Umrah Packages from San Jose
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from Silicon Valley / South Bay, departing via SJC & SFO.
Umrah from San Jose made simple
Two airports compete for South Bay pilgrims, and the nearer one doesn't always come out ahead. San José Mineta International is a short trip from most of the valley. SFO means a longer ride up the Peninsula, and more planning if you're going by train. Neither is among the five airports our fares are based on, so leaving from either may add to the airfare, and it's worth weighing both against your real dates. The team confirms any extra airfare before you commit. The notes below cover the train route to SFO, help for older relatives at SJC and passport appointments for a whole family.
Departures
SJC & SFO
Routing
Not a priced gateway. SJC usually means a domestic hop before the long leg, and SFO usually means one stop overseas.
Community
The South Bay Islamic Association in San Jose dates from 1980. A year later came the Muslim Community Association in Santa Clara, which ISPU describes as one of the largest mosques in the United States. Evergreen Islamic Center, on Ruby Avenue, is another San Jose congregation. The 2020 U.S. Religion Census recorded 20 Muslim congregations and about 40,600 adherents across the San Jose metro area.
Getting to Makkah from San Jose
Settle the airport question first, because it shapes everything after it. From San José Mineta the opening flight is usually a domestic one, either to a larger hub or to LAX, which is one of the five gateways our advertised fares are calculated from. From SFO, the usual pattern is one stop at a Gulf, Turkish or European hub before Jeddah. Door to gate, allow about 20 to 26 hours in total, and a little more if the SJC routing adds a leg.
That extra leg is the trade-off. SJC is easy to reach, with the Airport Flyer bus linking it to BART at Milpitas and to VTA light rail, while SFO takes longer to get to but usually needs fewer flights once you're there. Because neither is a priced gateway, the airfare from either may be higher than the advertised figure, and the team confirms any difference with you before booking.
If SFO wins, decide early how you'll get there. By rail it's Caltrain plus BART, covered below. By car it's the drive up the Peninsula and a week or more of airport parking at the end.
Caltrain, then BART, to SFO
No single train runs from San Jose to SFO. The rail route is Caltrain north to Millbrae, then a Red Line BART train marked Richmond / SF Airport for the short run into the airport, where the station is on the departures level of the International Terminal. Caltrain runs every day, but weekend service is thinner, and express trains run during the weekday commute hours. Before you build an early flight around it, check both timetables for the exact day you leave.
Older relatives at SJC
San José Mineta asks travelers to arrange wheelchair assistance through their airline ahead of time, so raise it well before travel day if a parent or grandparent will need one. If you're dropping someone off and need extra time at the curb because of a disability, let the uniformed airport traffic staff know, and never leave the car unattended. SJC also takes parking reservations in advance, which is worth doing for a trip that lasts more than a week.
Passports for the whole household
When more than one passport in the family needs attention, the San Francisco Passport Agency lets you book appointments for up to seven people in a household at once. Appointments are for travel within 14 calendar days, or 28 when a foreign visa is still needed, and there's no charge to book one. Bring the printed appointment confirmation and printed proof of travel, such as a flight itinerary, along with each person's form, supporting documents and photo.
Three ways to go from San Jose
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 Jose: questions
It depends on your dates. SJC is closer for most South Bay families and easy to reach by bus, but a trip from there usually starts with a domestic flight. SFO checks in most of its international departures at one terminal and often needs just one connection abroad, though getting there takes longer. Neither is one of our five priced gateways, so either may add to the airfare, and the team confirms that figure before you book.
Take VTA Route 60, the Airport Flyer. It stops at both SJC terminals and runs to Milpitas BART one way and Winchester the other. Coming by VTA light rail, get off at the Metro/Airport station and change to Route 60 there. SJC's website says the route is free to ride from the airport, so check VTA's fares for the trip in. Either way, it saves leaving a car at the airport for the whole trip.
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.