Every year, the same conversation happens in British Muslim households. “Can we afford Umrah this year?” And then comes the follow-up: “Should we wait for Ramadan or go sooner?”
Over the past few months, I’ve asked friends who just went, called different UK travel companies, and honestly just tried to figure out why a 10-night Umrah package costs £700 in January but £2,400 in March. The answers astonished me, and part of what I learnt made me rethink when I should go on this holy trip.
It’s not just about saving money, though Allah knows that matters when you’re trying to take your whole family. It’s about knowing which months are spiritually important and whether it’s worth paying twice as much for Ramadan when Rajab and Shaban are also important months that we often forget about.
Ramadan: The Month Everyone Wants (And What It Actually Costs)
Ramadan 2026 starts February 18th and runs through March 19th. Laylatul Qadr falls somewhere in the last 10 nights, most likely the 27th night around March 16-17.
There’s nothing like praying Taraweeh in Masjid al-Haram during Ramadan. I spoke to a brother who went last year and he said standing in the Haram courtyard at sunset when they announce Maghrib – hundreds of thousands breaking fast together – is something that stays with you forever.
But here’s what I found when I contacted five different UK operators for 2026 quotes:
10-night packages (per person, based on sharing):
| Hotel Category | First 20 Days | Last 10 Nights |
|---|---|---|
| 3-Star Budget | £870 – £1,150 | £1,550 – £1,850 |
| 4-Star Standard | £1,050 – £1,350 | £1,950 – £2,400 |
| 5-Star Near Haram | £1,450 – £2,200 | £3,200 – £4,800 |
One operator told me straight up: “If you’re trying to book the last 10 nights in a 5-star hotel, you needed to book six months ago. What we have left now are 3-star rooms that require shuttle buses.”
See prices via these packages for the overview: (Yes these are Ramadan/Ramzan packages)
And those “shuttle buses” aren’t like getting on a bus in London. When you’re fasting and tired during Ramadan, waiting 20 minutes for a full shuttle from a hotel 3 kilometres away to take you to Fajr prayer tries your patience in ways you don’t expect.
Last Ramadan, my friend’s mum went. She’s old and has bad knees, and they booked what they believed was a decent deal. The hotel was about a 15-minute shuttle ride away. She missed Taraweeh several times because she didn’t have the energy to get back on the bus after iftar.
The truth is that Ramadan in the Haramain is spiritually unsurpassed. But it’s also quite hard on your body, mind, and wallet. You are paying a lot of money for what might be the most crowded, warmest (Makkah gets to 30–35°C in March), and tiring Umrah trip ever.
Is it worth it? Definitely, if you can afford it and don’t mind being around a lot of people. For families whose funds are already stretched to the limit and who have to deal with the stress of fasting while dealing with chaos? There might be a better method.
Rajab: The Forgotten Sacred Month
Rajab runs from December 21, 2025 through January 19, 2026. The 27th night (around January 16) marks Isra and Mi’raj – the night our Prophet ﷺ was taken from Makkah to Jerusalem and ascended through the heavens.
I’ll be honest, I didn’t know much about Rajab’s significance until I started researching this. Growing up, everyone talked about Ramadan Umrah like it was the only option that mattered. But Rajab is one of the four sacred months, and the rewards for worship during sacred months are multiplied significantly.
10-night packages in Rajab:
| Hotel Category | Price Range |
|---|---|
| 3-Star | £565 – £655 |
| 4-Star | £620 – £705 |
| 5-Star | £750 – £950 |
When I saw these prices, I thought there had to be a catch. That’s less than half what you’d pay for Ramadan. But when I asked operators what the difference was, they said it’s purely demand. Same hotels, same flights, just fewer people competing for the same rooms.
The weather in Makkah during January is actually beautiful – 15-25°C, good enough to walk comfortably, not the blazing heat you get later in the year. One sister told me she went in Rajab and could actually sit in the Haram courtyard for hours without feeling like she was melting.
The practical reality: You can book a 4-star hotel within walking distance of the Haram for what you’d pay for a 3-star hotel requiring shuttles during Ramadan. The Haram isn’t empty, but you can actually find space to pray without being crushed between people.
For families trying to take parents or elderly relatives, this matters. A lot.
Shaban: Following the Sunnah Nobody Talks About
Shaban is started from January 20 and runs through February 17, 2026. The 15th night (around February 4) is Shab-e-Barat, Lailatul Bara’ah – the Night of Forgiveness when Allah descends to the lowest heaven and forgives those who seek it.
Here’s something I didn’t know until recently: the Prophet ﷺ performed most of his voluntary Umrahs during Shaban. Not Ramadan – Shaban. He used this month to prepare spiritually for Ramadan, doing voluntary fasts and extra worship.
10-night packages in Shaban:
| Hotel Category | Price Range |
|---|---|
| 3-Star | £580 – £695 |
| 4-Star | £650 – £745 |
| 5-Star | £780 – £1,050 |
Someone I talked to went during Shaban last year just to observe this sunnah. He remarked that being in Makkah right before Ramadan starts is unusual because you can sense the excitement growing. People are already starting to worship more, but there aren’t as many people there.
The only bad thing for families is that UK schools are in session throughout Shaban, so you’d have to take your kids out of school or wait until half-term, which is when Ramadan starts and prices go up.
But for people who are flexible, Shaban is the perfect time to find a balance between spiritual meaning and inexpensive prices.
Muharram: The Heaviest Month of the Year
Post-Hajj season, when millions of pilgrims return home exhausted and emotionally spent, Muharram begins. For 2026, this falls around July-August.
I need to pause here because Muharram hits different for many of us. This is the month of Ashura, the 10th day when Imam Hussain (AS) and his family were martyred at Karbala. The grandson of the Prophet ﷺ, killed while thirsty, standing for truth against oppression.
For all Muslims, Muharram is heavy with grief and remembrance. But it’s also a sacred month – one of the four months where even in pre-Islamic times, fighting was forbidden. A month of reflection, repentance, and returning to Allah.
10-night packages in Muharram:
| Hotel Category | Price Range |
|---|---|
| 3-Star | £425 – £550 |
| 4-Star | £510 – £650 |
| 5-Star | £680 – £850 |
These are the lowest costs you can discover for Umrah from the UK. But there is a reason: the temperature in Makkah in July and August is 40–45°C. I’m not talking about hot weather that makes you uncomfortable. It feels like opening an oven door when I step outside.
One of my friends comments on his trip to the Hajj during Muharram that walking from his hotel 500 meters away and straight into Haram made him feel hot all over. Besides, he said that Haram was the most peaceful place he has ever been in his life. You can pray in the main chamber of the mosque or you can have some space around yourself. It doesn’t matter if the tawaf was just a mass of people squashed together.
This is a good month for those people who are on a tight budget and might not be able to afford the minor pilgrimage otherwise. For those who love peace and quiet while praying but don’t care how hot it gets. Anybody at all who wants to be there near the Kaaba at this holy-tiring time of year, reminding themselves about sacrifice and standing up for what is right.
All the summer holidays in England are a time when parents and children can travel together. But to tell the truth, if you can only afford to send one member of a family during Ramadan – because the going rate is 2,000 poinds per person – while it would be 650 British pounds in Muharram, then there will be a complete family going? It’s not even a question of whether.
What Travel Operators Actually Include (And What They Conveniently Leave Out)
I called six different UK operators and asked for detailed breakdowns of what their packages include. Most of them list similar basics, but the devil is in the details.
Standard package includes:
- Return flights (usually economy with one stopover – Istanbul, Cairo, or Dubai)
- Umrah visa through Nusuk portal
- Hotel rooms (split between Makkah and Madinah, typically 4-7 nights each location)
- Airport pickup and drop-off
- Transport between Makkah and Madinah
What costs extra:
- Ziyarat tours to historical sites: £50-150 per person
- Meals beyond breakfast: £15-25 daily
- Room upgrades to double occupancy: 20-30% surcharge
- Direct flights instead of connections: £150-300 extra per person
- Any laundry services: £20-40 per load
The transport between cities question:
When I asked operators about the Makkah to Madina train, I got interesting responses. The Haramain Railway covers 449km in about 2 hours 20 minutes and costs around £32-48 per person for economy tickets. Sounds great compared to a 4-5 hour bus ride, right?
But they don’t tell you this: both train terminals are not in the city cores. The station in Makkah is 6–8 kilometres from the Haram, and the one in Madinah is 9 km from the Prophet’s Mosque. You need cabs on both ends (in Makkah, they cost £4 to £6, and in Madinah, they cost £10 to £13). All of a sudden, your “faster” choice costs £46–67 per person, which is almost three times as much as the bus.
Most operators include coach travel in their standard packages because the time saved isn’t worth the extra cost of double or tripling the cost of taxi transfers. I talked to a sister who stated her family thought about upgrading to the train. They did the maths and found that for a family of five, the ‘upgrade’ would cost an extra £200+ and only save roughly 90 minutes of journey time.
Most pilgrims would be better off with the included bus option unless they have severe motion sickness or trouble getting around and the smoother rail travel is more important than the expense.
The Real Cost Comparison (Numbers That Made Me Rethink Everything)
Here’s what shocked me most during my research. Same 10-night package, same 4-star hotel tier, just different months:
| Month | Package Cost | vs Ramadan Last 10 Nights |
|---|---|---|
| Muharram (July) | £510-£650 | Save £1,300-£1,750 |
| Rajab (January) | £620-£705 | Save £1,245-£1,695 |
| Shaban (February) | £650-£745 | Save £1,205-£1,655 |
| Early Ramadan | £1,050-£1,350 | Save £900-£1,050 |
| Last 10 Nights Ramadan | £1,950-£2,400 | — |
A family of four going in Rajab instead of Ramadan’s last 10 nights saves nearly £5,000-6,000 total. That’s enough money for another complete Umrah trip the following year. Or enough to help another family member go who couldn’t otherwise afford it.
I keep coming back to this question: would Allah prefer we go once in Ramadan for £10,000 as a family, or would He prefer we go twice – once in Rajab and once in Shaban – for the same total cost?
I don’t have that answer. But I think it’s worth asking.
When You Actually Need to Book
This part surprised me because I assumed you could book Umrah fairly last-minute. You can’t – not for the blessed months, anyway.
- For Ramadan 2026: Operators told me if you’re serious about last 10 nights packages, you needed to book by October-November 2025 to get early bird discounts (around 20% off). By January 2026, the affordable packages are gone. What’s left are either premium-priced options or 3-star hotels far from the Haram.
- For Rajab: Book by September-October 2025 for best deals. You can still find decent options in December, but you’ll miss the early bird rates.
- For Shaban: November-December 2025 booking window. This month fills up as people who missed Ramadan deadlines look for “next best option.”
- For Muharram: You can book as late as May-June 2026 and still get good rates. Hotels are desperate to fill rooms post-Hajj, so operators sometimes offer last-minute deals.
The Question Nobody Wants to Answer
Is Ramadan Umrah “better” than going during Rajab or Shaban?
Spiritually and psychologically Ramadan is more important than any other month. The doors to Jannah open, Ibadah is not accepted rejected shaytan is chained and the doors to Jahannam are closed. Now we can reach out and pray Taraweeh without reserving days in advance or having to go hungry for long stretches, even though it’s still not easy.
However, some people spent their entire lives just to get one chance for Taraweeh prayers at the Haram.
But I met an old uncle who saved up for five years to go to Ramadan with his whole family. And when they made it at last, stayed in a three-star hotel three km from the Haram in Makkah, spent half their time on shuttle buses and battling huge crowds. Then there was his wife’s illness from the heat and overstrain of being like that so many days at once… When I asked whether he would go again, he thought for a long time and finally answered, “I wish somebody had told me about Rajab.”
There was another person I encountered who travelled during the last 10 days of Ramadan, paid £3,000 per head for a five-star package deal, and stayed within a stone’s throw of the Haram. She said that it was the most spiritually profound experience of her whole life and worth every penny.
The “best” month varies according to different people’s circumstances, budgets and physical condition. It all depends on what Allah wants for you.
From all my research, I have learnt that we were taught Ramadan is the month above all others when really in truth and fact a whole year with various holy months are spread before us-lightened gifts from Allah. The miracle of Isra and Mi’raj occurred during Rajab. During Shaban, our Prophet would reflect on the worshipings he had done in seclusion. As for Muharram, it carries within it the significance of Imam Hussain’s self-sacrifice and undying heritage steadfastly to truth.
Maybe the question isn’t “can I afford Ramadan Umrah?” “Maybe it’s “whatever beautiful month lets my family go together, worship in peace, and come back spiritually revitalised without being buried in debt?”
There’s no wrong answer to that question. Only the answer that’s right for you, your family, and the situation Allah has placed you in.
Practical Advice From What I Learned
- Only book ATOL-protected operators. This protects your money if the company goes bust. I heard horror stories about people losing thousands with unregistered companies.
- Read the fine print on “starting from” prices. That £699 package probably requires quad-room sharing, excludes meals, and the hotel is nowhere near the Haram. Get itemized quotes and compare what’s actually included.
- Book early for Ramadan, be flexible for off-peak. The difference between booking Ramadan in October versus January is £800-1,000 per person. For Muharram or Rajab, you have more breathing room.
- Ask about exact hotel locations. “Near the Haram” is meaningless. Get the hotel name, look it up on Google Maps, and check actual walking distance. A hotel that’s a “short 15-minute walk” when you’re healthy and well-fed becomes a 30-minute struggle when you’re fasting in 35°C heat.
- Factor in total costs before deciding. Add visa fees, daily meals, taxis, ziyarat tours, and zamzam shipping to your package cost. That £700 Rajab package might actually cost £950 all-in, but it’s still half the price of a £1,800 Ramadan package that ends up costing £2,200 with the same add-ons.
May Allah make it easy for all of us trying to visit His House. Whether that’s in Ramadan at £2,400 or Muharram at £650, whether it’s this year or five years from now when we’ve saved enough – the intention matters more than the timing, and sincerity matters more than the hotel star rating.
The Kaaba doesn’t move. It’s been there for thousands of years and will be there until the end of time. Whenever you can afford to go, with whatever you can afford to spend, that’s when Allah has chosen for you to answer the call.
And that’s more than enough.
