What is a family reunion Umrah?
The easiest of ideas, the most difficult to execute. Your father is residing in Sylhet. Your sister relocated to East London many years ago. Your cousin lives in Queens, NY. All of you would like to perform the ritual of Umrah together. One trip. One group.
That's reunion Umrah.
These families call Tour Solvers each week. The mum is in Bangladesh, two children are in the UK and one in the USA. All say "Let's meet in Makkah". Otherwise, no one knows how to make that happen.
This guide will take you through it. Step by step.
Why reunion Umrah is hard (and worth it)
The hard parts:
-Three different passports, three visa rules.
-Three time zones to plan for calling.
-The timing of school vacations varies from one country to another.
-Currency is a nightmare. Who pays what?
-There must be a leader. Typically, it is the oldest child in the UK.
-Parents who are not sure about the agency may prefer one that is based on BD.
The worth-it parts:
• Mum and dad performing the Tawaf with their grown up children, sometimes for the first 10 years.
The grandkids who meet Bangladeshi cousins they've only been in touch with on WhatsApp.
• Shared photos of the inside of the Haram. Different memories that hit different.
A spiritual experience that is shared by the entire family and will never be forgotten.
The majority of families report it was the most significant journey they had ever taken. Worth the headache.
The five big decisions before booking
Decision 1: Who's leading?
Pick one person. Typically one of the adult children in the UK or the US is responsible for agencies, payments and the WhatsApp group. Parents who are BD based generally do not have the time to engage in back and forth with an overseas agency. Younger children can participate, but not be the leader.
Decision 2: One agency or multiple?
One agency taking care of all of the family is simpler for most families. You get:
- For Makkah, a shared hotel block (rooms next to each other) is available.
- Coordinated arrival times
- One person to reach out to for issues
- Usually a 5-10% group discount.
Multiple agencies (UK agency for UK family, BD agency for BD family) will work, but cause problems with coordination. Various hotels, various flights, various mu'allim.
We recommend one agency for reunion Umrah. (More on this in Article 6 of this series.)
Decision 3: When?
Look at three calendars:
• UK school holidays (Easter, summer, October half-term, Christmas)
• US school holidays (Thanksgiving, winter break, spring break)
• Bangladesh school/work calendar
• Your parents' health (some months too hot in Saudi)
Families with children in the UK and US often do well at Easter (April) and October half-term. December is a great month for all but it is the most expensive one. Unless budget permits, do not eat during Ramadan, at 2x-3xnormal price.
Decision 4: Where do you all meet?
Two options:
•First Meet in Madinah: Less noisy and more comfortable for older members of the family. Then go together in the direction of Makkah.
• Meet in Makkah first. Emotional impact (Kaaba moment together) is higher. More frenzied than for beginners, however.
In most diaspora families, Madinah first is better. We cover this fully in Article 9.
Decision 5: How long?
Minimum 10 days. For reunion Umrah, the longer the better:
• 10 days: standard, gets the basics done.
• 12-14 days: Better for elderly BD parents and diaspora families who were far away.
• 16+ days: This is the best, but most working diaspora cannot take this vacation .
A real reunion Umrah (composite)
The Choudhury family. Mum (66) and dad (70) live in Sylhet. Eldest son Junayed (42) lives in Tower Hamlets, London. Middle daughter Nadia (38) lives in Brick Lane with her two kids (10, 7). Youngest son, Anas (35) resides in Astoria, Queens, NYC.
They have not been together since 2019. Junayed proposed reunion Umrah. Everyone said yes.
What they did:
• Junayed led. Consulted with Tour Solvers and partner approved by MoRA in Dhaka.
•Passports booked via one agency that processed UK + US + BD passports. .
• Met in Madinah for 4 days first (parents flew direct on Biman; UK and US family flew via Doha).
• Then together for 6 days in Makkah.
• Shared Hotel Block at Anjum Makkah (Rooms 1208 – 1212, all adjoining).
• One Bangla speaking mu'allim for the entire family.
Total cost:
• UK family (4 people): £8,800
• US family (1 person): $3,200
• BD family (2 people): BDT 3,80,000
• Combined: ~£15,500 / $19,500 USD equivalent
Result: 11 days that will never be forgotten. Mum cried when she went for the first Tawaf. In Makkah, Junayed's children met his Sylheti grandparents, and now FaceTime with them once a week.
How costs work across three currencies
Here's the headache. Payment is GBP in the UK. A US family pays in USD, the currency of the USA. The payment for the BD family is in BDT. One agency receives the payment from all three. Fees are added for currency conversion.
A typical breakdown of the cost for a 10 day reunion Umrah (per person):
• UK: £1,800-2,400 (premium tier)
• US: $2,200-3,000 (premium tier)
• BD: BDT 1,40,000-1,80,000 (premium tier)
What are the reasons for the differences in costs per person? Flights. UK and US flights cost £700-1,200 / $900-1,400 per person. BD flights are cheaper (BDT 50,000-70,000 per person).
When you want everyone in the same hotel and the same tier, you're likely to have to pay more than the diaspora family.
Tip for fairness: Some families share the total cost evenly between each family member. Others have families with both British and American parents, or both brothers and sisters are born in the UK and the other in the USA (and they are more numerous). Decide before booking. Put it in writing.
What one agency does for reunion Umrah
A reunion-experienced agency (like Tour Solvers and our verified partners) handles:
• Coordinating visas for all UK, US and BD passports
• Hotel block booking (rooms next to each other)
• Flight coordination (other airlines, same arrival time)
• One Bangla-speaking mu'allim for the whole group
• Group photo packages
• WhatsApp group creation of the family.
• Currency-flexible billing
If you are going to perform Umrah on the BD side only, you can go with a regular Umrah agency but it will not be able to assist you on the UK/US side.
Mistakes to avoid (most common ones)
Mistake 1: Booking separately hoping it will work out. Three agencies = three problems.
Mistake 2: Not picking one leader. Decisions become stalled without a leader.
Mistake 3: Not taking into account elderly BD parents' travel needs. Saving is not as important as direct flights and nearby hotels.
Mistake 4: Forgetting the timing of Sa'i + Tawaf. Do not make ziyarat tours on the day of Umrah.
Mistake 5: Attempting to meet at the airport. Saudi airports are a mess. Meet at the hotel.
Mistake 6: Currency disputes. Check out the cost of each person's booking before you arrange one.
Booking timeline for reunion Umrah
The ideal time for most diaspora reunion families is 5-6 months in advance
What to ask agencies for reunion Umrah
Before booking:
- Do you have experience in handling reunion Umrah for the families from United Kingdom (UK) & Bangladesh?
- Can you charge in GBP, USD and BDT?
- Can you confirm the hotel block? Same floor or adjacent rooms?
- Will we have one Bangla-speaking mu'allim for the whole group?
- What happens if one family member's visa is delayed?
- Can elderly parents fly Biman direct while the UK family does Qatar Airways?
- What happens in the event of a single family unit withdrawing? ?
- Group photo and video package?
If they hesitate on any of these, then find another agency.
SUMMARY
Family reunion Umrah is an opportunity for the families who live in the UK or US to come together for one spiritual pilgrimage to Bangladesh. The keys are: select one family leader, select one agency that has previously organized a reunion for Umrah, make the meeting 5-6 months in advance, agree on one meeting point - preferably Madinah, and agree on cost sharing at the outset. The average total expense of a 7 member multi-country family is £15,000-20,000 equivalent (GBP/USD/BDT). Let's take an example of the Choudhury family, one agency, shared hotel block, Bangla speaking mu'allim, 10 days total. Don't make the same mistakes as booking separately, no leader, meeting at the airport and currency issues. As long as the planning is correct, reunion Umrah is the most meaningful journey a diaspora family makes together.
Common questions
What is a family reunion Umrah?
One Umrah trip is made by members of the family from various countries (UK, US, Bangladesh etc). Coordinated dates, shared hotel, shared mu'allim.
Is reunion Umrah more expensive than regular Umrah?
Approximately the same amount of money as a normal Umrah from your nation per person. The total number is larger because there are more people. However, the experience is worth it.
Can we book Umrah reunion through one agency?
Yes, it's a good idea! Choose a MoRA approved agency (BD family) who also has a UK/US booking service. This is their regular practice. Tour Solvers does this routinely.
How early should diaspora families book for reunion Umrah?
5-6 months ahead. Provides for visa processing in three countries, flight coordination and family scheduling.
Where should we meet- Saudi airport or hotel?
A hotel is the best option. Saudi airports are a mess. Inform each family unit the name of the hotel and have everyone check in separately. Meet in the lobby.
Should elderly BD parents fly directly?
Yes, if possible. There is a direct flight from Dhaka to Jeddah operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines. 7 hours, no layover. Much easier for older pilgrims than 1-stop routes.
What if one family member's visa is delayed?
Plan for dates that are 2 weeks ahead. If a visa is delayed, he/she flies late and joins the group. Don't put off the entire family gathering because of a single delay.
How do we split costs across currencies?
Equal per person (all pay their flight + their share of common) or income (UK/US family pays more). Decide before booking. Get it in writing.
