The 2026-27 academic year hands UAE families five clear travel windows, and the two biggest — National Day and the winter break — are decided months in advance. This planner sets out every school break and public holiday from now to the end of the 2027 summer, the holiday each one creates, and how far ahead to book.
UAE school calendar 2026-27
Most public and private schools in the UAE follow the unified academic calendar. For 2026-27 the breaks are:
| Break | Dates | Classes resume |
|---|---|---|
| October mid-term (already passed) | 12 – 16 October 2026 | 19 October 2026 |
| Winter break | 14 December 2026 – 3 January 2027 | 4 January 2027 |
| Spring break | 5 – 11 April 2027 | 12 April 2027 |
| Summer break | From 2 July 2027 | August / September 2027 |
Sharjah schools and some Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi curricula run their own calendars, so always confirm against your own school's published dates before booking flights.
Public holidays and long weekends
Islamic dates are confirmed by the UAE moon-sighting committee and shift by a day or two, so treat these as planning guidance rather than fixed dates.
| Holiday | Expected dates | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| UAE National Day | 2 – 3 December 2026 (Wed–Thu) | Public holidays midweek — add a day of leave to widen it |
| New Year's Day | 1 January 2027 (Friday) | A three-day weekend |
| Eid Al Fitr | Expected 9 – 12 March 2027 | A four to six-day break |
| Eid Al Adha | Expected mid-May 2027 | A four to five-day break |
Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February 2027. Travelling during Ramadan works well for shorter trips, and Umrah demand peaks in the weeks before Eid.
The five windows worth planning now
1. UAE National Day, 2 – 3 December 2026
The nearest window and the most competitive. Group departures leave for Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan, all short flights with cool weather in December. See the National Day holiday packages for the dated departures, or the Georgia guide if you are still deciding between destinations.
2. Winter school break, 14 December 2026 – 3 January 2027
Three weeks is enough for a long-haul trip, which is why this is the peak window of the year. Europe runs its Christmas markets, Iceland and northern Norway open the aurora season, and the Caucasus offers snow without the long flight. Start with the Europe guide or the full holiday catalogue, which you can filter by travel month.
3. Ramadan and Eid Al Fitr, February to March 2027
Ramadan is a quieter, cheaper month to fly for anyone not fasting, and the Eid break that follows is the first long weekend of the year. Shorter flights to Turkey, Jordan and Egypt fill quickly, and Umrah travel peaks in the final ten days of Ramadan. Our Umrah packages cover that window.
4. Spring break, 5 – 11 April 2027
A week of warm-but-not-hot weather in Europe before the summer crowds. Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan are close and remain popular for this week, and Turkey is at its best for city breaks. Families staying in the UAE often use the week for theme parks and water parks before the peak heat.
5. Summer holidays, from 2 July 2027
Two full months. South East Asia suits this window — Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia are in their green season with short afternoon showers — while Europe is warm and busy until late August. Book by April for the best hotel rates.
How far ahead to book each window
| Window | Book by |
|---|---|
| National Day 2026 | Now — eight to ten weeks out |
| Winter break 2026-27 | Three to four months ahead |
| Eid Al Fitr 2027 | Three months ahead |
| Spring break 2027 | Eight to ten weeks ahead |
| Summer 2027 | Four to six months ahead |
Two things that catch families out
Visa timing. A Schengen visa can need three weeks or more including the appointment, and appointments are hardest to get in the weeks before a school break. Start the paperwork as soon as your dates are fixed — our visa services team confirms the current requirement for your passport before you book.
Flights and land arrangements run on different clocks. Every holiday package we sell is land-only — hotels, transfers and the sightseeing in the itinerary — so you are free to use your own flights or points. That also means airline fare rises around a school break do not increase your package price.
Plan the whole year
If you would rather work backwards from the month you can travel, the holidays from Dubai by month guide maps every month of 2027 to the destinations that suit it.
December school break holidays from Dubai
5 itineraries on sale right now, from $653 to $1,666 per person on double sharing, including our service fee.
Land arrangements only — hotels, airport transfers, the sightseeing listed in each itinerary and a coordinator throughout. Flights are booked separately. Prices come from our live contracted rates and are quoted in AED.
See every the December school break itineraryBook your the December school break holiday
Send us your travel dates, the number of travellers and the hotel standard you want. We reply with a written quotation within one working day, you confirm and pay the deposit, and we then issue your vouchers and a day-by-day itinerary.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When are the UAE school holidays in 2026-27?
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Under the unified academic calendar, the winter break runs from 14 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 with classes resuming on 4 January, and the spring break runs from 5 to 11 April 2027 with classes resuming on 12 April. The academic year ends on 2 July 2027 for September-start schools.
When is the UAE National Day holiday in 2026?
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UAE National Day falls on 2 and 3 December 2026. With the weekend either side, it forms a four-day break, which is why short-haul group departures to Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan and Central Asia sell out earliest.
When is Eid Al Fitr 2027 in the UAE?
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Eid Al Fitr is expected around 9 to 12 March 2027, subject to the official moon sighting. Ramadan 2027 is expected to begin around 8 February, so the Eid break follows roughly five weeks later.
How far in advance should I book a school holiday trip from Dubai?
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Three to four months for the December winter break and four to six months for summer. National Day, spring break and Eid need eight weeks to three months. Booking early matters more for hotel availability than for price.
Is it cheaper to travel during Ramadan from Dubai?
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Flights and hotels are generally quieter and better priced during Ramadan, and shorter trips work well because working hours are reduced. If your trip includes Umrah, demand rises sharply in the final ten days of the month, so book that window early.
Do your holiday packages include flights?
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Most are land-only, covering hotels, airport transfers and the sightseeing listed in the itinerary, so you can use your own flights or frequent flyer points. Group departures that include flights are labelled as fixed departures.