Is sandboarding included in a Dubai desert safari?
Yes. Sandboarding is included at no extra cost on every safari format we run, from the AED 80 evening safari upward. Boards are provided at the dune stop, and no experience is needed.
The short version. Included on all tours. Boards provided. You sit or stand, most people sit. Subject to sand conditions on the day. Wear trousers and closed shoes.
What sandboarding actually is
You take a board to the top of a dune face and slide down it. That is the whole activity. It is closer to sledging than to snowboarding, and the majority of guests do it sitting down rather than standing.
Sand is slower than snow, so the speeds are modest and falls are soft. The walk back up the dune is the tiring part, not the ride down, which surprises people.
Boards are waxed by the team before use, because unwaxed boards barely move on dry sand.
Sitting or standing?
Sitting is what most guests do and what we suggest first. You sit on the board, hold the front edge, keep your heels up, and lean back slightly. It is stable and almost impossible to get wrong.
Standing works if you have snowboarded or skateboarded. Feet across the board, knees soft, weight slightly back. Expect to fall the first few attempts. Sand is forgiving.
There is no strapping and no bindings, so you can step off at any point.
When conditions are not right
Sandboarding is subject to sand conditions, and that is a genuine caveat rather than a disclaimer. After rain, or when overnight humidity has been high, sand compacts and boards will not slide properly.
Wind also matters. Strong wind reshapes dune faces through the day, and a face that worked in the morning may not by the afternoon.
If conditions are wrong, the team will say so rather than send you down a face that does not slide. Everything else in the tour runs as normal.
What to wear for it
Trousers, not shorts. You are sitting on a board on hot sand and sliding. Bare legs are uncomfortable and you will collect sand everywhere.
Closed shoes. The climb back up the dune is the part where sandals fail entirely.
Expect sand in your clothes afterwards. It brushes off and nothing is ruined, but if you are travelling with children, a spare set of clothes for the drive home is worth packing. More in our packing list.
Who can do it
Almost anyone. There is no minimum age for sitting on a board, though small children usually go down with a parent.
It is more physical than the camel ride because of the climb back up. Guests with knee or hip problems often do one run and stop, which is fine.
If you are pregnant, sitting on a board and sliding down a dune is an impact activity on an uneven surface. Ask your doctor, and see our pregnancy guide.
Morning or evening for sandboarding?
The morning safari is better for it, for two reasons. The sand is cooler, which matters when you are sitting on it, and the dunes are close to empty at 8:00 AM, so you are not queueing for a face.
The evening tour includes it too, and the light is better for photographs, but by late afternoon the sand is warm and the dune area is busier.
On a private safari you can spend longer at the dune stop, which is the main constraint on how many runs you get.
Getting the photograph
Film from the bottom of the dune looking up, not from the top. The rider fills the frame properly and you get the dune line behind them.
Keep your phone in a zip bag between shots. Fine sand and phone speakers are a bad combination, and the dune stop is usually where there is wind.
Common questions
Is there an extra charge? No, it is included on every safari.
How many runs do I get? As many as the stop allows, usually a few. Private tours have more flexibility.
Do I need experience? None. Most guests sit.
Is it dangerous? Falls are soft and speeds are modest. The most common complaint is sand in the eyes, which sunglasses solve.
Can I bring my own board? Boards are provided and waxed for the conditions. There is no need.
What if conditions are wrong on the day? The team will tell you. The rest of the tour is unaffected.
Book a safari with sandboarding
Included on every tour we run from our Al Awir camp. Tell us your date and group size and we will confirm your pickup time and total.
Book on WhatsApp or call +971 55 719 9652. Compare every option on the Dubai desert safari page.
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