THE UAE · DESERT SAFARIS IN ABU DHABI

Top 8 Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi

8 tours  ·  from $50 a head

Good desert safaris in Abu Dhabi fill up weeks ahead and the great ones go first. Below: the 8 to book early, what each includes and how they differ.

Abu Dhabi: Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding - Pickup and the ride into the Abu Dhabi desert
Abu Dhabi Day Trips, Camel Rides, Camel Rides in Abu Dhabi, Desert Safaris, Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi, Tour Reviews, Tours in Abu Dhabi

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 in an Abu Dhabi 4WD with an experienced safari driver, then trade dunes for a Bedouin-style camp. You will visit camels, try dune bashing and sandboarding, take a short camel ride, enjoy henna and Arabic dress photos, and finish with a buffet BBQ, tanoura, and Nashaat dancing. Hotel pickup is included.

“This was an awesome experience! Our driver was great! Make sure to hold on tight during the dune bashing. Food was good at the BBQ buffet. Have an open mind and enjoy yourself!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari BBQ, Camel Ride, Entertainments - The shared 4x4 ride out of Abu Dhabi
Abu Dhabi Day Trips, Camel Rides, Camel Rides in Abu Dhabi, Desert Safaris, Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi, Tour Reviews, Tours in Abu Dhabi

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

Spend about six hours beyond Abu Dhabi on a shared 4x4 safari with dune driving, a camel farm visit, sandboarding, sunset photos, and a Bedouin-style camp. Enjoy a BBQ buffet, henna, Arabic dress, shisha, Tanoura, fire and belly dancing shows. Guides such as Ashraf, Safeer, and Haneef are praised for safe driving and helpful photos.

“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 haRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

Half-Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi - Camel farm, camel ride, and sand boarding
Abu Dhabi Day Trips, Desert Safaris, Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi, Half-Day, Tour Reviews, Tours in Abu Dhabi

Half-Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi

3.Half-Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi

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

Start at 3 pm with hotel, mall, or cruise-terminal pickup, then ride a 4x4 into the Abu Dhabi desert. Expect dune bashing, a camel farm, camel riding, sand boarding, falcon photos, Arabic dress-up, sunset, BBQ dinner, and belly dance or fire and Tanoura shows. Drivers such as Faisal, Riaz, and Saad have earned special praise.

“Enjoyable if you don’t mind the long drive leading up to the activity site! There was a lot to do and a lot to see, especially at the event site, where you can avail of snacks, ride camels, meet with deers and falcons, experience palm reading and pRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

Abu Dhabi: Morning Desert Safari with Camels and Sandboarding - Dune bashing is the reason to book
Abu Dhabi Day Trips, Camel Rides, Camel Rides in Abu Dhabi, Desert Safaris, Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi, Tour Reviews, Tours in Abu Dhabi

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 into Abu Dhabi’s desert. A licensed driver handles 30 to 40 minutes of dune bashing, then you try sandboarding, pose for photos, and take a short camel ride. Guides such as Shameer, Ram, Aziz, and Sudhi are praised for safe driving and helpful photography.

“The experience was excellent! Everything was well-paced and well-planned. The highlight was the ride across the dunes.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner - Dune bashing across the Abu Dhabi desert
Abu Dhabi Day Trips, Buffet Experiences, Desert Safaris, Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi, Dining Experiences, Live Shows & Belly Dancing, Tour Reviews, Tours in Abu Dhabi

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 about six hours beyond Abu Dhabi with hotel pickup, 4x4 dune bashing, a camel ride, sandboarding, sunset photos, henna, live belly dancing and fire shows, and a BBQ buffet. Guides such as Arham, Ateeq, Rehane, and Rehan are praised for photos and friendly care, though food, waiting times, and service can vary.

“It started off not so great with the driver playing his music very loudly on the 1 hour journey out to the desert. We had to ask him to turn it down. The dune bashing takes about 15 minutes which was good. The camel ride was very uncomfortable but an experience. There was only one sand board between about 10 people so you only get to go down the hill once. It would benefit from having more and being able to try more than once as this could be good fun as a group. The food was nice and plentiful and the entertainment good. All in all not a bad…”

Check availability →Read our full review

Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows - Dune bashing is the reason to come
Abu Dhabi Day Trips, Desert Safaris, Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi, Dining Experiences, Live Shows & Belly Dancing, Tour Reviews, Tours in Abu Dhabi

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, shisha, a BBQ buffet, belly dancing, fire performances, and a spinning show. Drivers including Sadari, Shahid, and Zohaib have earned praise for friendly service. Expect a busy shared camp and possible extra charges for some activities.

“We booked this tour last minute during our 1 day layover in Abu Dhabi. Pickup was smooth, communication was good. The desert is absolutely stunning and breathtaking during sunset. Dune bashing was absolutely our favourite part, I wasn't expecting it to be that exhilaRead more”

Check availability →Read our full review

Abu Dhabi: Evening Desert Safari with Camel Ride, BBQ & Live Show - A camel farm, feeding, and a short ride
Abu Dhabi Day Trips, Camel Rides, Camel Rides in Abu Dhabi, Desert Safaris, Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi, Live Shows & Belly Dancing, Show, Tour Reviews, Tours in Abu Dhabi

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

Ride from Abu Dhabi to Al Khatim Desert in an air-conditioned shared jeep, then tackle dunes, sandboard, visit a camel farm, and watch the sunset. The camp adds a short camel ride, henna, falcon photos, BBQ dinner, belly dance, Tanoura, and stargazing. Guides such as Ahmed, Hamza, Sanal, and Haneef are praised for driving and photos.

“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.”

Check availability →Read our full review

Abu Dhabi Morning Desert Safari: 4x4 Dune Bashing, Camel Ride and Sandboarding - A stop at the camel farm
Abu Dhabi Day Trips, Camel Rides, Camel Rides in Abu Dhabi, Desert Safaris, Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi, Jeep & 4x4 Mountain Tours, Tour Reviews, Tours in Abu Dhabi

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

Start with a 7:30 am Abu Dhabi pickup and drive 45 minutes to Al Khatim Desert. Expect a lively 4x4 dune bash, a camel farm visit, a very short camel ride, sandboarding, and Arabic tea, coffee, dates, soft drinks, and water. Guides such as Gino and Nasim have earned praise for their friendly, careful driving.

“It was a fantastic ride. With a super friendly guide. And fortunately without having to take with the belly dancer!”

Check availability →Read our full review

Scroll to Top

Explore the Middle East

Pick a desert, a coastline or an old city.