Can I depart from my city, or do I have to go from New York You do not need to go to New York in all cases. It depends upon the city of departure, and flight availability.
Does the package include Muslim Meal in Airlines It is best that you call the Airline 72 hours prior to departure and make and changes to your meal plan, or if you have any additional requests.
Can I get my own ticket? It is best to go with a group and return with a group, in order to avoid additional delays during arrivals and departures from Saudi Arabia.
How soon can I know my flight itinerary after I place a reservation? Hajj seats are blocked seats and are treated as group booking. The airline normally doesn’t provide this information except until mid-June or July. However early reservations can result in cheaper fares and better connections.
Can I bring back Zam Zam, will it be counted as a luggage? This is dependent upon airport and airline rules and regulations. If permitted then you may bring it accordingly.
Will there be a group leader waiting for me at my airport? We provide meet, assist, and greeting at the Jeddah airport; however, in some cases there may be a group leader also departing from a bigger city with the group.
Visa Processing
How long does it take to process the visa? The process takes roughly 2 weeks in the embassy. However, prior to transporting the passports, they must be prepared and organized by our staff and entered into the Saudi consulate site. As such, we request that passports be sent 2 months prior to departure.
When am I going to get my passport back? The consulate releases passports, with visas, a few days before departure. The consulate process visas on dates of departure,those who are travelling first will get their passports back first. However, in some cases we may receive the passports earlier.
Can I just get the Visa from Almanasik? No, we do not sell or provide visas to individuals who are not performing hajj with Almanasik.
I am a female going alone, will I be able to get a Visa? According to Saudi regulations a woman may not go to Hajj alone unless she is at a minimum age of 45 years old.
Is there a chance that I will not get my visa? The Saudi Consulate has been excellent in issuing visas to all those who apply and meet the visa requirements. Alhamdulillah we never had a visa rejected by the Consulate since 1999 .
Ihram
If your program is Makkah first you MUST be wearing your Ihram before you get to Jeddah airport)
Will Ihram be provided Almanasik provides ihram for men which will be sent with your hajj package materials. What should sisters wear There is no specific type of clothing for sisters to wear in the state of ihram. However, it is recommended that you wear something simple and modest that will not attract the attention of others and loose.
When should I wear my ihram? It depends on the place of arrival. If you are arriving in Medina first, then you do not need to wear your ihram. If you are landing in Makkah first, then you must have your ihram on before the Miqat (Miqat are specific places in which pilgrims going to do Hajj or Umrah must enter the state of Ihram. It is not permissible for a pilgrim to pass these stations without them being in the state of Ihram.)
Can I change my Ihram if I get dirty? Yes, you can change as many Ihrams as you like and this will not affect your status of being a Muhram
What if my Ihram got some Najasa (impurity) on it and I cannot change it? You can clean the Najasa with water and it should be ok inshaa Allah.
Trip Logistics
Is there going to be a group leader? Yes, each bus will have a group leader in charge .
Umrah
Do I have to shave or cut my hair after performing Umrah? You can shave or cut your hair, but it’s better to leave just enough so you can shave at hajj time
Makkah
How far is the hotel from the Haram? The hotel is right next to haram.
Madinah
How far is hotel from Masjid An-Nabawi? 280 meters.
Residential Apartments
How far are the residential apartments from the Haram? 12 to 15 minutes by car. Around 8KM (6 miles)
Mina (8th Thul hijjah)-Arafah (9th Thul hijjah)-Muzdalifah (9th and 10th Thul hijjah)
Are the tents air conditioned? Yes.
Mina (10th, 11th, and 12th/13th Thul Hijjah)
The days of Hajj according to the Prophet (pbuh) are days of eating, drinking, and remembering/mentioning Allah (swt). During those days we stay in the tent, we only walk on the 10th of Dhul Hijjah, we walk to stone then walk to the Haraam to do Tawaf Sahih, and then go back to the tent. There will be lectures given, and packaged food served. 11th Dhul Hijjah we stone and come back, 12th Dhul Hijjah we stone and we are free to leave Mina before sunset or stay until the 13th of Dhul Hijjah. Either case, our Hajj is complete.
After Hajj
When we leave Mina, depending on each person’s departure time, we will do the following: go to the Apartment building in order to pack, rest, taken to perform our farewell Tawaf, and then dropped off at the Hajj Ministry Office to prepare for your departure.