Dubai Desert Safari: Quad Bike, Camel Ride, Dinner & Show

4.94

(398 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

I still remember the first jolt—our 4x4 hit the Lahbab sand and suddenly it was just us and these wild, endless red dunes. I’d seen photos but nothing really prepares you for that soft roar under the tires or how fine the sand feels when you grab a handful at the sunset stop. Our driver, Khalid, grinned in the mirror and told us to hold tight—he wasn’t kidding. My heart was thumping by the time we stopped for photos on top of a dune with wind whipping my scarf around (should’ve tied it better).

The quad bike part was pure adrenaline. Thirty minutes goes fast when you’re trying not to eat sand or tip over—my steering was questionable at best but honestly, that’s half the fun. There were other travelers laughing nearby and one of them yelled something in French as he zoomed past; I just waved back and tried not to stall again. After that, we rode camels for a bit—awkward at first but kind of peaceful once you get used to their loping gait. The smell of cardamom coffee drifted from camp as we got closer and someone handed me dates before I even sat down.

Inside the camp it felt like another world—lanterns everywhere, music I didn’t recognize but liked anyway. Our guide explained some of the Bedouin traditions (I tried on a kandura and looked ridiculous but everyone was too busy getting henna or posing with this very unimpressed falcon). Dinner was a blur of grilled lamb and smoky rice—I probably ate too much—and then came those wild Tanoura dancers spinning so fast I got dizzy just watching. The fire show had everyone cheering; at one point sparks flew so close I could feel the heat on my face. We ended up lying back on old rugs looking at stars through a telescope while people around us swapped stories in at least three languages.

I keep thinking about that drive back to Dubai—quiet after all the noise—with sand still stuck between my toes and this weird sense of calm. It’s not what I expected from a desert safari tour but maybe that’s why it stuck with me.