Short answer: Ramadan 1448 is expected to begin on Monday 8 February 2027, with the crescent moon being looked for on the evening of Sunday 7 February.
That is the date from the Umm al Qura calendar, which Saudi Arabia uses for planning. It is not final. The actual start is confirmed by moon sighting, usually only a day or two before, and some countries will begin on 9 February instead. For booking flights and hotels, though, 8 February is the date everyone in the travel industry is working to.
The expected dates in full
Assuming Ramadan starts on 8 February 2027 and runs 29 days:
| Period | Dates (expected) |
|---|---|
| First ashra (days 1 to 10) | 8 February to 17 February |
| Second ashra (days 11 to 20) | 18 February to 27 February |
| Last ashra (days 21 to 29) | 28 February to 8 March |
| Eid al Fitr | 9 March 2027 |
If Ramadan runs 30 days instead, everything after shifts by one day and Eid falls on 10 March.
When is Laylat al Qadr in 2027?
It is one of the odd nights in the last ten, and nobody knows which. In 2027 the odd nights are expected to be:
- 27 Ramadan, the night most people aim for, expected to be the night of 5 into 6 March 2027
- 21 Ramadan, the night of 27 into 28 February
- 23 Ramadan, 1 into 2 March
- 25 Ramadan, 3 into 4 March
- 29 Ramadan, 7 into 8 March
Remember that the Islamic night begins at maghrib. So the night of 27 Ramadan starts on the evening of the 26th day, after sunset. People get this wrong and turn up a day late.
Why you should book now, not in January
This is the part we repeat to everyone who calls us in December wondering why prices have doubled.
Ramadan Umrah is the tightest week in the Makkah hotel calendar, and the last ten nights are the tightest part of it. Hotels close to the Haram sell their Ramadan rooms very early, often more than a year out, and much of that goes to operators in block contracts rather than to individual travellers. By the time you are looking in January for a February departure, what is left is either far from the Haram or priced for people who have no choice.
A rough pattern we see every year:
- 12 to 14 months out. Best choice of hotel, best rates, and you can pick your exact nights.
- 6 to 9 months out. Still workable. Good hotels available, prices climbing.
- 3 months out. The close hotels are mostly gone for the last ashra. You can still get a good trip, but probably in the first or second ashra, or further from the Haram.
- Under 6 weeks. Possible, expensive, and you take what exists.
Flights follow the same curve. February is also busy season for airlines out of the US to the Gulf, so there is no quiet corner of the calendar to hide in.
Which ashra should you choose?
There is no wrong answer here, just trade offs.
The last ashra is what most people want, because of Laylat al Qadr and the atmosphere in the Haram, which is genuinely unlike anything else. It is also the most crowded, the most expensive, and the hardest physically. Tawaf at night in the last ten can take a long time. If you are travelling with elderly parents or young children, think honestly about whether this is the right one for them. We go into this in Umrah with family, children and elderly parents.
The second ashra is the quiet value pick. Ramadan is in full swing, the Haram is busy but manageable, and prices sit well below the last ten nights.
The first ashra is the easiest on the body and the wallet, and it has its own feeling, that first week when everybody is fresh.
We run packages for all three: first ashra, second ashra and last ashra.
Practical things specific to Ramadan
- You will not sleep on a normal schedule. Most pilgrims end up sleeping after fajr and again in the afternoon. Plan your first two days as adjustment days rather than filling them with ziyarat.
- Iftar in the Haram is free and open to everyone. Dates, water, yoghurt, bread, laid out on long plastic sheets. Sit down and eat with whoever is next to you. Many people say this is their favourite memory of the whole trip.
- Book the hotel by the night, not the week. Rates in Ramadan are per night and the last ten nights are priced separately from the rest of the month. Extending by two nights into the last ashra can cost more than the previous week did.
- Umrah permits still apply. You need a permit through Nusuk to perform Umrah in Ramadan, and in Ramadan one Umrah per visa holder is the rule. See is an Umrah permit required.
- Rawdah visits book out fast. Slots open 10 days ahead and Ramadan slots go in minutes. Read how to get a Rawdah appointment.
Before you book anything for February
Read the current US government travel advisory for Saudi Arabia. As of 12 October 2026 it sits at Level 3, Reconsider Travel. We have written up what that actually means for pilgrims in is it safe to travel to Saudi Arabia right now, with the official wording and a link to the source. It is worth ten minutes before you pay a deposit.
What Ramadan Umrah costs
Prices move a lot with timing and hotel distance, so we will not pretend there is one number. Our breakdown of how much Umrah costs from the USA covers the components, and the Ramadan premium sits on top of those.
If you want real numbers for specific dates and a specific hotel, send us the details and we will quote it properly rather than giving you a range that means nothing.
Dates to put in your calendar now
- Late January 2027. Official moon sighting announcement for the start of Ramadan.
- 7 February 2027. Crescent looked for in Saudi Arabia.
- 8 February 2027. Expected first day of fasting.
- 18 February 2027. Book your Rawdah slot if you want the start of the last ashra, since slots open 10 days ahead.
- 5 March 2027. Expected night of 27 Ramadan.
- 9 March 2027. Expected Eid al Fitr.
All of these move with the moon. Treat them as planning dates, not promises.
