Private Desert Safari Dubai: Sunrise or Sunset for Families & Couples
This is the quiet way to see the desert. Only your family or your partner rides in the 4x4, and you choose the moment: the sun coming up over the Lahbab dunes, or going down behind them.
You don't pick a clock time. Tell us sunrise or sunset when you book and we work the pickup out from that day's sun, about 1 hour 15 minutes before sunrise or 2 hours before sunset. The whole trip is 4 hours at the most, hotel to hotel. Or make an evening of it: sunset in the dunes, then dinner at a Regular, Premium or Luxury camp.
Highlights
- Your own 4x4 and driver, only your group in the car
- Sunrise, sunset or an evening with dinner at camp (camp from AED 200 per guest)
- Evening with camp: sunset dunes, then dinner and live shows, back by 10:30 PM
- Up to 4 hours, hotel to hotel in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman
- 25–30 minutes of dune bashing on the Lahbab red dunes
- Free sandboarding and a short camel ride
- Quiet time on a high dune, with prayer mats and the qibla direction
- Photos by the guide on your phone
- Free baby car seat on request
What's Included & What's Not
Included
- Private pickup and drop-off in a 4x4 Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol (up to 6 guests, Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman)
- Your own driver-guide for the whole tour
- 25–30 minutes of dune bashing
- Sandboarding (free on every safari)
- Short camel ride
- Quiet stop on a high dune at sunrise or sunset
- Prayer mats and the qibla direction
- Photos by the guide on your phone
- Water and soft drinks on request
- Baby car seat on request (free)
Not Included
- Camp, dinner and shows on sunrise and sunset tours (choose Evening with camp for those)
- Quad bike and dune buggy rides (add them when you book)
- Tips for the driver
Included
- Private pickup and drop-off in a 4x4 Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol (up to 6 guests, Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman)
- Your own driver-guide all evening
- Dune bashing at sunset: 25–30 minutes, 30–45 on Premium and Luxury
- Sunset photo stop on a high dune, prayer mats and the qibla direction
- Arabic coffee, dates and water when you arrive at the camp
- Short camel ride, sandboarding and henna painting at the camp
- Regular: BBQ buffet with grilled meats, salads, rice and desserts, veg and non-veg
- Premium: sofa seating, a wider buffet with no queue and an extra show
- Luxury: dinner served at a set table in the tented dining area (or the buffet), more shows
- Live belly dance, tanoura and fire shows
- Soft drinks, water, tea and coffee
- Clean restrooms at the camp
- Photos by the guide on your phone
- Baby car seat on request (free)
Not Included
- Alcohol (sold at the camp, not served in Ramadan)
- Quad bike (choose the quad option, or add it when you book)
- Dune buggy rides (add them when you book)
- Tips for the driver and camp staff
Itinerary
- 1 h 15 before sunrise · 2 h before sunsetPrivate pickup
About 1 hour 15 minutes before sunrise or 2 hours before sunset, from your hotel, home or building in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman. The booking page shows the estimate for your date, and we send the exact time on WhatsApp the day before.
- 45–60 min driveLahbab meeting point
A short stop while the driver lets air out of the tyres for the sand. The toilets are here; there are none on the dunes.
- 25–30 minDune bashing (25–30 min)
On the sunset tour we do this first, while it's light. On the sunrise tour it comes after the sun is up. Not keen? Tell the driver and he'll keep it gentle or skip it.
- About 30 minSandboarding and a camel ride
Boards are in the car, and you can go down as many times as you like. The camel ride is short, about 5 to 10 minutes.
- Sunrise or sunsetSunrise or sunset on a high dune
The driver parks below and leaves you to it. Prayer mats are in the car and he'll show you the qibla. He takes photos of your family or the two of you on your phone if you'd like.
- Your choiceStay a little longer (if you want)
Sunset guests often wait for the first stars. Sunrise guests stay for the colours on the sand. Water and soft drinks whenever you ask.
- Within 4 h of pickupDrive back
Back at your hotel within 4 hours of pickup.
- 2:30–3:30 PMPrivate pickup
Your own 4x4 (Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol) collects you from your hotel, home or building in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman. In summer (April to September) the whole evening runs about 30 minutes later, so pickup is 3:00–4:00 PM. We send the exact time on WhatsApp the day before.
- 3:45–4:15 PMLahbab meeting point
A 15-minute stop about 45 minutes from the city. There's a small shop and restrooms; use them here, there are none out on the dunes. The driver lets the tyres down for the sand.
- ~4:15 PMQuad bike (if you booked it)
On the quad option, everyone rides for 30 minutes on the open dunes before the dune bashing, so it never cuts into dinner. Helmets and a short briefing included.
- ~4:45 PMRed dune bashing
25–30 minutes (30–45 on Premium and Luxury) of 4x4 driving over Lahbab's steep red dunes, just your group in the car. Feeling queasy? Tell the driver and he'll ease off, or sit in the front.
- ~5:15 PMSunset photo stop
About 20 minutes before sunset we stop on a high dune ridge. The driver takes photos of your family or the two of you, and the prayer mats are in the car for Maghrib.
- ~6:00 PMArrive at the camp
Arabic coffee, dates and water on arrival. Premium guests are shown to the sofa seating area, Luxury guests to their own set table in the tented dining area. Clean restrooms at every camp.
- 6:00–7:00 PMCamel ride, sandboarding and henna
A short camel ride (about 5 minutes) with a handler alongside, sandboarding on the dunes by the camp, and henna painting. All included.
- 7:00–7:30 PMDinner
Regular: BBQ buffet with grilled meats, salads, hummus, rice and desserts, veg and non-veg. Premium: a wider buffet with no queue and sofa seating. Luxury: dinner served at your table (or the buffet, if you prefer) at a table with a white cloth in the tented dining area, with rattan sofas to sit back on afterwards. Soft drinks, water, tea and coffee included; alcohol is sold at the camp.
- 7:45 PMLive shows
Belly dance, tanoura and a fire show while you eat. Premium adds an extra performance; Luxury has more shows and a calmer, more upscale feel.
- 10:00–10:30 PMBack at your hotel
We leave the camp around 9:00–9:30 PM. Same private car, same driver, and you can ask for a different drop-off at no extra cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is pickup for the sunrise or sunset safari?
Can we have dinner at a desert camp?
How long is the private desert safari?
How much is the private desert safari in Dubai?
Is it really private?
Can we pray in the desert?
Is it suitable for babies and small children?
Can I book the sunrise safari for today?
Can we add a quad bike or a dune buggy?
Is there a camp or a dinner?
We're celebrating. Can you arrange something?
About This Experience
What happens on a private sunrise or sunset safari
Your driver collects you from your hotel, home or building in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman. It's 45 to 60 minutes to the Lahbab red dunes, with a short stop at the meeting point on the way. There's a toilet there and none out on the dunes.
On the sand you get 25 to 30 minutes of dune bashing, sandboarding for as long as you like (it's free on every safari we run) and a short camel ride. Then the driver takes you up a high dune, parks below and leaves you to it. No music, no crowd. Families sit together on the sand, couples take photos, some guests pray and some just watch the light change.
Sunrise or sunset: which one?
Sunrise is cooler and emptier. In winter the sand feels cold at 6 AM, so bring a light jacket. It suits early risers, photographers and anyone who wants Fajr on the dunes. Sunrise has to be booked by the day before.
Sunset is warmer and easier with children who won't wake at 5. You can stay after the sun goes down for Maghrib and the first stars, as long as you're back within the 4 hours. Same-day sunset bookings stay open until 2 PM.
Evening with camp
Want dinner too? Choose Evening with camp: the same private car picks you up at 2:30–3:30 PM (3:00–4:00 PM in summer), you get dune bashing at sunset, then dinner and live shows at the camp, and you're back by 10:00–10:30 PM. Pick the camp: Regular (BBQ buffet and live shows, AED 200 per person on top of the car), Premium (sofa seating, a wider buffet and an extra show, AED 320) or Luxury (dinner served at a set table in the tented dining area, rattan sofas, and more shows, AED 899). Soft drinks, water, tea and coffee are included; alcohol is sold at the camp. Same-day camp bookings close at 12:00 noon.
Prayer and quiet time
We carry prayer mats and the driver shows you the qibla. If you'd like to pray at sunrise or sunset, tell the driver when you meet. If not, the same stop is simply quiet time on the dune: 20 minutes or an hour, it's up to you.
Who it suits
Families with small children: it's your own car, the pace is yours, and we bring a baby car seat for free if you ask when you book. Couples: if you're celebrating something, tell us on WhatsApp and we'll plan it with you. Older guests: say so, and the driver keeps the dune bashing gentle.
What it costs
One price for the private 4x4, AED 600, for up to 6 people. Children count as guests and infants (0 to 2) ride free. Groups of 7 or more get a second car. For Evening with camp, the camp is added per guest on top of the car (Regular AED 200, Premium AED 320, Luxury AED 899); children count, infants are free. Want a quad bike too? Pick the option with a 30-minute quad and every guest rides for AED 150 on top of the car. Dune buggies can be added when you book.
Good to know before you go
- Sunrise and sunset tours have no camp, dinner or show. For those, choose Evening with camp, or the shared evening desert safari.
- Dune bashing isn't for pregnant guests or anyone with back or neck problems. Tell the driver and he'll skip it.
- In summer the sunset pickup is still hot, often 40°C or more. Sunrise is the cooler choice from May to September.
- You will get sand in your shoes.
Prices change with season and group size — see today's live desert safari prices for every package on one page.