Dubai Desert Safari: ATV, Camel Ride, VIP BBQ & Pickup

4.98

(295 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You ever tried driving an ATV on sand?” our guide Khalid grinned as he handed me the helmet. I just laughed — honestly, I was already nervous from the moment we left Dubai’s city edge and saw those red dunes stretching out forever. The air smelled kind of dry and sweet, like warm bread left in the sun. My palms got sandy fast but I didn’t care; the engine buzzed under me and suddenly we were flying over bumps that looked small until you hit them. I probably shouted too loud but nobody heard over the wind anyway.

After the quad bikes, everything slowed down. There was this old camel named Marwan who blinked at us like he’d seen it all before (he probably had). Riding him was less scary than I expected — his fur felt rougher than I thought, almost wiry. Some kids from another group waved as we passed by their campfire smoke drifting in the breeze. The sun started to drop behind the dunes and for a second everything went gold and quiet except for some distant laughter. That part stuck with me.

Khalid led us to a Bedouin-style camp where cushions circled low tables. Henna artists painted quick flowers on my wrist — I smudged it right away but nobody minded. Dinner came out sizzling: fresh kebabs, smoky chicken, flatbread still warm. There were dancers spinning so fast their skirts blurred colors into the night. I tried to say thank you in Arabic; Khalid laughed at my accent but helped me out anyway. By the time they drove us back to our hotel, my shoes were full of sand and my phone was full of shaky sunset photos — not sure which one I’ll remember more.