Evening Desert Safari Dubai Sunset, BBQ and Three Shows

Five prices, one evening: drive yourself for USD 10 (AED 35) a head, ride the shared bus for USD 14 (AED 50), or be collected in a shared 4×4 for USD 41 (AED 150). Whole-car options cost USD 190 (AED 699) for a sedan or 4×4 and USD 272 (AED 999) for a Land Cruiser, carrying up to 7 people. The sunset stop, the BBQ dinner and the three shows are part of every one of these prices.

Collection happens between 2:30 and 3:30 PM, and the precise time reaches you on WhatsApp around midday. Drop-off is about 9:30 to 10:30 PM, depending on where you are staying.

About 6 to 7 hours door to door. Around an hour of that is the drive out to our Al Awir camp and back each way; the rest is dunes, the sunset stop, the camp, dinner and the shows.

The evening safari is the night safari for most guests: it starts in the afternoon and ends after dark with dinner and shows under the night sky. If you want to sleep in the desert, the overnight option stays at our Al Awir camp for USD 109 (AED 400) per person.

Pick the evening for sunset light, food from the grill and a stage show, from USD 10 (AED 35). Pick the morning for cool sand and quiet dunes: it runs only as a private Land Cruiser trip at USD 272 (AED 999) a car, with no dinner or shows.

It moves through the year: from about 5:28 PM in late November and December to about 7:13 PM in June and July. The sunset planner on this page shows the times for each month, and the dune drive is timed so you reach the photo stop before the sun goes down.

Yes. Couples usually take a private car or a private Land Cruiser so the sunset stop is theirs alone, and add VIP sofa seats by the stage for USD 14 (AED 50) each, with dinner served at the table.

Yes. Children under 3 come free on a parent’s lap, and child seats are available on request. From age 3 the adult price applies. If you would rather skip the dunes with little ones, we drive you to the camp by road.

Yes, without the dune bashing. A second car takes you along the road to the camp, so dinner and the shows are still yours, minus the bumps. The same applies to guests with back or heart problems.

Our drivers are trained and hold a dune driving permit, with more than 10 years on the sand. The vehicles are insured and fitted with roll cages and a seatbelt in every seat, and our drivers run safety and first-aid checks. The dune drive is optional: say no and we take you to the camp by road.

Halal grill food with Arabic and Indian dishes, many meat-free choices, and food for children at no extra cost. Water and unlimited soft drinks come with dinner. With VIP seats, your food is brought to your table.

The tanoura, fire and belly dance shows run every evening. During Ramadan the belly dance is left out for the month and the other two shows go on as usual.

Our own camp at Al Awir, about 50 to 55 minutes from the city, for every evening option. A private Land Cruiser can also take you to the red dunes of Lahbab, about 1 hour 10 minutes away.

Shared 4x4s and private cars collect from hotels and homes anywhere in Dubai, plus Abu Dhabi and Ajman. The shared bus leaves from four stops in Dubai and four in Sharjah, listed on this page.

Yes. The shared bus stops at Sharjah City Centre, Mega Mall, Sahara Centre and Nesto Supermarket for USD 14 (AED 50) per person. For a private car from your address, send it on WhatsApp and we confirm the price.

Yes, for USD 10 (AED 35) per person. We send the camp pin with your booking; plan to arrive well before that day’s sunset so you are on the dunes in time.

Loose, comfortable clothes you do not mind getting sandy, sunglasses, and shoes you can tip the sand out of. From December to February the desert is cool after dark, so bring a light jacket or jumper.

Yes, as long as you expect a hot afternoon. In summer the sun sets after 7 PM, the heat eases once it is down, and the camp has shade and cold drinks while you wait for dinner.

Yes, at the camp. A quad in the controlled area is USD 27 (AED 100) for a single seat for 30 minutes, the open desert quad from USD 54 (AED 200), and a Can-Am buggy USD 218 (AED 800) per buggy for 30 minutes. Tell us when you book so we keep a slot.

Both. Self-drive, the bus and hotel pickup are shared, priced per person. A private car or Land Cruiser carries only your group of up to 7 for one price per car, and from 5 guests it costs less than shared hotel pickup.

Most visitors are happiest in the shared hotel-pickup 4×4 at USD 41 (AED 150) each. Want the top tier? Book a Land Cruiser for your own group, USD 272 (AED 999) a car, which adds a longer dune run and the option of Lahbab sand. Whichever operator you choose, check the licence, whether dinner and shows are included, and whether the price is per person or per car.

Every price on this page already includes the current offer of up to 30% off, so you do not need a coupon. Groups of 5 or more save most by taking a private car instead of five shared seats.

Al Awir is outside the city lights, so on a clear night with little moon you see far more stars than in Dubai. For a whole night under the sky, choose the overnight option at the same camp.

Send your date, number of guests and pickup area on WhatsApp and we confirm in writing. There is no deposit: you pay on the day in cash or by card, and cash avoids the card fee of 8 to 10 percent. You can move or cancel free up to 12 hours before pickup.

If wind or rain stops the evening, we move you to another day or release the booking, and you owe nothing.

The dune drive, the sunset photo stop, a short camel ride, sandboarding, henna, an Arabic costume to wear for photos, the BBQ buffet and the tanoura, fire and belly dance shows. Quads, the buggy, VIP seats, shisha and professional photos are optional extras.

No. It is included but optional; tell your driver and you go to the camp by road while the rest of the group drives the dunes.

Water and unlimited soft drinks are included with dinner, and drinks are available at the camp all evening.

Yes. The Al Awir camp has clean toilets, separate for men and women, plus shaded seating.

Yes. The fire show and the other performances happen on the stage, away from the seating, and children watch from their seats with their family.

Yes, phones and cameras are welcome all evening, and the sunset stop is planned for photos. A falcon photo costs from USD 3 (AED 10) and a professional photographer at the camp USD 14 to 41 (AED 50 to 150).

Yes. Self-drive is USD 10 (AED 35) and the shared bus USD 14 (AED 50) per person, and both include the same dunes, dinner and shows as the higher options.

Yes. Add VIP sofa seats beside the stage with dinner served at the table for USD 14 (AED 50) per person, or go fully private in a Land Cruiser at USD 272 (AED 999) per car. The two together are our most comfortable evening.

For most visitors it is the one desert trip that fits everything into a single afternoon and night: dunes, sunset, a camel, dinner and three shows, from USD 10 (AED 35) per person with nothing to pay in advance.

Our guests rate us 4.9 from more than 10,000 reviews, and we hold a Tripadvisor Travellers’ Choice award. You can see our awards with the other badges at the top of this page.

November to March is the most comfortable: warm afternoons, cool evenings and the earliest sunsets, so dinner starts sooner. From June to September the afternoons are hot and the sun sets after 7 PM, but the evening still runs every day.

Yes. A private car is one price for up to 7 guests, so for a group of 5 or more it costs less than the same number of shared hotel pickup seats. Bigger groups take two or more cars.

Some guests do. Eat a light meal a couple of hours before pickup rather than a big lunch, keep your eyes on the horizon, and tell your driver early so he can drive more gently. One guest per group can ask to sit in front. If you know you get car sick, skip the dunes and we take you to the camp by road.

Dubai averages a day high of about 24°C and a night low of about 15°C in January, against about 42°C and 32°C in August, based on NOAA 1991 to 2020 normals for Dubai airport. The sunset planner on this page shows the figures for every month.

There is no paper ticket. You book on WhatsApp, we confirm your date, option and total in writing, and that message is your ticket. You pay on the day.

Send your date on WhatsApp and we tell you straight away what is free. In the busiest weeks, such as the December holidays, book a few days ahead to keep your choice of car.

Check four things: a Dubai tourism (DTCM) licence, its own camp rather than a shared one, a clear price that says per person or per car, and dinner and shows written into that price. Paying on the day instead of a deposit also protects you.

It depends on which you book. The controlled area at Al Awir is a set riding area, from USD 27 (AED 100) for 30 minutes. The open desert quad goes out on the dunes, from USD 54 (AED 200).

It can happen on soft sand and is part of desert driving. Your driver handles the recovery, and if needed you move to another of our vehicles.

About 3 to 5 minutes on shared trips, at a walk around the camp. A longer ride for two costs USD 82 (AED 300); ask when you book.

Dinner opens after sunset: about 6:45 PM from November to February and about 7:30 to 8:00 PM in summer, when the sun sets after 7 PM. The sunset planner on this page shows the time for your month.

The tanoura, fire and belly dance shows start soon after dinner opens, about 7:05 PM in winter and about 8:00 PM in summer, and run for about an hour.