Umrah Packages
December 2026

One month, two very different trips

December is really two Umrah seasons in one. Until the middle of the month, UK schools are still in term, the Haram is relatively calm and our packages sit at their base prices. From around 19 December the Christmas holidays begin, families from across Britain head for Makkah, and both demand and prices rise sharply until the New Year.

Which half suits you depends on who is travelling. Retired parents, couples and solo pilgrims usually get far better value in the first two weeks. Parents who cannot take children out of school will find the holidays the only realistic option, and for many households it is the one time everyone, grandparents included, can travel together.

There is also a middle path. Families whose school breaks up on a Friday sometimes fly on the first Saturday of the holidays and return before New Year, avoiding the most expensive New Year departures while still keeping the children in class for every day of term. We are happy to price a few different date combinations side by side so you can see the difference before committing.

December prices by travel date

Every price below is per person, four sharing, and includes return flights, the Umrah visa, hotels and transfers. Final prices are confirmed when you book.

The gap is significant: a family of four in a 4★ quad room pays about £1,880 more in total for a Christmas departure than for the same hotels earlier in the month. If you have any flexibility, the first fortnight is the sweet spot. Full details of the festive dates are on our Christmas Umrah packages and New Year Umrah packages pages.

School holiday dates for December 2026

Holiday dates differ across the UK, which shifts the busiest departure days. These are the dates we have for the main councils (academies and independent schools may differ, so check with your own school):

London borough dates vary, but most follow a similar late-December to early-January pattern. Scottish families flying from Edinburgh or Glasgow get a slightly later start and return, which can occasionally mean better flight availability on the days English families are already away.

Winter weather in the Holy Cities

December is the first properly mild month of the pilgrim year. Makkah averages a daytime high of 32.5°C and a low of 20.7°C, while Madinah averages 26.0°C by day and 14.0°C at night. Children who wilt in summer heat generally cope well, and walking between hotel and mosque is comfortable even in the middle of the afternoon on cloudier days.

Madinah nights are the surprise for many first-timers. At 14°C, a pre-dawn walk to Fajr in thin clothing can be genuinely chilly, particularly in the open courtyards of Masjid an-Nabawi. Pack a fleece or a warm abaya layer for each person, and something cosy for little ones who will be out late for Isha.

Planning a family Umrah over Christmas

Ages and permits

There is no age limit for children entering the Two Holy Mosques with their family. The minimum age for a Nusuk Umrah or Rawdah permit has been reported as five, though that guidance dates from 2022, so we check the current rule for each booking. Everyone aged one and over needs the meningitis ACWY vaccine at least 10 days before arrival, and every passport, including babies’, must be valid for at least six months after you land.

Choosing hotels with children

With small children, distance to the Haram matters more than room size, because you will be going back and forth for naps and meals between prayers. In Makkah, Pullman ZamZam is about 100 m from Masjid al-Haram and Swissôtel Makkah about 210 m, both in the Abraj Al Bait complex; these are our 5-star Umrah packages. Elaf Kinda (160–280 m) and Sheraton Makkah Jabal Al Kaaba (around 200 m, with a pedestrian bridge) form our 4-star options, which many families see as the best balance at Christmas prices.

Larger families on a tighter budget can still do well with 3-star packages. Emaar Andalusia is 700–800 m from the Haram in Makkah, while in Madinah Zowar Alalami is only 300–350 m from Masjid an-Nabawi, so the walk with a pushchair is short there.

How long to stay

Packages run for 7, 10, 12 or 14 nights. The two-week Christmas break fits a 10- or 12-night trip comfortably, leaving a couple of days at home to recover before school restarts. Seven nights (4 in Makkah, 3 in Madinah) suits parents who only have a week of leave.

Filling the days between prayers

A family Umrah is about more than the rites themselves, and the mild December climate makes outings realistic even for younger children. Our transfers take you from Jeddah airport to your Makkah hotel, a road journey of roughly 60–90 minutes outside peak traffic, so most families arrive, rest and perform Umrah the same night.

In Makkah, older children often remember the visit to Jabal Thawr, the mountain whose cave sheltered the Prophet and Abu Bakr during the Hijrah, more than anything else. Jannat al-Mu’alla, where Khadijah (RA) is buried, is close to the Haram. Adults wishing to perform an additional Umrah for a deceased relative usually enter ihram again at Masjid Aisha in Tan’eem, the nearest point outside the Haram boundary.

In Madinah, Jannat al-Baqi sits right beside Masjid an-Nabawi, and the Seven Mosques at the site of the Battle of the Trench make a good short trip that brings the seerah to life for teenagers. If you hope to pray in the Rawdah, remember that the Nusuk permit can only be used once every 365 days, and men and women have separate time windows, so parents may need to take turns while the other looks after the children.

Moving between the two cities is part of the package. Some families ask about the Haramain High Speed Railway, which takes roughly two hours to two and three-quarter hours from Makkah to Madinah; we can talk you through that option when you book.

Flights during the festive peak

Saudia’s non-stop flights from Heathrow and Manchester are the fastest way to Jeddah, at about six to six and a half hours, and they carry our 4★ and 5★ packages from those two airports. Manchester now has 10 Saudia departures a week, which helps at Christmas when seats are scarce. Other packages connect through Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, except Glasgow departures, which change in Dubai with Emirates. Because the festive dates sell first, flights are usually the deciding factor: the earlier you confirm, the more choice you have.

December also falls in the months leading up to Ramadan, which is expected to begin around 8 February 2027. Some families make a December Umrah as a spiritual preparation for the fasting month, then return for the last ten nights if they can.

Deposits, protection and travel advice

For Christmas and New Year departures, ask us to confirm the deposit and payment dates before you book; see our booking policy. Our flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203): where your ATOL Certificate applies, the scheme helps you get home or get your money back if a travel company fails.

Please check the current FCDO advice on Saudi Arabia before paying a deposit and again before you leave, as insurers may base their cover on it.

Not tied to school dates? November offers the same base prices with slightly warmer weather, and January becomes quiet again once the holidays end.

To check Christmas availability, send your preferred dates, airport and number of travellers through our quote request, or WhatsApp us and a member of the team will come back to you with options.