Umrah can be performed at any time of the year, but people select a time of their choice according to the ongoing circumstances and their affordability. Some people perform Umrah in the summer and some perform Umrah in winter. Some people wait for holidays to perform Umrah and some wait for Ramadan. People also take the help of AI and Q&A forums to select the best time to perform Umrah.

Millions of Muslims perform Umrah every year from all across the world. The UK also has a significant number of Muslims. Bristol is one of the notable cities of the UK. This blog is a comprehensive guide for selecting the best time to perform Umrah from Bristol. Let’s go ahead:

Factors that Influence the Umrah Time Selection

When you want to select a time to perform Umrah, you will have to keep the following factors in mind to make your decision easier. These factors influence each other. Let’s see how:

Seasons and Weather: Every season comes with different weather. Summer (May-August) gives a high temperature and a hot environment, while winter (November-February) gives a low temperature and a cold environment. People who are physically weak or sensitive to heat usually avoid travelling during the summer, so they choose winter to perform Umrah. 

Crowds:  As people usually avoid going for Umrah during the summer; therefore in the winter, more people go to Makkah to perform Umrah and the crowds rise incredibly.

Prices: An off-peak season costs less for Umrah, up to £750 minimum, while a peak season costs more up to £950 minimum. It is because travel agencies, airlines, and hotels (in Makkah and Madinah) raise their prices due to higher demand during the peak season and drop their prices to target more customers during the off-peak season.

Umrah in Ramadan: When people select the time to perform Umrah according to their spiritual preferences, they select Ramadan. Performing Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj (in rewards) according to the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him).

Airport Difference: A departure from a major airport like London, Manchester or Birmingham costs less and offers more direct flights, while a departure from a general, regional or local airport costs more and doesn’t usually offer direct flights. 

Price Table (From Bristol)

Avg. Umrah Prices Per Person for 7 Days during different months

Note: Ramadan costs the most and more than the actual cost according to the ongoing season because mostly people perform their Umrah in Ramadan.

Best Time To Perform Umrah from Bristol

The title includes “Bristol” so it is essential to mention that Bristol has its own airport and it usually offers connecting flights. So, if you want to get a cheaper and direct flight, set your departure from Birmingham Airport and reach there by taking a 90-minute train ride, before departure. Now, come to the point. If you have a big budget to perform Umrah, perform Umrah in the winter so it won’t affect your health but if you have a small budget for Umrah and you are healthy enough to perform Umrah in a hot environment, perform Umrah in an off-peak season, during the summer. If you are not healthy enough to perform Umrah in a hot environment, you may perform Umrah in September, which costs moderate and gives a moderate temperature at night.

Ramadan

If you perform Umrah during Ramadan, you’ll get the best reward of it as the Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon him) said: “Umrah in Ramadan is equivalent to Hajj (in rewards)”.

Tips for a Comfortable Journey: Umrah from Bristol

Follow these tips when you are about to perform Umrah from Bristol:

1. Learn about the Umrah from any trust Mosque or a trusted YouTube Channel. Practice it at home before performing it.
2. Book your Umrah package through a reputable UK travel agency; it will protect you financially.
3. Book your Umrah 3-6 months before the planned date of Umrah. You’ll get a wide range of choices and pay lower prices for Umrah packages.
4. Book direct flights and a hotel with a 5-minute walk from Haram.
5. Book your transport with your Umrah package; don’t trust local transport.
6. Just pack essential things in your luggage, don’t overload yourself.
7. Keep your travel documents in a separate bag and wear it around your waist or on your shoulder. 
8. Keep a hard and a soft copy of your travel documents separate from the original ones, e.g. hard in the luggage and soft in the offline and online storage of your phone.
9. If you are taking some medicine, keep it in its original packaging and keep your prescription as well.
10. Wear Ihram from home after cutting your nails, removing your unnecessary hair and performing Ghusl.
11. Do not argue with anyone during the whole journey. Keep yourself out of war of words or a physical fight.
12. Keep following the restrictions of Ihram upon crossing the Miqat.
13. Keep yourself hydrated all along the journey. Take necessary electrolytes through the fruits and ORS.
14. Try your best to perform Umrah at night or use sun protection and sunscreen in the daytime.
15. In the case of any emergency, contact Saudi emergency services or the UK embassy. Save their contacts in your phone.

Conclusion

If you are booking your Umrah package from Bristol, it is more reliable to set your departure from Birmingham airport. You can reach there before the departure by taking a train from Bristol. By doing so, you’ll have more options to select from among the direct flights and comparatively cheaper flight rates. Book your Umrah package 3-6 months earlier or before to get the cheaper Umrah package. Winter offers a human-friendly temperature and summer offers cheaper Umrah prices but extremely hot weather. Ramadan offers the best rewards of Umrah (equivalent to the rewards of Hajj), but costs the most. Keep this blog while booking and to avoid any scam or fraudulent activity, book your Umrah through an ATOL-Protected travel agency. You can verify an agency’s ATOL memberships through its ATOL number given on its website. Keep following the above useful tips while going to perform Umrah. May Allah accept all your worship and prayers, Ameen!