Modern Dubai is beautiful and shiny; but looking beyond the skyscrapers, mega malls and 5 star hotels, there is more. Only a few hours from the airport and city limits and you’ll find vast expanses of red sand dunes with physical adventures, crazy animals and the idea of the Bedouin lifestyle. Tourists who have been to such events at least once can’t imagine visiting the UAE without it. Now we will tell you what happens usually on these safaris and why tourists come back again and again with a smile.
Best Desert Safaris in Dubai
Here are the top rated desert safari tours in Dubai as per our previous customers. These are mostly adrenaline filled but at the same time cultural and each has other options if you can customize your own tour.
1. Camel Safari and BBQ at Al Khayma Camp
This is a general package tour that will take you to Lahbab desert and do dune riding. Then you will be served breakfast and proceed to Al Khayma Desert Camp for relaxation and fun.
- Duration: 7 hours;
- Meals: Buffet with barbecue; Visit Here: bengbio.
- Highlights: Dune riding Camel Safari, sand boarding, falconry show.
You can do a short camel ride and if you want to make it real you can do the second camel ride where you get to feed them. You can also do many cultural activities like henna painting, interact with falcons that live in camp, watch a traditional dance. Quad biking and sand dune bashing tours are also available. Food options are buffet barbecue and table service for VIPs.
The tour takes 7 hours and usually starts at 3:00 pm. This tour includes transportation from your hotel by a licensed guide through the desert in an air-conditioned 4X4 Land Cruiser vehicle. By the way you will love this beautiful SUV so don’t worry about parting with it when the tour is over as you can rent the same or even a better one. The UAE has the easiest car rentals in the world and very affordable prices for these services and the fleet includes a huge number of SUVs, premium cars and even exclusive cars that can’t be found anywhere else in the world.
2. 4 Hour Sunrise Safari
If you have ever wanted to see the sunrise over the Arabian Desert, this is the desert safari in Dubai for you.
- Duration: 4 hours;
- Meals: Breakfast picnic;
- Highlights: Desert sunrise and falcon show.
Early start (don’t worry you can sleep in the car), your licensed guide will drive you to the remote sand dunes where you will see the horizon glow with the first light of the sun. As the sun rises over the horizon you will be taken to your picnic spot and enjoy an Arabic breakfast while watching the falcon show. During this tour you will have plenty of time to ask questions about desert life and customs and learn a lot about birds of prey.
This is for culturally curious, wildlife lovers and of course early birds. The Sunrise Safari is perfect for photographers and couples looking for one of the most romantic activities in the UAE. However this tour does not include dune riding or other extreme activities. The tour starts at 4:45 am so you will be picked up around 4 am.
3. Evening Desert Adventure with Dune Buggy and BBQ
If quad bikes are not for you but you want a more adventurous way to explore the Dubai desert, a dune buggy is a great option. This desert safari includes two seater buggies so you can travel with friends or by yourself.
- Duration: 7 hours;
- Meals: BARBECUE;
- Highlights: Dune buggy riding, sandboarding, belly dance shows.
Each buggy has a full roll cage and seat belts because safety comes first. Before your guide takes you out to the dunes he will give you a full safety briefing to make sure you are ready to tackle the giant dunes. The dune buggy expedition is 1 hour then you will disembark at the desert camp and have a dessert barbecue as the sun sets. Make sure to surf the dunes before the desert gets dark.
The rest of the tour is to relax and enjoy Arabic dancing and chat with the desert dwellers. Women can get henna tattoos which makes a great souvenir of an amazing Dubai desert tour. This tour starts at 3:15 pm. Children are welcome to join this tour but those under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.
4. ATV and Balloon Safari!
This action packed tour starts with a hot air balloon ride over the dunes and ends with a quad bike and camel ride!
- Duration: 5 hours;
- Meals: Breakfast;
- Highlights: Sunrise hot air balloon ride, quad biking, camel safari.
Depending on the weather your flight will be 45-60 minutes so you can see the sunrise from a different perspective. No time to get your feet wet because you will be on an ATV ride before the rest of the morning’s activities arrive. You will also ride a camel and sometimes a horse. Don’t forget to meet the falcons at a traditional Bedouin camp and have an Arabic breakfast.
This is the best desert safari in Dubai for thrill seekers who want to see the red dunes from all angles. It’s suitable for couples and families and children above 5 years old can join.
We Recommend
Here’s the plan: fly to Dubai, check in to a hotel, rent a car (a cool black SUV https://drive.yango.com/p/suv-rent-dubai ), go to one of the best restaurants. Book your tickets in advance for one of the tours and in the meantime drive around Dubai’s best attractions. This from ship to shore approach will give you a huge adrenaline rush.
