Best time for UmrahA month-by-month guide for 2026 to 2027

Weather in Makkah and Madinah

These are long-term average daily highs and lows from Jeddah Regional Climate Center data, as published in Wikipedia's climate tables for both cities (checked 19/10/2026).

Summer nights in Makkah stay warm, with lows near 29°C, so night tawaf is cooler but not cool. Madinah is the surprise for many first-timers: from December to February the average low is about 12°C to 14°C. Pack a jumper or shawl, and socks for Fajr.

Crowds by season and by hour

Ramadan is the busiest month of the year, and its last ten nights are the busiest of all. School holidays add more people, including Saudi Arabia's own mid-year school break.

Through the day, the General Authority published this guide for Masjid al-Haram in August 2026, as reported by AJEL:

We re-checked the report on 20/10/2026. The authority updates its guidance, so treat these hours as a pattern and check the live tool on the day.

You'll still find older lists online with different hours. Use the latest one, and check the authority's web tool, which shows crowd levels in the tawaf and sa'i areas on each floor. Friday prayers and Ramadan nights break the pattern, because people gather for hours around those prayers.

Choosing a tawaf time

• Late night (10pm to 4am) suits adults and families with older children. In summer it is the only comfortable time to walk outside.
• Late morning to mid-afternoon (9am to 4pm) suits young children and elderly parents, who are more rested in the day. In summer this is the hottest part of the day, so carry water and stay under cover.
• Try to avoid 5pm to 9pm. Maghrib and Isha draw the biggest crowds.

Your Umrah needs a time slot in the Nusuk app. Our Nusuk app guide explains how to book for the whole family.

Price

Hotels near the Haram price by demand. Ramadan costs the most, the last ten nights above all. The Christmas and New Year weeks come next. Weeks outside school holidays and away from Ramadan usually cost less.

We don't publish a single "cheapest month" figure because hotel rates change through the season; ask us for today's price for the weeks you have. You can also save without changing month: a hotel a little further from the Haram with a shuttle, or shared rooms. The cost of that is more walking or waiting, which matters more with elderly parents than with fit adults. Our economy Umrah packages page explains the trade-offs.

School holidays by country

For travellers in the UK, USA and Canada we sell land packages only: you book your flights, we handle the ground. We are not ATOL protected (UK). We are not TICO registered (Canada). We don't sell flights to travellers in the USA. See our land package page.

In Pakistan, winter vacations usually run from late December into early January, and the 2026 to 2027 dates had not been announced on 20/10/2026 (last year Punjab closed schools from 22/12/2025 to 10/01/2026). If your children are off in summer, choose a hotel close to the Haram so they can sleep through the heat of the day.

In the UK, the October half term (26/10/2026 to 30/10/2026 in Birmingham) is only days away, too close for most families to arrange a visa and bookings. That leaves Christmas or the February half term (15/02/2027 to 19/02/2027), which falls inside Ramadan. Easter 2027 starts after the last entry date; our Easter Umrah 2027 guide explains why.

In the USA, Thanksgiving (26/11/2026) and winter recess fit the season. New York City's spring recess (22/04/2027 to 30/04/2027) does not. In Ontario, the March break (15/03/2027 to 19/03/2027) ends before the 23/03/2027 cutoff.

We checked these dates on the official calendars on 20/10/2026; your own school may differ. The full table by country is in our Umrah calendar for 1448, and our school holiday Umrah packages page plans trips around each break.

Ramadan

The Prophet ﷺ said an Umrah in Ramadan equals Hajj in reward (Sahih al-Bukhari 1782). The equality is in reward: IslamQA explains that it does not take the place of the obligatory Hajj. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin about 08/02/2027, depending on the moon sighting. It is the most crowded and most expensive time of the year, and in recent Ramadans Nusuk did not issue a second Umrah permit to the same person. The rule for Ramadan 2027 had not been announced on 20/10/2026. Our guide to Umrah in Ramadan has a full plan.

Who should go when

Families with young children

If school dates allow, choose November, or late January to early February. If you must go in the December holidays, book early and stay close to the Haram so children can rest between prayers. See Umrah with kids.

Elderly parents

Aim for November to February, away from Ramadan and the holiday weeks. Book their Umrah for the late morning, pick a hotel near a gate with lifts, and think about starting in Madinah, which is calmer, before Makkah. See Umrah with elderly parents.

First-timers

A quieter month lets you learn the routes without pressure, and ten nights split between Makkah and Madinah gives most first-timers a steady pace; we adjust that to your dates. Unless the last ten nights of Ramadan are your main aim, avoid them on a first visit. Our guide on how long Umrah takes has sample plans.

Adults travelling alone or as a couple

You have the most freedom. The weeks outside school holidays are quietest, and summer can be a good fit if you are happy to do tawaf at night. Ask us to compare summer and winter prices for the hotels you like.

People drawn to the months before Ramadan

Rajab and Sha'ban fall in December and January this season, the coolest part of the year. Our guide to Umrah in Rajab and Sha'ban covers what scholars say about those months.

Nobody can promise you a quiet mataf in any month. The crowd notes on this page are patterns, and a single busy weekend can break them.

How Maqam e Haram helps

We plan family Umrah trips all season from our office in Islamabad, and our own team works on the ground in Makkah and Madinah. We check your dates against school holidays and the season cutoffs, compare hotels by distance and price, book the hotels and transport your visa application needs, and help you book Nusuk permits at the quieter hours. In Makkah our staff can show elderly parents the easier routes.

We don't issue visas and can't promise one. The Saudi authorities decide. We make the hotel and transport bookings the application needs and help you through it.

If the winter holidays suit your family, see our December Umrah packages, or message us on WhatsApp or call +92 309 9022120 with your dates.

Questions and answers

Related pages

• Umrah calendar 1448The official season dates and every Hijri month.
• Umrah in RamadanRamadan 2027 and the last ten nights.
• Umrah in Rajab and Sha'banThe cool winter months.
• How long does Umrah take7, 10 and 14-night plans.
• Umrah with elderly parentsPace, hotels and help.
• Umrah with kidsPlanning with children.
• December Umrah packagesThe winter holiday trip.