What is the cheapest desert safari in Dubai, and what do you get?
Our cheapest is the evening safari at AED 80 per person, and here is the part that surprises people: it is also the most complete tour we run. It includes the dune bashing, the camel ride, sandboarding, the sunset photography stop, the BBQ buffet dinner and the live entertainment.
The short version. AED 80 gets you everything. Free hotel pickup included. The more expensive tours are not more complete, they are differently timed or more private.
Why the cheapest tour includes the most
The evening format is the one every Dubai operator runs at volume. High occupancy across many vehicles brings the cost per seat down, which is why AED 80 buys the longest tour with the widest set of inclusions.
Compare that with the morning safari at AED 100. It costs more and includes less, with no camp dinner and no evening shows, because it finishes between 11:00 AM and midday before either happens. You are paying for the timing and the quieter dunes, not for extra activities.
So if your goal is maximum experience per dirham, the cheapest tour is the correct answer, not a compromise.
What AED 80 actually includes
- Return hotel pickup from Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman in an air conditioned 4×4
- Red dune bashing at Al Awir with a licensed desert driver
- Sunset photography stop in open desert
- Short guided camel ride
- Sandboarding, subject to sand conditions
- BBQ buffet dinner with vegetarian and non vegetarian options
- Live entertainment including Tanoura and fire shows
- Henna painting, Arabic dress photography and shisha lounge access
- Unlimited water, soft drinks, tea and coffee at the camp
Collection is at around 2:00 PM and return around 9:30 PM.
What is not included at any price
Being straight about this is more useful than winning a booking on a headline number.
- Optional activities such as quad biking, charged at the camp
- Alcohol, not part of the standard packages
- Tips, entirely optional and never expected
There is no booking fee, no card surcharge and no transfer fee. The price quoted is the price paid.
Why some quotes look cheaper than ours
If you shop around you will see safaris advertised below AED 80. Four things usually explain the difference.
Transfers excluded. A low headline price with a pickup fee added by area is a common structure. Ours includes return pickup with no surcharge.
A camp much further out. Operators running to areas well beyond the city have longer transfers, which either costs you time or gets recovered elsewhere. Our camp is at Al Awir, the closest of the main areas to Deira, Bur Dubai and Downtown.
Fewer inclusions. Some cheap packages drop the dinner, the entertainment, or both. Always ask what is actually served.
You are booking a reseller. Which is fine until something needs changing on the day, at which point they cannot help because they do not run the tour.
How to make it cheaper still
Travel as a group. The private car is AED 500 flat regardless of group size. Six guests booking evening seats pay AED 480 against AED 500 for the whole vehicle, so for twenty dirhams more you get your own driver and adjustable dune intensity. At five guests on the morning tour the maths is exactly level.
Go midweek. Dubai’s weekend is Saturday and Sunday, and midweek tours are quieter.
Travel outside peak weeks. Christmas, New Year and February half term are the busiest of the year.
Full working is in the group size price guide and the full price breakdown.
Is cheap the same as poor quality?
Not here, and not necessarily anywhere, but there are questions worth asking before booking with anyone.
Ask which desert the camp is in. Ask whether pickup is included from your area. Ask what time you will actually be back. Ask whether you are booking the operator or a reseller.
We run our own vehicles to our own camp, and our office is at Office 103, Al Murar, Deira.
Common questions
Is AED 80 per person or per car? Per person. The private car is AED 500 for the whole vehicle.
Are children cheaper? Children under 3 generally travel free. Send us the ages and we will confirm the total.
Does the price change by season? Rates are subject to availability and can vary around peak weeks. We confirm before you pay.
Is there a cheaper morning option? No, the morning safari is AED 100. The evening tour is the cheapest we run.
Book the AED 80 safari
Send your date, group size and where you are staying and we will confirm your pickup time and the total.
Book on WhatsApp or call +971 55 719 9652. Compare everything on the Dubai desert safari page.
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