Makkah runs 35 to 45 degrees through the summer. That is manageable, and it needs managing rather than enduring.
The difference between those two
People who plan for the heat structure their day around it, drink ahead of thirst, and come home saying it was fine. People who endure it attempt a normal schedule, last about four days, and stop going to the mosque.
The gap between those two outcomes is preparation rather than fitness.
And the honest note about deals
The cheapest summer weeks are at both ends of the season and both are term time. Late June at £549 and early September at £529, against £699 in the school holidays.
If you are tied to school terms, the real deal is October half term at £499. If you are not, the two ends of summer are where the value sits.
The short version
Makkah 35 to 45 degrees. Madinah similar and drier, which most people find easier.
Drink ahead of thirst, not when you feel it. Dry heat does not feel like it is taking water from you.
A sun umbrella is widely used in Makkah, sold everywhere, and nobody in the UK mentions it.
Restructure the day. Two long visits rather than five walks.
The cheap weeks are late June at £549 and early September at £529, and both are term time. |
Ask us which summer week is cheapest for your dates
The temperatures
Window | Makkah by day | Madinah | Isha to Fajr |
|---|
Late May and early June | 35 to 42 | Hot and drier | Around 8 hours |
Mid to late June | 35 to 43 | Hot and drier | Under 8 hours |
July | 38 to 45 | Similar, drier | Around 8 hours |
August | 38 to 45 | Similar, drier | Around 8 hours |
Early September | 36 to 42 | Easing | Around 9 hours |
Makkah against Madinah
Similar temperatures and different humidity. Makkah is more humid, which makes it feel worse at the same reading. Madinah is drier, which most people find easier and which also dehydrates you faster without you noticing.
A practical implication
If you have flexibility on the split, consider more Madinah nights than usual in summer. Flat ground, shorter walks and drier heat all help.
The other half of the problem
The nights are the shortest of the year. Around eight hours between Isha and Fajr, against over ten in January.
Which means a summer trip is hard on sleep as much as on heat, and the two compound. Detail in our June guide.
The marble
Genuinely hot underfoot in daylight. The main Tawaf area is cooled and the surrounding courtyards are not all shaded, and everybody walks barefoot inside.
What that means for timing
Perform Tawaf before Fajr or late at night. Not in the afternoon, and not with children in the afternoon under any circumstances.
Hydration, properly
The single most important section and the one people nod at rather than act on.
Why dry heat is deceptive
In humid heat you feel wet and you know you are sweating. In dry heat the sweat evaporates immediately, so you do not feel it happening and you do not register the loss.
Which is why people who cope fine in a British heatwave get caught out in Makkah.
The rule
Drink ahead of thirst, not when you feel it. By the time you are thirsty you are already behind.
What that looks like in practice
- Every time you sit down
- Every time you leave the hotel
- Every time you enter the Haram
- Every time you come back
- And whenever anybody offers you Zamzam, which will be often
Zamzam
Free throughout the Haram, in coolers on every level, and there is no reason to ration it. Take a refillable bottle and top it up constantly.
Salts as well as water
Plain water alone does not replace what you lose through heavy sweating. Rehydration sachets weigh nothing, cost very little, and make a real difference over a week in that heat.
Take a box from home. They are available there and it is one less thing to find.
What to avoid
Relying on tea and coffee for fluids, which most people do in Britain without thinking. In this heat, water and Zamzam should be the bulk of it.
With children
On a schedule rather than on demand. Children do not reliably report thirst and they will keep going long past the point an adult would stop.
Full detail on children in extreme heat in our July guide.
When it has gone wrong
The section to read before you travel rather than during. These are the widely known signs and they are worth knowing.
Heat exhaustion
The earlier and more common stage. Commonly described signs include heavy sweating, dizziness, a headache, feeling sick, cramps, and skin that feels cool and clammy.
What to do
Stop. Get into shade or air conditioning, sit or lie down, and take fluids. Tell somebody rather than pushing on quietly.
Heat stroke
The serious stage and a medical emergency.
The commonly described warning signs include stopping sweating when you had been sweating, skin that is hot and dry, confusion or disorientation, and a very high temperature.
What to do
Get medical help immediately. Do not wait to see whether it passes.
Where to get help
There are medical facilities within the Haram complex and in the surrounding area, and staff are used to dealing with this. Hotel reception can direct you or call for assistance.
Your travel insurance should cover treatment, which is one of several reasons to have it.
Who is most at risk
Older travellers, young children, anybody with a heart or respiratory condition, and anybody fasting. If that describes somebody in your party, watch them rather than relying on them to say something.
The honest advice
We are describing widely known signs so that you recognise them, not giving medical guidance. If you have a health condition, speak to your GP before booking a summer trip.
And if somebody in your party seems unwell in the heat, the correct response is always to stop and get help rather than to finish the Tawaf.
The practical heat toolkit
Things that genuinely work, including one that almost no UK-facing guide mentions.
A sun umbrella
The one nobody tells you about. Sun umbrellas are widely used in Makkah and Madinah, sold everywhere for very little, and they make a real difference on the walk between your hotel and the Haram.
They are not unusual there and nobody will look at you strangely. Buy one on the first day.
A damp scarf or small towel
Wet it, wring it out, and wear it around your neck. It is a simple and widely used cooling method and it works better than it sounds.
Re-wet it whenever you pass a water point, which in the Haram is constantly.
Timing
The most powerful tool and it costs nothing. Before Fajr and after Maghrib are comfortable. The middle of the day is not, and no amount of equipment changes that.
Sandals you can carry
You leave your shoes at the gates and walk barefoot inside, then you come out and the surfaces have been in the sun. Sandals that clip to a bag or fit in a small carrier solve a real problem.
Loose light clothing
Nothing fitted. Light colours over dark. Cotton or linen over synthetics, which trap heat and do not breathe.
A hat or cap for outside
Removed inside the mosque, and genuinely useful for the walk there and back and for Ziyarat.
Shade awareness
Learn which side of the street is shaded at which time and walk on it. It sounds trivial and over a fortnight it is the difference between comfortable and drained.
And the thing that does the most
A hotel close enough that the walk is short. No toolkit substitutes for it, which is why summer bookings are a distance decision before they are a budget one.
Full reasoning in our summer booking guide.
The restructured day
The single adjustment that makes a summer trip work.
The version that fails
Five separate walks to the Haram spread across the day, including the middle of it. That lasts about four days in 43 degrees and then people stop going entirely.
The version that works
Time | What you do |
|---|
Around 3:45 am | Wake, wudu, walk to the Haram |
Fajr | Pray, then stay a while. The best part of the day |
6:00 to 11:00 am | Back to the hotel and sleep. This is the main rest |
Midday and afternoon | Indoors. Dhuhr and Asr at the hotel prayer room |
Around 6:45 pm | Walk to the Haram for Maghrib |
Evening | Maghrib, stay through Isha, then back and sleep |
What that gives you
Four walks a day instead of ten. Two long visits rather than five journeys. And a proper block of sleep in the morning when the room is coolest.
What you give up
Dhuhr and Asr at the mosque on most days. That is the trade and it is the one that makes the rest of the trip sustainable.
What it needs
A room you can sleep in during daylight. Ask which way it faces and what the curtains are like, because a bright room at ten in the morning removes your only proper rest.
The first two days
Expect them to be hard. You are adjusting to a time zone and inverting your sleep pattern at the same time, in extreme heat.
Plan a light first day. Perform Umrah, then rest properly rather than attempting a full schedule immediately.
The summer packing list
In hand luggage
- Two sets of Ihram, because bags get delayed
- Your ACWY vaccination certificate, which is a visa requirement
- All medication with the pharmacy label attached
- A power bank, because you need working data for the Nusuk permits
- A refillable water bottle, empty through security
- Copies of your passport, visa and booking confirmation
The heat kit
- Rehydration sachets, a box of them
- High factor sun protection
- A hat or cap for outside the mosque
- A small towel or scarf for cooling
- Sandals you can carry easily
- Loose light clothing in light colours
Toiletries
Unscented soap, shampoo and toothpaste, because scented products are avoided in Ihram.
On sizes
Assume the 100ml hand luggage rule unless your specific airport confirms otherwise. The position has changed at different UK airports at different times.
And on sun protection specifically
Unscented if you can find it, and check with someone qualified if the detail matters to you, because views differ on scented products applied for protection rather than fragrance.
Practical items
- A prayer mat that folds small
- Wet wipes, which are more useful in heat than anywhere else
- A small padlock
- A foldable holdall for the return, because you will bring more back
Plugs
Saudi hotels commonly use the UK three-pin, so a UK plug frequently works. Take a small universal adapter as backup rather than assuming either way.
What to buy there
A sun umbrella on the first day. Extra Ihram towels if you need them. Prayer mats, dates and Zamzam containers, all of which are cheaper there than here.
And what not to bring
Too much clothing. Laundry in both cities is cheap and quick, so pack for about a week whatever the length of your trip. In heat you will change more often, which makes laundry more useful rather than more clothing.
Where the summer deals actually are
The honest answer, and it is probably not where you were looking.
The two cheap ends
Window | 7 nights, 3 star | Why it is cheap |
|---|
Late May to early June | From £499 | Post-Hajj reopening. Nobody has restarted |
Mid to late June | From £549 | Scottish holidays only. English term time |
July, first three weeks | From £649 | English term time |
Late July and August | From £699 | Everybody travelling |
First week of September | From £529 | English schools return |
The pattern
The season is cheap at both ends and expensive in the middle, and both cheap ends are term time.
The cheapest of all
The post-Hajj reopening in late May and early June at £499, which is the floor price in a month you would expect a premium.
It is also 35 to 42 degrees with the shortest nights of the year, which is why nobody books it. For a fit adult on a short trip it is the best value window in the second half of the year.
The caveat
The exact reopening date is announced by the Saudi Ministry after Hajj, so early June departures depend on it. Ask us for the current position. Detail in our May guide.
The best value for a school-constrained family
None of the above, honestly. October half term at £499, which is £200 less than August and thirteen degrees cooler with the same school holiday status.
Where there is genuine late availability
The term-time weeks. In the school holiday weeks, demand is fixed and everybody needs the same close-in properties, so what releases late is at the far end of the distance bands.
Which in summer is the worst possible outcome. Detail on the last minute page.
And the deal that is not a deal
A long trip at a low per-night figure. Fourteen nights at three star looks like value at £55 a night and it is around ninety-six kilometres of walking in extreme heat.
Shorter and closer beats longer and further in summer, every time.
Summer prices
Window | 3 Star | 4 Star | 5 Star |
|---|
Late May reopening | From £499 | From £629 | From £690 |
Mid to late June | From £549 | From £689 | From £755 |
July, first three weeks | From £649 | From £799 | From £875 |
Late July and August | From £699 | From £849 | From £929 |
First week of September | From £529 | From £659 | From £725 |
October, for comparison | From £499 | From £629 | From £690 |
Seven nights, per person, quad sharing. Late May and early June departures depend on the post-Hajj reopening. Includes return flights, both hotels named in writing with the distance in metres and the nearest gate, the Saudi Umrah visa, all three transfers and guided Ziyarat in both cities. Held with a £99 deposit.
The step that matters most
Three star to four star, at £150 in the school holiday weeks. It roughly halves your walk and removes the shuttle timetable.
In summer that is not a comfort upgrade, it is what makes the schedule possible. If you spend on one thing, spend on this.
The best summer booking
Seven or ten nights at four star, under five hundred metres, in whichever week you can take.
What we would not book
Fourteen or twenty-one nights at three star. The per-night figure looks excellent and it is the trip that fails.
The comparison that should decide it
August at £699 against October half term at £499. £200 per person, or £800 across a family of four, and thirteen degrees.
How we price
We check comparable UK packages every month and sit £20 under the lowest we can find for the same nights and the same hotel tier.
The summer checklist
- Drink ahead of thirst. Dry heat does not feel like it is taking water from you.
- Take rehydration sachets. Plain water alone does not replace what heavy sweating removes.
- Buy a sun umbrella on the first day. Widely used there, cheap, and genuinely effective.
- Restructure the day. Fajr and stay, sleep through the morning, Maghrib and stay through Isha.
- Ask which way your room faces. The schedule depends on sleeping in daylight.
- Book short and close. Seven or ten nights under five hundred metres, not fourteen at a kilometre.
- Know the warning signs. Heat stroke is a medical emergency and it does not announce itself politely.
The one that does the most
The fourth. Nothing else on the list matters if you are attempting five separate walks a day in 43 degrees.
And the one nobody knows
The third. The sun umbrella is standard practice in Makkah and almost no UK-facing guide mentions it.
The summary
The heat is manageable and it needs managing
People who plan for it come home saying it was fine. People who attempt a normal schedule last about four days.
Drink ahead of thirst
Dry heat evaporates sweat immediately so you do not register the loss. Take rehydration sachets as well as water.
Restructure the day
Four walks instead of ten, two long visits instead of five journeys, and the main sleep in the morning rather than at night.
Buy a sun umbrella
Widely used in Makkah, sold everywhere for very little, and it makes a real difference on the walk. Nobody in the UK mentions it.
And the deals are at both ends
Late June at £549 and early September at £529, both term time. If you are school-constrained, the real deal is October half term at £499.
Ask us which summer week works for you
Related reading
Tell us who is travelling
For a summer enquiry, the ages in your party matter more than the dates. A fit adult on seven nights and a family with a five year old need completely different bookings in this season.
Send us the ages and we will tell you the length we would build, the distance we would aim for, and whether October half term is the better answer for you.
Packages Umrah
WhatsApp or call: +44 7737 144 335
Office: 7 Huxley Avenue, Manchester, M8 0SJ
English and Urdu. Same-day quotes.
Summer from £499pp in the reopening, £699pp in the school holidays. Held with a £99 deposit.
Trading name of Uraan Travel Ltd. |
Send us your party and dates
Summer Umrah: 58 questions answered
Grouped by topic. Direct answer first. The medical content describes widely known signs so you recognise them, and is not medical advice.
The heat
How hot is Makkah in summer?
35 to 45 degrees depending on the month, peaking in July and August.
Is Madinah cooler?
Similar and drier. Most people find it easier, and drier air dehydrates you faster without you noticing.
Should I change the night split?
Worth considering more Madinah nights than usual. Flat ground, shorter walks and drier heat all help.
Is the heat the only problem?
No. The nights are the shortest of the year at around eight hours between Isha and Fajr, so sleep debt compounds with the heat.
Does the marble get hot?
Genuinely, in daylight. The main Tawaf area is cooled and the surrounding courtyards are not all shaded.
When should I perform Tawaf?
Before Fajr or late at night. Never in the afternoon with children.
Is summer manageable?
Yes, with planning. The gap between a good summer trip and a bad one is preparation rather than fitness.
Hydration
How much should I drink?
Ahead of thirst rather than when you feel it. By the time you are thirsty you are already behind.
Why is dry heat deceptive?
Sweat evaporates immediately so you never feel wet and never register the loss.
When should I drink?
Every time you sit down, leave the hotel, enter the Haram, come back, and whenever Zamzam is offered.
Is Zamzam free?
Throughout the Haram, in coolers on every level, and there is no reason to ration it.
Is water enough on its own?
Not for heavy sweating. Plain water does not replace the salts you lose.
What should I take?
Rehydration sachets. They weigh nothing, cost little, and make a real difference over a week.
What about tea and coffee?
Most British travellers rely on them for fluids without thinking. In this heat, water and Zamzam should be the bulk of it.
And with children?
On a schedule rather than on demand. Children do not reliably report thirst.
Warning signs
What are the signs of heat exhaustion?
Commonly described signs include heavy sweating, dizziness, headache, feeling sick, cramps, and cool clammy skin.
What should I do?
Stop, get into shade or air conditioning, sit or lie down, take fluids, and tell somebody.
What are the signs of heat stroke?
Commonly described signs include stopping sweating when you had been, hot dry skin, confusion, and a very high temperature.
Is that serious?
It is a medical emergency. Get help immediately rather than waiting to see whether it passes.
Where do I get help?
There are medical facilities within the Haram complex and nearby, and staff are used to dealing with this. Hotel reception can direct you.
Will insurance cover it?
Your travel insurance should, which is one of several reasons to have it.
Who is most at risk?
Older travellers, young children, anybody with a heart or respiratory condition, and anybody fasting.
What should I do if somebody seems unwell?
Stop and get help rather than finishing the Tawaf. Always.
Should I speak to my GP?
If you have a health condition, before booking a summer trip.
The toolkit
What is the tip nobody mentions?
A sun umbrella. Widely used in Makkah and Madinah, sold everywhere for very little, and genuinely effective on the walk.
Will I look odd carrying one?
Not at all. They are standard practice there.
What is the damp scarf trick?
Wet a small towel or scarf, wring it out, and wear it round your neck. Simple, widely used, and it works better than it sounds.
What is the most powerful tool?
Timing, and it costs nothing. Before Fajr and after Maghrib are comfortable. The middle of the day is not.
Why do I need carryable sandals?
You leave shoes at the gates and walk barefoot inside, then come out onto surfaces that have been in the sun.
What fabrics work?
Loose, light colours, cotton or linen. Nothing fitted and nothing synthetic, which traps heat.
Does shade awareness matter?
Over a fortnight it is the difference between comfortable and drained. Learn which side of the street is shaded when.
What does the most overall?
A hotel close enough that the walk is short. No toolkit substitutes for it.
The restructured day
Can I do five walks a day in summer?
For about four days, and then most people stop going entirely.
What is the schedule that works?
Fajr at the Haram and stay, back and sleep through the morning, indoors in the afternoon, then Maghrib and stay through Isha.
How many walks is that?
Four a day instead of ten.
What do I give up?
Dhuhr and Asr at the mosque on most days.
Where do I pray them?
Most hotels have a prayer area, which matters more in summer than any other season.
What does the schedule need?
A room you can sleep in during daylight. Ask which way it faces and what the curtains are like.
How hard are the first two days?
Hard. You are adjusting to a time zone and inverting your sleep at the same time, in extreme heat.
What should I do about that?
Plan a light first day. Perform Umrah, then rest properly rather than attempting a full schedule.
Packing
What goes in hand luggage?
Two sets of Ihram, your ACWY certificate, medication with pharmacy labels, a power bank, an empty water bottle and document copies.
What is in the heat kit?
Rehydration sachets, high factor sun protection, a hat, a small towel or scarf, carryable sandals and loose light clothing.
What about toiletries?
Unscented, because scented products are avoided in Ihram. Assume the 100ml rule unless your airport confirms otherwise.
And sun protection specifically?
Unscented if you can find it. Views differ on scented products applied for protection rather than fragrance, so ask someone qualified if the detail matters.
Do I need a plug adapter?
Saudi hotels commonly use the UK three-pin, so a UK plug frequently works. Take a small universal one as backup.
What should I buy there?
A sun umbrella on the first day, and extra Ihram towels, prayer mats, dates and Zamzam containers if you need them.
How much clothing?
About a week regardless of trip length. Laundry is cheap and quick, and in heat you will change more often.
The deals
When is summer cheapest?
Both ends. Late May and early June at £499, and the first week of September at £529.
What is the catch?
Both are term time for English families.
What about mid to late June?
£549, with Scottish holidays running and English families still in term.
Is July cheaper than August?
The first three weeks are, at £649 while English schools are still in term.
What is the cheapest window of all?
The post-Hajj reopening at £499. It is also 35 to 42 degrees with the shortest nights, which is why nobody books it.
Is that reliable?
The reopening date is announced by the Saudi Ministry after Hajj, so ask us for the current position.
What is the real deal for a family?
October half term at £499. £200 less than August and thirteen degrees cooler, with the same school holiday status.
Is there late availability in summer?
In the term-time weeks. In the school holidays what releases late is at the far end of the distance bands, which is the worst outcome in summer.
What looks like a deal and is not?
A long trip at a low per-night figure. Fourteen nights at three star is around ninety-six kilometres of walking in extreme heat.
What should I book instead?
Seven or ten nights at four star under five hundred metres. Shorter and closer beats longer and further, every time.
What is the deposit?
£99 per person, and it fixes your price in writing.
Related reading
Tell us who is travelling
For a summer enquiry, the ages in your party matter more than the dates. A fit adult on seven nights and a family with a five year old need completely different bookings in this season.
Send us the ages and we will tell you the length we would build, the distance we would aim for, and whether October half term is the better answer for you.
Packages Umrah
WhatsApp or call: +44 7737 144 335
Office: 7 Huxley Avenue, Manchester, M8 0SJ
English and Urdu. Same-day quotes.
Summer from £499pp in the reopening, £699pp in the school holidays. Held with a £99 deposit. |
Send us your party and dates
