Umrah in Ramadan 2027 from the UK: Dates & Booking

For Umrah in Ramadan 2027, the month is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, with Eid al-Fitr expected on Tuesday 9 March, and both dates depend on the moon being sighted. If you want to perform Umrah from the UK in Ramadan, the practical deadline is to decide on your ten-night window and start asking for quotes now, because the hotels closest to the Haram are the first to fill. This guide sets out the expected dates night by night, what changed for the 2026-27 Umrah season, and what to settle before you pay a deposit.

Last checked: 3 October 2026. Rules, dates and travel advice can change at short notice, so we re-check them before every booking.

When is Ramadan 2027, and when are the first, middle and last ten nights?

The Umm al-Qura calendar, which Saudi Arabia uses for planning, puts 1 Ramadan 1448 on Monday 8 February 2027. Eid al-Fitr is then expected on Tuesday 9 March 2027, which would make this a 29-day month. These are calculated dates. The start is only confirmed once the crescent is sighted on the evening of 29 Sha'ban, so allow a day either way when you plan flights and leave.

The Islamic day begins at sunset, so each "night" starts on the evening before the calendar date. That is where many online guides go wrong. Working from an expected 8 February start, the three ten-night phases fall like this:

Within the last ten nights, the odd nights (the 21st, 23rd, 25th, 27th and 29th) are the ones many Muslims seek out for Laylat al-Qadr. On these expected dates, the 27th night begins on the evening of Friday 5 March. The exact night of Laylat al-Qadr is a matter for scholars, not a travel company, so please ask your imam if you want guidance on which nights to prioritise.

If the moon is sighted a day later, every date above moves by a day. A good package operator will build a little flexibility into your departure and return flights, and will tell you plainly what happens if the start date shifts.

Can you do Umrah in Ramadan, and what is the one-Umrah rule?

Yes. Umrah is open to international pilgrims during Ramadan. Two rules matter:

• A permit through Nusuk. International pilgrims need an Umrah permit from the Saudi Ministry of Hajj and Umrah's Nusuk app before entering the Grand Mosque, and permits during Ramadan are allocated against the mosque's capacity. That is why popular dates sell out.
• One Umrah during Ramadan. The Ministry has stated in recent years that a pilgrim may perform Umrah only once during Ramadan, to help manage crowds. We will confirm in writing whether this applies in the same way in 2027 once the Ministry publishes its Ramadan guidance.

In practice this means you should choose your dates carefully. You will not be able to treat a Ramadan trip as a base for several Umrahs, so it is worth thinking about which part of the month matters most to you.

What changed for the 2026-27 Umrah season?

Three things are worth knowing if you last booked Umrah a year or more ago. We do not repeat the full visa walkthrough here, because our Umrah planning guide covers it.

A one-year, multiple-entry Umrah visa. Saudi Arabia introduced it on 20 July 2026. It is valid for 365 days with a maximum of 90 days in the Kingdom across all visits, and it is not valid during the Hajj season. Each visit still needs a service package bought from an approved provider on Nusuk and a permit through the app. Whether it is the right visa for your trip depends on your nationality and plans, so we confirm the route when we quote. For a single Ramadan trip, most travellers will not need the multi-entry option.

A defined season calendar. The Ministry's 1448 AH calendar sets these dates:

Season dates for 2026-27

• Last day to issue Umrah visas: 9 March 2027 (1 Shawwal 1448, the expected Eid day)
• Last day to enter Saudi Arabia on an Umrah visa: 23 March 2027
• Last day to leave the Kingdom: 7 April 2027

A Ramadan trip sits comfortably inside this window. The point to notice is that visas are not issued after the expected Eid day, so a plan to "book something after Eid" works only if you leave time before the 23 March entry cut-off.

Meningitis vaccination. GOV.UK lists the quadrivalent meningococcal (ACWY) vaccine as required for Umrah pilgrims. The UK's travel health service, TravelHealthPro, says the proof must be dated at least 10 days before you arrive, that it applies from age one, and that a conjugate vaccine certificate is valid for five years and a polysaccharide one for three. Book the vaccine early; clinics get busy before Ramadan. Our Umrah cost guide lists what else sits outside the package price.

First, middle or last ten nights: which fits you?

There is no wrong answer here, and which nights you value is a personal and religious decision. What a travel adviser can usefully tell you is how each phase behaves on the ground.

First ten nights (expected 8 to 17 February). Generally the calmest part of the month, and usually the most affordable of the three. If you want Ramadan in Makkah without the heaviest crowds, this is where many first-timers and families settle. If you are travelling with children, check your school's term and half-term dates early, as they differ between areas.

Middle ten nights (expected 18 to 27 February). Busier, with demand building towards the end of the phase. A good fit if your work leave falls here and you want a balance between atmosphere and manageability.

Last ten nights (expected 28 February to 8 March). The most sought-after and the most demanding. Permits go first, hotel rooms near the Haram sell out first, and tawaf and the prayer areas are crowded for much of the day. Prices are at their highest. If this is your intention, treat it as the first decision, not the last: dates, hotel and permit are tied together.

Two UK dates to keep in view: Eid al-Fitr is expected on Tuesday 9 March, which is a weekday, and Easter Sunday is 28 March. If you need to be back for work or school the week after Eid, build the return flight around that rather than assuming you can stay for Eid in Makkah.

How early should you book Ramadan Umrah?

Earlier than for any other time of year, and the honest answer is that we cannot give a single date. Ramadan hotel allocations near the Haram are limited, packages are built around Nusuk-approved providers, and the most requested nights go first. As a working rule, treat now to December 2026 as the decision window for the last ten nights, and slightly later for the first ten nights. After that you will still find options, but fewer, further from the Haram, or at a higher price.

Rather than "book early", it helps to think of five decisions, in this order:

1. Your ten-night window, allowing a day either way for the moon.
2. Who is travelling, including anyone elderly, with limited mobility, or under the age of five.
3. Hotel zone and tier, which drives most of the price. See our guide to 3-star, 4-star and 5-star Umrah.
4. Flights, including whether you want a direct service or a one-stop routing.
5. Paperwork, meaning passports valid for at least six months from arrival, the ACWY certificate, and the visa and permit arranged through your package.

Ramadan 2027 dates and availability change quickly, so ask us which ten-night windows are open when you enquire. A deposit secures a holiday package, with the amount shown for the package at the point of booking, and the balance is paid before you travel. We confirm the deposit and balance dates in writing with your quote.

Why does Ramadan cost more, and what should it include?

Ramadan is the most expensive Umrah period of the year because demand far outstrips hotel supply near the Haram. Our general price ladder by star rating is in the Umrah cost guide, and Ramadan sits well above it.

As a guide only, UK Umrah operators were advertising Ramadan 2027 packages with flights, visa and hotels in October 2026 at around £700 to £1,100 per person for 7 to 10 nights in a shared room, with the lower figures for 3-star and 4-star hotels. Packages covering the last ten nights were advertised at roughly £1,500 to £2,600 per person, with the higher figures for 4-star hotels in double or triple sharing. These are other companies' published prices, not a Travel Orbit offer. Your price depends on the hotel, how close it is to the Haram, the dates, the sharing basis and the flights. We confirm the exact price when we quote.

What drives the difference between two Ramadan quotes that look similar:

• How close the hotel is to the Haram, measured in real walking time rather than the word "nearby".
• Whether the dates are in the first, middle or last ten nights.
• The number sharing a room.
• Whether flights, transfers and the Nusuk visa and permit are in the price or extra.
• Meals, which matter in Ramadan because suhoor and iftar arrangements differ between hotels.

Ask for a named hotel and the walking distance to the Haram in writing. Distances quoted as "walking distance" can hide a long walk in crowded conditions, which matters for older relatives. We explain the zones in our 3-star, 4-star and 5-star comparison.

Travelling with elderly parents or children in Ramadan

Ramadan in Makkah is physically tiring even for fit adults. Walking distances lengthen in the crowds, prayers are long, and daytime temperatures in Saudi Arabia can pass 30°C even in winter, according to TravelHealthPro. A few practical points:

• Choose the closest hotel you can afford. For elderly or less mobile parents, proximity matters more than the star rating.
• Consider the first ten nights if your parents would find the last ten nights too crowded.
• Ask about wheelchair and assistance options at the time of the quote, not after payment. Tell us about any mobility needs when you enquire and we will arrange wheelchair assistance with the airline and hotel.
• Check the vaccine for children. The ACWY requirement applies from age one. Ask your GP or pharmacist about timing, and check the permit position for very young children when we quote.
• Whether to fast while travelling is a question of fiqh, and your imam or scholar is the right person to ask about it.

A booking timeline, working back from Ramadan

Because several things have lead times, it helps to work backwards. These are the milestones we walk customers through. The dates assume the expected 8 February start, so shift them if your chosen window is different.

• October to December 2026: choose your window and ask for quotes. This is when you can still compare tiers and hotel zones. Decide who is travelling and collect everyone's passport details.
• Check passports now. Saudi Arabia requires your passport to be valid for at least six months after the date you arrive. For a last-ten-nights arrival on 27 February 2027, that means validity to at least 27 August 2027. A renewal can take weeks, so do not leave it.
• Before departure: the ACWY vaccine. The certificate must be dated at least 10 days before arrival. For an arrival on 27 February, that means vaccination no later than 17 February, though earlier is wiser.
• Around 7 February 2027: the moon sighting. The crescent is expected to be looked for on the evening of 29 Sha'ban. If your trip is in the first ten nights, your dates are only confirmed then, so ask how your flights and hotel handle a one-day shift.
• Before 9 March 2027: the last visa issue date. If you are considering a trip for the end of Ramadan or just after, remember that visa issuance stops on the expected Eid day.

Mistakes to avoid when booking Ramadan Umrah

A few problems are common when people plan Ramadan Umrah:

• Booking flights first. Flights bought separately, before the hotel and permit position is clear, can leave you with a date that no hotel near the Haram can match. Settle the package and dates together.
• Choosing on star rating alone. A 5-star hotel a long way from the Haram can be harder in Ramadan than a 3-star next door. Ask for the walking time.
• Assuming the dates are final. Ramadan's start is confirmed by moon sighting. Ask what happens if the dates move.
• Not reading what is excluded. Visa, permit, transfers, meals and baggage can all sit outside a headline price. Ask for the inclusions in writing.
• Leaving the vaccine to the last week. Pharmacies and travel clinics have more demand before Ramadan, and the certificate needs to be dated at least 10 days before you land.
• Waiting for a price drop. In Ramadan, waiting usually does not help, because hotel supply near the Haram is limited and demand is high.

What to check about safety and flights before you book

The Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) updated its Saudi Arabia advice on 20 September 2026. It advises against all travel within 10 km of the Yemen border and all but essential travel between 10 km and 80 km from it. It also reports that since 13 July the Houthis have launched missiles and drones at cities, airports and other sites across Saudi Arabia, including Jeddah, and that further attacks are possible. The advice does not advise against travel to Makkah or Madinah, but the situation can change, so read the page yourself on the day you book and again before you fly: FCDO Saudi Arabia travel advice.

Two practical consequences:

• Insurance. The FCDO warns that travel insurance can be invalidated if you travel against its advice. Read your policy wording, and check that it covers Umrah, your age and any medical conditions.
• Flexibility. Ask what happens to your package if flights are disrupted or the advice changes before departure. The terms vary between providers and fares.

On flights, routings and airlines that serve Jeddah and Madinah from the UK change with the season and with events in the Gulf. We check the live schedule when we quote rather than rely on a published list. We quote Umrah departures from London, Manchester, Birmingham and other UK airports; tell us your nearest one and we will check the routing for your dates.

Package holidays that include flights and are sold by Travel Orbit are ATOL protected, and we explain what that does and does not cover in our guide to what ATOL protected means.

Paying in instalments

A Ramadan package is a large payment made early. If you want to spread it, see how our pay later option works and read our explainer on paying for a holiday in instalments. Our Book Now, Pay Later option is an in-house payment schedule: a deposit secures the booking and the balance is paid in scheduled instalments, all cleared before you travel. Ask us about the schedule for your Ramadan dates when you enquire.

How Travel Orbit can help

Tell us four things and we will come back with a real quote against real availability: your preferred ten-night window, how many are travelling and their ages, the hotel tier or distance from the Haram that suits you, and your UK departure airport. You can start on our Umrah packages page or explore 3-star, 4-star and 5-star options first, then use the contact form to enquire. If you would rather email, write to [email protected]. We will confirm every date, rule and price in writing before you pay.

Sources

Rules and advice below were checked on 3 October 2026. Ramadan dates are astronomical projections and are not official until announced in Saudi Arabia.

• Ramadan 2027 in Saudi Arabia (Wego Travel Blog, citing the Umm al-Qura calendar)
• Saudi Arabia travel advice (FCDO, GOV.UK)
• Saudi Arabia entry requirements (FCDO, GOV.UK)
• Hajj and Umrah health requirements (TravelHealthPro, NaTHNaC)
• Saudi Arabia introduces one-year multiple-entry Umrah visa (The National, 20 July 2026)
• Saudi Arabia announces 1448 AH Umrah season calendar (The Peninsula Qatar, 17 May 2026)
• Permits for Umrah visits during Ramadan through Nusuk (Arab News, March 2023)