Winter Umrah Packages 2026/27 | From £499 per Person

Winter is the best time of year to perform Umrah, and it is odd how rarely anybody says so plainly.

Packages across the winter window start at £499 per person for 7 nights, which is also the lowest price we quote at any point in the calendar.

Why winter wins

You will walk to the Haram somewhere between sixty and two hundred times depending on how long you stay. In January that walk happens at around 24 degrees. In July it happens at 43.

That single fact decides more about how a trip feels than the hotel, the airline or anything else you can buy. Everything below follows from it.

On top of that, November and January are the two cheapest months of the year, the Haram in November is the quietest it gets, and the winter prayer timings give you back roughly two hours of the day. That last one is the part nobody mentions and there is a section on it.

And one thing about this particular winter

Ramadan 2027 begins around 8 February, which falls inside the winter window. So this season has two quite different halves. Everything up to early February is the cheapest and calmest travel of the year. Everything from 8 February onward is Ramadan, and it is priced accordingly.

Get a winter quote on WhatsApp

The four reasons winter is better

1. The temperature, which is not a small thing

Makkah in December and January sits at roughly 20 to 28 degrees by day. In July and August it runs 38 to 45.

On a ten night trip you make around sixty journeys between your room and the Haram. On a fortnight it is closer to a hundred and forty. Doing that at 24 degrees rather than 43 is not a matter of comfort. It decides whether you attend most prayers at the mosque or gradually stop going.

This is also why winter changes what hotel you need. A 3 star property a kilometre out is a perfectly reasonable booking in January and a genuinely difficult one in July. In practical terms, winter buys you a hotel upgrade for free.

2. The Haram is quieter

November is the quietest month of the year at the Haram. January is close behind. You can perform Tawaf on the ground level at most hours without being carried by a crowd, which is not true for large parts of the year.

For older pilgrims, for anyone travelling with children, and for anyone who finds crowds difficult, that matters more than any amenity.

3. The price

January and November are the two cheapest months we sell. A 7 night 3 star package at £499 in November is the same flights, same visa and a comparable hotel to one costing £749 in the first ten nights of Ramadan and £1,199 in the last ten.

The saving is not a discount. It is simply what the same product costs when demand is at its floor.

4. The prayer timings, which is the one nobody mentions

Its own section, below, because it deserves it.

The compressed prayer window

The most useful thing on this page and we have not seen another agency write about it.

What happens in winter

Makkah and Madinah sit at a latitude where the seasons still move the prayer times noticeably. In winter Fajr comes later and Isha comes earlier, so the whole span of the day is compressed by something in the region of an hour and a half to two hours compared with high summer.

Why that matters so much

On an Umrah trip your day is built around five prayers at the mosque. In summer that means being up for Fajr very early and still out for Isha late into the evening, with the heat of the middle of the day sitting between them.

In winter, Fajr is at a civilised hour and Isha is done comparatively early. You get a longer unbroken night, you sleep better, and you are not choosing between attending Isha and being functional the next morning.

Who this changes the trip for

Elderly pilgrims, above all. The single most common reason an older traveller stops attending prayers at the mosque partway through a trip is accumulated exhaustion, and the winter timings slow that accumulation considerably.

Then families with young children, where an earlier Isha means the children are not being kept up past nine every night for a fortnight.

And anyone who struggles with disrupted sleep, which is most people.

The practical version

In winter you can genuinely attend all five prayers at the Haram every day for two weeks without wrecking yourself. In August, very few people manage it beyond the first few days, and they end up choosing which prayers to walk for.

Confirm the actual times for your dates when you arrive, since they shift daily, and every hotel posts them in the lobby.

The winter 2026/27 calendar

If you want one recommendation

January 2027. Cheapest, comfortable to walk in, the Haram is calm, the prayer timings are at their most manageable, and it is far enough clear of both Christmas and Ramadan that nothing is competing for the rooms.

If you cannot do January

November 2026, which is the same trip a couple of months earlier and slightly warmer. Book it now, because November is ten weeks away as this is written.

Early February is worth knowing about

The first week of February 2027 sits just before Ramadan begins. Prices have not moved yet, the weather is at its best, and almost nobody thinks to look there because they assume February means Ramadan.

It is the sleeper window of the season. Check your dates with us though, because if the moon sighting moves Ramadan a day earlier your trip could overlap the first fast.

Month pages

November, December, January, February.

What nobody warns you about: it gets cold

The most common packing mistake on a winter Umrah, and it catches people every single year.

The assumption

People are going to Arabia, so they pack for heat. Thin clothes, sandals, nothing with sleeves worth speaking of.

The reality

Makkah drops considerably after sunset in winter, often to the mid teens. Madinah is worse, because it sits inland and higher, and in December and January it can fall to around ten degrees or below overnight.

Now add what you are actually doing. Sitting on marble floors for extended periods. Praying outdoors in the courtyard at Fajr. Walking back to the hotel at eleven at night in thin clothing while damp from wudu.

People get properly cold, and a fair number come home having been unwell for part of the trip.

What to bring

• A jumper or fleece. Not a token one, a real one
• A light jacket for Madinah especially, and for early mornings in both cities
• Socks, several pairs, which also help on cold marble
• Something with sleeves for evening prayers outdoors
• A shawl or scarf, which doubles as something to sit on

The Ihram problem

Worth thinking about in advance. Ihram is two unstitched sheets and nothing else, and you may be in it at Fajr in a cold courtyard.

You cannot add stitched clothing while in Ihram. What you can do is time your Umrah for a warmer part of the day, keep the time in Ihram short by performing the rites promptly on arrival in Makkah, and have warm clothing ready for immediately afterwards.

If any of the detail matters to you, ask someone qualified rather than us. We are telling you it gets cold, not what is permissible.

For elderly travellers

Take this seriously. A seventy-eight year old sitting on cold marble at Fajr in a thin thobe for a fortnight is how a good trip becomes a chest infection. Pack them properly even if they insist they will be fine.

Rain, which does happen

Another thing people do not expect.

Makkah gets winter rain

Not often, and when it comes it can be heavy. The city sits in a valley surrounded by hills and drainage has historically struggled, so short intense downpours can cause localised flooding in the streets around the Haram.

What that means practically

The marble in and around the Mataf becomes genuinely slippery when wet. Move carefully, particularly on the ramps and around the entrances, and particularly if you are with an older traveller.

It also snarls the roads, so shuttle buses and taxis take much longer than usual on those days.

What to pack for it

A light waterproof or a packable jacket takes up no room and covers you for it. Shoes with some grip rather than smooth-soled sandals.

The other side of it

Rain at the Haram is regarded by many as a moment worth being present for, and people who experience it tend to talk about it afterwards. It is not a reason to avoid winter. It is a reason to bring a jacket.

Christmas and New Year: the exception

The one winter window that behaves differently, and worth understanding before you assume winter means cheap.

What happens

UK schools break up around mid-December and return in early January. Everybody who cannot travel during term time travels then, and Umrah is no exception. Prices rise sharply and the closest hotels go first.

What it costs

From £799 per person for 7 nights at 3 star over the Christmas and New Year window, against £499 in November or January.

Why people still do it

Because the weather is genuinely excellent, the children are off school, and for a lot of working families it is the only fortnight of the year that works. Those are good reasons and we are not going to argue with them.

When to book it

By September, and preferably earlier. As this is written, Christmas 2026 is already the tightest winter window and the hotels within four hundred metres are going.

The alternative worth considering

The first two weeks of January. Children are back at school on roughly the 5th or 6th, so it does not solve the school problem, but if your leave is flexible it is the same weather for £300 less per person.

If you have children and can only travel in a school holiday, book Christmas early rather than hoping. If you can travel any time, avoid it entirely.

Winter 2026/27 prices

7 nights, per person, quad sharing. Includes return flights from your nearest UK airport, both hotels, the Saudi Umrah visa, all three transfers and guided Ziyarat in Makkah and Madinah.

Longer stays

Why winter is the right season to go longer

Because the walk is comfortable. In summer we tell people to spend spare budget on a closer hotel, because heat is the binding constraint. In winter that constraint is gone, so the money is better spent on more nights.

Fourteen nights in January at £625 is the single best value combination we sell. Comfortable walking, an empty Haram, the compressed prayer window, and £45 a night.

How the price is set

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.

Tier detail: 3 star, 4 star, 5 star, and the luxury range. For a fuller view of where value sits across the whole year, see the cheap packages page.

Who winter especially suits

Elderly pilgrims

The strongest case by a distance. Cooler walking, a quieter Haram, and a compressed prayer window that makes attending five prayers a day genuinely sustainable rather than aspirational.

If you are taking a parent in their seventies or eighties, winter is not a preference. It is the correct answer, and we would tell you to move your dates rather than book them into July.

Anyone on a budget

November and January are the cheapest months, and winter also removes the need to pay for proximity. A 3 star at a kilometre works in January in a way it does not in August. The economy page covers how to make that trip a good one.

First-time pilgrims

A quiet Haram is a much better place to learn what you are doing. Performing your first Tawaf in a manageable crowd rather than being carried by one is worth a great deal.

Families with young children

Cooler days and an earlier Isha. Both matter enormously with under-tens, who cope badly with heat and worse with being kept up late for a fortnight.

Anyone doing a long trip

The longer you stay, the more the weather compounds. Fourteen or twenty-one nights is a very different proposition at 24 degrees than at 43. See 14 nights.

Who might prefer another season

Anyone specifically wanting Ramadan, which this year begins in February. And anyone tied to the summer school holidays, where you are choosing heat because the calendar leaves you no option.

What to pack for a winter Umrah

The things people forget

• A proper jumper or fleece, especially for Madinah
• A light jacket for early mornings and late evenings
• Several pairs of socks, which help on cold marble as much as in shoes
• A packable waterproof, because Makkah does get winter rain
• Shoes with grip rather than smooth-soled sandals

The things that stay the same

• Ihram in hand luggage, not the hold, on any routing with a connection
• Unscented soap in containers sized for whichever airport you depart from
• Medication with the pharmacy label, in hand luggage
• Your ACWY certificate, which is a visa requirement
• A small towel, which solves most wudu problems at UK airports

What you can leave behind

The volume of summer clothing people take. You will wear layers most of the trip, and laundry in both cities is cheap and quick, so pack for about a week whatever the length of your stay.

One winter-specific tip

Take a shawl or a large scarf. It works as an extra layer at Fajr, as something to sit on when the marble is cold, and as a head covering. It is the single most useful thing in a winter bag and it weighs nothing.

Flying in winter from the UK

The advantage

Outside the Christmas fortnight, winter is the quiet season at UK airports. Shorter security queues, cheaper long-stay parking, and a considerably calmer departure than a July morning.

The risk

Winter weather in Britain rather than in Saudi Arabia. Fog and ice can delay departures, particularly at the smaller airports and particularly on early morning flights.

This is one more argument for booking a single ticket with protected connections rather than two separate bookings. If your first leg is delayed by fog, the airline reroutes you. If you assembled it yourself, that is your problem alone.

What we would suggest

If you are on a connecting routing in December or January, take the earlier of two options where there is a choice, so a delay still leaves you a way through. And if you are driving to the airport, leave more margin than you would in June.

Airport guides

Heathrow, Manchester, Birmingham, Gatwick, Glasgow, Stansted.

What is included

• Return flights from your nearest UK airport, one ticket, bags checked through
• Hotel in Makkah, named in writing with the distance in metres and the nearest gate
• Hotel in Madinah, same detail
• Saudi Umrah visa, submitted through Nusuk and tracked to approval
• Airport to hotel transfer on arrival
• Makkah to Madinah transfer, around four and a half hours by air conditioned coach
• Hotel to airport transfer at the end
• Guided Ziyarat in both cities, which is at its best in winter
• A named agent on WhatsApp throughout, at Saudi hours

Why Ziyarat is better in winter

Because most of the Makkah itinerary involves standing outside at sites with no shade. In January that is pleasant. In July it is an endurance exercise and people cut it short.

If Ziyarat matters to you, winter is when to do it. Detail on the Ziyarat page.

Not included

Travel insurance. Your meningococcal ACWY vaccine, which is a visa requirement. Meals beyond breakfast where breakfast applies. UK airport parking or train fares. Anything you buy out there.

When to book

The visa timing

Book the trip early and the visa later. The single-entry Umrah visa now gives you only 30 days from issue to enter Saudi Arabia, so applying in September for a January trip does not work. We time the submission to your departure. Detail on the visa page.

The vaccine

Book the ACWY appointment as soon as you pay your deposit. It must be dated at least ten days before you arrive, and GP appointment waits get longer through the autumn.

How to book

1. WhatsApp +44 7737 144 335 or call. Give us a range of dates rather than a single date if you can, because within winter the price varies more by week than most people expect.
2. Tell us who is travelling, ages of any children, and whether anybody is over seventy, because winter is where that changes the recommendation most.
3. We come back the same day with an itemised quote. Airline, both hotels named, both distances in metres, and the total.
4. Pay a £99 deposit per person. Interest-free instalments on the balance when you book four or more months ahead.
5. Book your ACWY vaccine appointment straight away.
6. Send us passports, photos and ACWY certificates by WhatsApp.
7. We submit the visa through Nusuk, timed to your departure.
8. The day your visa lands, book your Umrah permit and Rawdah permit in the Nusuk app.
9. Pack a jumper. Genuinely.
10. You travel. Your named agent is on WhatsApp throughout.

Balance due eight weeks before departure.

Comparing a winter quote? Check the hotel distance in metres and whether it covers Christmas or the week either side of it. Beat My Quote.

Winter Umrah: 71 questions answered

Grouped by topic. Direct answer first, detail underneath where it earns its place.

Is winter the right time

Is winter the best time for Umrah?

On weather, crowds, price and prayer timings, yes. It is the best combination of the four available in the calendar.

What is the temperature in Makkah in winter?

Around 20 to 28 degrees by day in December and January, and 24 to 32 in November.

How does that compare with summer?

Summer runs 38 to 45. You will walk to the Haram sixty to two hundred times, so that difference decides more than any hotel upgrade.

Is the Haram quieter in winter?

November is the quietest month of the year and January is close behind.

Is winter cheaper?

November and January are the two cheapest months we sell, from £499 for 7 nights at 3 star.

What is the single best month?

January 2027. Cheapest, comfortable to walk in, calm, and clear of both Christmas and Ramadan.

And if I cannot do January?

November 2026. Same trip slightly warmer, and it is about ten weeks away, so book this week.

Does winter mean I need a worse hotel?

The opposite. Winter effectively buys you a hotel upgrade for free, because a 3 star at a kilometre is a fine booking in January and a difficult one in July.

The prayer timings

Do prayer times change in winter?

Yes. Fajr comes later and Isha comes earlier, so the span of the day compresses by roughly an hour and a half to two hours against high summer.

Why does that matter?

Because your whole trip runs on five prayers. A compressed window means a longer unbroken night and considerably less accumulated exhaustion.

Who does it help most?

Elderly pilgrims above all, then families with young children, then anyone who struggles with disrupted sleep.

What does it mean in practice?

In winter you can genuinely attend all five prayers at the Haram every day for a fortnight. In August very few people manage it past the first few days.

How do I find the actual times?

They shift daily and every hotel posts them in the lobby. Check on arrival rather than planning from a number you read at home.

The cold, which surprises people

Does it get cold in Makkah?

After sunset in winter, often to the mid teens. Warmer than Madinah but colder than people expect.

Is Madinah colder?

Noticeably. It sits inland and higher, and in December and January can fall to around ten degrees or below overnight.

Why does that matter so much?

Because you sit on marble for long periods, pray outdoors in the courtyard at Fajr, and walk back at night damp from wudu.

What should I pack?

A proper jumper or fleece, a light jacket, several pairs of socks, something with sleeves for evening prayers, and a shawl or large scarf.

Do people really get cold?

Every year, and a fair number come home having been unwell for part of the trip because of it.

What about being in Ihram?

You cannot add stitched clothing while in Ihram. Time your Umrah for a warmer part of the day, perform the rites promptly, and have warm clothing ready for immediately after.

Is that a religious question?

The permissible detail is. Ask someone qualified. We are telling you it gets cold, not what is allowed.

What about elderly travellers?

Take it seriously. Pack them properly even if they insist they will be fine. Cold marble at Fajr for a fortnight is how a good trip becomes a chest infection.

What is the single most useful winter item?

A large shawl. An extra layer at Fajr, something to sit on when the marble is cold, and a head covering. It weighs nothing.

Rain

Does it rain in Makkah?

In winter, occasionally, and when it comes it can be heavy.

Is flooding a real risk?

The city sits in a valley and short intense downpours can cause localised street flooding around the Haram.

What is the practical concern?

The marble becomes genuinely slippery when wet. Move carefully on ramps and around entrances, especially with an older traveller.

Does it affect transport?

Yes. Shuttles and taxis take much longer on those days.

Should I pack for it?

A packable waterproof takes no room, and shoes with grip rather than smooth-soled sandals.

Is rain a reason to avoid winter?

No. Many people regard rain at the Haram as a moment worth being present for. It is a reason to bring a jacket, not to change your dates.

The winter calendar

What are the winter windows for 2026/27?

November 2026, early December, Christmas and New Year, January 2027, early February, then Ramadan from around 8 February.

When does Ramadan 2027 start?

Around 8 February 2027, subject to moon sighting. Detail on the Ramadan page.

So February is not cheap this year?

Only the first week. From around the 8th it is Ramadan and priced accordingly.

What is the early February window?

The sleeper of the season. Prices have not moved, weather is at its best, and almost nobody looks there because they assume February means Ramadan.

Any risk with early February?

If the moon sighting moves Ramadan a day earlier, your trip could overlap the first fast. Check your dates with us.

Is November really the quietest?

Yes, the quietest Haram of the year, and the cheapest alongside January.

What about Eid?

Eid al-Fitr falls around 9 or 10 March 2027, which is just past the winter window. See the Eid page.

Christmas and New Year

Is Christmas a good time for Umrah?

The weather is excellent. The price and the crowds are not.

How much more does it cost?

From £799 per person for 7 nights at 3 star, against £499 in November or January.

Why is it so much more?

UK schools break up in mid-December and everybody who cannot travel in term time travels then.

When should I book Christmas?

Already. It is the tightest winter window and the hotels within four hundred metres are going.

Is there an alternative?

The first two weeks of January. Same weather for around £300 less per person, though children are back at school from roughly the 5th.

Should I book Christmas if I have children?

If you can only travel in a school holiday, book it early rather than hoping. If your leave is flexible, avoid it entirely.

Prices

How much is a winter Umrah package?

From £499 per person for 7 nights at 3 star in November or January.

How much at 4 star?

From £629 for 7 nights in the cheap windows.

How much at 5 star?

From £690 for 7 nights in the cheap windows.

How much over Christmas?

From £799 at 3 star, £949 at 4 star and £1,049 at 5 star.

How much in early February?

From £529 at 3 star, £659 at 4 star and £725 at 5 star.

How much for 14 nights in January?

From £625, which is £45 a night and the best value combination we sell all year.

Should I book longer in winter?

Yes. In summer we say put spare money into a closer hotel. In winter the walk is comfortable, so put it into more nights instead.

What is the deposit?

£99 per person, with the balance due eight weeks before departure.

Can I pay monthly?

Yes, interest free, when you book four or more months ahead.

Do you price match?

We price under. Send a written quote through Beat My Quote.

Who it suits

Is winter better for elderly travellers?

Considerably, and it is the correct answer rather than a preference. We would tell you to move your dates rather than book a parent into July.

Is it good for a first Umrah?

Yes. A quiet Haram is a much better place to learn what you are doing than a crowded one.

Is it good with young children?

Cooler days and an earlier Isha. Both matter enormously with under-tens.

Is it good on a budget?

The best time. Cheapest months, and you do not need to pay for proximity the way you do in summer.

Is it good for a long trip?

The longer you stay the more the weather compounds. Fourteen or twenty-one nights is a very different proposition at 24 degrees than at 43.

Who should not choose winter?

Anyone specifically wanting Ramadan, which this year starts in February. And anyone tied to the summer school holidays.

Flying in winter

Are UK airports quieter in winter?

Outside the Christmas fortnight, considerably. Shorter queues and cheaper long-stay parking.

What is the risk?

British weather rather than Saudi weather. Fog and ice delay departures, particularly early morning flights from smaller airports.

How do I protect against that?

Book a single ticket with protected connections. If your first leg is delayed the airline reroutes you. On two separate tickets it is your problem alone.

Should I take an earlier flight?

Where there is a choice on a connecting routing in December or January, yes. A delay still leaves you a way through.

Should I allow more time driving to the airport?

Yes, more than you would in June.

Practical

Is Ziyarat better in winter?

Much better. Most of the Makkah itinerary is standing outside with no shade, which is pleasant in January and an endurance exercise in July.

What is included in the package?

Flights, both hotels, the Saudi visa, all three transfers and guided Ziyarat in both cities.

What is not?

Travel insurance, your ACWY vaccine, meals beyond breakfast, UK parking or train fares, and anything you buy out there.

When should I apply for the visa?

Later than you think. The single-entry visa gives 30 days from issue to enter, so we time submission to your departure.

When should I get the vaccine?

As soon as you pay your deposit. It must be dated at least ten days before you arrive and GP waits lengthen through autumn.

Do I need Nusuk permits?

Yes, separate from the visa and free. An Umrah permit and a Rawdah permit, both booked by you in the app.

Are Rawdah permits easier in winter?

Yes, noticeably, because there is far less competition for slots outside Ramadan and the peak months.

How far ahead should I book?

Now for November, September for December, October for January.

Where can I read more?

Our blog covers the practical side, and the packages hub has every tier, month, city and airport.

Related pages

• Umrah packages from the UK: the full range, every tier and every month
• All Umrah packages hub: browse by star rating, month, city or airport
• Ramadan Umrah packages 2027: from 8 February, window by window
• Eid ul-Fitr Umrah packages: March 2027 and the quiet weeks after
• 14 nights Umrah packages: the best value combination in winter
• 10 nights Umrah packages: the length we recommend most
• 7 nights 3 star package: our most booked option
• Economy Umrah packages: winter is when this tier works best
• Cheap Umrah packages: where value sits across the whole year
• Luxury Umrah packages: the proximity bands explained
• Umrah packages with Ziyarat included: at its best in winter
• Beat My Quote: send us a competing quote and we price under it

Book a winter Umrah

From £499 per person. The cheapest months, the quietest Haram, comfortable walking and a prayer window that lets you actually attend. Flights, both hotels named with the distance in metres, the Saudi visa, all three transfers and guided Ziyarat. Held with a £99 deposit.

November is about ten weeks away and January is the month everybody wants once they have worked out why. Send us a range of dates rather than a single one and we will find the cheapest week inside it.

And pack a jumper. It is the one piece of advice on this page that nobody else will give you and the one you will thank us for at Fajr in Madinah.

Get your winter quote now