For an occasion · From AED ___ per car
Family Desert Safari
A private safari built around children and grandparents. One family per vehicle, private seating at camp, halal-only kitchen, no-music option, and timings you set.
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup
- Duration
- 6 hours, afternoon pickup to evening drop-off, or a shorter morning option
- Maximum guests per vehicle
- 6 guests
- Cancellation
- Free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup
- Pickup
- Hotel or residence, anywhere in Dubai
Answer first: nobody else in the car
The thing families actually want from a desert safari is not a longer dune drive. It is a car with only their own family in it, a table at dinner that is theirs, and the ability to leave when a tired four-year-old says so.
That is what this is. One family per vehicle, private seating at camp, and timings set by you.
The three things that go wrong on a shared safari
- The pickup. A shared tour collects six parties from six hotels. With children, that hour in a minibus is the worst hour of the day.
- The driving. On a shared vehicle the dune driving is pitched at the loudest passenger. Somebody in your family will hate it.
- The departure. You leave when the coach leaves. If bedtime arrives first, that is your problem.
A private vehicle removes all three, which is the entire argument for it — see private vs shared for the honest version, including when shared is genuinely fine.
Grandparents
Worth saying explicitly, because it comes up constantly: the dune drive is optional. If an older member of the party would rather not, we take the flat track to camp and they still get the sunset, the dinner and the evening. On a shared tour that is not an option.
Morning or evening
With children under about six, take the morning safari. It is cooler, shorter and over before anyone melts down. From about seven upwards, the evening programme — dinner, fire, henna — is the one they will remember.
For the extended family
Three generations and a dozen people is a group booking: one vehicle per six guests, one pickup window, one payment, and adjacent seating so the family is not spread across the camp.
What's included
- Private 4x4 for your family only, with no other passengers
- Child seats fitted in advance at no charge — tell us ages when you book
- Private seating at camp rather than a shared bench
- Halal-only kitchen, with a vegetarian option as standard
- Optional no-music setup in the vehicle and at your seating
- A gentler dune drive on request, or none at all
- An Arabic-speaking guide on request
Not included
- Alcohol — the camp kitchen and site are alcohol-free by default
- Quad biking, which we do not recommend for children
- Gratuities
How the trip runs
- 15:30Pickup with child seats already fitted. Your guide calls ahead.
- 16:30Dune belt. Safety brief, and the drive set to whatever the youngest and oldest in the car are comfortable with.
- 17:45Sunset stop, with room to get everyone out of the car safely.
- 18:45Camp, private seating, dinner.
- 20:30Leave early if the children are done. The vehicle is yours, so nobody is waiting.
Questions we get asked
Is dune bashing safe for young children?
The driving is adjusted to the car, and for families with small children we drive gently or skip the dunes entirely. What is not safe is a shared tour where the driving is set by whoever shouts loudest. Read our guide on dune bashing for what actually happens.
Do you provide child seats?
Yes, fitted before pickup at no extra charge. Tell us the ages when you book so the right seats go in.
Is there a minimum age?
No hard minimum, but for infants we recommend the morning safari — it is shorter, cooler and finishes before nap time collapses.
Can we have a car and seating with no music?
Yes. Ask when you book and both the vehicle and your table at camp are kept music-free.
Is the food halal?
The camp kitchen is halal-only. There is no separate non-halal service to worry about.
Can we leave the camp early?
Yes, whenever you want. That is the main practical reason families book private rather than shared.
Can we request an Arabic-speaking guide?
Yes. Say so when you book and we assign one rather than hoping.
Booked into your own vehicle's schedule
Add to your safari
Other private safaris
Private safari
Private Morning Desert Safari
Early private desert safari with your own 4x4 and guide. Cooler air, firmer dunes, empty desert, back at your hotel before lunch. Priced per vehicle.
Private safari
Private Evening Desert Safari
A private evening desert safari with your own 4x4 and guide. Dune drive, sunset stop, dinner at a private camp table. Priced per vehicle, not per person.
For an occasion
Group Desert Safari
Twelve, twenty, thirty people: several private 4x4s on one booking, one pickup window, one arrival at camp, one payment. Nobody gets split up.
For an occasion
Private Camp Hire
Take the whole camp. No other guests, your own guest list, your own timings, your own menu and music. For large families, weddings and company events.