When is the best time to book your flights and hotels for your Umrah?

The next very important thing to think about when planning your 7 Nights Ramadan Umrah Packages is the best time to book your hotels and flights.

I do have a full Ultimate guide with a lot more information on how to plan your Umrah, so make sure you read it.

With the E-Visa Umrah, going on Umrah is a lot easier and more convenient.

You get the visa in 24 to 48 hours, and you have 15 days to leave.

This means that if you want the best deals on hotels and flights, you'll have to book them early. During sales, the best thing to do is to book your flights directly with the airline.

Almost every big airline flies to Saudi Arabia, which makes it much easier to find a good deal.

You can usually book their flights up to a year in advance.

This is a very smart choice, but I don't always do it because I like to be flexible and my plans aren't always set in stone.

Besides that, from what I've learned, read, researched, and talked to other travel experts about over the years, the best time to book a flight is either 6 or 3 months before the trip, or for me, two weeks before. But this is only for very brave people who aren't travelling during a busy time.

I usually don't book when there are a lot of people looking for the same places, like two or four weeks in advance. This is because it makes a "fake" rush of interest, which drives up prices.

Always check the prices on Google Flights, as shown here.

If the flight is good, I always check it on Skyscanner, because sometimes OTAs have better deals.

Hotels

I find it much easier to book and take care of hotels online, and I love that I can book flexible rates that I can change or cancel.

Hotels are priced differently depending on when you look and when you book. Even though it isn't as dangerous as flying.

I don't worry too much about hotels in Makkah and Madinah because there are so many to choose from.

But one thing I always notice, and it's something I've been keeping an eye on for a long time, is that prices are lower 10 months in advance. Because of this, I tend to make tentative plans with terms that are open to change.

Yes, these can cost $10 or $20 more per night, but it always works out for me because I keep an eye on them throughout the year. If the hotel has a sale with a lower rate, I can cancel and rebook.

This is something I've done more than once, and not just for Umrah.

During hotel sales, rooms can be as low as 40% off, and some five-star hotels next to the Haram in Makkah can be had for £90 a night. I tell you when to look for them in my guide to Umrah.

I book hotels directly with the hotel chain because I love loyalty points and hotel perks, and it's much easier to cancel and make changes online with them than with a third-party agent.

If I know exactly when I want to stay and can find a better deal on a third-party site like Hotels.com, where I get a free night after every 10 paid nights, I will book it there.

But only if I know for sure that my dates are set and my flights are booked.

I also look for Makkah hotels on TripAdvisor, which sometimes has good deals.