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Nusuk Hajj Operator & US Agency Reviews
Nusuk Hajj Operator & US Agency Reviews
Saudia Operator: Dur
Associated US Agency: https://alemanusa.com/
I would give them a solid 2.5/5 stars. I bought a Premium, Non Shifting package.
Before the travel started, we had weekly meetings where they went over different logistics or Islamic material related to the hajj. I appreciated these and they were insightful.
We went to Medina first; we were just told to find the Dur representative at Medina airport. This wasn't a big issue really, but i wish our group had a leader or guide of some sort as I'll get to later.
In Medina, things were pretty smooth, there weren't many hiccups. When we went for the Medina tour, the bus was about 2 hrs late, we were told due to the government blocking some buses; we visited Masjid Quba and Uhud. They also arranged two separate visits to the Rawdah for men which was appreciated.
Coming to Makkah, is when things took a turn. We were supposed to take the train to Makkah, but supposedly someone forgot to book tickets so we had to take the bus.
As well, i mentioned we had no guide or leader for our package group; so when we did umrah upon arriving at Makkah, some of us were lost since this was our first umrah.
Going to Mina, we were woken up at 12am, and told to be ready in 10 min as the bus was here, but when we went downstairs the bus wasn't there. We ended up waiting 3 hrs for the bus, and they kept telling us 10 more min.
Our organizer from Aleman had sent us the seating chart where our sofas would be in the Mina camp. When we get there, both the women and men's side find that the sofas are already taken by another group, and they were reserved by them correctly. So we were just standing tired for 1 or so more hr, mind you this is like 5 am at this point, and we've been awake since 12am. It took many many calls to our organizer from Aleman and between the Dur employees at the camp to find some sofas for us.
We had the same issue when we got to Arafat, but there it was at least resolved within 15 min alhamdulillah. Waiting for the bus to Arafat, to Muzdalifah, our group encountered about a 2 hr wait each time where we were standing waiting for the bus; not sure if that's normal as this is my first time at Hajj (inshaAllah I'll come again).
Another issue that occurred, was that we were told the night of the day of Eid, they would arrange a bus for us to take us to the Kaaba to do Tawaf ul Ifada (we were in Muaisim camp); the day of Eid, we were told this was not happening because buses wouldn't be allowed in Muaisim, so we had to find our own way to get to the Kaaba. The next day, our group walked to the Jamaraat and took the bus from there to the Kaaba; we had some wheelchairs in our group too, so this was not the easiest task. I think people in our group walked about 30 km+ this day.
Leaving Mina was the same issue, where we were told the bus was coming at X time, but it came 2 hrs later.
Dur and Aleman both didn't communicate well with us at all, with regards to logistics or anything else. I understand transportation and logistic issues, but proper communication would have solved this, or having a guide or organizer be physically present with our group.
Other than that, food, hotel and everything was fine alhamdulillah. They just need to work on logistics and communication.
Saudia Operator: Abdul Lateef Jaeem
Associated US Agency: https://www.mashaertravel.com/
Hajj review Mashaer Travel 2025*
*Nusuk/Hajj Seminar*
The main reason I picked this group was how impressed I was with Nusuk assistance and Hajj seminar. The group was well organized, structured, on zoom calls all the time. Mashaer Travel was on zoom call helping navigate Nusuk and on purchase day live helping.
Afterwards when you purchased the package there were many seminars going over logistics/religious/travel aspects. At times the information was repetitive. Maybe that could have been better concise.
*Medina part of the trip*
This is where Mashaer travel dropped the ball. Basically there was no assistance, and no support staff on ground. Luckily someone spoke Arabic that helped to get us by but we waited 4-5ish hours at the airport. Then there was 0 guidance in Medina for tour. Only helped we had is to book Rawdah appointment pre travel. The assistance to travel from Medina to Makkah was not organized as well. We received our train tickets and instructions. But this is Arab land, and no one really follows instructions .
*Makkah part of trip*
The leader of the group Sh. Wasif Khan was at Makkah so things were much smoother. We received our room keys by time we had snack and prayed. Sheikh guided us to umrah and every step he was with us.
*Hajj/ Mina/ Arafat/ Muzdaliffa*
This is where Mashaer travel outshined.the experience was smooth and memorable. We left our hotel on the bus and arrived at Mina at appropriate time. We prayed , had lectures , rest, ate and Mina was smooth. The following day when we had to go for Arafat, the service provider started to wake us up at 2 am asking us to leave. Through our hajj seminars, personal reading, and other peoples experiences we learned the sunnah way is to leave after fajr. Sh. Wasif held his ground. He did not give under the pressure of service provider and we left after fajr following the sunnah way. The same situation occurred in Arafat when people were leaving the Arafat camp area little bit before Maghreb. He held is position, made a collective dua outside and left after time of Maghreb. We arrived at Muzdaliffa around 11nish. And then, again, service provider started to wake up everyone to leave Muzdaliffa middle of the night. However we didn’t leave till after sunrise following the sunnah. We went to jamarat and did the rami ritual of hajj with ease following the plan. Since hajj was on Friday. Sheikh Wasif plan was not to go for tawaf ifada due to large crowd in haram. So we went back to Mina, slept, and as soon as we woke up we were informed about our sacrifices being completed. Then we cut our hair, showered, ate and relaxed. It was a pretty smooth process. Now after prayers we would have khatira, or joke around, and basically build good memories.
Following day we went to Haram via bus. Got the tour of new extension , had breakfast, and started the Tawaf Ifada and Sae of hajj process. It’s hajj so there were ALOT of people there. But Allhumdulilah all got done easily. We went back to our hotel , relaxed, and then back to Mina. Due to logistics and Ill people in the group by the time we got to Mina we only had 30 mins prior to Maghreb to go for jamarat. I don’t know how. But we walked from Mina to jamarat and did our rami at appropriate time. The following day rami process was super easy as you knew what you were doing. Then we departed to our hotel on the bus.
*OVERALL*
Allhumdulilah I had a great experience and I am thankful to Sh. Wasif Khan. The ball was definitely dropped in Medina, but Mecca and Hajj experience was phenomenal. We followed the sunnah way, and didn’t get pressured. We moved as a group, as a family. If someone was not feeling well or hurt then the entire group came to pause. Sh. Wasif definitely knows what he is doing and he is expereinced. His ways are rigid, and he controls the situation to I guess better control the outcome. If Mashaer Travels had more people on the ground it would be great improvement as he is single handily operating the entire process.
If you’re looking to perform hajj following the sunnah way as close as possible then I would recommend Mashaer Travels.
If you are not able to give up control and just follow, you may just have a difficult experience.
He does keep you in mystery and does not that share his plans till last minute. But, he is experience and knows what he’s doing.
He’s like a parent if he’s with you’re you’re good and don’t have to think and just follow without asking questions
Saudia Operator: Abdul Lateef Jameel
Associated US Agency: https://dstworldtravel.com/
Review of DST Abdul Lateef Jameel package*
-DST pre hajj preparation impeccable. Mashallah. Super organized. Daily itineraries. Daily communication with DST admin and our groups scholar. any ticket or any other Nusuk issues they went the extra mile to help troubleshoot.
-for both Medina/mecca hotel rooms we had significant issues, DST gave ideas on how to handle it and just like that our rooms were changed alhamdulillah no issues
-DST communication was excellent alhamdulillah through out the entire journey Everything DST was in control of was great. The ALJ aspect was spontaneous but at the end of the day it worked out with getting where we need to get for our hajj
Medinah hotel. The view. ok alhamdulilah. does the job.
Mecca Hotel: Anjum Hotel: excellent hotel, very close to expansion, but close enough walk to the kaba
Ok…the huge issue I had where ALJ dropped the ball
-On arrival to Medina, we had what appears to be a ALJ representative receive us. However he was useless teenager for this role, nor did he stay with us until we arrived to our hotel(and he changed his shirt at some point so it took us a while to realize who he was) No DST rep was with our subgroup(total about 40 people). But the DSR rep was with the other group that took the train from Jeddah airport( our group took the flight to medina from Jeddah). Our group designated a leader/ameer from amongst who spoke Arabic and volunteered to do so(has no formal connection to he has no formal connection to dar el salaam or ALJ) and was doing a good job keeping the moral of the group up as we waited until we heard anything from anyone.
At some point, someone from the airport told us this bus is going to our hotel. multiple members verbally confirmed that this bus was to go to our hotel, including myself.
However…this is where it goes crazy. We get on this bus for our designated hotel(The view hotel in medina). However, the Bus stopped at another hotel. Complete opposite side of masjid Nabawi and started to take the bags out and put them in the wrong hotel. Do you remember that man who told us this bus was going to our hotel…well he signed a paper with the INCORRECT HOTEL. and this bus driver contractually cant drive us anywhere besides that hotel… This designated ameer/brother went to the bus driver and started pleading with him, and he called anyone he could to try to convince the driver to take us to the correct hotel. Alhamdulilah, fortunately he was able to convince him to get our luggage back from the hotel and place it on the bus. After 1.5 hours later of that brother trying to convince the drive to just drive a few minutes to the correct hotel, it finally worked out. But it was very stressful as we also had a passenger who was handicapped.
-overall I HIGHLY recommend DST yet I have my mild to moderate reservation with ALJ specifically bc they don’t seem as involved as other operators. But it may be offset by other important factors. if you you dont care which scholar is in ALJ, then perhaps going with a DST package that works with Al burj or Seera muasim may be a bit more streamlined
Saudia Operator: Seera Mawasim
Associated US Agency: https://hisartour.com/
Amazing experience, very organized, Our group Imam was very helpful and guided at every step.
They helped us perform 1 additional Umrah, provided local guided tours, good hotels and great food.
Overall 10/10
Saudia Operator: Al Bait
Associated US Agency: https://www.meaningfulhajj.com/
Review #1
*Hajj review Meaningful Hajj Al Bait Travel 2025*
I rate the whole experience 4.8/5. Some could argue 5/5.
*Nusuk/Hajj Seminar*
Firstly they created a group with everyone who had purchased. They communicated with us for anyone that wants to upgrade their accommodation and pretty much honored it if you were willing to spend for that. The WhatsApp group was infiltrated by scammers, but eventually they made it admin approval needed (should’ve done this way earlier). They had a whole schedule with a balance of weekend seminars, spiritual and logistics sessions.
*Medina part of the trip*
We were welcomed by Al bait representatives who directed us to the buses. We left within 30 minutes but were stuck in the bus from the start of Fajr to sunrise. We then got our id cards with the help of Al bait and then our room key cards after a couple hour wait with the help of MNH reps. We had a group tour of Madinah (2x) and scholar led ziyarah of Madinah (x2). We had a group rawdah for both men and women planned by MNH. We then got our train tickets the day that we left which was also pretty smooth. There were delays but just of MNH reps walking through different hotel trying to situate everyone.
*Makkah part of trip*
The welcome was amazing at the Makkah hotel. We got our keys after 2-3 hours of arrival at the hotel. We were slated to do the umrah as a group with a lead. We had a pre umrah talk and we followed our leader but everyone scattered as soon as the umrah started. This was tough for some people who hadn’t done their umrah before. Although, we had an overview of umrah the day prior with exact details on how to do it which was nice.
*Hajj/ Mina/ Arafat/ Muzdaliffa*
This part of the trip was very good with a few hiccups. We left our hotel on the bus and arrived at Mina at appropriate time which was praying zuhr at Mina. The welcome was phenomenal and we had a spot for everyone in the same tent. We prayed , had lectures , rest, ate and Mina was smooth. The following day when we had to go for Arafat, the service provider started to wake us up at 2 am asking us to leave and we left and prayed fajr at Arafat which was not ideal but all good. Arafat was good with group talks and group duas. We arrived at Muzdaliffa with an area already reserved for us. They gave us food boxes and drinks. We went to jamarat and did the rami ritual of hajj with ease following the plan. Since hajj was on Friday. Some people left with Al bait assigned busses before jumuah, many came later as a group after isha. MNH rep Br Yasir gave guidance for both. The challenge was the hike back from Makkah to Mina to stone before maghrib the next day. There weren’t assigned busses for that, everyone pretty much had to take government busses. The remaining time at Mina was smooth.
*Al Bait Service Provider*
These guys were everywhere. There was not a single part of hajj where I couldn’t get a hold of a rep. Always accommodating. I think looking at other service providers, this might have been the best.
*Scholarly Presence*
This was big. We had sessions everywhere. It was more intimate in Mina, but overall every speech could be heard through live streaming on mixlr. There were issues on with reception on the women’s side sometimes but overall not too bad. The scholars were giving guidance and answering questions throughout. We had gems like Mutfi Azeemuddin, Sh Attiyah Omarah and Mufti Nadim Bashir.
*Meaningful Hajj*
The US providers were very good in terms on knowing the ins and outs of hajj. There were slight delays in things here and there but those were pretty much just from it being hajj and the reps working with 3 different hotels. Reps were always reachable. They fixed any issues that arose in person if needed.
*OVERALL*
Allhumdulilah I had a great experience and in a way I don’t think I’d want a different experience than what I had which was smooth.
package details
Madinah Hotel: Rotana Manakha
Makkah hotel: Hilton Double tree
Mina: Majar Al kabsh
Non shifting
Review #2
I was with Meaningful Hajj - Al Bait. Although, my package was technically different with separate hotels and buses. I’d give my experience a 6 out of 5. This is my third Hajj Alhamdulillah and brother Yasir from Meaningful is clearly very experienced, dedicated, and structured.
I saw him receive a phone call from a lady in distress because she got lost in Mina and he immediately got up, figured out her location, ran to her, and brought her back. It took him over an hour. This poor guy was always dead tired from how hard he was working for the hujaaj. Always had red eyes from the lack of sleep. May Allah swt reward him immensely.
The accommodations were incredible. We had live juice bars, a lamb roast station, live shawarmah stations, live ice cream stations, massive buffets, tons of desserts, and regular cleanings/vacuuming in the tents.
We were so close to jamaarat, I don’t know if we could’ve gotten any closer. It was a 5 min walk.
All the buses and coordination happened on time. Nothing was really delayed. There were some hiccups as expected but they were all outside of Meaningful Hajj’s control.
The biggest thing for me was being in the presence of the scholars. Our camp was FILLED was scholars, ulamaa, and hufaaz. Alhamdulillah we had Mufti Azeemuddin (Masjid DarusSalam in Lombard), Sheikh Attiyah (Austin), Imam Azhar Subidar (West Plano Masjid), Imam Nadeem (EPIC Masjid), Aalimah Saliha (Masjid DarusSalam), 2 Muftis from NY (graduates of Darul Uloom Deoband), another Mufti from Florida (graduate from Azadville South Africa), and numerous Hufaaz (@~Rafay Usmani and others). It was an incredible blessing to have been in the presence of these brilliant people. May Allah swt bless them all.
Review #3/ Sisters Perspective
I went with Meaningful Hajj as well, Being on the sister’s side, I had the opportunity to have a 1:1 sit down chat with Alimah Saliha. There were many questions coming in from the sister’s side and she was always very quick to answer them. I felt very fortunate that I had a female scholar in my group and could benefit from her teachings, along with the mixlrs provided by the other sheikhs/muftis/imams.
The one and only thing that I would change about my whole experience is the hotel we stayed at in Medina. We were at the Pullman ZamZam which is quite far from the women’s entrances. The hotel is located on the backside of the masjid, and would take me about 15 minutes to go from the hotel to the masjid. A lot of restaurants, shopping, coffee shops were more near the other side of the masjid. However, this is a very small inconvenience Alhamdulillah.
Saudia Operator: Ithraa Al Khair
Associated US Agency: https://nooral-fajr.com/home/
Everyone says Sabr, these were unnecessarily human made difficulties. Haj was great but ithra and noor fajr wasn't. These both team combined cost me a lot of unnecessary stress and anxiety.
They definitely profited a lot from our group of 44 people without providing us what was promised.
May Allah accept the haj and raise our ranks.
Also, held ithra and noor ul fajr accountable on the day of judgment for misinforming and mis representing and misguiding Hajis.
We were promised a guide never received one
We were promised an imam never received one
We were promised a medical team, they never had one when people needed medical help in the group.
Transportation wasn't provided as promised
We were checked out of hotel early and transferred to a different hotel even though we didn't have shifting package
No tent was provided in muzdalifa, we were shoved in to someone else's tent
Hajj 2023 Experience - Female Perspective
This excellent and comprehensive article was written by a Sister who wished to remain anonymous. Please keep her in your dua!
Packing Essentials
Packing with Purpose: Essentials for Every Step of Your Journey!
Ihram Related Gear
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Turkish Made Ihram comes w/ the top piece(and rida) and Izar(bottom piece). This is an Excellent Turkish Quality Ihram. Avoid Chinese made ihram clothing at all costs
If your journey starts in Mecca, be sure to pack you ihram in your carry on to make sure you land in Jeddah in a state of ihram
If your journey starts in Medinah, no need to purchase one here and just purchase it when landing in Medinah to lighten the travel
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Need space to place your phone, and other small items, all the while helping keep up you Izar(the bottom portion of your ihram clothing), this is a great Ihram belt to consider
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The Archies Sandals are not only unbelievably comfortable, but very durable. I have done Hajj TWICE with these sandals AND a Umrah. And many have appreciated this recommendation.
When purchasing new sandals, make sure to break them in and wear them at least 1 week ahead of your journey to prevent blisters.
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This is one of those protips you will thank us for. These Over the Door Hooks keep your clothes or ihram clothing, or even bag of toiletries hung while changing or using the washroom
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Choose from your choice of Fragrance Free liquid soap(though limited on carry on), bars or even sheets! During the short time of ihram, consider using any of these soaps as body wash and shampoo depending on your skin type of course
-How to Wash Brand located in Walgreens
-Kirks Soap Bar: keep bar in a separate bag WITHIN your bag to prevent it rom getting everywhere
-Fragrance Free Soap SHEETS: really neat way to stay clean, without the mess and in compact way!
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For those looking to shave their own head, finding a fragrance free Shaving Cream is very difficult to find, but we got you with this fragrance free shaving Cream
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Fragrance Free Hand Sanitizer is extraordinarily rate to find, but at Mabroor Essentials..we got you!
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Perhaps the most important item for male going into a state of ihram.
In fact its essential for men, and its to be generously placed 1-2 times daily in groin area to prevent chafing between the thighs. This is one of the most important items for men, do not forget otherwise it can lead to a very painful and miserable experience and making it difficult to walk. Place this tub in ITS OWN PLASTIC BAG so it doesn’t cause a mess anywhere else.
Water Bottles/Hydration/Sun Protection
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Avoid heavy and very insulated bottles since you will be carrying this bottle all day for many days, here are a couple of great recs
Contigo Water Bottle: lightweight, simple, only needs one hand to open AND close the spout, has a ring to hook to your bag
Spray/Mist Bottle: the spray feature in this bottle comes in handy when walking in the heat and need to cool down. however it does need two hands to open the spout and heavier then the contigo water bottle, but still a good recommendation
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Not any umbrella will do you will a Compact UV Umbella to help protect you from the Suns Rays.
You need it compact enought. to fit in your crossbody bag
LIghtweight enough as you will be holding it during the day hours for long periods of time
And the added UV feature makes a significant difference over conventional rain umbrellas
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When the air condition fails in Arafah or even Mina...these become essential to remain focused during your ibada. Recs coming soon***
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Choose any of your likening, we recommend that they are polarized for optimal protection
Power Banks/Cords/Adaptors
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A power bank is essential to keep your phone charged during the day so you can stay connected with your group and daily plans. While there are many outlets, a power bank gives you the freedom to move around without being stuck near a wall.
Choose your specific needs for your cables/phone
Anker Portable Charger USB A&C
Anker with built in USB-C cable 10KmAH This powerbank already has a USB-C cable attached to it
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This is compact Adaptor and Extension Cord in ONE from a reliable brand!
This adaptor includes the most common type of Adaptor Saudi Uses Type G. Though the grounding plastic unit is a bit difficult to pull out, it does work
Whether its the hotel room, or in the mina/arafah camps, this will help keep your phone, powerbank and other items charged. has a USB-C and USB-A port as well. Also, you can get a share in the reward if other guest of Allah use this to charge their devices as well!
Organization/Packing
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This Protip is one thing that you will say Alhamdulilah and thank us for-NEON COLORED TAPE
Tape the following to find it a mile away or a pile of bags that usually happens in the tight Mina Camps
-Luggage/Suitcase
-bookbags
-shoestring bags
-crossbody bags
-zamzam box(to reinforce and find ti easily when picking it up)
Choose any vibrant color or pattern
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Tagging your luggage or even your kids is even more essential these days with Apple Air Tags
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For those times where your need an extra hook for your bottle or other items for extra space, these Carabiner Clips come in handy!
Comfortable Non Ihram Clothing
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These Casual Sandals are light, comfortable and fit in our recommended cross body bag easily that can be work day to day and outside the time your in a state of ihram
Whatever sandal you choose, make sure to break them in and where them for at least a week PRIOR to starting your journey to prevent blister formation
We also recommend not picking black or white colors so its easily distinguishable amongst the sea of slipplers/sandals
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We found the best, and coolest(literally) Boxers for Men when they arent in a state of ihram while walking the heat of Mecca and Medina
Back Bags/Cross Body Bags
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We recommend this BookBag for a few reasons.
However, please note, there is no requirement to get this bookbag, its for those looking for a larger one or need to get one. if you have one that fits your needs, then that is the one to use.
This bookbag will fit the needs for all days of the Manasik-From the day you leave to mina and come back after completing your manasik.
Additionally, this isnt a traditional book bag as the main zipper is on the side, you will truly appreciate this when it comes to organizational purposes as you dont have to dig deep to find items in a typical bookbag.
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Here is our recommended Cross Body Bag
Its affordable, good quality, fits your slippers in separate compartment (but please place your slippers in a plastic bag before placing in your bag), fits essential items(waterbottle, powerbank, umbrella, sunglasses phone, money, etc), ease of access remains in front of you while carrying it, and its not bulky.
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Check out this DrawString Bag.
Our General recommendation is that they arent to be worn daily from the hotel to the harm or even from the Mina Camps to Jamarat
This would be ideally used to place/store items to keep in Mina while taking what is needed to go to Arafah/Muzadalifah with their BookBag or Suitcase
Packing Guide for the days of Hajj
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The days of manasik are 5 OR 6 days long(see our listed Courses Essential to understand why)
So you will need to pack for this duration,
Packing Strategy to consider for the days of manasik Thul Hijja 8-12/13
Suitcases, Booking bags, etc: choose from one of the following options(A or B)
A) One Large Book Bag +Crossbody bag + Shoestring bag(mark each of these bags with Colored Tape to easily distinguish it)
-this strategy keeps both of your hands free, allowing you to be more agile and able to help other more easily
-when leaving the hotel, there is no need to wear the cross body bag and shoe string bag, these can be placed in the large book bag
-the shoe string bag will be used to store most of your items that you WONT be taking with you when you leave from Mina to Arafah/muzdalifah(eg. no need to take your non ihram clothing: socks, thobes, underwear, extra toiletries etc) on the morning of the 9th of Thul Hijja
-the cross body bag will be used during Jamarat as you may be out for a couple of hours depending on your camps location
B) One carry on suitcase+One regular book bag OR Crossbody Bag
-this strategy is for those who are unable to carry a bag for along period of time, however the terrain isnt always flat so make sure to get a carry on suitcase with good quality tires
-You will still need to consider getting a book bag or Cross Body Bag for items they need while walking, standing(opening the suitcase every time you need something isnt ideal), and walking to jamarat.
We recommend packing these items
Extra ihram for men in case one gets soiled. Women should pack their islamically appropriate clothing
For men, 2-3 pairs of underwear, socks, thobes that they can change into after they are out of partial ihram(see list of courses for details).
Medications
Duaa books, pdfs: See our Courses Essential for Resources
Toothbrush/Miswaak, Toothpick/Floss
Snacks if need be, but breakfast, lunch, dinner is served in the camps
Over The Door Hooks-to hang ihram on doors while changing, showering, etc especially in the bathrooms o mina and arafah
Best/Most Comfortable Flip Flopsfor men during state of ihram(see fiqh courses for why women dont need any particular footwear)
Fragrance Free Soap(can be used as shampoo, bodywash and handsoap if your skin allows): ideally the camps would have fragrance free soap, but there is no gaurentee
-How to Wash Brand: located in walgreens
-Kirks Soap Bar: keep bar in a separate bag WITHIN your toiletry bag to prevent it from getting everywhere)
-Native Unscented liquid soap/bodywash/shampoo
Fragrance Free Shaving Cream-for those who prefer to shave their own head
Fragrance Free Deodorant Options
Vasoline (just pick up from any store): essential for men, unscented and to be generously placed 1-2 times daily in the groin/thigh area to prevent chafing between the thighs. This is one of the most important items for men, do not forget otherwise it can lead to a very painful and miserable experience and make it difficult to walk. Place this tub in ITS OWN PLASTIC BAG so it doesn’t cause a mess anywhere else.
Extra plastic bags for dirty items, laundry etc
Water bottles/Hydration
Avoid heavy and very insulated bottles since you will be carrying this bottle all day for many days, here are a couple of great recs
Contigo Water Bottle: lightweight, simple, only needs one hand to open AND close the spout, has a ring to hook to your bag
Spray/Mist Bottle: the spray feature in this bottle comes in handy when walking in the heat and need to cool down. however it does need two hands to open the spout and heavier then the contigo water bottle, but still a good recommendation
-Hydration Packets: water ALONE wont be sufficient to remain hydrated, discuss with your doctor for your specific needs
Liquid IV choose a FLAVOR YOUR LIKE, lemon lime is the best and most people like that one
28 count Lemon Lime Liquid IV Packets
Costco may have better prices.
Power Banks/Cords: Choose your specific needs for your cables/phone
-Anker Portable Charger USB A&C
-Anker Portable Charger USB A only :
-Anker with built in USB-C cable 10KmAH This powerbank already has a USB-C cable attached to it. This size batter is sufficient for most people
-A compact Adaptor and Extension Cord in ONE from a reliable brand!
This adaptor includes the most common type of Adaptor Saudi Uses Type G. Though the grounding plastic unit is a bit difficult to pull out, it does work
Whether its the hotel room, or in the mina/arafah camps, this will help keep your phone, powerbank and other items charged. has a USB-C and USB-A port as well. Also, you can get a share in the reward if other guest of Allah use this to charge their devices as well!
**DISCLAIMER: As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no extra cost to you!
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One of the most asked questions we get is How much do we need to pack when we leave Mina to go to Arafah/Muzdalifah?
So will need to pack for about 24 hours: pack light! the journey is long and there will be a lot of walking.
In your large book bag or carry-on suit case we recommend the following. Rest of the items you can keep in Mina(unless stated otherwise by your group leader) in another bag(eg we recommended a duct taped marked drawstring bag to to fit this stuff you wont be taking to arafah/muzdalifah )
Have an extra ihram for men, or extra pair of Islamically appropriate clothing for women
Duaa books, pdfs
Small bag of toiletries(soap, toothbrush, toothpick/floss, deoderant) with over the door hook to hang these items will using washroom or taking a shower
UV umbrella
sunglasses
Self-Inflating Sleeping Mat. Most groups DO NOT provide any mats during the night of muzdalifah. All you get is a carpet over the hard ground. For some this may be an issue, and your rest is very important, as a busy next day awaits you. This self inflating mat is compact and as big as a large waterbottle that will fit easily
Liquid IV packets to stay hydrated
Snacks (though lunch is served in arafah)
Spray bottle to stay cool (air conditioner usually breaks down in arafah) .
Medications
Packing Guide for Daily Activities in Haramain
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When leaving your hotel to go to the Haramain, Ziyarat (visiting historical sites) with your group, or when leaving Mina to the Jamarat, use any bag that you feel is comfortable. We recommend this Cross Body Bag (or something similar). Its affordable, good quality, fits your slippers in separate compartment (but please place your slippers in a plastic bag before placing in your bag), fits essential items, ease of access while carrying it, and not bulky.
Here is what to pack inside at the least
Water bottle, packets of liquid IV
protein bars, snacks of your choice
money, credit cards
medication
printed dua books(see listed courses for printable PDFs)
phone, powerbank, cable cord
prayer mat(incase you end up praying on the tile)
umbrella
sunglasses
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Item description
Packing Items in List Format