The best time of year for Umrah: crowds, weather and prices

The month you choose decides how long tawaf takes, how hot the walk to the Haram is, and what your hotel costs.

The season at a glance

• June to August (Muharram and Safar): the season reopens after Hajj. The fewest pilgrims and the lowest prices, but the hottest months: over 40 °C by day in both cities.
• September to November: still hot at first, then cooling through the autumn, with crowds building slowly.
• December and January (Rajab and Sha'ban this year): the best weather of the year, around 31 °C by day in Makkah and cool nights in Madinah. It is also the winter holiday in many countries, and many come in Rajab and Sha'ban before Ramadan, so expect fuller plazas, especially at weekends.
• Ramadan (from about 8 February 2027): the busiest time of year after Hajj, and for many the most moving; the last ten nights are the fullest of all. Book early: the closest hotels fill months ahead.
• After Eid (March to early April 2027): the crowds thin after Eid al-Fitr. For pilgrims from abroad this is the end of the season: the last Umrah visas are issued around 9 March 2027, the last entry is 23 March, and everyone must leave by 7 April.
• April and May: Umrah visas pause for Hajj, and the new season opens a few days after it.

The weather, city by city

• Makkah is warm all year: about 31 °C by day in January and over 42 °C from May to September, with hot nights in summer.
• Madinah is drier, with bigger swings: about 24 °C by day in January and down to around 12 °C at night, so pack a warm layer. Summer days pass 40 °C.

Days of the week, hours of the day

• From Thursday evening to Saturday, the Saudi weekend brings visitors to Makkah from across the Kingdom: tawaf slows and the plazas fill before Jumu'ah. Midweek is calmer.
• The mataf is often lightest mid-morning on weekdays, and in the hours after midnight.

When are prices lowest?

Prices follow the crowds: lowest in summer and the first weeks after the season reopens, highest in Ramadan, the winter holidays and long weekends. Prices also change from night to night, so compare the total for your whole stay rather than one night's rate. For the walk from each hotel, see the closest hotels to the Haram.

Many hotels sell Ramadan 2027 nights without free cancellation, so read the cancellation terms shown for your stay before you pay.