Dubai Desert Safari Tours — Dune Bashing, Quad Bikes & Camp Dinners
The single most-booked Dubai experience after the Burj Khalifa. Pick your speed — gentle Bedouin-camp evenings, white-knuckle dune bashing, or quad-bike + sandboarding combos.
Desert Safari & Adventure: what to know before booking
- Availability
- 9 ticket options compared
- Starting price
- Tickets currently start around $128 AED before checkout fees.
- Rating signal
- Compared options average 4.6 stars across 7,146 traveler reviews.
- Location
- Pickup from any Dubai hotel; safaris run in the Lahbab or Al Awir desert reserves
- Best time
- October–April for comfortable temperatures; June–August safaris run in cooler morning hours only
- Ticket note
- Confirmation is open-dated for most operators — pick your date at booking
Available
9 options
Avg. rating
4.6 · 7,146 reviews
From
$128 AED
Cancellation
Free up to 24h before
Desert Safari & Adventure in Dubai
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Everything you should know before you book
A desert safari is the one Dubai experience locals genuinely recommend. The dunes start a 35-minute drive south of the city — close enough that you'll be back at your hotel before midnight, far enough that the skyline disappears entirely and you can hear nothing but wind on the sand.
Three packages cover 90% of visitors. A morning safari ($45–$65) is dune bashing in a 4×4 followed by camel rides and sandboarding — best for families and anyone who gets cold easily after dark. An evening safari with camp dinner ($60–$90) is the classic: dune ride at golden hour, then a Bedouin-style camp with grilled lamb, henna, falcon shows, and belly dancing under the stars. Quad-bike + sandboarding ($87+) is the high-energy option for groups who want to drive themselves rather than ride passenger.
What matters when choosing: look for tours that cap vehicles at 6 passengers (less queuing, more dune time), include licensed drivers (not all do — check the supplier name on each card), and offer vegetarian/halal meal options up front. Hotel pickup is standard across all options below.
Frequently asked questions
Is dune bashing safe?
Yes, when you book through licensed operators (all options on this page are). Drivers have at minimum a UAE 4×4 desert license, vehicles are tested annually, and there's a 6-passenger cap by law. People prone to motion sickness should pick a camp-only evening tour rather than the high-dune routes.
What's actually included in the camp dinner?
Standard buffet: BBQ lamb/chicken/vegetable skewers, hummus + mezze platters, rice and biryani, fresh fruit, Arabic coffee, dates, and unlimited soft drinks. Alcohol is extra and is licensed only at a few camps (look for 'with alcohol' in the title). Vegetarian and halal are default.
Are these tours kid-friendly?
Morning safaris and evening camp dinners are excellent for kids 6+. Quad-bike tours are 18+ only as the driver. Most operators won't put children under 6 through dune bashing — the G-forces are intense — but they'll happily seat them in a calmer 4×4 route.
How much should I tip the driver?
Tipping isn't expected by the booking, but most guests give the 4×4 driver 30–50 AED ($8–$14) at the end of the safari, and another 20–30 AED to camp hosts if you ate dinner. Tips are not pooled — give cash directly.