The Middle East · DESERT SAFARIS IN ABU DHABI

The 15 Sharpest Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi

46 tours  ·  from $49

The 15 desert safaris in Abu Dhabi below are the ones worth a slot in a short week, each with its price, its running time and who it actually suits. The order is deliberate, so start at the top.

Abu Dhabi: Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding - Camel farm stop before the main ride
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Abu Dhabi: Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding

1.Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,998 reviews · from $74Our pick

Spend about six hours with an OceanAir Travels guide in an air-conditioned 4WD, racing over Abu Dhabi’s dunes, trying sandboarding, visiting a camel farm, and taking a short camel ride. The evening ends at a Bedouin-style camp with henna, shisha, Arabic dress photos, buffet BBQ, tanoura, and belly dancing. Guides such as Ram, Kevin, Azi, and Ranju have earned praise for their driving and care.

“We have been looking forward to this activity but it exceeded our expectation. It was absolutelly amazing and great experience. Our guide was friendly and super helpful. Kids loved it!”

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Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari BBQ, Camel Ride, Entertainments - Dune bashing before sunset
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Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari BBQ, Camel Ride, Entertainments

2.Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari BBQ, Camel Ride, Entertainments

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,790 reviews · from $72

Leave Abu Dhabi around 3 pm for a six-hour desert outing in a shared 4WD. You’ll ride the dunes, visit a camel farm, try sandboarding and a short camel ride, then eat at a Bedouin-style camp with henna, falcon photos, shisha, Tanoura, belly dancing and a fire show. Guides such as Ashraf, Safeer and Faizy are praised for safe driving and family-friendly help.

“My family had the best time on this desert safari excursion!! Our tour guide, Ashraf, from Emirates Tours & Safari, was a knowledgeable guide as well as an awesome photographer who helped my family get cool desert shots. He drove us across the desert and my 3 kids had a blast driving over the dunes. When we got to the camp area, we enjoyed all the activities there (camel riding, sand boarding, henna, fire show). Bbq dinner buffet was also fantastic. Overall, the best experience my family has had during our entire UAE vacation and we are so thankful to our guide Ashraf who took good care of us.”

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Half-Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi - The 4x4 ride into the desert
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Half-Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi

3.Half-Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 2,207 reviews · from $64

Start around 3 pm with pickup from an Abu Dhabi hotel, mall, or cruise terminal. Ride a 4x4 into the desert for dune bashing, a camel farm visit, camel riding, and sandboarding. At camp, watch sunset, try henna and Arabic dress photos, then eat a BBQ buffet with belly dance or fire and tanoura shows.

“We capped off a 9 day trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi with this experience in the desert, and it was beyond expectations. We were NOT prepared for the dune bashing! It’s a WILD ride - the boys loved it, Dad laughed, stepmom held on for dear Read more”

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Abu Dhabi: Morning Desert Safari with Camels and Sandboarding - The first desert stop: tires, photos, and a change of scenery
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Abu Dhabi: Morning Desert Safari with Camels and Sandboarding

4.Morning Desert Safari with Camels and Sandboarding

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,256 reviews · from $49Best value

Start with hotel pickup and a 45-minute ride from Abu Dhabi to the desert. A licensed 4WD driver such as Shameer, Ram, Sudhi, or Aziz handles 30 to 40 minutes of dune bashing, then helps you sandboard and pose for photos. Finish with a short camel ride before returning to the city.

“Super well organized tour with amazing guide - Sudhi! Must experience this desert safari tour with all fun activities included - Dune bashing, camel riding, sandboarding and quad ride for just 30$! We had a blast with Sudhi - a super nice, fun guide, and professional at driving on the dunes! we had a total blast!”

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Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner - Camel riding and the first taste of camp life
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Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner

5.Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 1,177 reviews · from $60

Spend an evening beyond Abu Dhabi with a 4x4 dune-bashing ride, camel trip, sand boarding, sunset photos, henna, live shows, and a BBQ buffet. Guides such as Arham, Rehan, and Ateeq are praised for friendly service and good photos. Pickup begins around 3:30 pm, with optional quad bikes and buggies at extra cost.

“My wife and I had a lovely evening safari in Abu Dhabi. We were picked up promptly from our hotel and driven to the desert safari, a few activities, some food and some entertainment. Value for money here.”

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Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows - The 4WD ride across Al Khatim’s dunes
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Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows

6.Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 795 reviews · from $60

Spend about six hours in Abu Dhabi’s Al Khatim desert with hotel pickup, dune bashing, a short camel ride, sandboarding, henna, sheesha, BBQ dinner, belly dancing, fire performances, and sunset views. Drivers such as Sadari, Zohaib, Shahid, and Ali have earned praise, though camp extras and crowd sizes can affect the evening.

“E una esperienza completa nel deserto. Le dune fatte con la jeep guidata come stessimo sulle montagne russe mi ha dato un po di mal di mare. Carina la passeggiata sul cammello e lo sandsnow con vista del tramonto. Ottima l'accoglienza e il barbecue al buffet con bevande varie e spettacoli dal vivo. I vari venditori che si sono succeduti sono stati discreti e non insistenti.”

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Abu Dhabi: Evening Desert Safari with Camel Ride, BBQ & Live Show - Dune bashing: the fast part of the afternoon
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Abu Dhabi: Evening Desert Safari with Camel Ride, BBQ & Live Show

7.Evening Desert Safari with Camel Ride, BBQ & Live Show

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 638 reviews · from $72

Spend about six hours exploring Al Khatim Desert on a shared, air-conditioned 4x4 safari from Abu Dhabi. Expect dune bashing, camel feeding, a short camel ride, sandboarding, sunset photos, henna, falcon pictures, BBQ dinner, belly dance, Tanoura, and stargazing. Guides such as Ahmed, Hamza, Sanal, Haneef, Rafi, and Sakeer are praised for driving and photography.

“Amazing and fun I would recommend that you do when you are in abu dhabi. The food was good and there was a lot of stuff included.”

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Abu Dhabi Morning Desert Safari: 4x4 Dune Bashing, Camel Ride and Sandboarding - A camel farm and a very short ride
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Abu Dhabi Morning Desert Safari: 4×4 Dune Bashing, Camel Ride and Sandboarding

8.Abu Dhabi Morning Desert Safari: 4×4 Dune Bashing, Camel Ride and Sandboarding

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 487 reviews · from $52

Leave Abu Dhabi at 7:30 a.m. for the Al Khatim Desert, about 45 minutes away. Ride over the dunes in a 4x4, visit a camel farm, try a short camel ride and sandboarding, then enjoy Arabic tea, coffee, dates, soft drinks, and water at a Bedouin-style camp. Guides such as Gino and Nasim have earned praise for friendly, capable service.

“4x4 dans le desert tres bien. Chauffeur très gentil et bon pilote par contre la ballade en chameaux a duré 2 minutes maximum. très decu. nous avons mis la moitié du temps sur la route (aller/retour) sur le lieu d'activité Une petite pause avec un thé offert aurai été le bienvenue.”

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The Sunrise Desert Safari in Abu Dhabi - Dune bashing in a 4x4
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The Sunrise Desert Safari in Abu Dhabi

9.The Sunrise Desert Safari in Abu Dhabi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 268 reviews · from $79

Leave Abu Dhabi at 4:30 am in a 4x4 for a three-hour sunrise safari with dune bashing, desert photography, optional camel riding, Arabic tea or coffee, water, and a return ride. Groups are capped at six, making this a good fit when you want a small-scale desert outing without giving up much of your morning.

“This was such a great excursion!! I loved that it was very private and they had so much to offer as far as what to do. The pictures our guide took were amazing as well.”

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Morning Desert Safari From Abu Dhabi - Dune bashing is the highlight
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Morning Desert Safari From Abu Dhabi

10.Morning Desert Safari From Abu Dhabi

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 264 reviews · from $55

Leave Abu Dhabi at 8am for a 4x4 ride into the desert, with dune bashing, photo stops, a camel farm, camel riding, sandboarding, and soft drinks. Guides such as Zahoor and Riaz are praised for safe, friendly driving. You return around noon, before the worst heat.

“Zahara was a great guide. We all enjoyed the tour and dune bashing was the real highlight. Definitely recommend”

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Desert Safari Abu Dhabi w/ Sand Boarding, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner - Sand boarding and the short camel circuit
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Desert Safari Abu Dhabi w/ Sand Boarding, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner

11.Desert Safari Abu Dhabi w/ Sand Boarding, Camel Ride & BBQ Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 206 reviews · from $75

Spend an afternoon and evening in Al Khatim Desert with hotel pickup, dune bashing, a camel-farm visit, sand boarding, sunset photo stops, and a Bedouin-style camp. Guides such as Mohamed, Mohammed, Ali, and Ashraf are praised for careful driving and helpful photo stops. Dinner, henna, traditional dress, belly dancing, and tanoura entertainment complete the outing.

“Mohammed was a terrific guide, friendly and knowledgeable. Plus a lot of fun, as he drove us through the sand dunes expertly, but with daring, soaring over the bumpy landscape, creating a safe but thrilling ride, worthy of a Disneyland E ticket (when Disneyland had E tickets, their best rides). The camels were lovely at the breeding camp, though at the camp station the camel didn't seem too happy as I mounted him. Fun day and delicious dinner, plus a glittering show. The best day of my 8 days in the UAE.”

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Abu Dhabi Half Day Desert Safari - Sunset, sandboarding, and the desert photo stop
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Abu Dhabi Half Day Desert Safari

12.Abu Dhabi Half Day Desert Safari

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 172 reviews · from $74

Spend six hours in the Abu Dhabi desert with pickup, 4x4 dune bashing, sandboarding, camel riding, a camel-farm stop, falcon photos, henna, shisha, barbecue dinner, belly dancing, tanoura, and stargazing. Guides such as Aziz, Abdul, Salam, and Yousef are often praised for safe driving and friendly help. Shared rides can mean delays.

“Everything. The driver was awesome! The safari was really enjoying. Recommend it as a whole. The price was really good”

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Abu Dhabi: 7-Hours Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding - Dune bashing with a professional driver
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Abu Dhabi: 7-Hours Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding

13.7-Hours Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 149 reviews · from $69

Head from Abu Dhabi to Al Khaznah in a shared Toyota Land Cruiser for dune bashing, sunset photos, a camel-farm visit, sandboarding, and a short camel ride. At the Bedouin-style camp, you get BBQ dinner, henna, local costumes, falcon photos, drinks, sheesha, and live entertainment. Drivers such as Shahid, Eid, and Thaj have earned strong praise for care and driving.

“Absolutely fantastic excursion. Driver was very knowledgeable on the area and his driving skills were exceptional. ‘Camp’ was amazing; large selection of food that would suit most people (I’m fussy and ate most of the items available), as many drinks as you wanted, Jenna tattoos, sheesha, camel ride and I paid extra for the kids to use the quads. The whole experience was probably the best we’ve been on whilst on holiday! Deffo recommend”

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Abu Dhabi Morning Desert Safari with Camel Ride - Why the Morning Desert Works So Well
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Abu Dhabi Morning Desert Safari with Camel Ride

14.Abu Dhabi Morning Desert Safari with Camel Ride

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 142 reviews · from $70

Leave Abu Dhabi around 7:00 am for Al Khatim Desert in a shared 4x4. Expect dune bashing, sandboarding, a camel farm visit, coffee or tea, photos, and a very short camel ride for the experience. Guides such as Shakeer have earned praise for being friendly and well organized. Quad biking costs extra.

“Riding motorcycles has meant more to me than just having fun. It has been an activity that has provided me with new discoveries, allowed me to connect with nature, and offered me opportunities to relieve stress.”

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Abu Dhabi: Sunrise Desert Safari Experience - Watching the sun climb over the dunes
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Abu Dhabi: Sunrise Desert Safari Experience

15.Sunrise Desert Safari Experience

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 141 reviews · from $58

Leave Abu Dhabi before dawn in an air-conditioned 4x4 with a private guide such as Faizy or Farook. Watch sunrise over the dunes, enjoy coffee and dates at a Bedouin-style camp, take a short camel ride, and finish with an energetic dune drive. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.

“The highlight of my trip. Faizy the driver was the best! He took care of all our needs and also took the best photos! I will remember this trip the rest of my life. From the sunrise in the desert, to the dune bashing and coffee and dates—- could not ask for a more special morning for my. Birthday. Will remember forever. Thank you Faizy!!”

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