Umrah is the second most sacred pilgrimage after Hajj. Muslims worldwide love to perform Umrah and aspire to visit the Holy sites of Makkah and Madinah to strengthen their relationship with the Creator.
Sharing the Umrah pilgrimage with your child can develop a profound sense of appreciation and gratitude for the opportunity given to perform Umrah. Best Umrah packages for families are made, giving special attention to the needs of the families with kids. Umrah with children is not as scary as it seems at all. Umrah packages 2024 with kids needs a little more planning, but this pilgrimage can turn out to be an amazing experience for yourself and your little ones.
Adult Muslims, as compared to younger kids, can perform Umrah easily due to their maturity and ability to take care of themselves to some extent. Umrah with kids is a challenging task, especially if more than one kid accompanies you on this journey. Best Umrah packages for families are carefully crafted from the beginning of Umrah journey till the end, considering the unique needs of each individual. Kids below 5 need special care during the whole Umrah pilgrimage. During the pilgrimage, children, especially babies, need extra care and attention. It becomes quite difficult for pilgrims, especially mothers, to focus on Umrah while meeting the needs of their children.
That’s why some of the best tips are curated to help Muslims perform Umrah with kids when booking best Umrah packages with travel agents. Here, you will get an idea of performing Umrah with your kids without facing any issues.
- Be Mindful of the Child’s Behavior While Traveling
Book the best Umrah packages with a reputable travel agency to have a seamless Umrah experience with kids. Performing Umrah with kids can be made easier only if you know how to handle kids’ tantrums while travelling and in crowded places. One can deduce the behaviour of a child from previous travel experiences. It is important to note different babies show different behavioural patterns in different circumstances. For instance, one baby might be uncomfortable in large crowds, and the other may be happy or sleep soundly.
Moreover, kids’ adaptability to humid weather conditions is also an important factor to consider while searching for the best Umrah packages for families from Pakistan. Regardless of the temperature in Saudi Arabia, it is advisable to dress your child in plain clothes without any text or images out of respect; however, choosing brighter clothes is recommended, as it will be easier to identify your child in a sea of white and black clothes.
- Introduce the Idea and Importance of Umrah
Discuss the idea of performing Umrah with kids and educate them about the importance of Umrah. Umrah with kids becomes easy if your kids are acquainted with the concept of performing Umrah. For this, parents should give children books discussing Umrah rituals so they can easily understand Umrah and its rituals. In addition to the theory of performing Umrah with kids seamlessly, parents should educate their kids about Sa’i and Tawaf. Ask best Umrah packages provider to guide them about resources and books that may be helpful in educating children about Umrah.
This idea of introducing kids to Umrah will help them learn about the Umrah rituals and their significance easily. Muslim kids of age 7 can easily perform the Umrah since they have the knowledge and understanding to perform Umrah and have learned about prayers and recitation. They have seen their parents performing religious duties and received the basic knowledge of praying to Allah and His House, so praying is a concept that has been introduced previously.
In contrary to this, kids below 7 cannot perform Umrah properly. But they still accompany their parents in Masjid e Haram during Umrah. Also, these kids may have the idea of Umrah rituals to avoid mistakes and enjoy the sacred pilgrimage.
If the kid is above 5, parents must dress them in the proper Umrah attire called Ihram. Parents must teach their kids about the activities that cannot be performed or that are forbidden after wearing Ihram. The parents must guide their kids about the things and activities they can do while performing Umrah. If it is easy for parents to perform Umrah carrying a child, they can carry or use a belt that makes it easy to carry a child during Sai and Tawaf.
Carrying kids makes it easy for parents to handle a child in the crowd. Also, other Muslims performing Umrah do not get disturbed by this act of carrying kids.
Furthermore, parents do not need to pay penalties if their kids unintentionally break Umrah rules. But if they did it on purpose or knew what they were doing, then in this case, a penalty is due. Parents should keep an extra amount of money with them if a situation like this arises.
- Make Accommodation Bookings Before Hand
Opting for the best Umrah packages to perform Umrah with kids becomes more convenient if you plan early. Ask about accommodation type and its proximity to your best Umrah packages provider. Plan early and booking accommodation beforehand allows pilgrims to enjoy every moment of their Umrah pilgrimage without worrying about accommodation.
If you are performing Umrah with kids, booking hotels or accommodations near Haram in Makkah and Masjid-e-Nabwi in Madinah is advisable. This ensures that you and your kids can easily come and go in case of an emergency. Moreover, staying close reduces travel time compared to distant hotels or accommodations.
Also, booking the best Umrah packages early ensures you enjoy all the facilities you need for you and your family. Booking for the best Umrah packages and hotels starts early. So, take advantage of the chance to stay in a comfortable hotel while embarking on Umrah with kids. In order to have a seamless Umrah experience, schedule flight tickets that suit your child’s nap time. In this way, both children and parents can get some rest.
- Get Comfortable Shoes for Yourself
Umrah rituals demand a lot of walking while performing circumambulation (Tawaf) and Sai between Safa and Marwa. Roughly estimated, walking for Umrah rituals comprises more than 10km a day. So, getting a couple of comfortable shoes while performing Umrah with kids is crucial. If you don’t have comfortable shoes or sneakers, buying a pair of comfortable shoes would be really helpful for you.
Prioritize comfort over price; consider buying comfortable shoes from known brands because famous shoe brands are more popular and highly comfortable and relaxing. If you are planning to buy new shoes for Umrah, buy them several weeks before your travel date and go for walks by wearing them to get your feet used to a new pair of shoes. Buying comfortable shoes for Umrah is a must-have because you may also need to run behind your kids, or if you carry a baby, uncomfortable shoes may add more pain to your journey. So buy comfortable shoes or comfy ones to have a wonderful experience of Umrah with kids.
- Pack Bag with Essential Items
Embarking on an Umrah with kids needs careful planning and packing to ensure a seamless journey. Kids are mostly unpredictable; they can need anything at any time. Therefore, to avoid getting caught in unpleasant situations, parents should list all essential items that may be needed when performing Umrah with kids. Put all the essential things a kid may require in a bag that is easy to carry.
Important things that must be in your kid’s bag while performing Umrah with kids must include favourite kids’ snacks, diapers, kids blanket, wipes, medicines, pacifier, toys or anything that keep them busy. Parents can easily manage their kids’ tantrums by having these things in a bag.
It is recommended that parents carry a bag of essential items that include baby wipes, diapers, a small blanket, food, medications, pacifiers, toys, and more. Put comfortable and breathable outfits in a bag while exploring Holy sites. Adding lightweight and comfortable shoes for walking and Ziarat visiting is important. Packaging colourful books and toys or educational games is also recommended to keep your child busy during downtime or travelling.
Ask best Umrah packages providers to show previous pilgrim’s reviews, especially ones with kids, to understand better how parents can perform Umrah with kids easily.
Travel With a Reputable Umrah Agency to Elevate Your Experience
Book best Umrah packages offered by trusted and reputable Umrah travel agencies. As travelling with kids is not easy, booking the best Umrah packages made for families at least gives peace of mind and reduces travel stress. Booking best Umrah packages with reputed travel agents proves to be beneficial for families with kids. Umrah travel agents, experienced in the intricacies of Umrah, streamline the entire pilgrimage process, offering cheap Umrah packages that include desired accommodations, transportation, and guided tours tailored to the needs of parents and children.