Most people do not specifically plan to travel during Ramadan. Many of them only realize after booking their holidays that they happen to fall on Ramadan.

Others only have limited time in a year to go on vacation so they want to know what to expect:

"Will the museums and tourist sites be open?"

"Is it possible to buy food during the day or are travellers also expected to fast?"

When Is Ramadan?

Ramadan is the 9th month in the Muslim lunar calendar. A year in the Islamic lunar calendar is 10-11 days shorter than a year in the Gregorian calendar so Ramadan falls on different dates each year.

In 2012 Ramadan begins on or around 20th July and ends on or around 19th August, according to the actual sight of the moon.

However, it is not only Ramadan that affects travelers but also the end-of-Ramadan celerations (Eid Al Fitr) that will last for another 4 days, until the end of the upcoming weekend.

Pros and Cons

Travelling during Ramadan has its advantages and disadvantages and only YOU can decide whether the benefits outweight the inconveniences for YOU or not.

Pros

Those who recommend traveling during the holy month usually empasize the spiritual experience:

Ramadan is a really special time of year for Muslims and people are usually very welcoming and happy to share food with you after sunset and during the nights. Tourists who are respectful of the fast often get invited by their guide or taxi driver to break the fast with his family.

Non-Muslim tourists are not expected to fast in Jordan. Jordanians in general are tolerant of tourists eating and drinking during Ramadan, but if you want to be respectful try not to do it publicly. This applies to smoking too.

In tourist areas and bigger cities you will find some restaurants and food stores open during the day.

Business is as usual during Ramadan. Goverment offices, banks and tourist places like museums, archaeological sites are all open, although they might close earlier than usual to allow staff members to go home by sunset to break the fast. During Eid Al Fitr businesses and government offices are closed for up to 3-4 days.

If you are ready to switch to a more night-oriented timeframe, you can have a great time during Ramadan. Many people are up all night, visiting friends, eating sweets and fruits.

The fast-breaking, called Iftar, is a joyous event. If you don't get invited to someone's home, you can still join the "party": most restaurants offer special Iftar Menus during Ramadan.

Another advantage is that hotel prices tend to be at their lowest of the year. (Except for Eid Al Fitr, when hotel prices are up again!)

Cons

It is true that the energy level of people who fast is getting quite low during the day, especially when Ramadan falls on summer - like in 2010 and the upcoming years.
People tend to leave work early, or not work at all if they can afford, and sleep a lot.
You see, the weather is hot and the days are long. That will surely affect the performance of those who work in the travel industry as well: drivers, guides, etc.

Even though Ramadan is about peace, patience and forgiveness, the fasting and refraining from cigarettes can have a negative effect on some men's mood as most men in Jordan are heavy smokers and tea-addicts. This can cause tensions, especially in road traffic before sunset when everyone wants to get home quickly.

Resorts and holiday areas like Aqaba or the Dead Sea are getting packed with local tourists after the end of Ramadan. Booking your hotel room well in advance is a good idea.

So if you plan to travel during Ramadan, consider the above.

Have Your Say

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