[This post has been updated for Eid-al Fitr 2020 but recommendations remain subject to change based on Covid-19 rules]
The joyous occasion of Eid-al-Fitr is just around the corner and many Middle East countries will be marking the occasion with a whole week of holidays. The UAE will likely mark the occasion in 2020 with weekends and public holidays running from 22 May to 30 May 2020.
Questions is, should you stay or should you go? This post is specifically for our readers in Dubai and the UAE but packed full of inspirational reads and information that all holidaymakers in the region can use (some links will open on our partner blogging site Our Globetrotters).
Staying in the UAE for Eid
The weather in May is starting to heat up, though water-based outdoor activities are still not out of the question in May.
Let’s first up though look at some indoor ideas where you can keep your cool with the kids;
- Ultimate Guide to Dubai’s coolest indoor activities with kids
- How to tackle Dubai Parks & Resorts in the heat
- A Guide to Abu Dhabi’s best indoor activities with kids
- A Guide to the UAE’s best waterparks and splash parks
- What to expect at Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi
- 40+ Free and really cheap things you can do in Abu Dhabi
- Check out the new Presidential Palace Qasr Al Watan
- The UAE’s best eco-tourism experiences
- How to get the best discounts on Dubai’s popular attraction tickets

Try and beat the heat by heading to local attractions such as Legoland Water Park Dubai with some great resident discounts
Time to plan a getaway
Staycations! Where can you head to by road for a relaxing retreat? Here’s a selection of our favourite staycation guides and easy road trips from Dubai:
- 5 Stunning Saadiyat Island Resorts
- The UAE’s best beach resort destinations
- The UAE’s best luxury desert resorts
- Abu Dhabi all-inclusive resort offers
- Fujairah’s most family-friendly resorts
- Best resorts in Ras Al Khaimah
- How to road trip from Dubai to Muscat (passport required)
- Discover the beautiful Musandam Peninsula, Oman (passport required)
- 5 Stunningly scenic UAE road trips to try
Please don’t forget to read our desert driving guide before heading anywhere in the heat. Driving conditions can change vastly in the hottest summer months and your car needs to be ready to handle the conditions.

A glimpse inside Saadiyat Rotana Resort & Villas, a popular staycation resort on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island
Looking slightly further away here are some of our best short break destinations where flights are around 4 to 5 hours max from Dubai.
- Best short breaks from the UAE – covers destinations including Georgia, Baku, Oman
- Fabulous fun Istanbul itinerary for families
- Best things to do in Beirut with kids
- Plan the perfect 5-day Jordan highlights tour
- How to road trip Transylvania, Romania
- A family highlights tour of Sri Lanka
- 9 great girlfriend getaways from the UAE (Ok, you can take the kids too!)

Beirut is an easy flight from Dubai with great weather and plenty of day trips possible to see more of Lebanon
You can check out all of our Middle East destination guides here.
Search Tools we use and recommend
So how do you go about seeking the best last-minute travel deals in these situations?
Great Flight Finder Tool
The best place to start your search for possibilities is using Skyscanner to search for flights. You can enter your start airport, then try searching “Everywhere” to see what is available:
Don’t forget you can search from more than just DXB! Why not also try starting with:
- AUH for Abu Dhabi
- DWC for Al Maktoum Airport
- SHJ for Sharjah
- AE for all UAE airports
Finding last-minute hotel deals
For hotels, we use a few different tools to make sure we’re getting the right price. We love Booking.Com as it has a super powerful search function and a great interactive map feature – you can test it here.
We also like to check that any accommodation we are booking is at the best price. For this we use HotelsCombined.com. Why not give it a try here – put in the hotel or location you are eyeing up and it will compare all the different search engines to try and find you the best price.
Don’t forget to jump over to our Family Travel Middle East chat group to discuss ideas with fellow parents. We will update in the group and our Facebook Page as we become aware of any great last-minute deals.