Dubai Desert Safari: Dune Bashing, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.95 (112 reviews) 95% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationExcellent quality

1/50

Duration6h

GroupUp to 6

LanguagesEN · HI +3

PickupAt your hotel

Evening in Dubai’s desert with dune bashing, camels and live shows

You’ll dive straight into Dubai’s desert energy—dune bashing in 4x4s, riding camels at sunset, and trying your luck at sandboarding before relaxing at camp with henna painting and shisha. As night falls, enjoy a BBQ buffet dinner while local performers bring music and color to the sands around you.

Step-by-step itinerary

Dubai Evening Desert Safari Experience

Pickup from hotel or residence
Drive to Lahbab and Red Dunes
Enjoy dune bashing safari
Arrive at Unique Desert Tourism camp
Take camel ride and try sandboarding
Experience henna tattooing and dress in traditional costumes
Explore desert market and shisha area
Watch six live cultural performances
Enjoy BBQ dinner buffet with drinks
Return to pickup location

The Experience

We were already bouncing along the edge of Lahbab when I realized how quiet the desert could be—except for our driver Ali’s playlist, which was some kind of old-school Arabic pop. He grinned in the rearview mirror before steering us up a dune that looked way too steep. My stomach dropped (in a good way) and someone behind me let out this half-laugh, half-scream. The sand felt endless and impossibly red. I tried to take a photo but honestly, it never looks quite right on a phone.

After the last wild dip, we stopped for photos just as the light started to soften. There was this weird calm—wind brushing over the dunes and nothing else. Then Ali pointed out some tiny tracks in the sand (he said they were from a desert fox but who knows). At the camp, camels waited looking slightly bored. I climbed on one—awkwardly—and tried not to fall off while my friend filmed me laughing like an idiot. The ride was short but somehow felt timeless, if that makes sense.

I gave sandboarding a go (not gracefully) and ended up with half the desert in my shoes. Inside the camp, women painted henna on hands with such quick little movements—I got a flower that smudged because I forgot and scratched my arm. There were costumes to try on too; Li laughed when I tried to say “shukran” in Arabic—probably butchered it.

The BBQ dinner smelled smoky and sweet even before we sat down. Plates piled high with grilled meat, salads, bread—I kept going back for more hummus. Between bites there were these wild performances: belly dancers swirling so fast you’d swear their skirts would fly off; a guy spinning with colored lights; fire dancers who made everyone gasp at least once. By then it was properly dark and stars were starting to show up overhead. I remember thinking it’s strange how close all this is to Dubai city but it feels like another world entirely.

What’s included

Your evening includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Dubai (or Sharjah/Ajman), all transfers by air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle with a professional driver for dune bashing across Lahbab’s red dunes. You’ll get unlimited water and soft drinks plus tea or coffee at camp.
try henna painting (especially popular with women and kids), dress up in traditional costumes for photos if you want to be silly like we did.
enjoy camel rides that can be repeated.
give sandboarding a shot.
relax in a dedicated shisha area.
watch six different live shows before and after your open buffet BBQ dinner—with plenty of vegetarian choices alongside grilled meats—and finish under starry skies before heading back into town.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditionsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Five Star Cruise in Dubai