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Dubai: Overnight Desert Safari and Sunrise Hot Air Balloon Ride

Recommended by 96% of travelers

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

18 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Group discounts
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Travel across golden dunes in a vintage Land Rover spotting wildlife like oryx and gazelles before relaxing at a Bedouin-inspired safari camp under the starlit desert sky. Enjoy a night of unique adventures, including an open-air dinner, wildlife sightings, and peaceful camping in the Arabian Desert. At sunrise, take a hot air balloon ride for views as the desert awakens. Hotel pickup is included for convenience.

Perfect for anyone whose dreamt of spending the night in the desert
All meals and simple accommodation are included
Take a sunrise hot air balloon ride over the desert (children under 7 not permitted)
Hotel pickup and round-trip transportation from Dubai add convenience

What's Included

Pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle
A gentle nature safari in the legendary vintage land rover
Sunset falcon demonstration
Dinner
Overnight stay in our stone-walled rooms complete with mattress, beddings, and pillows. (no showers)
A sunrise hot air balloon flight above the desert
Breakfast

Souvenir photos (available to purchase)
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

We offer pickup from any hotel in Dubai. For pickups from a residence or apartment, a private vehicle booking is required. Pick-up times vary throughout the year based on sunset times. Generally, expect pickup between 2:00 pm and 4:30 pm. We will confirm your exact pick-up time via email or phone call around noon on the day of your excursion. If you do not hear from us, please contact us through your booking or account.

Operating hours
.2:30 pm

Itinerary

Dubai

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

8 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Dubai

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking, unless booked within 1 day of travel. In this case confirmation will be received as soon as possible, subject to availability
Not recommended for travelers with back problems
Not wheelchair accessible
Not recommended for pregnant travelers
No heart problems or other serious medical conditions
Travelers should have a moderate physical fitness level
The Dubai desert can get cooler in the evenings during winter, so we recommend you bring a light jacket and closed shoes

Please note: Guides in the following languages (German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian) are upon request and availability.
Children under 7 years are not permitted to join the hot air balloon experience
At the camp there is running water and clean bathroom but no shower
One backpack or luggage not more than 50 cm in height is allowed per guest
The rate for a private vehicle depends on the total number of participants including children
Children below 5 years old must be booked on a private car
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 32 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

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Featured review

Moulshree_K

The guides are amazing. So thoughtful and lively and fun. They made the whole experience perfect. Everything was very well organized. We got to experience the local culture. The food was amazing. They even organized a cake for my husband's birthday. It was perfect.

Reviews

4.8

based on 67 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

AMAZING Experience

John_M, Dec 2024

Highlight of my trip!!! This was the best tour I have ever been on (I do ALOT). The service was phenomenal and my guides were amazing! I was picked up promptly at my hotel where they brought me to the desert where we got into a vintage Landrover to go out onto the nature preserve then we watched an amazing falcon show while enjoying tea before heading to the camp for a fantastic traditional dinner and shows. I stayed in a nice stone cabin room then got up early to enjoy a phenomenal hot air balloon ride and falcon show from the hot air balloon then enjoyed a delicious breakfast. If you’re in Dubai do this experience, you will not regret it!

Fun adventure in the desert

Ken_S, Jan 2024

Everything was great except for one issue. We enjoyed our guide, and I wish the evening safari was longer (it wasn’t particularly exciting, but it was very relaxing!). The food at the camp, both for dinner and breakfast, was delicious and plentiful. My family had a great time. The only negative was another family who stayed overnight in the room next to us - they had little kids who did not stop talking or screaming all night, and I couldn’t sleep. Not Platinum Heritage’s fault, but just a negative. As I mentioned, everything else was fantastic, especially the balloon ride in the morning.

Wonderful experience!!!

Ellis_t, Nov 2023

We loved the trip!!!! It was all perfect. We were picked up at time, the car was luxe and clean. Our guide (Houston) was so nice. He knows a lot and told us a lot on our way to the camp. About Dubai, the things we came across on our way, nature and animals we saw during the Safari etc. He made our trip even better. The camp and our room were very clean and everything was well organized. The food was fresh and tasted very well. There was more then enough for everybody. The staff was friendly and helpful. In the morning we were picked up on time by Houston and again he was great. So friendly and helpful. The ballooning was awesome. Again a friendly man (Orlando) who told is a lot during the flight. And give us a fabulous experience. Afterwards we had breakfast. Again: very good and fresh food. We are so glad that we had this experience and fully recommend Platinum Heritage and Dubai ballooning. Also the falconry was great. We were tought a lot about the falcon. All animals (falcons and camels) were well taking care of. The looked healthy, well fed and groomed. Thanks to all the staff for this wonderful experience.

Ballon ride cancel

Milton_S, Nov 2023

Ballon ride was canceceled by a storm very far from the spot, other companies flew. The night at the dessert was good

Response from Host, Nov 2023

We genuinely appreciate your candid feedback on your overall experience with us, and we're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the rest of the evening. We're aware that some other companies chose to proceed with their flights despite adverse weather conditions. However, we want to emphasize that the safety and well-being of our guests are our utmost priorities. Our decision not to fly in unfavourable weather conditions was a responsible one, supported by our maintenance of a dedicated weather station – a feature unique to Balloon Adventures. Even if this decision incurred a financial loss, we believe that ensuring your safety is paramount. In such cases, we extend the option of rebooking, but we understand that you have opted for a partial refund which we have immediately processed. We would be thrilled to host you on a hot air balloon experience during your next visit to Dubai.

The guides are amazing....

Moulshree_K, Mar 2022

Abbas made this trip unforgettable

Neil_H, Mar 2022

Platinum Heritage is the best tour company I've ever used in all of my travels. Abbas was the the best guide we've ever had as he had the best personality to make the desert tour and overnight an unforgettable experience. He is truly a great asset to the company. If I ever go back to Dubai, then I would book this tour again because of Abbas. The food and staff are great (dinner and breakfast served) and the accommodations are perfect for an overnight in the desert.

AMAZING EXPERIENCE

JacquelineL2214, Oct 2019

We had an amazing experience! We were picked up directly from our hotel and they were even accommodating in taking our 3 suitcases into the desert with us! During the ride, the guide kept a great atmosphere and taught us about Dubai. We did the vintage Land Rover desert safari which was incredible! This was during sunset, with many great photo ops. The Falcon show was fun and the dinner in the desert was awesome! The set up was great, the food was absolutely delicious, plentiful and interesting, and the shows were fun. There was hookah and camel rides and Henna. Sleeping over night in the desert was also an incredible experience- all the lights were turned off and the night sky was bright with the moon and stars. It was quite hot overnight but tolerable.

As Noites de Arábia são realmente encantadoras.

Antonio_L, Jan 2022

Atendimento excelente e pontual de todos: motoristas, guias e recepcionistas do safari, o falcoeiro e pilotos do vôo de balão. Sem dúvida uma das melhores experiências da minha vida. Todo o jantar típico no acampamento estava delicioso, em especial o cordeiro defumado e o húmus com azeite. A temática do acampamento é perfeita e emocionante, me senti verdadeiramente numa caravana de deserto. E mais: pegar o edredon e dormir ao ar livre vendo as estrelas das Arábias foi realmente encantador. Muito grato a todos que me proporcionaram a realização de um sonho.

Exzellent!!!! Einfach Alles Genial Schön!!!

Freedom07599009856, Oct 2019

Wir haben Alles mit Euch sehr, genossen. Es war einfach Alles unvergesslich 👍👍👍 Unser esbekischer Autofahrer war super nett und extrem behilflich bei allen Fragen und Wünschen!! Richard unser Ballon Kapitän war sehr witzig und machte eine perfekte Landung mit uns!!! Danke Euch für die tolle Zeit mit Euch!!

Un joli moment

Franck_M, Jan 2019

Prise en charge parfaite depuis notre hôtel, tout est bien rôdé. Belle balade dans le désert et soirée spectacle agréable, le repas est très bon. Les chambres bien que très simples sont joliment aménagées, plus d électricité après 22h30 et pas de sdb et toilettes particulières mais n oublions pas que nous sommes dans le désert...Le vol en montgolfière est très beau et très pro même si on est nombreux à l intérieur. Le petit déjeuner qui suit est de qualité. Une belle expérience à conseiller

Expérience magnifique

fawzi_k, Jan 2019

Expérience extraordinaire avec un staff très professionnel et très sympa mention spéciale a samir qui nous a rendu notre safari très agréable

He sufrido un lamentable atropello...

LuisMaria_T, Feb 2017

He sufrido un lamentable atropello por la compañía organizadora de este viaje. Estuve en vilo por la hora de recogida en el hotel, porque hasta el último momento no supe a que hora venían. Desafortunadamente el clima no acompañaba y las previsiones eran de mal tiempo, así que esperaba que cancelasen el viaje, pero no lo cancelaron. Me recogieron y nos llevaron al desierto, un desierto en donde era complicado hacer una foto sin que salieran edificios en el horizonte. La cena árabe no tuvo nada de especial, al contrario, bastante incómoda, y la noche en una estructura metálica cubierta con telas como de alfombra fue horrorosa, sobre un colchón de muelles en el suelo. No hay duchas, no te dan toallas, y por la noche se corta el agua. A la hora de la cena me comunicaron que no habría globo por el clima, con la misma previsión que antes de salir, así que me pregunto por qué no lo cancelaron entonces, seguramente para asegurarse la mitad del dinero, ya que me devolvieron lo que quisieron. NUnca más con Viator, y nunca más con Platinum Heritage.