Trip structures that work from North America
The flight is long enough to shape the whole trip. Travellers who try to compress an Umrah from the United States into five or six nights usually spend a third of it recovering from the journey. These are the structures we book most often.
| Length | Suggested split | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| 10 nights | 6 in Makkah, 4 in Madinah | The standard North American structure |
| 14 nights | 8 in Makkah, 6 in Madinah | An unhurried pace in both cities |
| 12 nights | 7 in Makkah, 5 in Madinah | A middle option that fits two working weeks |
| 7 nights | 5 in Makkah, 2 in Madinah | Repeat pilgrims with limited leave |
Rates vary by season and room category. Message us on WhatsApp for live prices for your dates →
Send us your dates and departure city
We will come back with live Clock Tower rates, a real photograph of the room view, and a suggested Makkah and Madinah split that suits your flight routing.
Get US PricesFlights from the United States
Jeddah and Madinah are both used as gateways from North America, mostly via Gulf, Turkish or European hubs, with some direct services depending on the season. Major departure points include New York, Washington, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles.
The routing decision worth making early is whether to fly into one holy city and out of the other. Entering at Madinah and departing from Jeddah, or the reverse, removes a backtrack and often saves a full day of the trip. Tell us which way round you are considering and we will structure the hotel nights to match.
You do not need to book flights with us. Many American clients use miles or a preferred alliance and take the hotel alone, which we quote with no booking fees.
Visa and Nusuk for US passport holders
Nusuk is Saudi Arabia's official digital platform for Umrah. It is used to apply for the Umrah eVisa, to obtain permits for performing Umrah and for visiting the Rawdah in Madinah, and to hold approved bookings. Requirements have changed more than once in recent years, including the linking of accommodation to visa applications and seasonal suspensions around the Hajj period.
For that reason we do not publish a fixed checklist that could be out of date by the time you read it. Verify the current requirements on the official platform at nusuk.sa and on Saudi Arabia's official travel guidance at visitsaudi.com before booking non-refundable flights. The elements that have been consistent are a passport with sufficient remaining validity, a digital photograph, meningococcal vaccination, and confirmed accommodation.
On the mahram question: Saudi visa rules no longer require a woman to travel with a mahram in order to obtain an Umrah visa or enter the Kingdom. Individual operators may still apply their own conditions, and religious opinion varies, so confirm with your operator and, if it matters to you, with a scholar you trust.
Combining Makkah and Madinah properly
With ten nights or more you can give both cities the time they deserve rather than treating Madinah as an add-on. Six to eight nights in Makkah allows a settled prayer routine in the Haram, and four to six in Madinah gives room for Rawdah permits, which are booked through Nusuk and are worth planning around rather than hoping for.
If this is your first Umrah, read our step-by-step first Umrah guide before you book anything. It covers the whole sequence, including how to verify who you are paying, which matters more when you are booking from eight time zones away.
Choosing the hotel from the USA
Our complete Clock Tower hotels guide compares all seven properties in the complex. Two things are worth knowing before you choose. First, a room described as Haram View may not show the Kaaba at all; our Kaaba View vs Haram View guide explains the distinction and how to verify it in writing. Second, for a stay of a week or more, space matters more than it does on a short trip, which is why longer North American itineraries often land on the Fairmont or Raffles Makkah Palace.
How booking with Meliora Escapes works from the United States
- Message us with your dates. WhatsApp or the form. Tell us your travel window, how many nights, and who is travelling.
- We come back with live rates and real photos. The exact hotel, the exact room and view category, and a real photograph of the view, before any payment.
- You confirm, we hold the rooms. Written confirmation covering hotel, room category, view, meal plan and occupancy.
- We stay reachable through to check-in. A named consultant on WhatsApp, in a time zone that overlaps yours.
Planning a long-haul Umrah with family?
Ten nights with children needs more thought than five. Tell us the ages and we will structure the stay, the room configuration and the meal plan around them.
Plan It With UsFrequently Asked Questions for US Pilgrims
The hotel portion depends on your travel dates and view category rather than your departure city, and Ramadan runs several times regular-season pricing. Flights are the larger variable from North America. We quote the Clock Tower hotel with live rates for your dates and you can pair it with whichever routing you prefer.
Ten to fourteen nights is the sensible range from North America. The flights are long enough that a shorter trip spends too much of itself in transit, and a longer stay lets you settle into both Makkah and Madinah rather than rushing between them.
Jeddah is reachable from major US gateways including New York, Washington, Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, mostly via Gulf, Turkish or European hubs, with some direct services depending on the season. Routings change, so check current schedules when you fix your dates.
US passport holders apply for the Umrah eVisa or an eligible Saudi tourist eVisa through Saudi Arabia's official Nusuk platform. Requirements are updated periodically, so verify the current process on nusuk.sa before booking non-refundable travel.
Yes. Given the flight time, visiting both cities is almost always the better use of the journey. A common structure is six to eight nights in Makkah and four to six in Madinah, entering through one city and departing from the other to avoid backtracking.
It depends on your flights. Travellers using airline miles or a specific alliance usually book flights themselves and take the hotel from us, which we quote with no booking fees. If you would rather have the whole trip handled, we can arrange transfers and the Madinah leg alongside the Makkah stay.
We are based in Dubai and work across GCC hours, with WhatsApp availability that overlaps the US evening. Most American clients find messaging in their evening gets a reply the same night.
Why book your Clock Tower stay with Meliora Escapes
- Meliora Escapes is a Dubai based luxury travel consultancy serving guests across the Gulf, the UK and beyond.
- We send real room and view photos before you pay, so you know exactly which view category you are booking.
- No hidden fees. The price we quote is the price you pay.
- A named consultant handles your booking from enquiry to check-in, reachable on WhatsApp in your time zone.