With most trips abroad, choosing when to go is easy. You look at the weather and the school holidays and book. Umrah is harder to pin down. You can go at almost any time of year, and each season gives you a different trip. The heat, the crowds and the cost all change a great deal from one month to the next, and the Islamic calendar shifts against the ordinary one, so the busy periods don’t stay put.
That’s why the same hotel room in Makkah can cost three times as much in one month as it does in another. If you’re comparing Umrah Packages from UK airports, the date you choose will make more difference to the price than almost anything else, including the airline and the star rating of the hotel. This guide goes through the year one season at a time, so you can find the dates that suit your family, your health and your budget.
Three things that decide it
It helps to know what you’re weighing up before looking at the months.
• Weather. Makkah is hot the whole year and very hot in summer, when the afternoons go well over 40 degrees. Winter days are around 30, which is far easier. Madinah is a little cooler, and winter nights there can be chilly.
• Crowds. The Haram is never empty, but it can be busy or it can be packed solid. Ramadan and the school holidays are the fullest times.
• Price. Flights and hotels go up and down with demand. When everybody wants to travel, everybody pays more.
It’s rare to get the best of all three at once. In most cases you choose two.
September to November: the quiet autumn
These months are a good time for many people, and a lot of pilgrims overlook them. The fierce summer heat begins to ease from late September, the Hajj crowds went home long ago, and prices are at the lower end of the scale. The mosques are busy but you can move about comfortably.
The only awkward week is the October half-term, when UK families travel and fares rise for a few days. If you aren’t tied to school dates, go a week before or after it and you’ll pay less for the same trip. Retired couples, and anyone taking an elderly parent, often find this the best time of the whole year.
December: lovely weather and plenty of company
December has the best weather. The days are warm, the evenings are pleasant, and you can do Tawaf in the afternoon without wilting. The trouble is that everyone knows this. The Christmas break is the one time when schools, offices and universities in Britain are all closed together, so demand is very high.
Prices in the last two weeks of December show it. If you want these dates, book months ahead. The first half of the month is much calmer and cheaper, and it’s worth thinking about if your children are below school age.
January: a good month that gets forgotten
After the schools go back, things quieten down quickly. The weather is still mild, the Christmas visitors have left and prices drop. For anyone who can travel in term time, January gives you a lot for your money. Bring a jumper for Madinah, because the early mornings can be properly cold, which first-timers don’t expect.
Ramadan: the month everyone wants
Ramadan in Makkah is something special. You break your fast with thousands of other people in the courtyard of the Haram, and you stand in Taraweeh prayers behind imams known all over the world. For many Muslims it’s the dream trip. In 2027 Ramadan is expected to start around 8 February, depending on the sighting of the moon, so it falls in the cooler part of the year. That’s a real help when you’re fasting.
It’s also the dearest time to go. Ramadan Umrah Packages Prices are the highest of the year, and they climb as the month goes on. Agents usually split the month into three parts. The first ten days cost the least. The middle ten are somewhat more. The last ten, which include Laylat al-Qadr, cost the most by a long way, and hotels near the Haram are often sold out many months before.
If Ramadan is what you want, three things will keep the cost down. Book early, and by that I mean six months or more. Go for the first ten days and leave the last ten for another year. And think about a hotel a little further from the Haram, as the extra charge for being next door is at its highest in this month. You should also be honest with yourself about the crowds. It’s wonderful, but it’s tiring, and it may not suit very young children or frail relatives.
Spring: after Eid and before Hajj
Once Eid is over, the crowds thin out and prices come down. For a few weeks it’s comfortable again, though each week is warmer than the one before. The Easter holidays cause another short rise in prices for UK travellers.
One thing to watch is the approach of Hajj. In 2027 Hajj is expected around the middle of May. Umrah visitors have to leave before the Hajj season begins, and the Saudi authorities set cut-off dates every year. If you’re planning a trip in late spring, check those dates before you book anything.
Summer: hot, cheap and quiet
After Hajj, in June, July and August, it’s extremely hot. Midday temperatures can reach the mid-forties, and even the marble floor of the Haram is warm underfoot. Because of that, this is usually the cheapest time, and the long school holiday makes it possible for families who can’t get away otherwise.
You can do it if you plan your days round the heat. Do your Tawaf late at night or just after Fajr. Stay indoors between late morning and late afternoon. Drink water constantly. I wouldn’t suggest summer for elderly pilgrims or anyone with a heart condition, however good the price looks.
So when should you go?
It depends who is travelling. Have a talk as a family before you look at prices, and be clear about what matters most to you, whether that’s the weather, the cost or being there in Ramadan. Then pick from these:
• Families with school-age children: the first week of the Christmas holidays or the October half-term, booked early. Summer is the choice if money is tight.
• Older pilgrims: November, early December or January, when it’s cool and calm.
• Those on a tight budget: term-time dates in autumn or January, and summer if you can cope with the heat.
• Those who want the full experience: Ramadan, with the first ten days being the easiest on your pocket.
One last thing to bear in mind is that the Islamic year is about eleven days shorter than the ordinary one, so Ramadan and Hajj come earlier each year. Advice about dates that was right three years ago may be wrong now. Check the calendar for the year you’re travelling in, and then choose the weeks that fit your own family.