Umrah Packages
March 2027

The last full month of the 1448 Umrah season

March 2027 is a month of endings. It begins in the closing nights of Ramadan, moves through Eid al-Fitr, and then, on 23 March, reaches the final date on which Umrah pilgrims can enter Saudi Arabia before the season closes for Hajj. If you have missed the winter and still want to perform Umrah before the summer, this is your last opportunity.

Because the calendar is so compressed, timing a March trip properly matters far more than in other months. Below we set out the official deadlines, what each part of the month is like, and how to make sure your visa is issued in time.

March 2027 at a glance

The key point is that the visa deadline (9 March) comes two weeks before the entry deadline (23 March). A trip departing on, say, 18 March still needs its visa issued by 9 March, so in practice March packages must be booked during February.

Early March: the final nights of Ramadan and Eid

The first eight or nine days of March fall within the last ten nights of Ramadan, the most spiritually charged stretch of the Islamic year, when pilgrims seek Laylat al-Qadr in the odd nights. Makkah is at its fullest, and our last ten nights Umrah packages start from £1,055 (3★), £1,225 (4★) and £1,515 (5★) per person.

Staying on for Eid al-Fitr in Makkah or Madinah is an experience in itself. The Eid prayer draws enormous congregations that fill the mosque and the streets around it, so pilgrims who want a place inside usually arrive very early. Families often prefer to spend Eid in Madinah, where the atmosphere is just as joyful but a little calmer.

After Eid: a short window at base prices

Once Eid has passed, demand eases quickly, and departures in the middle of March return to our standard starting prices. For anyone who wants Umrah without Ramadan crowds, this is a genuine opportunity, provided the visa deadline is respected.

Prices are per person with four sharing, cover return flights, the Umrah visa, hotels and transfers, and are confirmed when you book. Durations are 7, 10, 12 or 14 nights. With the last departure set for 7 April, even a 14-night trip that enters on 23 March would finish in time, but we recommend arriving earlier to leave a margin for flight changes.

Three ways to shape a March trip

1. Ramadan’s finale plus Eid: fly out around the start of the last ten nights at the end of February and stay 10 or 12 nights, so you spend the odd nights in Makkah and celebrate Eid before heading home. This is the most expensive option and the one that sells out first.
2. Eid in Madinah: perform Umrah in the final days of Ramadan, then transfer to Madinah for Eid al-Fitr at Masjid an-Nabawi. Families with young children often find this gentler than the Eid crowds around the Ka’bah.
3. Quiet post-Eid Umrah: travel in the week or so after Eid, arriving no later than 23 March, at standard prices. Retired couples and first-timers who would rather avoid crowds altogether tend to pick this one.

Whichever you choose, remember that the post-Eid days are also when large numbers of Ramadan pilgrims fly home, so return flights in the days just after Eid can be tight. Leaving a day or two of slack either side of Eid helps.

Post-Eid trips have one more quiet advantage: with the Ramadan rush over, there is often more time for ziyarat. In Madinah that might mean Masjid Quba, Masjid al-Qiblatayn, where the direction of prayer changed, and Mount Uhud with the graves of the martyrs, including Hamzah (RA). In Makkah, a drive out to Arafat and Mina before they fill up for Hajj two months later is a reminder of the journey many pilgrims hope to make one day.

Why an Easter 2027 Umrah is not possible

Every year families ask about the Easter holidays, and in 2027 the answer is unfortunately no. Birmingham’s Easter break runs from 26 March to 11 April 2027, Edinburgh’s spring holiday from 5 to 19 April, and Glasgow’s spring break from 5 to 16 April. All of these start after the 23 March last-entry date, so there is no way to fit an Umrah into them under the 1448 season calendar.

Our Easter Umrah page explains the alternatives in more detail. For families, the realistic choices are the February half-term in Ramadan or waiting for the summer holidays once the 1449 season opens; June is likely to be the first month back, although opening dates have not yet been announced.

Weather: warming up again

March marks the turn from winter to the hotter months. Makkah averages a high of 35.4°C and a low of 21.8°C; Madinah averages 30.8°C and 17.4°C. Afternoons are noticeably warmer than in February, so plan tawaf for the evening and keep a refillable bottle handy. Evenings in Madinah are pleasant, and a light cardigan is usually enough.

What to pack shifts accordingly. Leave the heavy coat at home but bring one warm layer for the aircraft and for air-conditioned hotels, a wide-brimmed hat or umbrella for shade on daytime walks, and sun cream for the courtyards. Women may want a lighter-weight abaya than they would take in January.

Two health points apply to every March traveller. The meningitis ACWY vaccine must be given at least 10 days before arrival, which for a mid-March trip means late February at the latest. And as always, your passport must have at least six months’ validity from your arrival date.

Flights and which airport to use

Saudia’s direct flights from Heathrow and Manchester carry our 4★ and 5★ packages from those airports, and they are busy around Eid as pilgrims return home. Midlands pilgrims from Birmingham and Leicester currently fly via Istanbul with Turkish Airlines, as Saudia’s Birmingham route is suspended, with 1 April 2027 the earliest possible restart. That date is too late for this season, so do not plan around it.

Book your March Umrah in good time

Payments are explained in our booking policy. Flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203). Travel advice can shift over a season, so look at the FCDO page for Saudi Arabia before you commit and again before you fly, bearing in mind that insurance policies often depend on it.

If you have been offered a March price elsewhere, our Beat My Quote team will look at it. To get started, complete the quote form or message us on WhatsApp by mid-February so there is time to issue your visa.