What Is a Package Holiday? Everything UAE Travellers Need to Know (2026)
The term “package holiday” is used constantly in UAE travel — but what it actually includes, how it’s priced, and whether it’s better or worse than booking independently is rarely explained clearly. This guide answers every question about package holidays: what they are, what they include, when they save money, when they don’t, and how to choose the right one for your trip.
What Is a Package Holiday?
A package holiday is a pre-arranged combination of two or more travel components — sold as a single product at a combined price.
The most common package combination is:
- Flights + hotel
More comprehensive packages add:
- Airport transfers (both ends)
- Meals (breakfast, half-board, full-board, or all-inclusive)
- Activities or excursions
- Travel insurance
- Visa assistance
A package holiday can be as simple as a flight and a hotel, or as comprehensive as flights, hotel, all meals, airport transfers, daily tours, and full travel insurance.
The defining characteristic is that multiple travel components are sold together as one booking, at one price, with one point of contact for the entire trip.
What Does a Package Holiday Typically Include?
The contents of a package holiday vary — always check what’s included before comparing prices. Standard package components:
Always Included in a Package Holiday
- Return flights from your departure airport (specified airline, class, and routing)
- Accommodation (specified hotel, room type, and board basis)
Usually Included
- Airport transfers at the destination (sometimes both ends, sometimes destination only)
- Accommodation taxes (resort fee, green tax, municipality tax)
Often Included at a Premium
- Meals (breakfast, half-board, full-board, or all-inclusive)
- Travel insurance
- Seaplane or boat transfer (for Maldives packages — critically important to check)
- Airport hotel if required (for Maldives packages where seaplane departs next morning)
Sometimes Available as Add-Ons
- Activities and day tours
- Car rental at destination
- Travel insurance (if not included as standard)
- Visa assistance
The most important question when comparing packages: what is the total cost including everything you need? A package priced at AED 8,000 per person that excludes airport transfers and meal costs may be more expensive than a package priced at AED 9,500 that includes both.
What Are the Different Types of Package Holidays?
Self-Catering Package
Flights and accommodation only. You arrange your own meals, activities, and transport at the destination. Best for independent travellers, families in villas or apartments, or those visiting destinations with strong local restaurant and food scenes (Bali, Georgia, Turkey).
Bed and Breakfast (B&B) Package
Flights, accommodation, and daily breakfast. A good middle ground — you have a meal included but flexibility for lunch and dinner.
Half-Board Package
Flights, accommodation, breakfast and dinner. Useful for beach resorts where you’re on-site for morning and evening meals but out during the day. Standard for many Indian Ocean packages (Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka resorts).
Full-Board Package
Flights, accommodation, and all three meals. Less common than half-board — removes most flexibility but provides budget certainty. Useful for remote or contained destinations where restaurant alternatives are limited.
All-Inclusive Package
Flights, accommodation, all meals, and typically snacks, beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), and in many cases selected activities and watersports. All-inclusive is most common at beach resort destinations — Turkey, the Caribbean, parts of the Maldives, and some Southeast Asian resorts.
Is all-inclusive better value? It depends on how you travel. See the detailed breakdown below.
Tailor-Made (Bespoke) Package
A package designed specifically for your travel dates, group size, and preferences — assembled by a travel agent rather than selected from a pre-built product catalogue. Allows choice of specific room category, airline, departure time, hotel, and any additional components. Most quality UAE travel agencies offer tailor-made packages.
How Is a Package Holiday Priced?
Package holidays are priced per person, based on two adults sharing a room — this is the standard published rate. Supplements apply for:
- Single occupancy: Travelling alone and using a hotel room by yourself typically adds 25–75% to the per-person rate
- Child pricing: Children aged 2–11 typically pay 50–75% of the adult rate. Infants under 2 pay a nominal fee (no seat on the flight, no separate room allocation)
- Room upgrades: Moving from a standard room to a suite, ocean view, or overwater villa category adds a per-night supplement
When comparing package prices, always compare on a total trip basis — what does it cost for your specific group (number of adults and children), in your chosen room category, for your specific dates? A package advertised at AED 5,999 per person may cost significantly more for your family configuration.
Is a Package Holiday Cheaper Than Booking Independently?
The honest answer: it depends on the destination, the season, and who you’re booking with.
When a Package Is Cheaper Than Booking Independently
Maldives: The most clear-cut case. Established UAE travel agencies with direct resort contracts have access to contracted rates, transfer inclusions, and honeymoon/anniversary add-ons that are not available on direct booking platforms. A Maldives package through Orient Holidays regularly beats direct resort + flight booking when compared on a full-cost basis.
Long-haul destinations with complex routing: Japan, Kenya, Sri Lanka — where flights, domestic connections, hotels, and transfers need to be coordinated. A package avoids the gap-risk in independently assembled itineraries and often has access to group flight rates.
All-inclusive beach resorts (Turkey, Sri Lanka): Resorts that offer contracted all-inclusive rates through travel agencies often provide better value than the same resort booked direct, because the contracted rate includes inclusions (transfers, meals, activities) that cost extra when booked direct.
When you need visa assistance: The bundled visa service that many UAE travel agencies offer (particularly for Schengen, UK, and Japan visas) adds genuine value beyond just the travel components.
When Booking Independently Might Be Cheaper
Standard chain hotels in major cities: The Marriott in Istanbul or the Hilton in Bangkok can often be booked at promotional direct rates that match or beat what a travel agent can offer.
Simple, well-understood bookings: A direct flight + a well-reviewed hotel in a familiar destination with no complexity. If you’ve done Bangkok five times and know exactly what you want, booking directly through a reputable online platform may be comparable.
Low-cost carrier routes: Budget airline fares (flydubai, Air Arabia, Wizz Air Abu Dhabi) are rarely discounted further by travel agents — the fares are public and the margin is minimal. If you’re happy on a budget carrier for a short-haul trip, book the flight directly.
All-Inclusive Packages: Are They Worth It?
All-inclusive packages are worth it when the maths work in your favour. Here’s how to calculate it:
Step 1: Find the difference in price between the all-inclusive package and the same hotel with half-board (or room only).
Step 2: Estimate your realistic daily spending on food and drinks at the resort.
Step 3: Compare.
Example: An all-inclusive Maldives package costs AED 700 per person per day more than the half-board version of the same resort. You estimate you’d spend AED 400 per person per day on snacks, drinks, and lunch. Half-board = better value.
Same example: The resort has excellent beach bar service, you drink consistently throughout the day, and you have two young children who eat and drink continuously. You estimate AED 800 per person per day on food and drinks. All-inclusive = better value.
All-inclusive is generally better value when:
- You stay in the resort most of the day
- You have young children who consume food and drinks continuously
- The resort has multiple quality restaurants included in the AI package
- The destination has limited or expensive external dining (Maldives, Caribbean)
Half-board or room-only is generally better value when:
- You’re away from the resort most of the day (excursions, exploring)
- The local food scene is excellent and affordable (Turkey, Bali, Georgia, Thailand)
- The AI premium is high relative to realistic daily spend
- You want flexibility on where and what you eat
Package Holidays vs DIY Travel: The Full Comparison
| Factor | Package holiday | DIY booking |
|---|---|---|
| Total price | Often lower for complex/long-haul | Can be lower for simple bookings |
| Time to arrange | Low — one call or WhatsApp | High — multiple platforms, research |
| Visa assistance | Included with quality agents | Your responsibility |
| When things go wrong | Agent manages it | You manage it |
| Flexibility | Less flexible to change | More flexible |
| Resort knowledge | Agent’s experience guides choice | Your own research |
| Honeymoon inclusions | Available through agent relationships | Rarely available direct |
| Price transparency | Compare total cost | Compare total cost |
| Best for | Complex, long-haul, first-timers | Simple, short-haul, experienced travellers |
What to Check Before Booking Any Package Holiday
Always ask these questions before signing any package agreement:
- What exactly is included? Request a full itemised list — flights (airline, class, baggage allowance), hotel (room type, floor, view, board basis), transfers (both ends?), and any included activities.
- What are the total taxes and fees? Some package prices exclude resort service charges, government tourism taxes, or Maldives-specific levies. Get the all-in total.
- What is the cancellation policy? For each component — the flight and the hotel may have different cancellation terms. Know what you lose if you need to cancel.
- What happens if something goes wrong? Who do you call? Is there an out-of-hours emergency number?
- Is travel insurance included? If so, what does it cover? If not, get your own policy.
- Are there any additional costs at the destination? Mandatory resort fees, city tourist taxes, or transfer supplements that aren’t included in the package price.
Package Holidays for Specific Scenarios
Maldives Package Holiday
The Maldives is the destination where package booking adds the most value over independent booking.
What a good Maldives package includes:
- Return Emirates direct flights from Dubai
- Speedboat or seaplane transfer (confirmed, both ways)
- Resort accommodation (specified room type — beach villa or overwater)
- Half-board or all-inclusive meals
- All resort taxes (marine park fee, green tax, service charge)
What to watch for: Maldives packages that advertise a low headline price and exclude transfers — the seaplane can add AED 1,200–1,800 per couple, completely changing the value equation.
Family Package Holiday
A well-constructed family package should include:
- Child pricing confirmed — free stays for under-12s at the specific hotel?
- Room configuration specified — interconnecting rooms or a family suite?
- Child meal pricing at the destination — included in AI or charged separately?
- Kids’ club details — ages covered, hours of operation, activities included?
Honeymoon Package
A honeymoon package should include (or an agent should arrange):
- Honeymoon notification to the hotel — so the resort prepares the room
- Room upgrade request — ideally confirmed in advance
- Complimentary inclusions — petal decoration, fruit basket, spa credit, candlelit dinner (resort-dependent)
- Romantic extras — private sunset boat, couples spa booking
These are almost never available when booking directly — they require the agent relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a package holiday and a tour? A package holiday typically gives you flights and accommodation with freedom to explore independently. A tour (or guided tour) includes a planned daily itinerary, a guide, and group travel between destinations. Both can be pre-packaged products — the difference is the level of structure and independent freedom.
Can you change a package holiday after booking? Changing a package holiday depends on the cancellation and amendment policies of each component. Flight changes are subject to airline fees (budget carriers charge more than full-service airlines). Hotel changes may be subject to the hotel’s own amendment policy. Always read the terms before booking.
Is a package holiday safer than booking independently? In most cases, yes. If a component fails (hotel overbooks, flight is cancelled), the travel agency manages the resolution. When you’ve booked independently, you’re managing each supplier separately. The Package Travel Regulations in many countries also provide legal protection for package bookings that independent bookings don’t receive.
Do package holidays include flights from Abu Dhabi? Yes — most UAE travel agencies can build packages departing from either Dubai (DXB/DWC) or Abu Dhabi (AUH). Confirm your departure airport preference when requesting a quote.
How do I know if a UAE travel agency’s package price is fair? Request a fully itemised quote — every component priced separately. Then check the public rate for each component individually (Google Flights for the flight, hotel direct website for the room rate). A reputable agency should match or beat the sum of individual parts, particularly for Maldives and Indian Ocean destinations where they have contracted rates.
Book Your Package Holiday with Orient Holidays
Orient Holidays has been building tailor-made package holidays for UAE residents since 1963. Every package we build is specific to your dates, group size, room preference, and travel style — not selected from a catalogue of fixed options.
Our direct relationships with hotels and resorts across 190+ destinations mean we regularly access rates and inclusions that aren’t available on public booking platforms. And when something goes wrong while you’re travelling, you have a team behind you that has been handling exactly these situations for over six decades.
Package holidays from UAE start from AED 2,999 per person for 5 nights including flights, accommodation, and airport transfers.
WhatsApp our team with your destination, travel dates, group size and budget — we’ll come back with a specific, fully itemised package quote within 2 hours.
Package contents, pricing, and policies vary by destination, season, and property. Always request a fully itemised quote before booking. This guide reflects general practices as of mid-2026.