Our Dubai Desert Safari With Arabian Adventures

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You can’t visit Dubai and not go to the desert. A desert safari is an absolute must-do while you’re in the UAE but there are an overwhelming number of options and different desert tour companies offer different things.

When I moved to Dubai a sunset desert tour was at the top of my to-do list, but, like all the other (expensive) tourist attractions, I’d delayed booking anything until I had visitors. When Tom came to visit for a few days, I gleefully used his visit as an excuse and started researching the best desert excursions from Dubai.

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My excitement faded a little when I read the mostly negative reviews about the countless different desert tour companies. They all took tourists on pretty much the same trip, but organisation was apparently atrocious.

After consulting some established Dubai expats, I decided to go with Arabian Adventures. Their Dubai desert tours are on the pricier end of the scale, but they’re also the most reliable desert safari company and their reputation won me over.

When you’re only going to do something once, you might as well do it properly. I wasn’t about to take risks with cowboys in the desert.

WONDERING WHERE TO STAY IN DUBAI? Check out my Dubai accommodation guide for a breakdown of the most popular areas for tourists and my hotel recommendations for every budget.

What’s included in the Arabian Adventures Sundowner package?

Hotel pick-up and drop off
Falcon show
Dune bashing in a 4×4
Camel rides
Plenty of photo opps
Dinner with all inclusive drinks and shisha
Evening entertainment

My Arabian Adventures Sunset Desert Safari Tour Review

If you don’t have your own transport, you’ll need to book a desert excursion that includes pick-up.

We were picked up at the hotel we’d checked in to for Tom’s visit, Ibn Battuta. We had chosen the semi-private tour in a 4×4, so we had to stop at other hotels to collect our new pals. A nice opportunity to ogle the resorts I could never afford to stay at!

A shared jeep is a great option if you want to save money on your desert experience in Dubai.

We drove out to the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and within 50 minutes we found ourselves a world away from the high rises and gleaming white yachts in the Marina. Rippling burnt ochre sand dunes flanked our vehicle and the last glimpses of that impressive skyline faded away.

We drove past elegant gazelle, who grazed in small groups and looked at us curiously through wide eyes.

A falcon show in Dubai’s desert

The first stop was just on the fringes of civilisation where we watched a falcon show. An Australian lady explained how the Bedouin people used falcons to hunt for food, which was obviously scarce in the desert’s sprawling, sparse terrain.

We all oohed and ahhed as the creature soared over our heads.

Suitably impressed with the bird show and feeling lucky we didn’t have to rely on angry birds to catch us our dinner, we piled back into the 4×4.

Our driver jumped out to let some air out of the tyres before we joined a convoy of duplicate vehicles. Then the fun began!

Dune bashing in Dubai

Soon, we were in the real, wild desert and the jeep ride began to get more and more rambunctious. I rushed to put my camera away after clattering it off the window for the third time. I guess I underestimated just how bumpy the ride over the sand dunes would be.

Driving over the sand dunes was like riding a rollercoaster and my stomach did backflips the whole time as I giggled my head off. Unfortunately, the older couple in the car with us didn’t enjoy it so much. The lady threw up into a bag the entire time we were bashing over the dunes. I felt so sorry for her!

It was only when we stopped and got out to watch the other 4x4s hurtling over the sand dunes that I realised just how skilled the drivers are.

The vast, barren slopes of the Middle East’s desert are just mind blowing and it’s difficult to get your head around the fact that people somehow managed to survive here, living in tents made from camel hair and sustaining themselves on camel milk.

Watching the sun set on our desert trip

We reached a peak and got out to watch the sun disappear into the horizon beyond the smooth, sculpted dunes. It’s amazing how quickly the golden light of day in the desert turns to night.

We were soon in complete darkness and an eerie stillness hung in the sticky night air.

Dinner at a Bedouin camp in the desert

In the darkness, we jumped back into the jeep and made our way to the Bedouin camp. ‘Bedouin’ translates as ‘nomad’ or ‘wanderer’. A bit like me then – but with less hangovers and iced lattes.

If you’ve ever read The Alchemist, you’ll have an insight into how the Arabic nomadic community lived. Desert dwellers who wandered the plains, these tribes are the purest example of Arab culture.

I’m not much of an adrenalin junkie and while the jeep safari and dune bashing was fun, this was the part I’d been waiting for – the chance to see a traditional part of Dubai, our oasis in the desert!

The camp is contained in tents with Arabic carpets and cushions scattered for your comfort. I imagined the real Bedouin communities and wandered what the people talked about while they reclined on these seats, maybe smoking a shisha after a long day of herding with the tribe.

We helped ourselves to beer and wine, then piled bowls high with Arabic mezze. There were samosas, Arabic bread with some sort of cheese filling, falafel and salad. There was definitely no shortage of food and it was very relaxed. Everyone just helped themselves.

Since moving here, I’ve done my best to discover Dubai’s soul and after exploring the gold and spice souks of Deira, I’m convinced that there’s more to the emirate than record breaking feats of architecture and policemen driving Lambos. The desert safari is another must-do if you like to look a destination in its eye.

A lot of effort had gone in to focusing on the cultural aspects of desert life at the Bedouin camp. We were offered Arabic coffee as soon as we arrived. I don’t know why I said yes to it. I tried it when I went up the Burj Khalifa when I came to Dubai for 24 hours for my initial job interview and hated it then.

Still do.

Camels and arab men sitting in the desert

Activities to try during your desert safari

We were given a choice of sand boarding or riding camels. There are also plenty of photo opportunities in the desert, even after the sun has gone down.

The sand boarding looked a bit lacklustre so we headed straight for the camels. I kind of want to taste camel while I’m living here but I can’t get the idea that the meat would be hideously dry and sandy out of my head. I mean, obviously it wouldn’t be sandy.

Have you ever tried to mount a camel? Serious test of your core strength! I had visions of myself toppling forward and falling at the camel’s front feet when the creature rose to from its sitting position. Thankfully, I managed to stay on top – camels smell pretty gross.

Pretty made up with this amazing selfie.

We then got a quick picture with the falcon. Here’s Tom. My picture is terrible because I look terrified. After seeing this one’s legs act as pincers, I didn’t fancy my chances.

There was the opportunity to dress up in UAE national dress, which would be fun for pictures.

I would have loved to get a henna decoration but didn’t think it would be appropriate for the office so I gave that part of the Bedouin camp a miss. It would be a lovely souvenir of your trip though!

One of the most popular activities to try in Dubai’s desert is quad biking over the dunes. You can book the tours below ahead of your trip.

Entertainment on our Dubai desert safari

As we finished eating, light flooded the centre of the camp and a woman in a beautiful yellow outfit took the stage. We were treated to a belly dance show involving a big sword and lots of swirling.

To be honest, the most entertaining thing about the show was the tiny little girl who took it upon herself to dance along on the sand. All attention was on her!

The evening entertainment doesn’t happen during Ramadan trips to the desert so make sure you factor that into your trip if you’re a big belly dance fan. Is that a thing? Are there avid belly dance fans out there? I dunno.

After the show, we moved over to the smoking area and sucked on shisha pipes while we finished our beers. The lights suddenly went out and I panicked a bit, thinking there had been a power cut. Visions of my lifeless, parched body being found in this wasteland three days later flashed through my mind but then we were told this was stargazing time, so I chilled out, lay back and did what I was told.

The sunset desert safari was a truly magical experience that offered something for everyone: exhilarating sand dune bashing, an insight into Arab culture and the rare opportunity to unwind with shisha in the setting it was originally intended.

The first part of our Arabian Adventure was all about speed and the thrill of the ride, a little like life back in ‘New Dubai’, but when the sun slipped away, so did that part of Dubai life. This is one tourist attraction that actually captures the essence of the Middle East, and I recommend anyone visiting Dubai ventures into its sandy pastures.

In summary, I think Arabian Adventures is the best desert safari in Dubai and their sunset desert tour is an absolute must if you’d like to make some amazing memories as the sun goes down.

Best time of day to do a desert safari in Dubai

If you’re into photography you’ll know that ‘golden hour’ is the best time to visit the desert for amazing shots. I knew I wanted to see the desert’s golden hues at sunset so a ‘sundowner’ tour was the ideal choice for us.

If you’re visiting Dubai with kids, you might find a morning desert safari suits you best.

Want a longer Dubai desert experience? Book an overnight desert safari!

More desert safari tours from Dubai

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I’ve done enough tours now to be wary about feeling like you’re on a school trip (Halong Bay being a prime example of a stunning natural gem being ruined by tourism), but although there were other tourists around, our desert safari didn’t feel overly forced or make us feel like cattle. It felt like we had the entire desert to ourselves!

I almost feel like I’m exhausting everything Dubai has to offer too quickly in my haste to make this move abroad worthwhile. I may have managed to experience most of Dubai’s little pockets of authenticity but it doesn’t seem like I’ll ever run out of brunch spots, beaches or beautiful Dubai hotels to share with you.

Our Dubai Desert Safari With Arabian Adventures

What’s included in the Arabian Adventures Sundowner package?