Umrah Packages from Tampa
Flight-inclusive Umrah for pilgrims from Tampa Bay, departing via TPA.
Umrah from Tampa made simple
From Hillsborough or Pinellas, the trip to Makkah starts at an airport in the middle of building its next international terminal. Tampa International expects to open Airside D, with its own customs facility, in 2029. Until then, international arrivals come through Airside F. TPA is not a pricing gateway for us, so you'll either set off on an international routing straight from TPA, or fly up to Atlanta and board the long-haul leg there. Any difference in airfare from TPA gets confirmed before you commit. Two local questions deserve some thought before you settle on dates: hurricane season, and who's collecting you when you land back home.
Departures
TPA
Routing
Connect out of TPA or take a short flight to ATL, then route through Turkey, the Gulf or Europe, reaching Jeddah in roughly 18 to 24 hours.
Community
The Islamic Society of Tampa Bay Area, on East Sligh Avenue, describes its work as serving the religious, educational and social needs of the region's growing Muslim community, while reaching out to its non-Muslim neighbors. Its site lists Peace Academy, a Hifz Academy, a weekend school, summer and youth programs, a food pantry and the Red Crescent Clinic, along with marriage and Janazah services. It's also raising money to build a second floor for the Hifz Academy.
Getting to Makkah from Tampa
Tampa International asks passengers on international flights to arrive at least two hours before departure. If your first flight is a short domestic one, your airline's own guidance applies, but with bags for the whole family to check, you'll want the extra time either way.
As for the route, one version connects from TPA through a hub in the Gulf, Turkey or Europe, sometimes with a US stop before it. Another flies to Atlanta, a priced gateway, and starts the long leg there. The whole thing takes roughly 18 to 24 hours, wheels up at TPA to wheels down in Jeddah, and a connection so short that one delay leaves you stranded is never worth the time it saves.
TPA's layout makes the start of the day easier. The Economy Parking Garage and the Rental Car Center, where the local buses stop, both link to the Main Terminal by the SkyConnect train.
Jeddah and Makkah run seven hours ahead of Tampa during daylight saving time and eight hours ahead in winter. A late-evening landing in Jeddah will still feel like afternoon to you, so don't expect to sleep straight away.
Collecting a pilgrim at TPA
When the last flight home lands at Tampa from abroad, the airport warns that processing times vary and passengers may not reach the Main Terminal for an hour or longer after landing. Drivers can't wait in their cars at the baggage claim area, so the free Cell Phone Waiting Lot is the place to sit until your traveler calls. Parking under an hour in the Short Term Parking Garage is free too, if someone wants to meet you inside. A domestic final leg skips that international processing wait.
Hurricane season and airport parking
Atlantic hurricane season, as the National Hurricane Center defines it, runs June 1 through November 30. If you park at TPA and the weather cancels your trip, the airport lists weather-related cancellations, hurricanes included, among the reasons you can ask for a parking refund. It won't refund fees caused by airline or baggage delays and cancellations, though. TPA also caps parking at any of its facilities at 45 days, so check that limit if you're adding extra time abroad.
Buses from both sides of the bay
Hillsborough Area Regional Transit and Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority both stop at TPA's Rental Car Center, not at the Main Terminal. Follow the signs to the remote curb, where route maps and schedules are posted, then take the SkyConnect train between the Rental Car Center and the terminal. With luggage for a long trip, that's a bus ride and a train ride before you reach check-in. The airport points riders to each agency for more information, so confirm times there before you go.
Three ways to go from Tampa
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 Tampa: questions
International arrivals at Tampa come through Airside F, where the airport has added Enhanced Passenger Processing. It uses facial comparison to confirm who you are and has two lanes reserved for US passport holders, and TPA says it speeds up customs for arriving US travelers. Using it is voluntary and free. If you'd rather not, tell an officer and go through the standard process.
Sometimes it's worth a look, but MCO isn't one of our five pricing gateways either. TPA's own distance table puts Orlando International 92 miles away, so it's a real drive with luggage, and you'll need parking or a ride home arranged for your return. Compare the full itineraries from both airports for your dates, layovers included. If one clearly saves you a connection, the drive may pay off. If not, starting at TPA keeps the day simpler.
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.