The Tourism Dirham is a hotel fee of AED 7 to AED 20 per room per night, set by star class: AED 20 for 5-star, AED 15 for 4-star, AED 10 for 3-star and AED 7 for 1-2-star, for up to 30 consecutive nights. It is charged per room, not per person, shown as a separate line on your hotel bill and usually settled at the hotel rather than when you book. This guide gives worked totals for 3 to 30 nights, explains holiday homes and the extras on a hotel bill, and shows why sharing a room cuts the cost per head.
By SB Excursions · Published 29 October 2026 · Updated 29 October 2026
While you are in Dubai: Full-Day Desert Safari in Dubai — From $45 per person, 7 hours.
How much is the Tourism Dirham in Dubai?
AED 20 per room per night in a 5-star hotel, AED 15 in a 4-star, AED 10 in a 3-star and AED 7 in a 1-2-star, for up to 30 consecutive nights. That is roughly $5.50, $4, $2.70 and $1.90 a night. Check the current amount with your hotel or Dubai's tourism authority.
This guide also answers:
- Is there a limit on how many nights I pay for?
- Is the Tourism Dirham included in your tour prices?
Five stays, worked out in dirhams
#1
A week in a 5-star resort on the Palm
Seven nights at AED 20 comes to AED 140 for the room, about $38. Two adults sharing pay AED 70 each, which is small next to the room rate itself. It appears as a separate line on the bill, and a larger family in one room pays the same AED 140, so a family suite is the cheapest way to spread it.
#2
Four nights in a 4-star hotel in the Marina
Four nights at AED 15 comes to AED 60, about $16, for the whole room. It is the most common class for first-time visitors, and a Marina base puts the yacht pier and the tram within a short walk. As with every class, the fee is the same whether one or four people share the room.
#3
Five nights in a 3-star hotel in Deira
Five nights at AED 10 comes to AED 50, about $14, per room. Deira and Bur Dubai are the cheaper bases, close to the Creek, the abra crossing and the souks, though further from the beaches. The fee is flat for the class, so a cheaper hotel carries a smaller fee as well as a smaller room rate.
#4
Ten nights in a 1-2-star hotel
Ten nights at AED 7 comes to AED 70, about $19, per room. Budget stays are usually near the Metro, so the trade is simple: you give up the pool and the view and keep the transport links. Check what the room rate includes, and whether the hotel collects the fee at check-in or at checkout.
#5
A month in one room: the 30-night cap
The fee is capped at 30 consecutive nights. A full month at 4-star rate is AED 450, about $122, and a longer stay does not add more. Long-stay guests often use hotel apartments, which are also covered, so ask whether the amount is on the bill and how it is shown before you pay.
The short answer: AED 7-20 per room per night
The Tourism Dirham is AED 20 per room per night in a 5-star hotel, AED 15 in a 4-star, AED 10 in a 3-star and AED 7 in a 1-2-star, for up to 30 consecutive nights. It is a charge on the room, not on each guest, and the same amount applies whether one traveller or a family of four sleeps there. As of 29 October 2026 these are the rates quoted by hotels and tax advisers, but amounts can change, so check Dubai's tourism authority or your hotel if you need an exact figure.
It is collected by the hotel on behalf of the government and shown as its own line on the bill. It does not replace VAT, which is separate at 5%, and it is not a visa fee, a tour fee or a charge on attractions. The AED is pegged to the dollar at about 3.67, so AED 20 is roughly $5.50 a night and AED 7 about $1.90.
What it adds up to for your stay
For most trips the fee is small. A week in a 4-star hotel adds AED 105, about $29, to the room total, and sharing the room halves the cost per head. The table gives the totals per room for common lengths of stay, including the 30-night cap.
| Hotel class | Per night | 3 nights | 7 nights | 14 nights | 30 nights (cap) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5-star | AED 20 | AED 60 | AED 140 | AED 280 | AED 600 |
| 4-star | AED 15 | AED 45 | AED 105 | AED 210 | AED 450 |
| 3-star | AED 10 | AED 30 | AED 70 | AED 140 | AED 300 |
| 1-2-star | AED 7 | AED 21 | AED 49 | AED 98 | AED 210 |
Per room, not per person. Rates as quoted in recent years; check with the hotel.
Two practical consequences. A couple sharing a double pay half the per-head cost of two singles in two rooms, and a family in one room pays the same as one person. If you are choosing between a 3-star and a 4-star, the fee difference is AED 5 a night, which is the least important number in the comparison.
How and when you pay
You pay the fee at the hotel, not on the booking site. Depending on the property it is taken at check-in or added to your final bill at checkout, and it should appear as a separate line. Many booking sites show 'taxes and fees' in the headline price but cannot collect the Tourism Dirham in advance, so you may see a 'pay at the property' note. Read it before you compare prices.
Hotels often add other charges to the room rate, such as VAT at 5% and a service charge, and some take a refundable deposit at check-in. The honest way to compare is the final total for your dates, not the first price on the page. If you pay by card abroad, see money in Dubai for cards and ATMs.
Hotels, apartments and holiday homes
The fee applies to hotels, hotel apartments, guesthouses and holiday homes in Dubai. For hotels the amount follows the star class. For holiday homes, which are rented through platforms or agents, reports of the amount differ and it depends on the property's classification, so ask the host or the platform before you book and ask where it appears in the total.
It is a Dubai fee. Hotels in Sharjah, Ajman and Abu Dhabi follow their own emirate's rules, and our desert safari from Sharjah and Ajman guide shows how pickups work if you stay outside Dubai. Where you stay matters far more than the fee, and where to stay in Dubai for a first trip compares the main areas.
Is it worth avoiding? Where the real money goes
No. The fee is the smallest cost on a hotel bill, and a hotel's star class is the official classification, not something you can choose around. The money that moves a trip budget is the room rate, the season and the transport between the sights, which is why how much a Dubai trip costs and Dubai on a budget are better places to look for savings.
Season matters most: the best time to visit Dubai by month shows how room rates swing, and a summer room costs far less than a winter one for the same tourism fee.
Three things to check on the bill
Most questions about the fee come down to three checks, and each takes a minute at the front desk:
- The class and the rate. The fee follows the hotel's star class, so the line on the bill should match the rate in the table above.
- The number of nights. It should count the nights you stayed, up to the 30-night cap, and not the nights you booked and cancelled.
- Whether it is a separate line. If it is folded into the room rate, ask the desk to show it separately so you can see what you paid.
If a figure looks wrong, ask the hotel to explain it first, and keep the receipt. Dubai's tourism authority is the place to confirm a rate.
The fee and our tours
The Tourism Dirham has nothing to do with our tour prices, which are quoted per person on each tour page: the full-day desert safari is from $45, with hotel pickup in Dubai, Sharjah and Ajman and no prepayment, and the Abu Dhabi city tour is from $45 with an 8:00 AM hotel pickup. For the Marina, the shared yacht tour is from $32 and starts at the pier behind Al Majara Tower. Budget the hotel fee with your room, and the tours separately.
When you message us on WhatsApp, we ask for the hotel name, because pickup is from your hotel door. That is all the hotel detail we need.
FAQ
How much is the Tourism Dirham in Dubai?
AED 20 per room per night in a 5-star hotel, AED 15 in a 4-star, AED 10 in a 3-star and AED 7 in a 1-2-star, for up to 30 consecutive nights. That is roughly $5.50, $4, $2.70 and $1.90 a night. Check the current amount with your hotel or Dubai's tourism authority.
Is the Tourism Dirham charged per person or per room?
Per room. A single traveller and a family of four in the same room pay the same amount per night. That makes a shared room the cheapest way to spread the cost, and it is why two people in a double pay half the fee each compared with two singles in two rooms.
Do I pay the Tourism Dirham when I book or at the hotel?
At the hotel. Depending on the property it is collected at check-in or added to the bill at checkout, and it should appear as a separate line. Many booking sites cannot collect it in advance, so look for a 'pay at the property' note before you compare prices.
Does the fee apply to holiday homes and apartments?
Yes. Hotel apartments, guesthouses and holiday homes in Dubai also carry the fee. For hotels the rate follows the star class, while holiday-home amounts depend on the property's classification and reports differ, so ask the host or platform how much it is and where it appears in the total.
Is there a limit on how many nights I pay for?
Yes: the fee is capped at 30 consecutive nights. A full month in a 4-star room is AED 450, about $122, and nights beyond the 30th do not add more. For longer stays, ask the property how it counts the nights and where the fee appears on the bill.
Is the Tourism Dirham included in your tour prices?
No. It is a hotel charge and has nothing to do with tours. Our prices are per person as shown on each tour page: the desert safari and the Abu Dhabi tour are from $45, the shared Marina yacht from $32. The hotel fee is paid separately to your hotel.
Do children or babies add to the fee?
The fee is charged per room, so a child sharing the room with parents does not add a second fee. Ask your hotel if you have booked a separate room for children or are unsure how it applies, because the hotel collects and shows the amount.
Recommended Dubai tours for this guide
Full-Day Desert Safari in Dubai
It is the slow-travel version of the classic safari: more time on the dunes, sunset without the crowds and a full evening programme at a premium camp with air-conditioned tents, unlimited drinks and a large BBQ buffet with vegetarian and gluten-free options. Everything is arranged from the hotel door — a licensed English-speaking driver, the 4x4, the camp and the shows.
- Duration
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- Area
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- Format
- Full-day desert safari
- Best for
- families, couples and first-time desert visitors who want the full evening programme
From $45 per person No prepayment
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Abu Dhabi City Tour from Dubai
It is the classic capital day in one organised loop: the mosque before the midday heat and crowds, the newly opened BAPS Mandir, the skyline from the Corniche, Bedouin history at Heritage Village and a photo op at Ferrari World. Transport, a licensed guide, mosque registration assistance and bottled water are included; the $45 shared tour covers all free-entry sites, and a private VIP car for up to 7 people is $245.
- Duration
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- Area
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- Format
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- Best for
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From $45 per person No prepayment
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Dubai Marina Shared Yacht Tour
It is the most stylish way to see the skyline without paying for a private charter: a premium yacht with spacious decks and 5-star hospitality, a red carpet at the pier and the crew helping with photos against JBR and Ain Dubai. Full pre-payment secures your slot — the hourly departures sell out — and the yacht leaves strictly on time.
- Duration
- 1 hour
- Area
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- Format
- Shared 1-hour sightseeing cruise
- Best for
- families, couples and anyone who wants the Marina skyline from the water without a private charter
From $32 per person Full prepayment
View tour📚 Keep reading
Photos: A week in a 5-star resort on the Palm — dconvertini, CC BY-SA 2.0, Four nights in a 4-star hotel in the Marina — Gokul Venugopal, CC BY-SA 4.0, Ten nights in a 1-2-star hotel — trolvag, CC BY-SA 3.0, A month in one room: the 30-night cap — Renek78, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons).