Reviewed planning guidance. Details can change; use the linked official sources and get a live quote for current pricing and availability.
If you have performed Hajj or Umrah before, you may have noticed that the Gregorian calendar date of your trip does not line up neatly with when you travelled the previous time. This is not a coincidence or an administrative quirk. It is a direct consequence of how the Islamic, or Hijri, calendar works, and it has real practical implications for how far in advance you should book transport each year. This guide explains the shift in plain terms and what it means for your planning timeline.
Why the Hijri calendar moves relative to the Gregorian calendar
The Hijri calendar is a lunar calendar, made up of twelve months based on the cycles of the moon, totalling roughly 354 or 355 days in a year. The Gregorian calendar most of the world uses for everyday purposes is a solar calendar, running approximately 365 or 366 days. This roughly ten to eleven day difference means that each Hijri year, including Hajj season and Ramadan, shifts earlier by about ten to eleven days against the Gregorian calendar every single year.
Over a period of around thirty three Gregorian years, this shift is enough for Hajj, for example, to move through every season, sometimes falling in the height of a Saudi summer, other times in cooler months, before eventually cycling back around.
Why this matters directly for your booking timeline
If you booked Hajj or Umrah transport at a certain point relative to your travel dates last time, and you assume the same lead time will apply again this year based on the Gregorian calendar, you may be working from the wrong reference point entirely. Because the Hijri dates shift roughly ten to eleven days earlier each Gregorian year, “the same time of year I travelled last time” is not actually the same position in the Hijri calendar, and vice versa.
This matters most for anyone planning around Hajj specifically, since Hajj falls on fixed Hijri dates (the 8th to 13th of Dhul Hijjah) rather than a fixed Gregorian date range, meaning the actual Gregorian calendar dates for Hajj move noticeably from year to year. The same applies to Ramadan, Umrah’s other major peak period, and to smaller but still relevant dates such as Mawlid an-Nabi and Muharram, each covered in more detail elsewhere on this site.
A practical example of how the shift plays out
Consider a pilgrim who performed Hajj in a particular Gregorian year and remembers booking transport roughly four months before their travel date. If they assume the same four-month lead time will work again several years later without checking the actual Hijri-to-Gregorian conversion for that year, they risk booking either later than ideal, missing the earliest and often best-priced availability, or planning around the wrong Gregorian month entirely if the shift has moved Hajj into a different part of the calendar year since their last trip.
How to plan your booking timeline correctly each year
Check the current year’s confirmed Gregorian dates for your specific travel purpose, whether that is Hajj, Ramadan Umrah, or another Hijri-calendar-linked period, through an official source such as the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah or the Nusuk platform, rather than relying on memory from a previous trip.
Set your booking timeline relative to the confirmed dates for this specific year, not relative to when you booked last time, since the calendar position itself has moved.
Build in extra buffer if this is a year where Hajj or Ramadan falls during a season with additional considerations, such as the height of summer heat, since this can affect both demand patterns and your own comfort planning.
Set a calendar reminder well ahead of your intended travel year to check the confirmed Hijri-to-Gregorian dates as soon as they are announced, since these are typically confirmed closer to the year in question based on moon sighting confirmation for the relevant month.
Why booking early still matters regardless of the shift
Whatever the specific Gregorian dates turn out to be in a given year, the underlying principle of booking transport well in advance for Hajj and peak Ramadan periods remains constant. The calendar shift changes when those dates fall, not how much demand and limited vehicle availability affect those periods once they arrive.
How the shift affects seasonal comfort, not just demand
Beyond transport availability, the Hijri calendar shift also changes the physical conditions pilgrims face year to year. When Hajj falls during the height of the Saudi summer, temperatures can be extreme, which affects everything from how much water to carry to how transport providers plan vehicle air conditioning reliability during the busiest days. When Hajj falls during cooler months, physical conditions are considerably more comfortable, though demand and crowding patterns remain driven by the same underlying religious significance regardless of season. Checking where the current year sits in this cycle helps you prepare realistically, not just for booking timing but for the physical experience of the trip itself.
A note on other Hijri-linked dates beyond Hajj and Ramadan
The same shifting principle applies to every other Hijri-calendar-linked date relevant to Umrah travel, including Muharram, Mawlid an-Nabi, and Shawwal, each covered in more detail elsewhere on this site. If you are planning travel around any of these specific periods rather than a fixed Gregorian season, always check the confirmed dates for your actual travel year rather than assuming a previous year’s dates or a rough Gregorian equivalent will still apply.
Frequently asked questions
By how much does the Hijri calendar shift each year against the Gregorian calendar?
Roughly ten to eleven days earlier each Gregorian year, since the lunar Hijri year is shorter than the solar Gregorian year.
Does this mean Hajj could eventually fall in any season?
Yes. Over a cycle of roughly thirty three Gregorian years, Hajj moves through every season before returning to its original position in the cycle.
Where can I check the confirmed Gregorian dates for Hajj or Ramadan in a given year?
Official sources such as the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah and the Nusuk platform confirm these dates, generally closer to the year in question based on moon sighting confirmation.
Should I book transport the same number of months ahead every year, regardless of the calendar shift?
Set your timeline relative to the confirmed dates for the specific year you are travelling, rather than assuming the same lead time that worked in a previous year automatically applies again.
Checked sources
Official information for your planning
Hijri calendar dates are confirmed annually. These official sources are provided so you can check the current position for your journey. Checked 25 July 2026.
Whatever year you are planning for, booking your transport as soon as the confirmed dates are announced gives you the best availability and pricing. Hajj & Umrah Taxi keeps track of the Hijri calendar shift every year, so get in touch through our booking form to plan ahead.