Christmas Umrah
Packages 2026

Why the Christmas break works so well for Umrah

For a lot of British Muslim households, the fortnight around Christmas is the one point in the year when everyone is off at the same time. Schools close, many workplaces shut between Christmas Eve and New Year, and the bank holidays stretch a week of annual leave much further than usual. That is why Christmas has become one of the busiest periods for UK pilgrims.

It also happens to be one of the most comfortable times to be in the Hijaz. December temperatures are far gentler than in the summer, and the 1448 Umrah season is fully open, with no visa deadlines anywhere close.

School holiday dates for Christmas 2026

Holiday dates differ between councils and nations, and academies and independent schools can set their own, so check your child’s school calendar before you book. As a guide:

London boroughs generally follow a similar pattern to the English dates above, but each borough publishes its own, so confirm locally.

Making the most of the bank holidays

Christmas Day 2026 is a Friday and Boxing Day a Saturday, so the substitute bank holiday falls on Monday 28 December, with New Year’s Day on Friday 1 January. For adults in office jobs, booking just three or four days of leave can open up a 10-night trip. Christmas Day itself falling on a Friday also means anyone in Makkah or Madinah that day will be there for Jumu’ah.

Christmas package prices and hotels

Because demand from the UK and Europe peaks over the festive period, Christmas packages are priced above our standard months. Starting prices are per person when four share a room, covering return flights, the Umrah visa, hotels and transfers, and are confirmed at the point of booking.

Hotels and flights for Christmas dates are committed early, so ask us to confirm the deposit for your dates before you book. Our booking policy explains how payments work. If you are comparing offers, try our beat my quote service.

Choosing a tier for a family trip

Families with young children often find the 4-star hotels the best balance: 160 to 280 metres from Masjid al-Haram means you can pop back for a nap between prayers without a long walk. If grandparents are joining, the 5-star options in the Abraj Al Bait complex cut the distance to 100–210 metres. Teenagers and young adults travelling together usually manage happily with our 3-star packages.

December weather in Makkah and Madinah

Packing for a Christmas Umrah is easier than for most months. Average December highs are around 32.5°C in Makkah with lows near 20.7°C, while Madinah is cooler, at about 26.0°C by day and 14.0°C at night. Those Madinah evenings can feel chilly after a British winter has got you used to central heating indoors, so a light jumper or shawl is worth packing.

Daytime sun in Makkah is still strong, so sunglasses, a refillable water bottle and comfortable sandals for long periods on marble floors are sensible. If your trip runs into early January, temperatures dip a little further, as our January Umrah page explains.

What the Haram feels like at Christmas

Expect company. Alongside British families you will meet pilgrims from across Europe and North America who share the same winter break, so the Mataf and the courtyards of Masjid an-Nabawi are noticeably fuller than in November. It is busy rather than overwhelming, and nothing like the scale of the last ten nights of Ramadan.

A few habits help a family trip run smoothly at this time of year:

• Perform your Umrah at a quieter hour. Late morning, after the Duha rush, is often calmer than straight after Isha.
• Give children a card with the hotel name. Write your hotel and a phone number on it in case anyone gets separated.
• Plan ziyarat for mid-week. Visits to Quba, Uhud or Jabal al-Nour are more relaxed away from Fridays.

For a fuller picture of the month as a whole, including the quieter first half before schools break up, read our December Umrah guide.

Sample Christmas itineraries

We offer 7, 10, 12 and 14-night packages. Seven nights divide into four in Makkah and three in Madinah; longer trips split evenly. With an English holiday starting on Saturday 19 December, three common shapes are:

1. 7 nights, 19–26 December: home by Boxing Day with a full week left to rest before school.
2. 10 nights, 19–29 December: five nights in each city, back in time to recover before New Year.
3. 14 nights, 19 December – 2 January: the full break, returning the weekend before term restarts.

Scottish families get two extra days at the far end, which can make a 14-night trip from 21 December comfortable. If you would rather welcome the new year in Makkah, see our New Year Umrah packages, which focus on the second half of the holiday.

Leaving after Christmas Day

Many converts and mixed families spend Christmas Day with non-Muslim relatives and prefer to travel afterwards. Departing on Saturday 26 or Sunday 27 December still leaves room for a 7 or 8-night trip before English schools return on 4 January.

Flights and getting there over the festive period

From Heathrow and Manchester, our 4-star and 5-star Christmas packages fly non-stop with Saudia to Jeddah, about six to six and a half hours. Saudia has trimmed Heathrow to 11 weekly flights this winter, while Manchester rises to 10 a week from 1 November 2026, adding an overnight departure. Our 3-star packages, and departures from other cities including Birmingham and Edinburgh, travel with Turkish Airlines through Istanbul, while Glasgow departures fly Emirates via Dubai. Birmingham’s own direct Saudia service is suspended until at least April 2027, which is why our Birmingham Umrah packages connect via Istanbul.

UK airports are at their busiest in the days before Christmas, so allow extra time at check-in, particularly if you plan to change into ihram airside. Jeddah is inside the miqat, so you will need to be in ihram before the plane crosses the miqat line; the crew normally give a warning about half an hour ahead. Find routing details for your nearest airport on our Umrah from UK cities page.

A checklist for Christmas travellers

• Passports must have at least six months’ validity from your arrival date. Check children’s passports, which expire after five years.
• Everyone aged one and over needs the meningitis ACWY vaccine at least 10 days before landing. GP surgeries and pharmacies get busy in December, so book in November.
• Your Umrah requires a Nusuk permit for a set time slot. A Rawdah visit is permitted once every 365 days.
• The minimum age for Umrah and Rawdah permits has been reported as five, though children of any age can enter the Two Holy Mosques with their family.
• Check the FCDO’s Saudi Arabia page close to booking and again before you fly: it currently advises against all but essential travel, and insurers may base cover on that advice.

Book your Christmas Umrah early

Christmas rooms near the Haram are among the first to go, and the closer hotels are usually committed by early autumn. Our flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203), with an ATOL Certificate issued where the protection applies. Request a Christmas quote or message us on WhatsApp with your dates, airport and the ages of everyone travelling, and we will come back with options.