Abu Dhabi Desert Safari: Dune Bashing, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner

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Free cancellation

1/10

Duration6h

GroupUp to 60

LanguagesEN

PickupAt your hotel

Evening desert safari from abu dhabi with bbq dinner camel ride and live shows

You’ll race over golden dunes outside Abu Dhabi with expert drivers before sharing Arabic coffee and dates at a desert camp. Ride camels at sunset, try sandboarding if you’re brave enough, then relax with live dance shows and a BBQ dinner under open skies. For a few hours you’ll forget city life entirely — and maybe find yourself wishing you could stay longer.

Step-by-step itinerary

Desert safari with activities and dinner

Hotel pickup in air-conditioned 4x4
Drive 45-60 minutes to desert
Visit camel farm and take photos
Experience dune bashing ride
Try sandboarding on dunes
Stop for desert photos
Arrive at desert camp
Enjoy Arabic coffee and dates
Relax in Bedouin-style seating
Get henna painting and shisha
Take Arabic attire photos
Short camel ride at sunset
Watch Tanoura, belly, and fire dances
Eat BBQ dinner buffet
Stargaze with lights off
Return to hotel by 4x4

The Experience

We’d barely left the city when the landscape started to shift — glass towers fading behind us, sand swallowing up everything else. Our driver, Khalid, had this easy laugh that made the 45-minute drive out of Abu Dhabi feel way shorter. He pointed out the Etihad Towers as we passed, almost like a goodbye wave from the city. I remember rolling down the window just a crack and getting hit by that dry, warm air — it’s different from city heat, softer somehow.

The first stop was this camel farm. I thought it’d be touristy but honestly, seeing those big-eyed camels up close is something else. One of them tried to nibble my sleeve (apparently my deodorant smells like breakfast?), which cracked everyone up. Khalid explained how important camels are out here — not just for rides but for real desert life. The sandboarding after that? Let’s just say I’m better at watching than standing upright on a board. Sand gets everywhere, no matter what they tell you.

By sunset, we reached the camp — low tables scattered on carpets, lanterns glowing even before it got dark. They handed us tiny cups of Arabic coffee and sweet dates; honestly, I could’ve just sat there all night listening to people chat in half a dozen languages. There was henna painting (I smudged mine immediately), shisha smoke curling into the sky, and this falcon perched so still it didn’t seem real until it blinked at me.

Camel rides at dusk felt surreal — you’re swaying above the sand while everything goes gold and quiet for a minute. Then suddenly music starts back at camp: swirling skirts from the Tanoura dancer, belly dancing that had everyone clapping along (even the shy ones). The BBQ buffet smelled incredible — grilled kebabs mixing with spices in the air — and after dinner they switched off all the lights for stargazing. That hush when everyone looked up? I still think about that moment sometimes.

What’s included

Your evening includes hotel pickup and drop-off by air-conditioned 4x4 SUV from anywhere in Abu Dhabi plus Arabic coffee and dates on arrival at camp. You’ll get to try dune bashing over high sand dunes with expert drivers, visit a camel farm (with photo ops), attempt sandboarding if you want to laugh at yourself later, enjoy henna tattoos and shisha smoking in Bedouin-style tents, pose with a falcon or in traditional Arabic outfits if you’re feeling bold—and finish with a full BBQ buffet dinner while watching live dance shows before heading back under starlit skies.

Good to know

Easy physical levelNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

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