Private Evening Desert Safari Dubai with Camel Ride & BBQ

4.84

(37 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

The city faded behind us as we drove out toward Lahbab Desert, windows down just a crack to catch the dry air. Our guide, Ahmed, chatted about old Dubai neighborhoods and pointed out where the city’s edge gives way to endless sand. It took about 40 minutes—traffic was light that evening—and we stopped at a small roadside shop for tire deflation. There was this faint smell of cardamom from a nearby tea stall, mixing with the warm desert breeze.

Once we hit the red dunes, things got real bumpy—dune bashing isn’t for the faint-hearted! The 4x4 rocked and dipped over the sand, and I caught myself laughing out loud more than once. After about half an hour of adrenaline, Ahmed pulled over at a high point just as the sun started dipping low. The light turned everything gold; I snapped a few photos but mostly just stood there soaking it in while someone nearby tried their luck with a quad bike.

We made our way to the camp next—lanterns flickered on tables and you could hear music drifting from inside. First thing I did? Tried camel riding (short but memorable), then gave sandboarding a go. Not as easy as it looks! Inside the tent, they served gahwa (that’s Arabic coffee) and sweet dates—honestly, nothing tastes quite like it after all that sand. Henna artists worked quietly in one corner while dancers got ready for the show. The BBQ dinner was better than expected: kebabs hot off the grill, creamy hummus, fresh salads. By the time the fire show ended and people started gathering their things, I felt like I’d been somewhere far from city life—even though we were back in Dubai an hour later.