New Year Umrah
Packages 2026–27

Starting 2027 in the House of Allah

New Year’s Eve in Britain usually means late nights, crowds and noise. A growing number of Muslim families prefer to spend it in a very different way: in prayer at Masjid al-Haram or in the peace of Masjid an-Nabawi, beginning the new Gregorian year with worship rather than countdowns.

The timing also suits working parents. The week between Christmas and New Year is the quietest of the year in most offices, and the run of bank holidays means a short amount of leave goes a long way. Our New Year packages are built around that window, getting you home in time for the return to school and work.

The New Year window at a glance

New Year’s Day 2027 falls on a Friday, so pilgrims in either city on 1 January will pray Jumu’ah in the Haram on the first day of the year. The key dates for planning are below.

Because Scottish schools return a day or two later than most of England, families in Edinburgh and Glasgow have a slightly longer runway. Our Glasgow Umrah packages page has more on flying from Scotland.

Prices for New Year departures

New Year is our highest-priced winter period, reflecting demand across the UK and Europe. The prices below are starting points per person in a room for four, and include return flights, Umrah visa, accommodation and transfers. We confirm the exact figure once your dates and departure airport are fixed.

The full booking terms are on our booking policy page.

Where the extra money goes

The jump from 3-star to 5-star is about distance more than décor. Swissôtel Makkah and Pullman ZamZam Makkah are inside the Abraj Al Bait complex, 100–210 metres from the Haram, while Anwar Al Madinah Mövenpick is just 50 metres from Masjid an-Nabawi. On a crowded New Year’s Eve, being able to walk back to your room in a couple of minutes is something many families feel is worth paying for.

Which dates suit you best?

Mid-holiday: 27 December to 3 January

The most popular New Year shape is a 7-night package leaving on Sunday 27 December, with four nights in Makkah and three in Madinah. You would see in the new year in Madinah and fly home on 3 January, the day before most English schools go back.

The longer stay: 24 December to 3 January

Ten nights split five and five between the cities. Leaving on Christmas Eve gives you New Year’s Eve in Makkah, then Madinah for the first days of January. This works well for adults who can take the full week off.

Into January

Couples without school-age children, or retired parents, can shift the trip later. Prices begin to fall once the holiday peak passes, and our January Umrah packages return to standard pricing. If you would rather travel earlier in the break, compare our Christmas Umrah dates.

How pilgrims spend the last night of the year

There is no special ritual attached to the Gregorian new year in Islam, and nothing extra is required of you. What many of our travellers describe instead is a chance to reset: a quiet night of reflection while friends at home are out celebrating.

• Take stock. Some pilgrims write down the habits they want to keep and make du’a for them at the Multazam or in the Rawdah, if they have a slot.
• Read with intention. Others set themselves a portion of Qur’an to complete before they fly home, and finish it on the first Friday of the year.
• Involve the children. Younger pilgrims often remember the trip best when they have a small goal of their own, such as learning a short surah during the stay.

The practical point is that the Haram will be busy on 31 December, as it is throughout the holiday fortnight. If you want to perform your Umrah in calmer conditions, do it in the first day or two of your stay and save the new year itself for prayer and reflection.

Weather at the turn of the year

The end of December and start of January are among the coolest weeks of the Umrah calendar. Makkah’s average high is around 32.5°C in December and 30.9°C in January, with lows of roughly 19–21°C. Madinah is cooler still, averaging about 24.4°C in January with nights around 12°C.

That makes long hours of tawaf and walking between ziyarat sites much easier than in summer. Pack one warm layer for the evenings in Madinah, especially if you plan to sit in the courtyard after Isha, and a light scarf or shawl for early Fajr.

Flying out between Christmas and New Year

Our 4-star and 5-star New Year packages from Heathrow and Manchester use Saudia’s non-stop flights to Jeddah, taking around six to six and a half hours. Saudia’s Manchester schedule rises to 10 flights a week from November 2026, including a late-evening departure that lands in Jeddah the next morning. Other departure cities and all 3-star packages travel on Turkish Airlines with a connection in Istanbul, where the onward flight to Jeddah takes around four hours; Glasgow is served instead by Emirates through Dubai.

Travellers from Yorkshire usually drive to Manchester, about an hour and a quarter from Leeds by road; see our Leeds Umrah packages for details.

Ihram on a winter flight

If your package begins in Makkah you will need to be in ihram before the plane crosses the miqat, as Jeddah lies within the boundary. Changing at the airport is easiest, then making your intention when the crew give their warning, usually around 30 minutes before. Men in two unstitched sheets may want a warm coat over the top until boarding.

Before you travel

• Check that every passport has at least six months left from your arrival date in Saudi Arabia.
• Arrange the meningitis ACWY vaccine for everyone aged one and over at least 10 days before you land; for a 27 December departure, have it done by mid-December.
• Nusuk permits are booked for set time slots. Rawdah access is limited to one visit in any 365 days.
• Keep an eye on the FCDO travel advice for Saudi Arabia, which at present advises against all but essential travel; make sure your insurance policy remains valid on that basis.

Plan your New Year Umrah

Our flight-inclusive packages are ATOL protected (ATOL No. 11203), and we confirm what protection applies to your booking. Let us know your preferred departure date, airport and hotel tier, and we will put together a New Year option. Request your quote online or message us on WhatsApp. Already been quoted by another agent for the same week? Send it through our beat my quote page and we will compare hotel, flights and room type line by line, so you can see exactly where any difference in price comes from. You can also browse the full calendar on our Umrah by month page.