How to Perform Umrah — Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Umrah is sometimes called the "minor pilgrimage." Unlike Hajj, it can be done any time of the year and takes just a few hours to complete. But don't let that fool you — it's a deeply powerful experience.

The basics you should know:

• Umrah has four steps: Ihram → Tawaf → Sa'i → hair cut. That's it
• The whole thing takes about 3-5 hours depending on crowds
• You can do Umrah any time of year. There's no fixed date like Hajj
• You'll need an Umrah visa (or a tourist visa — Saudi Arabia now allows Umrah on tourist visas too)
• Most people fly into Jeddah, which is about 1.5 hours from Makkah by road

Things to sort out before you leave:

• Pay off any debts you can
• Ask forgiveness from anyone you may have wronged
• Make sure your money is halal — earned through honest means
• Learn the steps and duas. You're reading this guide, so you're on track

What to pack:

• Ihram clothes (men: two white unstitched cloths. Women: any modest clothing)
• Comfortable sandals or flip-flops — you'll be walking a lot
• Unscented soap, shampoo, and deodorant (no perfume after Ihram)
• Sunscreen — even in winter, the Saudi sun is strong
• A reusable water bottle
• Prescription medicines if you take any
• Your phone and a portable charger
• Cash (Saudi Riyals) and your ID

Most people fly into Jeddah (King Abdulaziz International Airport). Some fly into Madinah first to visit the Prophet's Mosque, then travel to Makkah for Umrah later.

Either way, you need to enter Ihram before crossing the Miqat — the invisible boundary around Makkah that you can't cross without being in a sacred state.

When to enter Ihram:

If you're flying into Jeddah, the plane will cross the Miqat in the air. Airlines usually announce it. The safest approach is to put on your Ihram clothes before boarding (or at a layover airport) and make your intention when the pilot announces the Miqat.

If you're coming from Madinah by road, you'll pass through the Miqat at Dhul Hulayfah (also called Abyar Ali) — there's a large mosque there where you can shower, change, and enter Ihram.

How to enter Ihram:

• Take a shower (ghusl) before leaving for the airport, or at the airport
• Men: wear your two white unstitched cloths — one wrapped around your waist (izar), one draped over your left shoulder (rida'). No underwear, no socks, no hats, no stitched clothing
• Women: wear any modest clothing that covers everything except your face and hands. Any color works. No niqab or gloves while in Ihram (though you can drape a loose cloth over your face if non-mahram men are nearby)
• You can apply perfume before making your intention — not after
• Make your intention for Umrah and say:

Now keep repeating the Talbiyah — on the plane, in the airport, on the bus to Makkah, until you reach the Ka'bah:

What you can't do while in Ihram:

• No perfume or scented products (unscented soap is fine)
• No cutting hair or trimming nails
• No covering your head (men only). Women keep their head covered as usual
• No hunting or killing insects on purpose
• No arguing, fighting, or foul language
• No sexual relations

At the airport:

• Have your visa, passport, and vaccination card ready for immigration
• Your travel group (if you have one) will arrange transport to Makkah — about 1.5 hours by road from Jeddah
• Drop your bags at the hotel first, then head to Masjid al-Haram

You've arrived in Makkah. Head to Masjid al-Haram — the Grand Mosque.

If this is your first time, the moment you see the Ka'bah will take your breath away. Take a second. Breathe. Make dua — the first time you lay eyes on the Ka'bah is a moment when dua is accepted.

Now it's time to start Umrah. Stop saying the Talbiyah when you begin Tawaf.

How to do Tawaf:

• Find the Black Stone (Hajar al-Aswad) corner — this is where Tawaf starts. There's a green light on the wall marking it
• If you can touch or kiss the Black Stone, do it. If not (you almost certainly won't be able to in crowds), just face it from a distance and point your right hand toward it, saying "Bismillāh, Allāhu Akbar"
• Walk counter-clockwise with the Ka'bah on your left side
• Men: for the first 3 rounds only, walk with short quick steps (this is called raml). Rounds 4-7, walk normally. Also keep your right shoulder exposed during all 7 rounds (idtiba') by tucking the Ihram cloth under your right arm
• There is no specific dua for each round. Make any dua you want, in any language. Talk to Allah however feels natural
• Between the Yemeni Corner and the Black Stone (the last stretch of each round), say:

• Each round = from the Black Stone line back to the Black Stone line. Count carefully — 7 complete rounds
• You can use a finger counter or a phone app to keep track

How long does Tawaf take?

Depends on the crowd. On a quiet day, maybe 30-45 minutes. During peak times (Ramadan, weekends), it could take 1.5-2 hours. The upper floors are less crowded but the walking distance is longer.

Right after finishing your 7th round, head to Maqam Ibrahim — the glass case containing the stone with Prophet Ibrahim's (AS) footprint. It's near the Ka'bah.

What to do:

• Pray 2 rak'ahs behind Maqam Ibrahim, with it between you and the Ka'bah
• First rak'ah: recite Surah Al-Kafirun (Surah 109)
• Second rak'ah: recite Surah Al-Ikhlas (Surah 112)
• If the area right behind Maqam Ibrahim is too crowded, pray anywhere in the mosque. It's completely valid — don't stress about the exact spot
• After praying, drink Zamzam water. There are coolers everywhere in the mosque. Make dua while drinking — the Prophet ﷺ said Zamzam water is for whatever you drink it for

Men: you can now cover both shoulders again (the idtiba' — exposed right shoulder — was only for Tawaf).

Sa'i means walking between the two small hills of Safa and Marwah. This is inside the mosque complex — you don't go outside. It follows a long covered corridor with clear lanes.

Why Sa'i?

This is to remember Hajar (AS), the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (AS). When Ibrahim left her and baby Ismail in the middle of the desert near the Ka'bah, she ran back and forth between these two hills searching for water. Allah rewarded her desperation with the well of Zamzam — which still flows today, thousands of years later.

How to do Sa'i:

• Head to the Safa hill (clearly marked, inside the mosque). You'll see the rocky outcrop
• At Safa, face the Ka'bah (you can see it from here), raise your hands, and make dua. Say:

• Walk toward Marwah. That counts as lap 1
• Men: between the two green-lit markers (fluorescent lights on the walls), jog lightly. Women walk normally the whole way
• At Marwah, face the Ka'bah direction again, raise your hands, and make dua
• Walk back to Safa. That's lap 2
• Continue until you've completed 7 laps. You'll end at Marwah
• Make dua the entire time. There is no fixed dua — just talk to Allah

How long does Sa'i take?

Each one-way walk is about 450 meters. Total distance is about 3.15 km. Expect 45 minutes to 1 hour depending on crowds and your pace.

This is the last step. You're almost done.

What to do:

• Men — Option 1: Halq (full shave). This is more rewarded. The Prophet ﷺ made dua three times for those who shave and once for those who trim. Barber shops are everywhere around the Haram — they charge about 10-20 SAR (a few dollars)
• Men — Option 2: Taqsir (trim). Cut at least a fingertip-length of hair from all over the head. Valid, but shaving is better
• Women: Trim about an inch (roughly a fingertip-length) from the ends of your hair. Women do NOT shave their heads. You can do this yourself at the hotel

You're now out of Ihram!

All restrictions are lifted. You can:

• Wear normal clothes
• Use perfume
• Cut your nails
• Resume normal life

Your Umrah is complete. May Allah accept it from you.

The Prophet ﷺ said: "One Umrah to the next is an expiation for the sins between them." So everything between your last Umrah (or if this is your first, from today) and your next one is wiped clean.

What to do with your remaining time in Makkah:

• Pray as many prayers as you can in Masjid al-Haram. Each prayer here = 100,000 prayers elsewhere
• Do voluntary Tawaf — no Ihram needed, no hair cutting, no Sa'i. Just circle the Ka'bah and pray 2 rak'ahs. You can do this as many times as you want
• Visit the Prophet's Mosque in Madinah if your trip includes it. A prayer there = 1,000 prayers elsewhere
• Make dua constantly. You're in the holiest places on earth

Can I do multiple Umrahs in one trip?

Yes — technically you can. To start a new Umrah, you'd leave the Haram boundary and go to Masjid Aisha (Tan'eem), about 7 km away. Enter Ihram there, come back, and do the full Umrah again (Tawaf → 2 rak'ahs → Sa'i → hair cut). The whole round trip takes 3-5 hours, so you could do 1-2 per day.

But here's the thing — scholars disagree on whether this is a good idea:

• Shafi'i & Hanbali scholars say it's encouraged. The hadith "Umrah to Umrah is an expiation for what is between them" supports it
• Hanafi scholars say it's permissible, but voluntary Tawaf is a better use of your time
• Maliki scholars consider repeated Umrahs from within Makkah makruh (disliked). The Prophet ﷺ never did multiple Umrahs during a single stay — all 4 of his Umrahs were when traveling to Makkah from outside

There's also a practical problem: after each Umrah you need to shave or trim your hair. If you shave your head on Umrah #1, you won't have much to cut for Umrah #2 the next day.

Our advice: Do your one Umrah properly and with full focus. Then spend your remaining time doing voluntary Tawaf instead — you get the reward of circling the Ka'bah, no Ihram needed, no hair cutting, no Sa'i. You can do it as many times as you want, day or night. Most scholars agree this is the better use of your time in Makkah.