Abu Dhabi Desert Safari: Dune Bashing, BBQ & Live Shows

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Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/8

Duration6h

GroupUp to 100

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Evening desert adventure with BBQ dinner and live shows

You’ll ride over Abu Dhabi’s rolling dunes in a 4x4 with a local guide before sharing tea and stories at a Bedouin-style camp. Try camel riding or sandboarding, taste smoky barbecue under lanterns, and watch live belly dancing and fire shows as night falls—a mix of thrill and warmth you’ll remember long after you shake out your shoes.

Step-by-step itinerary

Evening desert safari with activities

Drive into desert outside Abu Dhabi
Enjoy dune bashing in 4x4 Land Cruiser
Stop at highest desert point for photos
Try sand boarding or camel riding
Experience traditional Arab music and shows
Watch belly dance, tanoura, and fire shows
Have full buffet dinner with refreshments

The Experience

“You’ll never forget your first time in the dunes,” our driver Khalid grinned as he let some air out of the tires. He was right. The 4x4 felt like it was floating and dropping at the same time—my stomach did a little dance every time we crested a sand wave. I kept thinking I’d seen enough orange for a lifetime, but then the light would shift again and everything glowed. Sand got everywhere, even behind my ears somehow.

Khalid stopped at what he called “the highest spot” for photos—he pointed out how the wind shapes the ridges differently every day. There was this quiet up there, except for someone laughing nearby trying to balance on a sandboard (not me this time). Camels waited below, chewing slowly like they had all the time in the world. When we finally reached the Bedouin camp, I could smell grilled meat and cardamom drifting through the air. A woman painted henna on my hand—she hummed quietly while she worked, didn’t speak much English but smiled when I thanked her.

The evening just kind of unfolded from there. We tried shisha (I coughed so hard Li nearly fell off his chair laughing), watched belly dancers swirl past lanterns, then a fire show that made everyone gasp at least once. Dinner was a proper spread—grilled chicken, rice, salads—and I ate more than I meant to because it just felt right sitting on those low cushions under the stars. It wasn’t perfect—my shoes are still full of sand—but honestly? That’s part of why it sticks with me.

What’s included

Your evening includes pickup from Abu Dhabi hotels or meeting points before heading into the desert for dune bashing in a 4x4 Land Cruiser. There’s time for sunset photos at high dunes, plus camel rides, sandboarding, Arabic costume photos, henna tattoos, shisha tasting—and finally a full BBQ buffet dinner with both veg and non-veg choices alongside live belly dance and fire shows before returning to Abu Dhabi.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Zohaib anjum