PILGRIM GUIDE
Ramadan 2027 & Hajj 1448: Key Dates on the Umm al-Qura Calendar
Pilgrimage planning runs on two calendars at once: the Gregorian one your airline uses and the Umm al-Qura lunar calendar that Saudi Arabia actually operates on. Here are the key dates for the year 1448 AH as projected by the official Umm al-Qura calendar — with the honest caveat that Islamic months are confirmed by moon sighting, so observed dates can shift by a day.
Ramadan 1448 (early 2027)
Ramadan 1448 is projected to begin around February 8, 2027, running to Eid al-Fitr around March 10, 2027 (1 Shawwal 1448). Final confirmation comes with the moon sighting announced in Saudi Arabia the evening before.
Ramadan is the peak of Umrah season — the Haram in the last ten nights approaches Hajj-level crowds, hotel prices multiply, and Nusuk permits for peak nights go quickly. If Ramadan Umrah is the plan, book flights and hotels months ahead and expect the mosque at capacity from Maghrib through Fajr.
Hajj 1448 (May 2027)
The five days of Hajj — 8 to 13 Dhu al-Hijjah 1448 — are projected to fall on May 14–19, 2027. That puts the Day of Arafah around May 15, 2027 (9 Dhu al-Hijjah) and Eid al-Adha around May 16, 2027 (10 Dhu al-Hijjah).
Hajj requires a permit through official channels — country quotas, licensed operators, Nusuk. Unregistered Hajj attempts carry serious penalties. If you're planning 1448, your window for booking with a licensed operator is well before Ramadan.
When can you make Umrah?
Umrah runs essentially year-round, pausing only for the Hajj period itself, when the sites close to non-Hajj visitors (roughly the weeks bracketing the five days). The current Umrah visa season is live now and runs deep into the first quarter of 2027 — Saudi has repeatedly extended and simplified Umrah access, with visas on arrival for many nationalities and e-visas via Nusuk for most others.
The quiet, comfortable months are outside Ramadan and school holidays. The crowded, expensive, spiritually electric month is Ramadan. Choose deliberately.
Why dates 'change' and what Umm al-Qura is
The Umm al-Qura calendar is Saudi Arabia's official civil lunar calendar, computed astronomically at Makkah's coordinates — it's what government scheduling, and this guide, run on. Religious observance dates (Ramadan's start, the Eids) are then confirmed by actual moon sighting, which occasionally lands a day off the computed calendar.
Practical rule: plan logistics on the projected dates, hold a one-day buffer on both ends, and treat the official Saudi announcement as final. Bab Amanah's Seasons calendar shows today's Hijri date and live countdowns to Ramadan and Hajj, computed from the same Umm al-Qura tables.
Frequently asked
When does Ramadan 2027 start?
Ramadan 1448 is projected to begin around February 8, 2027 on the Umm al-Qura calendar, confirmed by moon sighting the evening before. Eid al-Fitr is projected around March 10, 2027.
When is Hajj in 2027?
The five days of Hajj (8–13 Dhu al-Hijjah 1448) are projected for May 14–19, 2027, with the Day of Arafah around May 15 and Eid al-Adha around May 16.
Can I do Umrah during Hajj?
No — the sites close to non-Hajj visitors around the Hajj period. Umrah runs essentially the rest of the year, with the current visa season extending into early 2027.
What is the Umm al-Qura calendar?
Saudi Arabia's official computed lunar calendar, calculated astronomically for Makkah. Civil scheduling uses it directly; religious dates are confirmed by moon sighting and occasionally shift a day.
More guides: Gates of Masjid al-Haram · Lost Your Shoes, Phone, or Bag in Masjid al-Haram? Do This · Masjid an-Nabawi Women's Entrances · The Umrah Packing Checklist That Fits in a Carry-On (1448/2026)
Never lose your gate. Never lose your things.
Scan the gate you came in through and Bab Amanah walks you back to it — fully offline. Found items appear in the feed, tagged to the gate where they wait.