UAE holiday packages September 2026: What to know before you book an end-of-summer deal

Dubai: National carriers and travel agencies have launched discounted tourist packages, coinciding with the end of the peak summer travel season, including airfare, hotel accommodation and other services to a number of tourist destinations, with prices starting from less than Dh1,700 per person. Most of the packages offered focus on accommodation in mid-range hotels of three and four stars, while offers for some beach destinations include accommodation options in luxury hotels and resorts. All packages extend for three nights, with two round-trip direct flight tickets, some on economy carriers and others on commercial carriers, while a large percentage of them offer free breakfast. The offers are available for booking from now until mid-September 2026, and are valid for travel throughout the month. An airline has made available, as part of its offers, a free seat selection service when booking holiday packages until September 30. The list of offers includes packages to the Azerbaijani capital Baku starting from Dh1,700, the Georgian capital Tbilisi from Dh1,800, while packages to the Thai capital Bangkok start from Dh2,100, the Armenian capital Yerevan from Dh2,000, and the city of Colombo in Sri Lanka from Dh2,300. The offers also include European destinations, with package prices to the Polish city of Krakow starting from Dh2,500, to the Greek capital Athens from Dh2,600, while they reach about Dh2,600 to the Russian capital Moscow, and about Dh3,400 to the Serbian capital Belgrade. The offers also included beach destinations, with prices for trips to Mauritius starting from Dh4,500 for three nights, while holiday prices to the Maldives start from Dh5,000 per person. The prices advertised in the packages are starting prices and are mainly subject to the availability of seats on planes and hotel rooms at the time of booking. They also apply to selected flights during September only, and may vary according to the date of travel, its duration, and the booking conditions. The package includes a hotel room for two people. A large part of the offers made by airlines are focused on relatively close destinations, about three to four hours away by flight, especially stations that do not require prior visas for residents of the country. Some packages offer flexibility to suit travellers' needs, as hotel room categories can be upgraded or airport transfer services can be added, as well as tours, entertainment programmes and activities within the destination for an additional fee. Narouz Sarkis, General Manager of Belhasa Tourism Company. Picture credit: Supplied Narouz Sarkis, General Manager of Belhasa Tourism Company, said: “The offers made by airlines and travel agencies, coinciding with the end of the peak summer season, represent a good opportunity for travellers who were unable to travel during the summer months, especially with the decline in demand levels and the emergence of more competitively priced packages.” Sarkis urged those wishing to take advantage of these offers not to be satisfied with just looking at the advertised price, but to review the details of the package, the terms of booking, cancellation and modification before completing the purchase process, stressing the need to read the terms of modification and cancellation in the first place, before completing the booking. He explained that “a large part of the available offers are linked to economy carriers, which requires the traveller to check whether the advertised price includes checked baggage, seat selection, meals and additional services, or whether these services are added to the basic price when booking.” Sarkis added that “the prices of the announced packages are initial, meaning they may not necessarily be available to all travellers, as they are often linked to a specific number of seats or rooms available at the promotional price, and as the booking rate increases and the first price category runs out, the booking moves to a higher price category.” He continued: “The difference between one price level and another may reach about Dh200 or Dh300 or more, depending on the destination, travel date and the level of demand for the offer.” Travellers are advised to book early, especially if travel dates are flexible, as lower prices are usually associated with limited availability. He pointed out that monitoring and comparing prices across multiple dates can help travellers find the lowest price range, noting that avoiding weekends and periods of high demand may provide better-priced options. Sarkis continued: “The traveller should look at the package as a whole, including the hotel’s location and rating, the number of nights, the type of room, flight dates, baggage policy, and any additional fees, before comparing offers.” He pointed out that this period represents an opportunity, especially for those who did not travel during the summer due to high prices or the busy season, as they can take advantage of post-peak offers to spend short h