Half-Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi
Recommended by 99% of travelers
Badge of Excellence
Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
- 6 hours (approx.)
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Immerse yourself in the Abu Dhabi desert and savor a sunset barbecue on this half-day adventure. Venture into the desert around the city, and take a thrilling dune-bashing session, enjoy an optional camel ride, and continue to a desert camp in time for sundown. Try some sand boarding and perhaps get a henna tattoo. Watch a radiant desert sunset and finish with a succulent barbecue dinner and belly dancing show as dusk cloaks the dunes.
- Journey into the desert in a comfortable 4x4 with a guide
- Take an exciting dune-bashing drive and enjoy a camel ride
- Try your hand at sand boarding and get a henna tattoo
- Enjoy a beautiful sunset and tasty BBQ dinner at a desert camp
Sample Menu
Starter
Salads
Starter
Hommous
Starter
Muttabel
Starter
Tabouleh
Starter
Arabic Salad
Main
Biriyani Rice
Main
Dal
Main
Mix Vegetable
Dessert
Umm ali
Main
Macaroni
What's Included
- Hotel/Cruise Terminal pickup and drop-off
- Dune Drive Safari
- Camel Farm Visit
- Camel Riding
- Sand Boarding
- Falcon For Taking Picture
- Coffee and/or Tea
- Bottled water
- Belly Dance Show Or Fire Show
- DinnerBBQ Buffet Dinner
- Arabic Costume for taking picture
- Tanoura Dance
- Alcoholic drinks (available to purchase)
- Quad Bike Tour
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Pickup details
We will not pickup from Zayed Airport,You must choose nearby Hotel or Shopping mall. Pick up will be on a sharing basis (max of 6 people in a car). If you wished to have a private vehicle you need book for 6 people. The tour cost already included the pickup and dropoff from Any Abu Dhabi Hotels or Shopping Mall. If you don't required pickup from Abu Dhabi You can drive by your own car to the Desert area location. Desert Rose Safari Meeting Point Al Khazna Exit No -78- Abu Dhabi https://goo.gl/maps/XL2ukrYYjGE2
Operating hours.3:00 pm
What To Expect
1
Desert Rose Tourism
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if required
- Not wheelchair accessible.
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Near public transportation
- Infants must sit on laps
- Infant seats available
- Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
- Infant seats are chargeable as child rate.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 200 travelers
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Featured review
Sidny_C
I was sceptical to go on an experience alone, but this group of guides did not disappoint! Professional and compassionate. Do not hesitate to book your spot, you will not regret it!
Reviews
4.9
based on 2,779 reviews
Tammy_W, Mar 2026
Thrilling sand dune ride! Great dinner provided. Overall, fun experience in the desert!!! Had a blast.
Yang_J, Feb 2026
Very smooth procedure. Well established camp. It can really fulfill your stereotype of Arabia. Highly recommended.
vimalkumar_s, Feb 2026
Fantastic, however the car we went in was not of good standard. It was broken on Aircon & grab handles, also driver since pick up did not even talk at all. he was listening to his own music & talking to someone on the phone, it seems he was a contracted driver & not Rose Desert safari driver. The food & programme was very good
GEORGE_V, Feb 2026
Wonderful experience; must take it if you’re in Abu Dhabi; our guide, Biju was very friendly, polite and helpful: so careful since we are seniors; explained everything clearly.
Anett_K, Feb 2026
the guide was very kind and helpful, we enjoyed the day very much, were lots of programs and lots of experience
Sidny_C, Feb 2026
I was sceptical to go on an experience alone, but this group of guides did not disappoint! Professional and compassionate. Do not hesitate to book your spot, you will not regret it!
Simona_C, Feb 2026
Such great value! Activities are free and plentiful once at the camp. Bring cash to top the amazing hosts. Beautiful photos and the they look after you so well. Best money I spent in AD/Dubai 🌞
Gaurav_D, Jan 2026
Very fun experience and great value! The dune thrill rides in the SUV was a blast, these guys are skilled at what they do. If you get motion sickness, this part is not for you. Great sunset pictures, quick camel rides, sand surfing, dinner and entertainment. Fun evening to spend in the desert and highly recommend!
Sonja_G, Dec 2025
This was a really well organised slick tour. The drive is just over 1hr15 from Abu Dhabi, followed by dune bashing for about 30 minutes and photo stop. Plenty to do at camp (dune buggies and quads can be hired there) Food was really good and brilliantly organised, very professional. Lots of food choices - salads, pasta, chips, daals, bbq meats. You can buy alcohol at the bar there but tea / coffee and juices are free
Anna_S, Dec 2025
Wonderful experience all around, excitement, a touch of culture, activities, beautiful landscape - nicely sequenced from start to finish. Very friendly staff, tasty food (labelled with all ingredients).
Julian_N, Nov 2025
A great tour and good value for money. The dune bashing in the desert was a highlight although there were no falcons at the camp, despite this being advertised.
Chidambaram_P, Oct 2025
Our driver Shah is awesome and this tour is a wholesome trip. We had a thrilling experience in dune bashing, few photo stops in the desert safari, and finally a stop at their camp site for camel ride, sandboarding, belly dance, fire show, tanura show, henna tattoo. You get to watch sunset in desert, try traditional arabic costume, have arabic coffee, tea, dates, falafel for snacks, buffet dinner, bottled water. Hotel pickup and drop is also included. We thourouly enjoyed the tour.
Shailesh_P, Oct 2025
It was amazing desert safari experienced , night show bele dance ana wire work was too good and enjoyed a lot . Excellent food
Maki_Y, Aug 2025
It was an amazing activity!! My teenager girl and I shared ride with two sweet young girls. All the event were very fun and incredible.Our driver, Mr. Harris was very kind to drop us off where we'd like to visit after the activity. Highly recommended!!
Quiana_S, Apr 2025
Don’t hesitate booking this experience!!!! Everything from pick up to the activity to the drop off was absolutely amazing. This was my first time doing something like this and it has been hands down one of the best experiences!!!! I went solo and felt completely comfortable with my tour guide, the other tourists, and with the entire activity
Alisa_R, Apr 2025
We had so much fun! Dune bashing was long and dangerous - all as we expected! We had all 3 shows (belly dance, fire show and tanoura dance performance) during the barbecue dinner. Free shisha smoking was also provided.
Vehzan_R, Mar 2025
Great experience for the price, sufficient time allotted for dune bashing - that was quite an activity! Definitely go on an empty stomach. Carry warm clothes because it will get cold in the desert at night. Driver was friendly and polite.
Amit_S, Mar 2025
It includes camel ride, sand dunning, sheesha, Sand sliding, Belly dance, dinner and fire show. Perfect for family trip
Sandi_M, Mar 2025
This tour far exceeded our expectations; from the adrenaline-pumping dune bashing ‘roller coaster without tracks’ ride (not for the faint-hearted), to the numerous experiences at the Desert Rose camp: close encounters with stunning falcons and camels, henna painting, sand-boarding, an entertaining show, a very well orchestrated dinner, and more. Not to forget a gorgeous sunset and so many wonderful photo ops. Our tour was further enhanced by the lovely French family we were grouped with (Marie, Hugo, Romaine and Salome), and our driver, Faisal, who was excellent. All in all, a highly memorable afternoon/evening, and fabulous value for money!
Alissa_G, Feb 2025
It was a fantastic Arabic night. Dunes bashing was cool, excellent music, professional driver. The camp was so authentic, our kids enjoyed sand surf and camel rides. The ambiance was relaxing and friendly, dinner delicious. We enjoyed the show and shisha . Simply our best experience from Abu Dhabi forever in our hearts. For sure will do it again !
Caroline_S, Feb 2025
We capped off a 9 day trip to Dubai and Abu Dhabi with this experience in the desert, and it was beyond expectations.
We were NOT prepared for the dune bashing! It’s a WILD ride - the boys loved it, Dad laughed, stepmom held on for dear life. Sham our driver doubled as an INCREDIBLE sharpshooter, taking frame-worthy family photos at the photo stop in the dunes. At the camp we rode dune buggies and camels, did henna tattoos, held a falcon (the UAE national bird) and had a BLAST sand surfing. The sunset from the top of the surfing dune was beyond compare.
Dinner was delicious (we had no expectation for food) and I do not say this lightly!! Grilled kebab, rice, salad (dressing was perfect), plus macaroni and French fries for picky kids.
The show was in three parts and was as expected. Belly Dancer and fire act at the end were the best.
Stargazing was not listed as part of it, but they turned the lights off at the end for stargazing and as we were watching the sky we saw a shooting star. I cried because it was so beautiful.
If I have any criticism it is only that the other party in our car was 35 minutes from us (we were in Abu Dhabi near the marina, they were very far from there). As a result of the other party being far our car ride to the desert went from 45 minutes to about 1 hour 20 minutes. Perfect? No. A tiny bit annoying? Yes. Enough to blemish the evening? Absolutely not.
I would recommend any family coming to the UAE do this as a SUNSET event and book early to ensure availability. The activities and dinner seemed to JUST. KEEP. GOING. and the sunset was the icing on the cake.
Thank you Desert Rose for the perfect finishing touch to our UAE vacation.
YuenYuGrace_M, Feb 2025
Well thought and well planned, easy to travel to, not much traveling time, well allocated time for the activities, the timing is just right. Lots of activities to enjoy, good for the different age groups going together. The diver, Faisal is very attentive, caring and professional, he knows what we want and he is a very good guide to go with. A big credit to him!
alexander_t, Feb 2025
Our pickup was a bit of a panic, as the cruise port is a large terminal and our guide/ driver (Ranju) had difficulty locating us. The excursion experience though was everything I had hoped and thoroughly enjoyed the whole trip, dune hoping, sand boarding and the desert Bedouin camp with food and entertainment, whilst touristy, did feel authentic and was all in all great fun. Ranju our guide was brilliant, his driving skills, photography and the way he looked after us throughout the trip, making sure we also got back in good time before our cruise departed shows a high degree of professionalism and pride.
Ashley_R, Jan 2025
Overall we enjoyed spending the day on this comprehensive safari/tour. Pickup was seamless and the ride out to the desert site was scenic as we left the city behind for the remote landscapes. The dune bashing and other activities offered at the camp were fun and never really crowded by long lines despite many groups being there at the same time. The sand boarding could be improved by adding a few more boards and possibly a better route (perhaps a ride or path aided by ropes...?) up to the top of the dune as we struggled to make the climb. The food and service at the camp was very good and each of the performers wowed us into a beautiful evening under the stars. The only area where I think the company could drastically improve is the pickup at the end of the night. There was a bit of confusion among the crowds of people who'd traveled by van from the city vs. the folks waiting to depart via the 4wd vehicles back into the desert. We were made to wait as several cars loaded in front of us with very little information on our ride and once we were in a vehicle it was demanded that my 70 year old mother and I move to the very back of the SUV... There were only 2 other adults standing behind us at the time and the ride back was way too rough for anyone to be placed in the far back of the car. Not sure if the driver hit those bumps intentionally or not but the ride back to the vans definitely left a sour taste in our mouths after such a lovely evening.
JOJE_D, Dec 2024
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 playing at the sand dunes! The performances were great as well. Keep in mind there is a desert joyride experience, so not recommended for those with motion sickness or the faint of the heart.
Rebecca_M, Dec 2024
A must do! Great driver and experience! The food and entertainment were fantastic, and the interaction with the animals unique.
Melissa_C, Dec 2024
Company needs to put families with babies/small children in separate vehicles so that we others can enjoy our tour. After having to wait a half hour extra for this husband and wife and their 2 children (an infant and a toddler), my friend and I are put in the very back of the vehicle with this family in front. The toddler girl did not stop talking for even 2 minutes the entire way to the dunes. The baby cried a lot and the mother mostly ignored it. We dealt with that for an hour and a half ride out to the dunes. Then we arrive, and our dune bashing was an absolute joke… it was the gentle version for “a baby in the car”. There were other vehicles in the group which all got to go another route to do the real dune bash, but we were stuck with this version due to the baby in the car. Very disappointing!! Then halfway through our “gentle” dune bashing, we have to stop because the mother is feeling nauseous. We had to go to the camp early because she couldn’t handle the movement of the car. The food and show at the camp were fine, but this is a perfect example of how other guests can ruin an excursion for you. We should not have been put in the car with this family. The company knew there was a baby as there was a baby seat in the vehicle. I asked for a different vehicle for my friend and I when I saw the baby seat, but they did not help us. Very disappointed with this experience and the way the company handled my request. Our driver was nice and it was not his fault. I’m sure the crying baby and nauseous mother wasn’t very enjoyable for him either!
Prabhsimran_B, Nov 2024
To be fair I’m 6’8 so being crammed in the back of an 8 seater for 2 hours was the deal breaker for me.
Amy_T, Oct 2024
Shihab did an excellent job. We loved the dune bashing and everything was great! Highly recommend this company and activity
Pennie_G, Sep 2024
Riaz was an amazing guide. Was genuinely more interested in us having a great time, being safe and experiencing everything.
From $64.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Half-Day Desert Safari from Abu Dhabi
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