Visitors to famous places of worship soon learn that timing matters. Turn up at the wrong hour and you’ll spend most of your visit in a queue. Turn up at the right one and you might have the place almost to yourself. The two great mosques of Makkah and Madinah never close, and they’re never empty, but the same rule applies. Crowds rise and fall through the day, and a little planning can make your visit far calmer.
Most of the Umrah packages UK travel firms sell will sort out your flights and hotels, but they won’t usually tell you when to go to each place once you’re there. That part is up to you. This guide covers the busy and quiet times at the main sites, so you can plan your days around them.
The day runs on prayer times
In Makkah and Madinah, the clock that matters isn’t the one on your phone. It’s the five daily prayers: Fajr before dawn, Dhuhr just after midday, Asr in the afternoon, Maghrib at sunset and Isha in the evening. These times change a little every day and shift with the seasons, so check them daily on a prayer app or at your hotel reception.
Around each prayer, the crowds build up fast. People start arriving thirty minutes to an hour before the call to prayer, especially for Maghrib and Isha. Once the prayer is over, they all leave at once, which means the exits and nearby streets are packed for a while. Shops near the mosques close for a short time at each prayer, so plan your shopping in between.
Tawaf at the Kaaba
Tawaf, walking round the Kaaba seven times, is the part of Umrah most affected by the crowds. On the ground floor near the Kaaba, it can take forty minutes on a quiet day and well over an hour on a busy one.
• Quietest times. The hours after Fajr, from around sunrise into mid-morning, are usually the calmest and coolest. Late at night, after midnight, can also be quieter.
• Busiest times. Just before and after Maghrib and Isha, Friday mornings before the midday prayer, and the evenings in Ramadan.
• Upper floors. If the ground floor is packed, you can do Tawaf on the upper levels. The circuit is longer, but there’s more room, and it’s a good choice for older pilgrims or anyone using a wheelchair.
Midday in summer is very hot in the open courtyard around the Kaaba, so if your trip is in the warmer months, avoid the hours either side of Dhuhr.
Sa’i between Safa and Marwa
Sa’i is done indoors in a long, air-conditioned hall, so heat is less of a problem. It follows the same pattern as Tawaf, since most people go straight from one to the other. If you’ve finished Tawaf at a quiet time, Sa’i is likely to be calm too.
The Rawdah in Madinah
The Rawdah is the area inside the Prophet’s Mosque between his grave and his pulpit. Praying there is something many pilgrims long for, and space is very limited. Visits must be booked through the official Nusuk app, and you’re given a set time slot. Men and women have separate visiting times.
Slots are released in advance and go quickly, especially at busy times of year. Book as soon as your dates are fixed, and try again if nothing is available, as new slots are often added. Arrive a little early for your slot, and expect to be moved on by the staff after a short time so that others can have their turn.
Ramadan changes the pattern
Everything shifts in the holy month. Ramadan Umrah Packages from UK airports are booked by people who want to experience the special atmosphere of Makkah at night, and that’s exactly when the crowds are biggest.
In Ramadan, the daytime is fairly quiet, as many people sleep after Fajr and rest while fasting. The mosque fills up in the late afternoon as people find a spot for iftar. Then it stays full through Maghrib, Isha and the long Taraweeh prayers. In the last ten nights, there are extra late-night prayers, and the crowds can spill far out into the surrounding streets.
If you’re going in Ramadan, many people find it easiest to do their Umrah late at night after Taraweeh, or in the early hours, when the crowds thin a little and they’ve had something to eat and drink. Midday Tawaf while fasting is very tiring and best avoided.
The historic sites
Many pilgrims also visit the places linked to the early history of Islam. Here’s when to go:
• Jabal al-Nour and the Cave of Hira, Makkah. The climb is steep and takes most people an hour or more. Start before dawn or very early in the morning. Don’t try it in the heat of the day.
• Mina, Arafat and Muzdalifah. Outside the Hajj season these sites are quiet at any time. A morning tour works well before it gets hot.
• Masjid Quba, Madinah. The first mosque built in Islam. Many pilgrims visit on a Saturday morning, following the Prophet’s habit, so expect it to be busier then.
• Mount Uhud, Madinah. Go early in the morning, before the tour coaches arrive.
• Jannat al-Baqi, Madinah. The cemetery beside the Prophet’s Mosque usually opens for visitors at set times, often after the Fajr and Asr prayers. Check locally, as the times can change.
The time of year
The season affects your daily plan as much as the time of day. In the cooler months, from November to February, you can be out at almost any hour, and afternoon Tawaf is perfectly comfortable. In summer, when temperatures pass 40 degrees, the middle of the day is best spent indoors, and most pilgrims shift their visits to early morning and late night. The busiest periods of the year, such as Ramadan and the UK school holidays, also mean bigger crowds at every hour, so the quiet times become even more valuable.
Fridays and public holidays
Friday is the busiest day of the week at both mosques. The midday Jumu’ah prayer draws enormous crowds, and the streets around the mosque fill up an hour or two beforehand. If you want to pray inside, arrive very early. Saudi public holidays and school holidays also bring more local visitors.
A simple daily plan
If you’re not sure how to structure your days, this pattern works well for most pilgrims outside Ramadan:
• Pray Fajr at the mosque and stay for a quiet Tawaf or some reading afterwards.
• Return to the hotel for breakfast and a rest through the hottest part of the day.
• Go back for Asr, and stay through Maghrib and Isha.
• Eat dinner after Isha and get some sleep before the next Fajr.
Timing your visits well won’t make the crowds disappear, but it can turn a stressful day into a peaceful one. Keep an eye on the prayer times, rest in the heat, and save your long walks for the cool of the early morning.