Holidays from Abu Dhabi and Dubai
New Year Holiday Packages and New Year's Eve in the UAE
New Year's Day 2027 is a Friday and a public holiday, so most UAE residents get a three-day weekend. That is enough for Georgia, Kazakhstan or Armenia for snow, Istanbul or Baku for a city break, or a beach in the Maldives or Sri Lanka. Staying home? Book a dinner cruise or desert dinner early.
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Packages
Trips you can book
Every package can change: dates, nights, hotel grade and tours. Prices are per person and dated.
3 to 5 nights
3 or 4 nights
4 or 5 nights
Evening of 31 December
01
New Year 2027: a three-day weekend from Friday 1 January
1 January 2027 is a Friday and a public holiday in the UAE. With Saturday and Sunday after it, most residents get three days off in a row without using leave. New Year's Eve falls on Thursday 31 December, so many people fly out on Thursday evening after work.
New Year's Eve
- Date
- Thursday 31 December 2026
- Status
- Ask us
New Year's Day
- Date
- Friday 1 January 2027
- Status
- Public holiday
Weekend
- Date
- Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 January 2027
- Status
- Weekend
Back to school
- Date
- Monday 4 January 2027
- Status
- Most schools reopen
New Year 2027 in the UAE. Confirm your own employer's leave rules; some private-sector rest days differ.
| Day | Date | Status |
|---|---|---|
| New Year's Eve | Thursday 31 December 2026 | Ask us |
| New Year's Day | Friday 1 January 2027 | Public holiday |
| Weekend | Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 January 2027 | Weekend |
| Back to school | Monday 4 January 2027 | Most schools reopen |
Add two or three days of leave before New Year's Eve and you have close to a week, which is enough for a snow trip or a European city. New Year also falls at the end of the school winter break, so families with school children can travel for longer. Our winter holiday packages from the UAE cover the whole break.
02
New Year trips abroad: snow, cities and beaches
Snow: Georgia, Kazakhstan, Armenia
Under four hours from Abu Dhabi and Dubai, with snow in the mountains in most winters. Georgia is the most popular choice; see our Georgia packages from the UAE. For a city and ski area in one trip, see the
Kazakhstan tour package
Cities: Istanbul and Baku
Both hold big New Year celebrations with fireworks over the water: the Bosphorus in Istanbul and the Caspian seafront in Baku. Three or four nights is enough.
Beaches: Maldives and Sri Lanka
Both are in their dry season over New Year. Many Maldives resorts charge a gala dinner supplement for 31 December, so ask for it to be shown on your quote.
Visa rules differ by passport. Some UAE residents can enter Georgia, Armenia or Azerbaijan easily, while others need an e-visa in advance.
03
New Year's Eve in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
If you stay in the UAE, the night itself is the main event. Roads and metro stations near the main sites get very busy, so many families prefer a booked table, a boat or a desert camp with a set place and time.
- A dinner cruise on Dubai Marina or Dubai Creek, with dinner on board as the year changes
- A desert camp dinner with a show, away from the crowds
- A hotel or restaurant with a view of the fireworks, booked as a package with a room
If you live in Abu Dhabi and plan to celebrate in Dubai, think about the drive home. Roads out of Dubai stay busy well after midnight. A booked car there and back, or a hotel night in Dubai, takes the pressure off. With young children, an earlier sailing or a desert dinner that ends before midnight can be the easier choice.
04
Dinner cruises and desert dinners on 31 December
On New Year's Eve, dhow cruises in Dubai run special sailings that cost more than a normal night, and they sell out early in December. Full details of the Marina and Creek routes, timings and pickup are on our dhow cruise dubai page.
Desert camps also hold New Year's Eve evenings with dinner and shows. If you are based in Dubai, see our desert safari dubai page for the camps we book there.
Dubai Marina dinner cruise
- What you get
- Dinner on board, sailing past the Marina towers
- Price from
- On request
Dubai Creek dinner cruise
- What you get
- Dinner on board on the old Dubai waterfront
- Price from
- On request
Desert camp dinner
- What you get
- Transfer, camp dinner and shows
- Price from
- On request
Pickup from Abu Dhabi
- What you get
- Private car to and from the event
- Price from
- On request
New Year's Eve options in the UAE. Prices for 31 December are higher than other nights and are dated on your quote.
| Option | What you get | Price from |
|---|---|---|
| Dubai Marina dinner cruise | Dinner on board, sailing past the Marina towers | On request |
| Dubai Creek dinner cruise | Dinner on board on the old Dubai waterfront | On request |
| Desert camp dinner | Transfer, camp dinner and shows | On request |
| Pickup from Abu Dhabi | Private car to and from the event | On request |
05
Prices for the New Year week
New Year week is one of the most expensive times of the year to travel from the UAE. Flights and hotels are booked by everyone at once, resorts add festive supplements, and the last seats sell at the highest prices. The price you see in October is rarely there in mid-December.
Georgia, 4 nights
- New Year week from
- On request
- Mid-January from
- On request
- Valid until
- Ask us
Kazakhstan, 4 nights
- New Year week from
- On request
- Mid-January from
- On request
- Valid until
- Ask us
Istanbul, 3 nights
- New Year week from
- On request
- Mid-January from
- On request
- Valid until
- Ask us
Maldives, 4 nights
- New Year week from
- On request
- Mid-January from
- On request
- Valid until
- Ask us
New Year prices per person, sharing, with flights and hotel, next to a quieter date. Dated and confirmed before you pay.
| Trip | New Year week from | Mid-January from | Valid until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Georgia, 4 nights | On request | On request | Ask us |
| Kazakhstan, 4 nights | On request | On request | Ask us |
| Istanbul, 3 nights | On request | On request | Ask us |
| Maldives, 4 nights | On request | On request | Ask us |
If your dates can move, travelling a week later often costs much less. For whatever is on offer right now, see this week's holiday deals.
06
When to book and what sells out first
- 01
By mid-November
Book trips abroad: flights for 30 and 31 December fill first, followed by family rooms at snow resorts.
- 02
By the first week of December
Book New Year's Eve dinner cruises and desert dinners. Both sell out early in December.
- 03
Before you pay for anything
Check the visa. If your passport needs a visa in advance, apply before you book flights you cannot change.
To get a quote, message us on WhatsApp with your dates and the number of travellers, or visit us at Office 329A, 3rd Floor, Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi, Monday to Saturday 9am to 9pm and Sunday 2pm to 9pm.
Is New Year's Day 2027 a holiday in the UAE?
Yes. 1 January 2027 is a Friday and a public holiday, so most UAE residents get a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday. Add a couple of days of leave and you have a week, which is enough for Georgia, Kazakhstan or a European city.
What can I do on New Year's Eve in Dubai?
The main choices are a dinner cruise on the Marina or the Creek, a desert camp dinner with a show, or watching the fireworks from a hotel or restaurant. Cruises and desert dinners sell out early in December, so book by the first week of the month.
Where can I go abroad for New Year from the UAE?
For snow, Georgia, Kazakhstan and Armenia are under four hours away. For a city break, Istanbul and Baku have big New Year celebrations. For a beach, the Maldives and Sri Lanka are in their best season. We show which need a visa for your passport.
How much do New Year packages cost?
New Year week is one of the most expensive times to travel, because flights and hotels are booked by everyone at once. We quote a cheaper alternative date next to each New Year price.
It's your smart choice
Let's plan your trip together
Send your dates and travellers on WhatsApp, or walk in at Mushrif Mall, Abu Dhabi or BurJuman, Dubai. We reply with options and today's prices.
Enquiry
Send us your enquiry
Tell us where, when and who is travelling. A consultant replies by phone, WhatsApp or email.
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