Dubai Desert Safari: Dune Bashing, BBQ & 8 Live Shows

Eight live performances under the stars while you dine on grilled meat and fresh salads in the red dunes.

A private evening desert safari in Dubai for 2–6 guests combines dune bashing across red dunes, a camel ride, sandboarding, and a gourmet BBQ buffet dinner at a Bedouin-style camp with 8 live shows (belly dance, fire show, Tanoura, and Khaliji dance) all with exclusive VIP seating and a private 4x4 pickup from your hotel. The 7-hour tour includes welcome drinks, henna painting, and a scenic sunset photo stop, with no shared tables or group crowds.

Step-by-step itinerary

Private evening desert safari experience

• Private 4x4 hotel pickup
• Dune bashing ride
• Optional quad bike or dune buggy ride
• Camel ride in desert
• Sandboarding session
• Arrival and welcome at Bedouin camp
• Enjoy Arabic coffee, tea, and falafel
• Henna painting activity
• BBQ buffet dinner with live shows
• Return to hotel

The experience

Your driver picks you up from your Dubai or Sharjah hotel in a private 4x4 Nissan Patrol or Land Cruiser as the sun begins to drop. The dunes you'll cross are the iconic red ones (the ones that show up in every desert photo), and the ride there is yours alone. Once you hit the sand, the dune bashing starts: the vehicle pitches and rolls over the slopes while your driver handles the angles, and the adrenaline builds fast. After that comes a camel ride across the quieter stretches, then sandboarding down the soft slopes if you want to try it. The whole sequence takes you deeper into the desert as the light turns golden, and there's a photo stop built in so you can capture it.

The camp sits waiting with Arabic coffee, tea, and fresh falafel when you arrive. A skilled henna artist is there if you want the traditional hand painting, and you can wander the elegant Bedouin-style setting while the sun finishes its drop. Then the performances begin: 8 of them across the evening, including belly dance, a fire show, Tanoura (the spinning skirt dance), and Khaliji group dances. Your table is VIP seating, which means you're not crammed in with other groups, and the BBQ buffet runs while the shows go on: grilled meat, vegetarian options, fresh salads, and desserts, with unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, and coffee included. The whole evening is paced so the food and the performances overlap, not one after the other.

Quad bike and dune buggy rides are available if you want to add them at checkout for an extra cost. Alcoholic beverages can be purchased at the camp. The return to your hotel happens after the final show, and the drive back is the quiet end to a full evening.

What’s included

• Private 4x4 pickup and drop-off from your Dubai or Sharjah hotel.
• dune bashing across red dunes with a professional driver.
• camel ride and sandboarding session.
• scenic sunset photo stop.
• welcome drinks with Arabic coffee, tea, and fresh falafel.
• henna painting by local artists.
• VIP table seating at the Bedouin-style camp.
• gourmet BBQ buffet dinner with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.
• 8 live performances including belly dance, fire show, Tanoura, and Khaliji dance.
• unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, and coffee throughout the evening.
• clean restroom facilities.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 14:00, 14:30, 15:00 and 15:30

Book up to1h before

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.You can choose from 28 pickup points.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 10 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortInfant seats availableNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by DPT Desert Safari

Is this one for you?Book this private safari if you want the full evening (dune bashing, a camel ride, sandboarding, dinner, and live entertainment) without sharing tables or a vehicle with other groups. The exclusive format means your group sets the pace and has the driver's full attention, which works well for families, couples, or friends who want the cultural shows and the desert driving without the crowds.

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Top questions

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What is dune bashing like on this private desert safari?

Dune bashing is an exhilarating ride across towering red dunes in your private 4x4 vehicle, led by an expert driver who navigates the slopes. The vehicle pitches and rolls over the sand as you move deeper into the desert, and it's the centerpiece of the evening before you move on to the camel ride and sandboarding.

How many people can book this private desert safari together?

The safari is designed for 2–6 guests, so it works for couples, small families, or a group of friends. Everyone travels in the same private 4x4 with your own driver, and you have a dedicated VIP table at the camp with no other groups at it.

What happens at the Bedouin-style camp after dune bashing?

At the camp, you're welcomed with Arabic coffee, tea, and fresh falafel, and you can get henna painting done by local artists. Then 8 live performances run through the evening (belly dance, fire show, Tanoura, and Khaliji dances), while you eat from a BBQ buffet with grilled meat, vegetarian dishes, salads, and desserts.

Is the BBQ dinner included, or do I pay extra?

The gourmet BBQ buffet dinner is included in the price, along with unlimited soft drinks, water, tea, and coffee. Alcoholic beverages are available for purchase at the camp if you want them.

What time does the private desert safari start and end?

The tour runs for 7 hours total, beginning with pickup from your hotel as the sun sets and ending after the final live performance, when your driver returns you to your hotel.

Can I add quad biking or dune buggy rides to this safari?

Yes, quad bike and dune buggy rides are available as an optional add-on at an additional cost. You can choose to include them when you book, and they take place at a designated area before the camel ride and sandboarding.