Dubai Desert Safari: Dune Bashing, BBQ & Six Live Shows

Six live performances unfold across the evening (belly dance, fire show, tanoura spinning), while you eat and rest between dune runs.

An evening desert safari in Dubai combines dune bashing in a Toyota Land Cruiser with camel rides, sandboarding, and cultural entertainment at a desert camp. The tour includes pickup from Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman; a 30–45 minute dune bash across the Lahbab and Red Dunes; henna tattooing and traditional costume photos at camp; six scheduled live performances (Belly Dance, Tanoura Show, Fire Show, Saeedi Dance, Debka Dance, Sofi Dance); and a BBQ buffet dinner with vegetarian and meat options, soft drinks, tea and coffee. The guide speaks English, Hindi, Arabic, Bengali and one additional language, and children from age 1 are welcome.

Step-by-step itinerary

Dubai Desert Safari and Cultural Experience

• Pickup from hotel or residence
• Scenic drive to Lahbab and Red Dunes
• 30–45 minute dune bashing safari
• Camel ride and sandboarding at desert camp
• Henna tattooing and traditional costumes
• Enjoy shisha and desert market
• Watch six live cultural performances
• BBQ dinner buffet with drinks
• Return to pickup location

The experience

How do you pack dune bashing, a camel ride, sandboarding, henna tattooing, six live shows and a full dinner into one evening? The tour starts with pickup from your hotel in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman in a shared air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle: the exact time confirmed on the day depending on where you are. The drive takes you out toward Lahbab and the Red Desert, and once the dunes begin, the driver takes over for a 30–45 minute dune bash with short photo stops along the way to catch the light on the sand.

At the Unique Desert Tourism camp, the pace shifts. You can take a camel ride across the dunes (repeatable if you want another go), try sandboarding on the soft slopes, get henna tattooing if you're a woman or child, and dress in traditional costumes for photos. There's a dedicated shisha area and a desert market to walk through. The six live performances (Belly Dance, Tanoura Show, Fire Show, Saeedi Dance, Debka Dance, Sofi Dance) are scheduled before and after dinner, so you're not sitting through them all at once. You eat, watch, rest, and watch again as the evening unfolds.

Dinner is a buffet with both vegetarian and meat options, salads, BBQ specialties, and starters. Soft drinks, water, tea and coffee flow throughout. Gaymat (traditional sweets) and snacks arrive when you first get to camp. After everything winds down, the driver takes you back to the same pickup point, completing the loop in roughly six hours from start to finish.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman.
• dune bashing across Lahbab and Red Desert with photo stops.
• camel ride (repeatable).
• sandboarding.
• henna tattooing for women and children.
• traditional costume photos.
• shisha in a dedicated area.
• six live performances (Belly Dance, Tanoura Show, Fire Show, Saeedi Dance, Debka Dance, Sofi Dance).
• BBQ buffet dinner with vegetarian and meat options, salads and starters.
• unlimited soft drinks, water, tea and coffee.
• gaymat (traditional sweets) and snacks on arrival.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDeparts at 14:30

Book up to12h before

AgesAdult (8 and older) · Child (5 to 7 years) · Infant (1 to 4 years): free

GroupUp to 6

Live guideEnglish, Arabic, Bangla, Hindi and Urdu

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Paid on siteAED 513

Prices and times updated 2 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortStroller-friendlyPublic transport nearbyNot recommended with heart problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Five Star Cruise in Dubai

Is this one for you?This is a shared tour with a fixed schedule and a professional driver handling the dune bashing, which means you get the thrill without needing off-road driving experience. The entertainment and dining are built into the same evening, so there's no separate planning for where to eat or what to do after the desert. Choose it if you want the full cultural evening (six live shows, henna, costumes, shisha) packed into one outing, or if you prefer someone else managing the vehicle and the timing so you can focus on the experience.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Hindi, Arabic, Bangla and Urdu.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (5 to 7 years); Infant (1 to 4 years): free.

What exactly happens during the dune bashing part of the safari?

Dune bashing is a 30–45 minute drive across the rolling dunes of Lahbab and the Red Desert in a 4x4 vehicle with a professional driver at the wheel. The driver makes short stops along the way so you can photograph the desert landscape and catch the light on the sand.

Is the camel ride something I can do more than once?

Yes, the camel ride can be repeated as many times as you want during your time at the camp, so if you want a second go you can take it.

What's included in the dinner, and are there vegetarian options?

Dinner is a buffet with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options, salads, BBQ specialties, and starters. Soft drinks, water, tea and coffee are unlimited. Gaymat (traditional sweets) and snacks are also served on arrival at the camp.

Do I need to arrange my own transport to the desert, or is pickup included?

Pickup and drop-off are included from your hotel or residence in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman in a shared air-conditioned 4x4 vehicle. The exact pickup time is confirmed on the day of the tour based on your location.