United Arab Emirates›Al Ain & the Empty Quarter›Liwa Oasis (Empty Quarter)›December
Liwa Oasis (Empty Quarter) in December
Great month: December is in the middle of the recommended season (November – February). UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad) and Liwa and Al Dhafra winter festivals can fall this month.
The season runs to the end of February, 2 months away. Summer Heat: Outdoor Trips Limited usually starts in June, 6 months away.
2 days in Liwa Oasis (Empty Quarter) in December · from ₹22,542 for two
Stay, food & local travel; getting there extra
Before you book December
Closures, crowds and rules at Liwa Oasis (Empty Quarter) this month.
Worth knowing
Flight Disruptions Since the 2026 Regional War
Since the war in the region began in February 2026, Gulf airspace has closed at times and UAE flights have been cancelled at short notice; in October 2026 Dubai and Abu Dhabi airports are open with occasional cancellations. Book changeable fares, buy travel insurance that covers disruption, and check your government's advice (the US rates the UAE "Reconsider travel") and your airline before you fly.
What’s on in December
Timing a trip around these changes what you pay and what you can book.
UAE National Day (Eid Al Etihad)2026: 2 Dec
A long public-holiday weekend around 2 December: fireworks, parades and flag-draped cars. Hatta, Jebel Jais, Fujairah and the desert camps fill with residents; book early and expect slow traffic on the roads out of Dubai.
Liwa and Al Dhafra winter festivals
In mid-winter the Liwa festival brings car and bike hill-climbs up Tal Moreeb, and the Al Dhafra Festival near Madinat Zayed holds camel beauty contests, falconry and a heritage market. Rooms in Liwa sell out on those weekends.
What it costs
For two sharing a room; 2 days on the ground, getting there not included.
Budget
₹22,542 for two
- Room a night₹10,360
- Food a day, each₹2,353
Mid-range
₹47,682 for two
- Room a night₹19,430
- Food a day, each₹5,430
Luxury
₹1,22,753 for two
- Room a night₹56,980
- Food a day, each₹12,670
Totals cover the room (taxes included), food, local transport, entry and a 10% buffer: the figures the planner opens on. These are typical rates; Tourisma has no month-by-month rates for the UAE yet, so they don't move with the month.
Getting there
Fly into Abu Dhabi (AUH), 158 km away
Then: Transfer · 2h 45m (Private car or 4x4 with driver, per vehicle)
Flights from India: from 17 cities, one way from ₹11,000
Fly into Dubai (DXB), 274 km away
Then: Transfer · 4h (Private car or 4x4 with driver, per vehicle)
Flights from India: from 15 cities, one way from ₹11,000
Entry rules
E-visa before you fly for up to 30 days, about ₹6,860
- Apply for a 30-day UAE tourist visa before you fly: through your airline (Emirates and flydubai process visas for their passengers; IndiGo, Air India Express and Air Arabia sell them too), a travel agent, your UAE hotel, or the ICP and GDRFA portals. The government fee is AED 252 + 5% VAT, about ₹6,860; agents add their charges. Allow 1-3 working days.
- Hold a valid US visa or Green Card, an EU visa or residence permit, or residence in Japan, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Singapore or New Zealand? You can instead take a 14-day visa on arrival (AED 100, extendable once). A UK visa or UK residence permit alone is reported (July 2026) to be dropped from this list, with no start date announced yet: if that is all you hold, get the e-visa to be safe.
- At immigration in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah or Ras Al Khaimah, show your passport and the visa approval, and your return ticket and hotel booking if asked.
- For a longer trip, apply for a 60-day tourist visa instead of the 30-day one, or extend through the same airline, agent or portal before the visa expires.
Carry: Passport valid for at least 6 months from the day you arrive; UAE visa approval (PDF or printout), or the US / EU / listed residence document if you take the visa on arrival; Confirmed return or onward ticket; Hotel bookings, or a host's address and Emirates ID copy; Recent passport photo on a white background and a PAN card copy, which some airlines and agents ask for.
The visa-on-arrival rules for Indians are changing in 2026 (UK documents reported to be dropped, start date not announced) and fees differ between sources, so check on the ICP site or with your airline before booking. Flights to the UAE have been cancelled at short notice since the regional war began in February 2026; buy a fare you can change.
Checked 2026-10; confirm with the embassy before you fly.
Elsewhere in the UAE in December
Also in season this month.
- Dubai Desert (Al Marmoom) · great month
- Al Ain · great month
- Fujairah & Dibba (East Coast) · good month
- Hatta · good month
- Ras Al Khaimah · good month
- Abu Dhabi · good month
- Dubai · good month
- Dubai Marina & Palm Jumeirah · good month
Nearby in Al Ain & the Empty Quarter:
Want this as a real plan?
Liwa Oasis (Empty Quarter) in December, day by day, priced for your group.