Desert safari guide
Most desert safaris in Dubai run from late afternoon into the evening, and Visit Dubai, the city's official tourism guide, says morning and evening trips both run all year. This guide sets out what each of our safaris includes and when. Our morning trip is a longer day to Mleiha and Hatta, not a short sunrise dune run. And if you want a night in the desert, which we do not sell, it shows where you can find one.
| If you | Go with |
|---|---|
| Want sunset, dinner and a show | Evening safariIt is timed for sunset in the dunes, then a BBQ dinner with belly dance, tanoura and fire shows at the camp. |
| Want more room at the camp | Premium evening safariThe same evening with fewer vehicles, a smaller camp and raised private majlis seating. |
| Would rather go in the morning | Morning: Mleiha and HattaIt leaves at 06:00 for Mleiha's dunes and Fossil Rock, then Hatta: a longer day, with a light snack rather than dinner. |
| Want to watch the sunrise | Our hot-air balloonYou are collected before dawn and spend about 40 minutes in the air over the desert as the sun comes up. |
| Want to sleep in the desert | Mleiha GlampingWe do not sell an overnight camp. Mleiha National Park, in Sharjah, sells tents from AED 450 for two, and reopens in November. |
| Have young children | An evening safariOur evening safaris take children from age 3; the morning trip from 4, and the balloon from 6. |
| Are pregnant, or have a back, neck or heart condition | Skip the dune bashingOur safaris say dune bashing is not suitable for anyone pregnant or with a back, neck or heart condition. |
| Want to drive yourself | A quad bike or a dune buggyOur quads are automatic, with 60 minutes on the dunes; buggy drivers must be 20 or older. |
Visit Dubai describes the usual shape: hotel pickup in a four-wheel drive, a run over the dunes that winds down around sunset, then a desert camp with dinner, camel rides and henna. Most safaris, it says, run from late afternoon into the evening.
Ours follows that shape. A four-wheel drive collects you from your Dubai hotel from 14:30 and drives about 45 minutes to the red dunes of Al Lahbab. The dune bashing lasts 20–30 minutes, with a stop on a high dune for photos, then a short camel ride and sandboarding, timed so you are in the open desert for sunset. The evening ends at the camp with a BBQ buffet and belly dance, tanoura and fire shows, and you are back at your hotel around 21:00–21:30.
The premium safari is the same evening with fewer vehicles and a smaller camp: raised private majlis seating instead of shared benches, a larger live-grill barbecue, and drop-off around 21:30.
Visit Dubai says morning and evening trips both run all year: a morning trip for the sunrise, an evening one for the sunset and the stars.
Our morning safari is a longer day rather than a short sunrise dune run. It leaves at 06:00 for the Mleiha desert in Sharjah for dune bashing and sandboarding, stops at Fossil Rock and Camel Rock, then crosses the Hajar mountains to the Hatta Honey Bee Garden, the Heritage Village and Hatta Dam. It lasts about 6.5 hours, with a light snack rather than a meal, and it is not suitable for children under 4.
Fossil Rock and Camel Rock stand in Mleiha National Park, a 34 km² park in Sharjah that is 49 minutes from Dubai International Airport.
If the sunrise itself is the point, our hot-air balloon collects you before dawn and spends about 40 minutes in the air over the desert. It takes passengers aged 6 to 80, up to 90 kg, and no one who is pregnant.
We do not sell an overnight camp: every one of our desert trips brings you back to Dubai the same day.
Visit Dubai notes that some safaris are overnight. In Dubai itself it lists Al Marmoom Domes, glass domes in the Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve, for stays of one, two or three nights.
The overnight stay with a price on its official site is Mleiha Glamping, in Sharjah: AED 450 for a standard tent for two, checking in at 16:00 and out at 11:00. Transfers and meals are extra, children up to 5 stay free, and nights can get chilly. When we checked on 23 September 2026 it was closed for summer, reopening in November.
Visit Dubai says desert trips run all year and that winter is the more popular time. In summer it points to the late-afternoon and evening safaris, light clothes and plenty of water, and notes that the desert is cooler than the city in the evening.
From October to March the desert turns cold once the sun goes down, so Visit Dubai suggests a jacket and trousers for an evening safari.
Our safaris say dune bashing is not suitable for anyone pregnant or with back, neck or heart conditions. Mleiha Glamping's terms keep pregnant guests, and anyone with a neck or back condition, off its off-road drives too.
Wear loose, comfortable clothes that can get sandy and closed shoes, and bring a light layer for after sunset. Visit Dubai also suggests a scarf against sun, sand and wind.
Visit Dubai's advice is to book with a reputable tour company and never to drive into the desert yourself: driving on sand is hazardous without experience and the right vehicle.
Our current prices are on the cards above, and each safari's page shows its terms before you pay.
From
AED 125
From
AED 180
From
AED 280
Visit Dubai says both run all year and it comes down to preference: a morning trip for the sunrise, an evening one for the sunset and the stars. Our evening safaris add a BBQ dinner and live shows; our morning trip swaps them for Mleiha's rocks and Hatta.
Ours collects you from 14:30 and has you back at your hotel around 21:00–21:30. Visit Dubai says evening safaris typically pick guests up between 15:00 and 16:00 and drop them back by 21:00 to 22:00.
On both our evening safaris, yes: a BBQ buffet with vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, with soft drinks, water, tea and coffee. Our morning trip includes a light snack only.
Not with us. Visit Dubai lists overnight stays such as Al Marmoom Domes, and Mleiha Glamping in Sharjah sells tents from AED 450 for two, reopening in November.
About 20–30 minutes on our standard evening safari, and around half an hour on the premium one. Most of the evening is spent at the camp.
Our evening safaris take children from age 3, the morning trip from 4, and the balloon from 6.
Anyone pregnant or with a back, neck or heart condition, our safaris say.
Loose, comfortable clothes that can get sandy, closed shoes and a light layer for after sunset. Visit Dubai adds a scarf against sun, sand and wind, and a jacket and trousers on evenings from October to March.
Visit Dubai says desert trips run all year and winter is the more popular time. In summer, choose an evening safari, dress lightly and drink plenty of water.
Visit Dubai puts desert safaris anywhere from AED 130 to AED 13,300. Our current prices are on the cards above.
Checked on Visit Dubai and on Mleiha National Park's official pages on 23 September 2026. Our pickup times, inclusions and ages come from our own safaris. Sources: Visit Dubai: Desert safari in Dubai · Visit Dubai: Summer desert safari · Visit Dubai: Al Marmoom Domes · Mleiha National Park · Mleiha Glamping (Shurooq)
