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

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.76 (1,404 reviews) 90% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/18

Duration6h

GroupUp to 100

LanguagesEN · DE +3

PickupAt your hotel

Racing dunes, sunset colors and smoky BBQ in Abu Dhabi’s desert

You’ll race across Abu Dhabi’s dunes in a 4x4 with a local driver before pausing for sunset photos and camel rides. Try sweet tea and dates as you watch live belly dance and fire shows under desert stars. The night ends with a smoky BBQ buffet dinner—and maybe some henna on your hands if you’re lucky.

Step-by-step itinerary

Desert safari with live shows and dinner

Pickup from your location
Dune bashing adventure ride
Camel riding experience
Sand boarding activity
Sheesha smoking session
Henna painting for women
Watch live belly dance show
Enjoy fire show performance
BBQ buffet dinner

The Experience

We’d barely left the city before everything changed—one minute it was glass towers and traffic, the next it was just sand stretching out forever. Our driver, Ahmed (who grinned like he knew a secret), cranked up some Arabic pop and suddenly we were flying over dunes in this 4x4 that felt like a rollercoaster. I grabbed the seat in front of me more than once—honestly thought my sunglasses would fly off. The sand here isn’t just yellow; it’s almost orange at sunset, and I caught myself staring out the window for way too long when we stopped for photos. There was this dry, dusty smell in the air that stuck to my clothes.

I tried riding a camel after that—awkward at first, but the handler just laughed and said something I didn’t catch, then patted the camel’s neck like they were old friends. The sun started sinking fast and everyone got quiet for a second watching it drop behind the dunes. I remember thinking how weirdly peaceful it felt out there—just wind and soft voices. Then someone handed me sweet tea and dates (I still think about those dates) while kids ran around getting henna painted on their hands. Li tried to teach me how to say thank you in Arabic—I butchered it completely but nobody seemed to mind.

After dark there were live shows—belly dancing, then this fire guy who spun flames so close I could feel the heat on my face. The BBQ buffet was huge: grilled chicken, lamb, veggie stuff too (I went back twice for the flatbread). Sitting there under string lights with strangers who suddenly felt like friends… not sure if it was the food or just being out there together. Anyway, by the time Ahmed dropped us back at our hotel I had sand in my shoes and couldn’t stop smiling.

What’s included

Your day includes pickup and drop-off from your hotel in Abu Dhabi, an adventurous dune bashing ride with a local driver through sweeping sands, camel rides at sunset with plenty of photo stops along the way, unlimited soft drinks plus tea or coffee served alongside sweet dates. Later on you’ll enjoy live entertainment—belly dancing and fire shows—followed by a full BBQ buffet dinner with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options before heading back into town at night.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Desert Heritage Abu Dhabi