A Guide on How to Select the Best Private Hajj Package

What to Look for When Selecting a Private Hajj Package

This year, the Saudi government has agreed to let 1 million people perform Hajj. 85% will be non-Saudis, while the remaining will be Saudi residents. The number will be further sliced when the Saudi government allots a specific number of Hajjis to enter the Kingdom from a particular country. All of this simply means that a specific number of people from Pakistan (approx. 81,000) will be able to perform Hajj this year.

You may also like:

Now the question, how to get there? There are two ways to reach Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj:

Government sponsored Hajj package
Private Hajj package

The government sponsored package is always cheaper or at par with the cheapest private Hajj package. This is because the government subsidizes Hajj. This year, Rs.150,000 per pilgrim is being provided by the government. So, the subsidized Hajj price per pilgrim this year would be Rs.700,000. While cheaper, the government sponsored Hajj package is very selective and therefore only a few are selected.

What about those who aren’t selected but want to perform Hajj? For them, there are private Hajj operators. And there are many in Pakistan.

Since there are many vying for your money, how can you tell who offers the best facilities?

Who is the Right Private Hajj Operator?

The first thing you need to do is to make sure that the person or travel agency selling you a Hajj package is actually authorized to do so by the Saudi Ministry of Hajj. You can find the names of authorized agents in your city by clicking on this link. You can further obtain information from these travel agents.

Once it is established that a travel agent is approved, then you can proceed further.

Types of Hajj Packages and their Cost

Depending upon your budget, you can choose from a basic package to a 5-star package. An economy or basic package may cost you as much as the government sponsored package – Rs.700,000, while a 5-star package may cost you anywhere from Rs.1 – Rs.2 million.

While each travel agency would make its own package with its own set of perks and facilities, the following is what you can generally expect in a premium package.

Premium Package 1

Cost:

Rs.2 million (approx)

Duration:

Will vary. Most expensive packages will be the shortest (8 – 10 days)

Facilities:

Direct/indirect flight (return ticket)
Travel to Jeddah, Mecca, Medina by private buses
Special classes for Hajj training
Availability of experienced Muftis for guidance
Special gifts for Hajis
3 meals a day
Visit to Ziarat

Required Documents:

Original valid passport with expiration date of more than 6 months
CNIC (Adults), B-Form (Children)
6 photographs with light blue background (4*3 cm)
Blood group
Medical certificate

Important Instructions:

Cannot be older than 65 years of age
Covid 19 vaccination certificate
PCR test conducted within 72 hours of departure
List of approved vaccines: Pfizer, Moderna, Oxford AstraZeneca, Johnson & Johnson, Sinopharm, SinoVac, COVAXIN, Sputnik, COVAX

Residence in Mecca:

700m – 1400m from Haram

Residence in Medina:

150m – 500m from Haram

Cost of Qurbani:

Rs.35,000 (exclusive of package price)

Premium Package 2

Cost:

Rs.1 million+ (approx)

Duration:

30 – 33

Facilities:

Direct/indirect flight (return ticket)
Mecca: 9 -10 nights. 600 – 700m
Medina: 9 -10 nights. 250 – 250m
Azizia – 4 – 6 beds sharing
Three daily meals
After Hajj early return

Required Documents:

These will be the Saudi government’s requirements and will remain the same for all package holders.

Important Instructions:

Once again, these will be the Saudi government’s instructions and will remain the same for all package holders.

Cost of Qurbani:

Rs.50,000 (exclusive of package price)

Steps of Hajj

Commonly known as Manasik-e-hajj, there are many steps in performing the Hajj. However, there are a few steps which require your utmost attention, if you want to perform Hajj as effortlessly as possible.

Arrival at Mina

On the 1st day of Hajj, you’ll spend the night at Mina, which is about 3 kms away from Mecca. You will have to spend a night here in Maktab. A maktab or tent is marked with a number depending on its distance from Jamarat. The bigger the number, the farther it would be from Jamarat. So if you have elderly family members with you, make sure your tent is closest to Jamarat.

Day of Arafat

On the 2nd day, after praying Fajr in Mina, you’ll come to Arafat. Here, too, you’ll stay in maktab. Once again, these will be numbered. Here, be mindful of the fact that you may face a severe transportation shortage. So, make sure you ask your Hajj travel agent about this in advance.

Muzdalifah

After sunset, you’ll arrive in Muzdalifah. It is here where you’ll pick up pebbles to stone the devil over the next three days. Here there are no tents and you’ll sleep under open skies.

On Day 3 you’ll head to Mina after praying Fajr in Muzdalifah. This is the day when you pelt pebbles at one of the Jamarat and sacrifice an animal.

Jamaraat

On Day 3, as mentioned above, you throw stones at three stone structures in Mina. This is called “Rami”. Once again, be mindful of the fact that your maktab in Mina is closest to Jamarat or you will have to walk a lot to get to these stone structures.

What to Look for in a Package

Just because you’ve bought the most expensive Hajj package doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ll have it easy. For example, some Hajj operators before the Hajj begins, may accommodate you in hotels nearest Haram. Later on, they may relocate you during Hajj days when you need the closest accommodation the most.

So, the best Hajj package for you depends more on your prior preparation rather than budget.

To summarize, if you are traveling with elderly pilgrims, be mindful of the following:

How far is your accommodation or maktab from the Jamarat? Make sure your accommodation is closest to the Jamarat. A couple of minutes of walk could be okay but anything longer than that under blazing sun would be unbearable for elderly pilgrims.
Availability of transportation from Mina to Arafat. Some Hajj operators simply can’t handle the pressure and mess up. Either the buses/coaches are not arranged or not arranged on time, etc.

Though most Hajj operators would offer these, just make sure the package you buy offers the following: