Before Anything Else: Fasting While Travelling
Islamic jurisprudence is clear and generous on this point: a traveller (musafir) is permitted to break their fast and make it up later. The scholars define "travel" as covering a distance of approximately 80km or more from your home city. If you're on a long-haul flight or deep into a foreign country, you are a musafir and the concession applies to you.
What this means practically: you don't have to fast on long travel days if it would cause you difficulty. Many Muslim travellers choose to fast regardless of when they're on trips they've planned for Ramadan because the spiritual motivation is high and the environment supports it. But knowing the concession exists removes a significant source of anxiety.
On long-haul flights during Ramadan: Most Muslim-majority airlines (Emirates, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Malaysia Airlines) recognise Ramadan and will provide suhoor and iftar meal options if you notify them at booking. The suhoor options on a 14-hour flight can be surprisingly good. Time zone changes make fasting calculations interesting if you're flying eastward and the day is getting shorter, you're in luck. Flying westward can mean a very long, fast day. Know your route.
Managing prayer on the road during Ramadan: The same rules apply as any travel combining and shortening prayers (qasr and jam') is permitted. Tarawih (the special Ramadan night prayers) are voluntary; performing them wherever you are, or at a local mosque, is entirely sufficient. Some of the most moving tarawih experiences Muslim travellers report are in foreign mosques where they don't speak the language but feel completely at home.
The 8 Best Destinations to Visit During Ramadan
01. Istanbul, Turkey 🇹🇷
Istanbul during Ramadan is something genuinely magical. The minarets of every mosque across the city are strung with mahya lights, strings of colored bulbs spelling out religious messages between minarets, a tradition unique to Turkey dating back to the Ottoman period. The Sultanahmet district transforms at iftar time: long communal tables are set up in the parks around the Blue Mosque, and strangers share food in the warm evening air. The Ramadan atmosphere in the Grand Bazaar's surrounding streets, with tea houses full after Maghrib, simit sellers running out of stock before the prayer call has finished, is unlike any other city. Suhoor cafés stay open all night in Fatih and Aksaray, serving full Turkish breakfasts at 3 a.m. Visiting Istanbul during Ramadan is on our shortlist of the great Muslim travel experiences available anywhere in the world.
🌙 Mahya lights tradition 🍽 Communal iftar tables ⭐ Highest recommendation
02. Marrakech, Morocco 🇲🇦
The Djemaa el-Fna in Marrakech is always extraordinary. During Ramadan, it becomes something else entirely. The square empties during the day — the snake charmers pack up, the food stalls are dark, the usual chaos quiets to an eerie peace. Then, about 20 minutes before Maghrib, the entire city seems to hold its breath. And when the cannon fires and the call to prayer sounds simultaneously from dozens of minarets, the square erupts. Within minutes, thousands of people are breaking fast together across tables that appeared from nowhere, with harira soup, chebakia pastries, dates, and fresh juice. The collective moment of iftar in the Djemaa el-Fna is one of the most dramatic and moving scenes in the Muslim travel world. Go specifically for this experience.
💥 Iftar cannon tradition 🍲 Harira & chebakia 🌙 Transformative atmosphere
Practical Tips for Ramadan Travel
Book accommodation early. Ramadan is high season in Muslim-majority countries. Hotels in Istanbul, Marrakech, Dubai, and KL fill up quickly, especially for the last 10 nights (the most spiritually significant) and for Eid weekend. Book 2–3 months in advance for those periods.
Adjust your itinerary timing. In Muslim-majority countries, many restaurants, shops, and attractions have reduced daytime hours during Ramadan. Plan active sightseeing for the morning hours before heat and hunger peak, rest in the afternoon, and schedule the best of your experiences for the evening after iftar when the city comes fully alive.
Download the iftar time for your exact location. The Athan and Muslim Pro apps show precise prayer and iftar times for any location in the world. Set an alarm for 10 minutes before Maghrib, so you're never caught by surprise away from food.
Be culturally respectful in non-Muslim countries. If you're fasting in Paris, New York, or Tokyo during Ramadan, which many Muslims do avoid eating and drinking in front of you publicly during fasting hours as a personal discipline, be aware that this is your practice in a non-Muslim context and doesn't need to be imposed on others around you.
Carry dates. Always. In your bag, in your pocket. Dates are the sunnah way to break the fast; they're calorie-dense and energy-providing, and having them means you can break your fast anywhere in the world on a train, at a viewpoint, in a garden without needing to find a restaurant. This single habit transforms Ramadan travel.
The last 10 nights. If you have any flexibility in your Ramadan travel dates, prioritise being in a meaningful place during the last 10 nights, particularly Laylatul Qadr (the Night of Power, most likely the 27th night). Being in a city with a beautiful mosque, Istanbul's Sultanahmet, Cairo's Al-Azhar, and Makkah if you're performing Umrah during Laylatul Qadr, is an experience that stays with you for life.
