Omra
Umrah in November: weather, crowds and practical tips
By Yahya Houssini · Published on · Updated on
November falls in the middle of the Moroccan school term and before Rajab begins. That makes it a grown-ups' month: couples, retired pilgrims, small groups and first Umrah travellers. The open trips, the month's price range and the countdown to Rajab all appear live on this page, alongside what to prepare.
November sits quietly in the Moroccan Umrah calendar: autumn school holidays are over, the term is under way, and Rajab has not begun. Wiki Tours International (Bab Makka), a licensed travel company based in Casablanca under licence ODV-25012, describes this month often to couples, retired travellers and pilgrims preparing their first Umrah. Here is what it actually changes: the crowd it gathers, how shorter daylight reshapes the rites, and how to read the open trips.
Key points
- Wiki Tours has organised trips since 2016 and works under travel licence ODV-25012, issued by Morocco's Ministry of Tourism.
- Every trip gathers at Mohammed V airport, whichever Moroccan city you live in: Casablanca, Rabat, Marrakesh, Fez, Tangier, Agadir, Meknes or Oujda.
- Stays currently offered run 8 or 15 days, and that length decides how nights split between Makkah and Madinah.
- Daylight is shorter than in summer, and maghrib arrives earlier.
What is the weather like in Makkah and Madinah in November?
Our data holds no temperature readings, so we publish none. What we can describe is what our guides observe from one trip to the next: in Makkah the courtyard around the Haram becomes walkable again in the middle of the day, which changes a great deal for an elderly pilgrim; in Madinah evenings feel cooler, enough that one extra layer earns its place on the plazas of Masjid an-Nabawi. The month's own weather description belongs on the November page, which the button below leads to.
For packing, that is enough to decide by. Bring something warm for the evening — a light jacket, a shawl, thick socks for long seated stretches — while keeping light clothing for daytime. Ihram itself does not change: it stays a light garment, and the difference is felt between the rites, once you are dressed again.
How busy does the Haram get in November?
Going by the trips we run in this period, our groups describe a dense tawaf around prayer times and easier movement in late morning and between dhuhr and asr. We publish no attendance measurement: counting crowds is not part of our data, and the month page stays the place where that subject is kept current.
One thing, though, is written plainly in the Moroccan school calendar: November carries no holiday. Families with children in school therefore aim for the mid-term breaks or the mid-year one, and the month is left to an adult crowd.
The Hijri calendar plays its part too: the month comes before Rajab begins, and the countdown below places that sacred month against today.
Start of Rajab: December 10, 2026, in 76 days(subject to the sighting of the moon · computed dates (Umm al-Qura), may move by two days)
The table below compares November with the periods Moroccan pilgrims weigh it against, on the criteria the calendar alone allows us to state.
| Period | Who it suits | School constraint | Position in the Hijri year |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | Families with school-age children | Autumn mid-term break | Outside the sacred months |
| November | Couples, retired pilgrims, first Umrah, small groups | No break: a full term | Outside the sacred months, before Rajab begins |
| Rajab | Pilgrims attached to the sacred months | Variable: the Hijri month moves through the school year | A sacred month |
| Ramadan | Pilgrims who want to live the whole fasting month | Variable, for the same reason | The fasting month, which is not one of the sacred months |
The preceding month follows another logic, set out in our page about October.
Who does an Umrah in November really suit?
It is a grown-ups' month, and that follows straight from the school calendar: couples travelling free of holiday constraints, retired pilgrims, travellers performing a first Umrah who want a readable Haram, and small groups of friends or colleagues.
What our guides observe on these trips is that a group of this profile moves faster through formalities, uses its free time better, and leaves the team more room to explain the rites — which matters enormously on a first visit.
If your dates depend on school, the reasoning differs and we handled it separately in Umrah during Moroccan school holidays.
Which November trips are open, and how do you read them?
Open trips shift as a season moves on, and a list copied into prose would age badly. Here is what stands open for this period at the moment you read this page.
Open departures
The month's price range reads the same way, straight from offers genuinely on sale.
From 13.500 MAD per person right now. Real prices of the published departures, read at the time of viewing.
A trip page reads in this order:
- Length — stays on offer run 8 or 15 days, and that choice decides how many nights fall in Madinah.
- Hotels — each page shows its Makkah and Madinah hotels, their category and their location.
- Airline — our groups travel with Saudia.
- The rest — rooms and services are settled with our team.
On when to secure a booking, the reasoning holds for every month and it is written in when to book your Umrah.
How do you prepare well for a November trip?
The administrative base does not depend on a season.
What remains comes down to three adjustments specific to this month:
- Evening clothing — one layer to add, socks for long seated stretches, nothing heavy for daytime.
- Rhythm — daylight shortens, maghrib comes early and the gap between evening prayers tightens, so outings, meals and shopping sit better in the morning and early afternoon.
- Paperwork — a passport due for renewal is handled before committing to a booking, never during.
If you still hesitate between this month and another period, our guide chapter on choosing a period sets out the criteria in order.
Can November work as a rehearsal before a Ramadan Umrah?
Pilgrims tell us so when they come back, and the reasoning holds up. An Umrah performed in calm conditions teaches a great deal: you learn the gates of the Haram, you measure what tawaf and sa'i ask of your body, you understand how your group works. Coming back during Ramadan then becomes a spiritual experience rather than a practical apprenticeship, which counts when flows, timings and nights all change scale.
For an answer fitted to your own situation, write to our team on WhatsApp stating which period suits you, how many pilgrims travel and their ages: that single message is what lets us reply in one go.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Rawdah have to be booked before leaving?
The Rawdah in Madinah is not visited on a whim of timing: entry goes through a permit booked on the official Nusuk app, Saudi Arabia's platform for pilgrimage services. For a group run by a licensed agency, those steps are handled by the agency, and your guide tells you on site which slot came through.
Are this month's rates different from Ramadan rates?
Rates depend on the season, on the hotel tier and on length of stay, and they move from one week to the next. Rather than a figure that would age, the month's range appears live higher on this page, beside the open trips, and our team breaks it down tier by tier on WhatsApp.
Can you travel in November with school-age children?
It is possible, but the school calendar does not help: the month falls mid-term. Families in that position usually aim for the mid-term breaks or the mid-year one. Groups welcome children, each with their own passport, and our team advises whichever room configuration fits the size of your family.
How long does a stay in this period last?
The formats currently offered run 8 or 15 days. Each trip page states exactly how nights split between Makkah and Madinah, because that split varies from one programme to another. The longer format leaves more room for elderly pilgrims, for whom a compressed programme is hard going.
Are hotels close to the Haram available in November?
Availability reads trip by trip, never across a whole month. Every trip shows its Makkah and Madinah hotels, their category and their location on its own page; comparison happens there, tier by tier. For one specific trip, our team says on WhatsApp what remains open at the moment you ask.
Do the rites change between a November Umrah and a Ramadan one?
No: ihram taken at the miqat, tawaf, sa'i, then cutting the hair are the same in every season. What Ramadan changes is how the day is organised around fasting and night prayers, and each trip page from that period spells it out. Performing those rites once in calm conditions is what makes the second time clearer.
Data basis: the departures, prices, availability and hotels shown in this article are read live from our catalogue at the time of viewing; stable facts are checked as of the update date shown.