Ramadan Umrah 2024: Faisalabad to Makkah via Dubai, Iftar in Madinah and Eid Prayer in the Haram

From Madinah we went back to Makkah by road, tying Ihram at Dhul Hulayfah (Masjid al-Shajarah), and entered the Haram through Gate 79 before dawn.

For Eid ul Fitr we left the hotel at about 12:30 AM in Ihram, walked along Al-Hijra Road and found a place on the Mataf hours before sunrise. We stayed through Tahajjud and Fajr, heard the Eid takbeerat echo around the Kaaba, saw sweets being handed out and watched the mechanical minbar roll out for the khutbah. We lost our shoes in the rush afterwards, but sharing Zamzam outside made up for it.

I had arrived on flydubai but was flying home on a separate PIA booking, and I was worried about boarding on an Umrah visa. So, while fasting, I walked about 4 km through Makkah to the PIA office to get a clear answer. They sorted it, and the flight home was smooth.

• Go early for everything. Jummah, Taraweeh and especially Eid.
• Know your shuttle times. On Fridays and in rain, shuttles stop.
• One bag only when going to the Haram.
• Check your return booking before you fly, especially if it's a separate ticket.

The full 2-hour-47-minute Saudi Arabia vlog with every chapter is in the videos below. Next: the Makkah ziyarat bus tour and Jabal al-Noor.