Umrah 2023 with My Brother: Train to Karachi, Etihad via Abu Dhabi and 17 Days in Makkah
Sargodha to Faisalabad and Karachi by train, Etihad through Abu Dhabi to Jeddah, then 17 days of Umrah with my brother, a late-night Makkah street market and the walk to Jannat al-Mu'alla.
By Hafiz Tayyab · 9 October 2026 · 2 min read
The route
- SargodhatoFaisalabad
- FaisalabadtoKarachi
- KarachitoAbu DhabiEtihad
- Abu DhabitoJeddahEtihad
- JeddahtoBakuflynas, solo
Train to Karachi
Sargodha → Faisalabad → Karachi, staying with Chachu Shahnawaz.
Jannat al-Mu'alla
Open only after Fajr and after Asr.
15-riyal thobes
The late-night pavement market by the Clock Tower.
Only a few weeks after Afghanistan I was back on the road, this time with my brother, for my second Umrah.
By train to Karachi
We didn't fly from home. We took the train from Sargodha to Faisalabad, then Faisalabad to Karachi. In Karachi we stayed with my uncle, Chachu Shahnawaz, before the flight.
From Karachi we flew Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi, waited out a long layover, and took Etihad again to Jeddah.
17 days of Umrah
The trip was 17 days in Makkah and Madinah. A friend of mine flew in from Italy and joined us, which made it even better.
Two days from this trip became some of my earliest vlogs.
Walking from the Haram to Jannat al-Mu'alla
We walked from Masjid al-Haram to Jannat al-Mu'alla, Makkah's oldest graveyard, where Hazrat Khadija (R.A) is buried. The route took us along Ibrahim Road, through the Haram past Safa and Marwa to the Marwah exit, through Kabootar Chowk and past Masjid al-Jinn.
What you need to know:
- It opens only after Fajr and after Asr. Any other time, the gates are shut.
- Women can't go inside; they can see it from the gate. Men can enter.
- It's hot and long. Take water, an umbrella and sunglasses.
The full walking guide, with more tips, is in Makkah to Madinah for 35–50 riyal and other Umrah tips.
Late night on Ibrahim Khalil Road
One night I went out to pick up our friend arriving from Italy and ended up filming the pavement market outside the Clock Tower. Thobes were 15 riyal. Then the municipality (baladiya) arrived and everyone grabbed their goods and ran.
I also tried to change Pakistani rupees after 11 PM. Every exchange near me was closed. Lesson: bring riyal from Pakistan.
The brother goes home, I go to Baku
When the Umrah was over, my brother flew back to Pakistan. I didn't. From Jeddah I took a flynas flight to Baku, Azerbaijan, alone. It was my first solo trip abroad after Afghanistan.
That story is next: almost a month in Baku.
Planning your own Umrah? See the step-by-step Umrah guide or Travel with Tayab Umrah Services.
Watch the episodes
Questions people ask
When is Jannat al-Mu'alla open?
Only after Fajr and after Asr. At other times the gates are closed.
Can you exchange Pakistani rupees in Makkah at night?
It's hard. After 11 PM the money exchanges near Ibrahim Khalil Road were closed. Bring riyal from Pakistan.
How did he fly to Jeddah in 2023?
Etihad Airways from Karachi to Abu Dhabi, then Etihad again from Abu Dhabi to Jeddah.
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