Abu Dhabi Evening Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner and all Camp Activities
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Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- 6 hours 30 minutes (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Get a taste of Bedouin life and desert adventure on this 4x4 trip from Abu Dhabi. With an expert guide, board a 4x4 and head deep into the dune-filled desert for an action-packed afternoon and evening Abu Dhabi desert safari. Take an exciting dune bash; visit a camel farm to ride one of the hardy desert animals; try sandboarding, watch a serene desert sunset, and perhaps get a henna tattoo. Finish with a delicious barbecue dinner and belly dancing show around a campfire at a starlit desert camp.
- Abu Dhabi 4x4 desert safari
- Ride a camel like the Bedouin
- Feel the excitement of sandboarding down dunes
- Get a henna tattoo painted on your hands or feet
- Watch traditional belly dancing
- Enjoy a barbecue dinner under the stars
What's Included
- Desert safari with English speaking Professional licensed and trained drivers
- Hotel pickup and drop-off with 4x4 wheel luxury air conditioned Jeeps.
- Roller coaster Dune Bashing in the Abu Dhabi Desert
- Sand boarding & Camel ride
- Henna Tattoo design
- Arabic Coffee and Shisha (Arabic water pipe).
- BBQ Buffet Dinner with soft drinks and water
- Belly dance live performance
- Camel farm visit
- Gratuities
- Alcoholic beverages (available to purchase)
- Quad bikes are available at the camp at extra charge
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
• Your centrally located Abu Dhabi hotels. >> Departure time : - • Between 14:00 - 14:30 pm approximately
Operating hours.2:30 pm
What To Expect
Leave your central Abu Dhabi hotel in a comfortable, air-conditioned 4x4 and enjoy the views as you travel deep into the desert surrounding the city.
As you travel, hear intriguing facts about Abu Dhabi’s history and gain insight into the traditional desert culture still held dear in the UAE from your knowledgeable local guide.
After a while, pull up at a desert camel farm to discover more about these hardy animals, traditionally used as transport by the UAE’s original, semi-nomadic Bedouin peoples.
Snap photos of the camels and with instructions from your guide, take a camel ride across the sands. Enjoy the desert views from your perch and try your hand at other desert activities.
Hop on a sandboard to ‘surf’ down the dunes, enjoy a stint of dune bashing as your expert driver steers your 4x4 up and down the sandy slopes, and perhaps get an intricate henna tattoo painted on your hands or feet.
Continue deeper into the desert and stop to soak up a magical sunset, watching as the radiant sun sinks below the dunes.
Arrive at a torchlit desert camp and sit down to a mouth-watering Arabian barbecue dinner of dishes such as hummus, kebabs, and fresh green salads.
Absorb the enchanting setting and after dinner, enjoy a belly dancing show around the crackling campfire. If you wish, puff on a shisha (Arabic water pipe) under the stars to finish your Arabian-inspired evening.
Your experience ends with a hotel drop-off back in Abu Dhabi.
Please note: During the month of Ramadan this activity does not include entertainment and alcohol is not be available.
As you travel, hear intriguing facts about Abu Dhabi’s history and gain insight into the traditional desert culture still held dear in the UAE from your knowledgeable local guide.
After a while, pull up at a desert camel farm to discover more about these hardy animals, traditionally used as transport by the UAE’s original, semi-nomadic Bedouin peoples.
Snap photos of the camels and with instructions from your guide, take a camel ride across the sands. Enjoy the desert views from your perch and try your hand at other desert activities.
Hop on a sandboard to ‘surf’ down the dunes, enjoy a stint of dune bashing as your expert driver steers your 4x4 up and down the sandy slopes, and perhaps get an intricate henna tattoo painted on your hands or feet.
Continue deeper into the desert and stop to soak up a magical sunset, watching as the radiant sun sinks below the dunes.
Arrive at a torchlit desert camp and sit down to a mouth-watering Arabian barbecue dinner of dishes such as hummus, kebabs, and fresh green salads.
Absorb the enchanting setting and after dinner, enjoy a belly dancing show around the crackling campfire. If you wish, puff on a shisha (Arabic water pipe) under the stars to finish your Arabian-inspired evening.
Your experience ends with a hotel drop-off back in Abu Dhabi.
Please note: During the month of Ramadan this activity does not include entertainment and alcohol is not be available.
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with back problems
- Pickup will be in a 4x4 Land Cruiser on sharing basis with up to 6 people per land Cruiser from different hotels.
- Children aged 4.99 years and under are not allowed to join the Tour.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Dress code: lightweight summer clothing is suitable for most of the year, but sweaters or jackets may be needed for the winter months, especially in the evenings. Good quality sunglasses are advised. Hats are advisable when in direct sunlight.
- Near public transportation
- Guests visiting the UAE during the Summer months (June – September) are advised that peak daytime temperatures sometimes reach 42 – 45 degrees Celsius. Humidity levels can also exceed 90 percent during this period. We recommend all our guests to take adequate precaution.
- The Abu Dhabi desert can get cooler in the evenings during winter, so we recommend you bring a light jacket and closed shoes. Please wear sports shoes for safe sand boarding.
- No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
- Most travelers can participate
- During the Islamic holidays / Ramadan fasting month,there will be a restriction on live entertainment ( Belly dance , Tanoura dance) and serving alcohol throughout the UAE. Therefore the Safari will be operated without these entertainments and serving of alcohol at the camp site during these days.
- The duration of the actual tour takes 5 – 6 hour but the driving time from Dubai hotel and return may take another 60 – 90 minutes depending on traffic conditions and time of day.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 50 travelers
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Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
ian_y
the driver was first class. He attended to all my family needs.
We had a great time and was a excellent trip and well worth the money
Reviews
4.3
based on 63 reviews
Glen_D, Sep 2024
The sand dune driving was great fun! And longer than expected.
The Tanura dancing was an unexpected highlight.
Response from Host, Oct 2024
Dear Glen_D,
Thank you for leaving a review on our Desert Safari. We are very glad to have read that your experience with us was a pleasant one and we will be sure to share the review with our team as it will help us improve. We hope to see you return to the U.A.E. at the soonest so you can try some of our other highly rated tours and safaris.
Best regards,
Nicole Raijmakers
Guest Services Excecutive
ORIENT TOURS LLC
Anthony_E, Aug 2019
Great communication. Nice Vehicle
Awesome 4x4 experience in the dunes. Good show with great food. Just be aware that the camel ride is about a minute long.
Response from Host, Aug 2019
Dear antelbe,
Thank you for sharing your valuable feedback about our Desert Safari that you have recently joined with us. Pleased that you found the communication with us "great" and our vehicle "nice". Glad to know that you liked the show with great food. True, the camel ride is just a short kind of photo-experience. If you would love to do a proper camel ride, we suggest you do the "Sunrise Camel Trekking Safari" which allows you to great the day on the back of a camel in between the dunes. The ride is around 45min and you will have a picnic breakfast in the dunes as well. Let us know when you visit the UAE next time!
We would love to see you on one of our tours/safaris soon again.
Thank you for choosing ORIENT TOURS and taking the time to review us!
Best Regards,
Sarah P. Dubke
Manager Guest Services
ORIENT TOURS LLC
ian_y, Apr 2019
the driver was first class. He attended to all my family needs.
We had a great time and was a excellent trip and well worth the money
Sofi, Dec 2017
Had a wonderful experience and met some great people. We were all picked up from our hotels and the driver was lovely. We went 4x4 driving in the desert which was amazing and something everyone should do while they are visiting Abu Dhabi. We got to pat camels and at the dinner we were able to have a quick ride. The dinner was a banquet which was great and the entertainment was also amazing.
I highly recommend this tour.
Dave, Nov 2017
Great Afternoon/Night with great people, the dune bashing is good also the strange bloke with all the LEDs on is a laugh,
Laurel R, Nov 2017
Loved the experience. I'd recommend cutting back on the amount of time allowed for belly dancers, buffet etc. I think we were ready to leave about an hour before the departure time.
Kelly_M, May 2017
This was really fun for our whole family..... Our guide was excellent too so sorry can't remember his name! He picked us up at hotel, drove the dunes very fun! and made sure that our group made it to the camp in time to get good seats and be first in line for camel rides. He then whisked us out of there before the mad rush of SUVs exiting the camp/dinner area. The food was really good and there was plenty of it, beer and wine available for purchase and a nice area to relax and try some shisha. Overall very enjoyable.
Andrea_P, Feb 2017
The desert dune bashing was the best part of the program! We really enjoyed it, our driver was great. The other programs were also OK. The buffet dinner was fine and the bar with good selection of soft drinks and beer. The belly dancer was really professional. The camel ride was very short, just a short ride for some minutes.
hughjars45, Feb 2017
Great fun.nice to go over the dunes and the traditional dancing was really good
Raewyn P, Jan 2017
Disappointed to see so much rubbish on way to camp, especially after seeing such clean cities. The dune-bashing was a lot of fun but I think should have been an option and not a compulsory event on way to camp. The event felt somewhat commercialised, with instructions but little information about the desert etc. Went to sandsurf but couldn't find a surfboard, went looking for one but no one around to ask so just walked up hill instead. Because still a lot of light from city, the stargazing was not a strong feature of the trip - it could have been a great opportunity to explain a little star navigation in the desert. Nice to have a cold drink on arrival and the meal was superb. My first camel ride although brief was a treat, as was meeting a falcon.
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Dear Raewyn P,
Thank you for taking the time to share your valuable feedback about our Desert Safari. We do understand your dissatisfaction with the rubbish in the desert. Not only Orient Tours but also the country is taking more strict steps to avoid people littering the environment.
We hope to serve you again soon on some of our other highly rated tours or safaris.
Best Regards,
Sarah P. Dubke
Manager Guest Services
ORIENT TOURS LLC
avijeet_j, Jan 2017
Well I was very skeptical prior to the booking. There was not enough information available about the Tour operators online and I had to rely on Viator. However, it turned out to be a fantastic experience. All I had to do was after reaching Abu Dhabi, I had to call the tour operator and fix my pick up time. It was an amazing experience. Highly recommended.
george b, Jan 2017
What a ride!! Driver very professional feld completely safe with him driving thru the dunes.the food was very good! Belly dancing was excellent the girl was extremely talented was very impressed with her skills.camel ride was not what I expected less than 5 minutes walked in a very small circle on and off only 3 camels for hundreds of people.all the staff where excellent.the driver was the best!!
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Dear george b,
Thank you for leaving such a nice review. We believe you have given the "2 stars" only by mistake as your review is full of praises for us!
We look forward to serving you again.
Thank you, once again, for your kind words.
Best Regards,
Sarah P. Dubke
Manager Guest Services
ORIENT TOURS LLC
Manuel_M, Sep 2016
Really cool! We got a driver that was very nice, taking us to the limits while driving in the sand!
Very nice experience overall!!!
Stephen B, Aug 2016
The tour itself was very good especially the driving through the dunes. However the instructions for confirming pick up at our hotel were very poor. None of the contact phone numbers worked either by mobile or land line. Even going on to the tour operators website in resort didn't help as none of the phone numbers on there worked either. It's not clear why this problem occurred but it did cause some anxiety at the time as well as extra costs in phone use.
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Dear Guest,
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review.
Our company values put customer satisfaction as top priority and we are committed to our customers. We have forwarded your feedback to the concerned department for corrective action.
Best Regards,
Sarah P. Dubke
Manager Guest Services
ORIENT TOURS LLC
SenthilV_S, Aug 2016
Dune Bashing was an awesome experience, nice combination of thrill and fun. My kids enjoyed the camel ride and dune buggy. My wife had the henna tattoo done on her hand and it was awesome. Dinner was good and the belly dance was a nice add on. My kids rated the desert safari as the best of all the things that we did in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Overall, we had a great experience and it is a good value for the money that we spent.
Sandra_F, Aug 2016
This was a good tour, although we were crammed like sardines into the 4WD. Not for the feint hearted going up and over all the sandhills, a bit like a rollercoaster. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Dear Guest,
Thank you for taking the time to write us a review.
Our company values put customer satisfaction as top priority and we are committed to our customers. We have forwarded your feedback to the concerned department for corrective action.
Best Regards,
Sarah P. Dubke
Manager Guest Services
ORIENT TOURS LLC
Kathleen G, Jun 2016
Fabulous trip! Really fun 4WD, coffee out in the desert with a Bedouin family, camels galore, great meal and dance show plus other offerings. Nice new 4wd AC car! Awesome time!
Brian O, Apr 2016
There was nothing to rate about this tour, especially as I believed all that you stated in your advertising. My Daughter was visiting Abu Dhabi for her first time, and we were so excited about this trip.
We hoped to hear about traditional nomadic life and intriguing facts from our experienced guide...maybe he should have been informed that you have to communicate to do this...nothing.
We then followed approx 15/18 4 x4 vehicles, if this was sand bashing...no thrill.
You stated we would enjoy BBQ around camp fire...no.
I would not recommend to friends and family. We were so disappointed and upset.
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Dear Brian,
Thank you for sharing your valuable feedback about our Desert Safari you have recently joined with us. We apologize for not having fully met your expectation. We fully understand your disappointment but have to clarify that we have followed the itinerary as per the tour description. The safari is more of an adventurous tour and not a "knowledge tour" providing deep information about flora, fauna, nomadic wildlife. We regret your disappointment.
We would love to see you soon on one of our tours/safaris.
Thank you for choosing ORIENT TOURS and taking the time to review us!
Best Regards,
Sarah P. Dubke
Manager Guest Services
ORIENT TOURS LLC
Kim R, Apr 2016
Fantastic tour. The 4x4 Sand dune bashing was exhilarating and the sandboarding was fun. Camel ride was only once around a small circle, which was a little disappointing. The food was lovely for dinner.
SurferSimon, Mar 2016
An amazing trip to do for the experience of being two miles from a main highway yet completely in the wilderness of sand. The skill of the drivers is extraordinary and if you can get the front seat which I was lucky enough to claim then you will have a fantastic view of what is to come. The food at the dinner was very good and the belly dancing fun. Highly recommended for all ages.
Jennifer K, Feb 2016
This was a fabulous experience and my children just loved the dune bashing! We visited a Camel farm which was interesting however we didn't get much information on the venue. We then went to the Bedouin camp where the camel ride, dune surfing, belly dance and dinner was held. Recommend going early to enjoy the short camel ride. We also had henna tattoos done, dressed in traditional clothes and had photos taken. The belly dancer was exceptional, and the dinner delicious. Highly recommend this experience.
Tamara B, Jan 2016
The tour was amazing. It was 6 of us in one car, which is comfortable and you feel safe during the ride over the sand dunes. Our touristic guide Naeem was approachable, very helpful and kind to us. He picked us up at 2:45pm in front of hotel my recommendation is to be on time because everything is scheduled and it's not nice for rest of the group to wait. First, you are going to see wonderful view of the desert, take some photos of course : then the tour will continue with crazy and exciting drive over the sand dunes to a camel farm, where you will be able to pet them and see cute baby camels. Last stop where you have toilets is where you are gonna have tasty dinner open buffet with salads, meat, pasta and fruits tea, coffee, dates and nonalcoholic drinks. Before eating you should try dune buggy additional 50 AED, totally worth, you can do camel ride and code bike, try traditional cloth and take pictures with falcon all included as a part of tour. Also, after dinner you will be invited to smoke shisha and at the end it will be amazing belly dance performance. Meanwhile, they will also switch off the lights so you can lie down and enjoy in the beautiful view of the stars.
I highly recommend this tour as part of your visit of Abu Dhabi. It's amazing experience and you will enjoy every part of it.
DENISE S, Nov 2015
We loved it! It's a must. It was an amazing safari! Although we went to the camel farm and weren't able to ride the camels, we were able to pet them. The dinner and belly dancing were also awesome! Definitely would do it again when we're back in the city. Its an afternoon tour, so we arrived in the morning checked in the hotel and settle ourselves and were were ready to our little adventure. If youre prone to nausea you should take something for the ride. The sand was very hot, so you should make sure to wear shoes and not sandals. The temperature in the afternoon was around 45oC 114oF outside the cars. Inside they keep the air conditioner on. They do give you cold water when they stop, so its ok. And when you get to the camp, you can find cold beverages too. It gets cooler but still warm when the sun comes down. The cars are really comfortable and they are punctual. A sunset Ill never forget.
Dennis G, Nov 2015
The driver was not interested in giving any information to the guests about what we were doing. All in all it felt like a very amateur tour. Not to be repeated or recommended.
Response from Host, Mar 2020
Dear Dennis G,
We are sorry to hear about you not being fully satisfied, and even more sorry to disappoint a customer. Your feedback makes us better.
Our company values put customer satisfaction as top priority and we are committed to our customers. We have forwarded your feedback to the concerned department for corrective action.
We look forward to serving you again.
Best Regards,
Sarah P. Dubke
Manager Guest Services
ORIENT TOURS LLC
Daratu M, Oct 2015
unbelievable experience you won't want to miss it the staff is completely professional and the safari itself is just an experience if you are even considering this don't even think of any other activity this is it in abu dhabi!! Amazing!!
Elena V, Aug 2015
Super well - done! 4x4 cars were modern, AC, high performance. The Jeep Safari was exhilarating as we surfed the dunes in the 4x4 ride! The camel ride was really fun, food at the camp was delicious and the belly dancing show was very professional.
My husband happily rode the quad bikes at an extra fee which he thoroughly enjoyed.
The only two things I would change:
1 The driver could not speak English - so whenever we asked questions, we didnt get a reply. The last time I went to a similar experience with another company from Dubai, the driver spent the whole trip passing on information about the traditions of the people.
2 The sand boarding equipment was very unprofessional - just a skate board converted into a sandboard using some bandages - we refused to risk trying it. On a similar trip, as mentioned above, a professional sand board with professional straps like ski equipment would have was used and it was a fantastic experience.
Otherwise the tour passed like a dream :-
David K, Jul 2015
Awesome experience, this one is definitely a must do when in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. Certainly the highlight of our stay. Very highly recommended.
Rae-Anne W, Jun 2015
Absolutely fabulous! We were picked up on time and taken out into the desert where we went on the best rollercoaster ride off all time! Our driver thankfully knew what he was doing as he drove like a mad man up, down and around the sand dunes. Eventually we arrived at the camp site where we were able to do lots of fun desert things like sand boarding and camel riding. Unfortunately the camel ride wasn't as long as we were expecting only lasting 3 minutes but you could keep going on if there was no one else waiting. There was plenty to eat at dinner and the food was really delicious. After dinner they turned out the lights so we could relax under the stars. Even though I did get somewhat sick from bouncing around the sand dunes in the car I would recommend this tour to anyone wanting to it and I would even do it again myself just as long as I took some medication before hand so I didn't get sick again.
Claude L, Jun 2015
Excellent experience highly, recommended. Fazza best driver ever great in the dune bashing.
Georgia Girl, May 2015
The tour was a lot of fun. Our driver Muhammad rashid was fantastic. He was a great driver and he told us a lot about Abu Dhabi. Highly recommend this tour
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