't decide whether you make an international departure, so build in a margin and pick the earlier train when you're unsure. Once you land, remember that Makkah is 10 hours ahead of San Diego from March to early November and 11 hours ahead otherwise, so a family call at noon reaches you late in the evening.
Don't plan on parking at Old Town
Old Town Transit Center is the obvious hub. The Trolley, MTS buses, NCTD's COASTER and the Pacific Surfliner all stop there, and the free SAN Flyer shuttle runs from it to the airport. It's the wrong place to leave a car for an Umrah trip, though. The airport has pointed out that there's no overnight parking at the transit center, and Pacific Surfliner lists station parking at Old Town as not available. Get dropped off there instead, or leave the car at the airport.
A passport agency downtown
San Diego has its own passport agency, on the 10th floor of 1 Columbia Place at 401 West A Street, with the main entry at the corner of Columbia Street and West A Street. Appointments there are limited to people with international travel inside 14 calendar days or a foreign visa due inside 28, and there's no charge to book one. Bring valid government ID, because you'll need it to enter the building. The America Plaza and Courthouse trolley stations are several blocks away, and there are metered spaces and parking lots nearby.
Parking and pickups at SAN
There's a parking plaza directly across from each of SAN's two terminals, and the airport lets you reserve a space ahead. It pitches the Terminal 1 plaza at short stays and quick drop-offs, and the Terminal 2 plaza at short and long stays alike. Park at Terminal 1 for a Terminal 2 flight and you'll need the Inter-Terminal Shuttle from the Terminal 1 curb. When you fly home, whoever collects you can wait free of charge in the Cell Phone Lot on McCain Road, which has a one-hour limit.
Three ways to go from San Diego
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 Diego: questions
Yes, two ways. MTS Route 992 links downtown San Diego with the airport, and since September 6, 2026 it has run every 15 minutes until the end of service, with more evening and late-night trips added. From Old Town Transit Center, the free, all-electric SAN Flyer shuttle runs to the airport, which suits you if you're arriving on the Trolley or the COASTER. With several suitcases, though, a single ride to the curb may beat juggling bags between vehicles.
SAN runs two terminals, and the airport lists each airline under Terminal 1 or Terminal 2. The first phase of the new Terminal 1 opened in September 2025 with 19 gates, replacing a building that was 58 years old. When it opened, the airport said the last eight gates would follow in early 2028. The terminal you need depends on the airline flying your first leg, so check the ticket before you leave home and tell whoever is driving you.
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.