Hajj and Eid al-Adha 2027

Why people travel then

The Hajj, the pilgrimage to Mecca that every Muslim who is able should make once in a lifetime, takes place on fixed days of Dhu al-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic year. Its high point is the Day of Arafah. Eid al-Adha, the Feast of the Sacrifice, begins the next day and is celebrated by Muslims everywhere, not only by pilgrims.

For everyone else the holiday is a family feast, with a sacrifice shared with relatives and the poor, and a long break that sends millions travelling home or on holiday. In 2027 it falls in mid-May, before the summer heat, which makes it a good time for walks in Jordan and Morocco.

What you will see on the routes

• Jerusalem: A Walk Through the Old City's Four Quarters

  The Eid prayer at Al-Aqsa at dawn on the first day draws tens of thousands, and the Muslim Quarter’s markets are packed with families in the days before. Plan the walk for the second or third day of Eid.

• Petra on Foot: The Siq, the Treasury and the Monastery

  Mid-May is warm but still walkable in Petra if you start at opening time. The Eid holiday brings Jordanian families in large numbers; the trail to the Monastery is quieter than the Siq.

• Mount Toubkal — North Africa's Highest Summit

  In Morocco the feast is Eid al-Kbir. Families travel home to the villages, buses and grands taxis out of Marrakech are full the day before, and Imlil is quiet on the feast day itself. Mid-May can still mean snow near the summit.

• Old City of Acre: Crusaders, Khans and the Sea Walls

  Akko’s old city is a favourite Eid outing for Arab families from across the Galilee; the harbour and the market are lively all day.

How it changes travel

• Saudi Arabia limits entry to Mecca to Hajj permit holders for several weeks around the Hajj, and Umrah bookings pause. Hajj places are allocated by country quota through official channels; be wary of any offer outside them.
• The Eid holiday lasts four days or more in Jordan, the Gulf and Morocco; banks, offices and many shops close, and flights around the region sell out early.
• Livestock markets appear on city edges in the week before Eid, and roads out of big cities are jammed the day before the feast.

Travel window: 13 to 23 May 2027. Eid al-Adha is the longest public holiday of the year in many Muslim-majority countries, often four days or more.