ATV Riding in Dubai: Dune Buggy & Camel Safari at Sunset

Dune bashing, camel rides, sandboarding, and a desert camp feast with live performance

A sunset safari in Dubai combines dune buggy driving, camel rides, and camp activities in the desert surrounding the city. You're picked up from your hotel in an air-conditioned 4x4, driven to the desert, and guided through dune bashing, sandboarding, a camel caravan ride, and a BBQ dinner with Tanoura dancer and fire show at a Bedouin-style camp. The tour runs about 6 hours and includes all camp activities, dinner, refreshments, and a professional guide who speaks English, Arabic, Hindi or Urdu.

Step-by-step itinerary

Desert safari with activities and dinner

• Pickup from hotel by 4x4
• Drive into desert and learn about culture
• Stop for refreshment and stretch
• Optional quad bike and dune buggy adventure
• Dune bashing and sandboarding
• Visit Bedouin-style camp, welcome with coffee and dates
• Camel ride in desert
• Photo with falcon
• Enjoy BBQ dinner and watch Tanoura dance and fire show
• Try shisha smoking or get henna tattoo
• Return to hotel

The experience

The day starts with pickup from your hotel. You ride in an air-conditioned 4x4 into the desert surrounding Dubai, where your guide shares how the landscape shaped Emirati culture. Once in the dunes, you stop to stretch and prepare for the dune buggy or quad bike option. This is where you take the wheel yourself and drive off-road across the sand. The vehicle work is optional, so you can skip it if you prefer, but it's the core of the afternoon: bumpy, physical, and the reason most people book this experience.

After dune bashing, the group stops for photographs at sunset and tries sandboarding before heading to the Bedouin-style camp. You arrive to a traditional welcome of Arabic coffee and dates, then mount a camel for a ride across the desert at dusk. A falcon photo opportunity comes next: the bird rests on your shoulder while someone captures the moment. Dinner is a BBQ buffet served while you watch a professional Tanoura dancer perform and a fire show unfold. You can also try shisha smoking or get a henna tattoo applied by hand at the camp. The guide then drives you back to your hotel or a location you choose.

The tour includes all transport, the guide, dinner, water, coffee and tea, sandboarding gear, and every activity at the camp. Children from age 1 are welcome, and the vehicle is wheelchair accessible, though the dune bashing itself and camel rides carry physical demands. If you're traveling without a rental car or staying in the city center, this pickup-and-return format means you don't coordinate separate transport or timing. The guide handles the schedule and gets you back by nightfall.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned 4x4.
• dune buggy or quad bike driving (optional).
• professional guide in English, Arabic, Hindi or Urdu.
• camel ride at sunset.
• sandboarding in the desert.
• BBQ dinner at the Bedouin camp.
• Tanoura dance and fire show.
• henna tattoo and shisha smoking at the camp.
• falcon photo opportunity.
• bottled water, Arabic coffee and dates.
• all desert camp activities.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 14:30, 15:00, 15:30 and 16:00

Book up to2h before

AgesAdult (13 to 50 years) · Child (3 to 12 years) · Infant (1 to 2 years)

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu

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 or if the minimum number of travelers isn't reached. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Low physical effortWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller-friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancyNot recommended with heart problemsNot recommended with back problems

Operated by Arabian Luxury Tours

Is this one for you?Book this tour if you're staying in Dubai without a rental car: pickup from your hotel means you don't arrange separate transport, and the fixed schedule gets you back by evening. The dune buggy option is what sets this apart from a standard camel safari: you drive the vehicle yourself across the sand, not just ride along, so it suits anyone who wants to be active in the desert rather than watch from a seat.

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English, Arabic, Hindi and Urdu.

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Child (3 to 12 years); Infant (1 to 2 years).

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 exactly do I do on the dune buggy part of this safari?

You operate the dune buggy yourself and drive off-road across the sand dunes. It's not a passenger ride. The quad bike option is also available if you prefer a smaller vehicle. Both are optional, so you can skip the driving and stay with the group for the rest of the tour if you choose.

How long does the whole experience take from pickup to drop-off?

The tour runs about 6 hours total, including pickup from your hotel, the desert drive, dune bashing, camel ride, camp activities, dinner and the return journey to your hotel.

What's included in the dinner at the camp?

Dinner is a BBQ buffet served at the Bedouin-style camp. The meal is included in the tour price, along with bottled water, Arabic coffee and dates on arrival, and tea available throughout the evening.

What happens if I don't want to ride the dune buggy or quad bike?

The dune buggy and quad bike are optional add-ons. You can skip them and still enjoy the full tour: the 4x4 dune drive with your guide, the camel ride, sandboarding, the sunset photo stop, and all the camp activities and dinner.