Desert Safari Dubai Tickets 2026: Where to Buy, Kids' Tickets and What You Actually Get

A regular evening desert safari ticket in Dubai costs from AED 99 per person, and children aged 3 and over pay AED 70. A desert safari with a quad bike costs from AED 285 per person. A private desert safari is priced per car: AED 750 for up to six people. Children under 3 go free.

All three include pickup and drop-off at your hotel or home in Dubai, dune bashing, the camp, a BBQ dinner and live shows. If you want the full list of what each package includes, read what's included in a Dubai desert safari. This guide is about the ticket itself: how buying one works, what to check, and how to avoid paying more than you planned.

How a desert safari "ticket" works

There's no paper ticket and no ticket counter in the desert. When people say "desert safari ticket", they really mean a seat in a 4x4 that collects you from your hotel, takes you to the dunes and the camp, and brings you back at night.

Here's what booking with us looks like:

1. You send your date, the number of adults and children, and your hotel or home address through our website or on WhatsApp.
2. We confirm the price in writing, with everything that's included and anything that isn't.
3. You pay a 30% advance to hold your seats. The other 70% is paid on the day.
4. You receive a WhatsApp confirmation with your booking reference. That message is your ticket.
5. The day before, we send your pickup time, and on the day, your driver's name and number.

That's it. You don't need to print anything or show a QR code at the camp. Your driver checks you in.

Regular evening desert safari ticket

From AED 99 per adult · AED 70 per child aged 3 and over · free under 3

This is the classic evening safari, and the ticket most visitors buy. Pickup is around 2:00 pm, and you're back at about 9:30 pm. Your ticket covers:

• Shared pickup and drop-off, usually about six guests per car
• 15 to 20 minutes of dune bashing and a sunset photo stop
• A short camel ride and sandboarding
• A BBQ buffet dinner and five live shows
• Unlimited soft drinks, tea and coffee

So for a family of two adults and two children aged 5 and 8, the total is AED 338 (AED 198 + AED 140). If you'd like sofa seating and no queue for dinner, the VIP version starts from AED 149 per person.

Desert safari ticket with a quad bike

From AED 285 per person

This ticket includes the full evening safari plus 30 minutes on your own quad bike, after a short safety briefing. It's the best value if you'd pay for a quad bike anyway. Adding one separately at the camp usually costs more.

Who can ride: children aged 9 and above can ride a quad bike, with a guide close by. Younger children can't ride, but they can still join the rest of the evening on a regular ticket. Minimum ages differ between operators, so if you book elsewhere, ask before you pay.

Who should think twice: quad biking isn't recommended for pregnant women or anyone with back or neck problems. Tell us, and we'll suggest a gentler option.

Private desert safari: one booking for the whole car

AED 750 for the whole car, up to 6 people

With a private safari, you don't buy individual tickets. You book the whole 4x4 and driver for your group, and children count as part of the six. The 4x4 picks up only your group, does the dune bashing only for your group, and makes no extra stops for other guests.

The more of you there are, the better the value:

For a couple, the regular ticket is much cheaper. For a family or group of five or six, a private car often costs about the same per person, with more privacy and flexibility.

Children's tickets: ages and prices

Why children over 3 need a ticket: every child needs their own seat in the vehicle. UAE traffic rules also say young children must ride in a proper child seat, and no child under 10 (or shorter than 145 cm) may sit in the front. So please always tell us your children's ages when you book. It decides the seating, and on shared trips, which car you go in.

On a private safari, there's no separate child price. The AED 750 covers everyone in the car, up to six people.

Dune bashing with small children: the drive is bumpy. For toddlers and babies, ask us for a gentle drive on a private safari, or consider the morning safari, which is shorter.

Where to buy desert safari tickets in Dubai

There are four common ways to buy, and each has its trade-offs:

We only sell directly, through our website and WhatsApp. There's no middleman, so you talk to the people actually running your safari, and the price you're quoted is the price you pay.

Wherever you book, ask for the full price and inclusions in writing before you pay anything.

Why some tickets cost AED 89, and what to check before you pay

You'll see safari ads from AED 89 or even lower. Some are perfectly fine. But a very low price usually means something has been cut, or will be charged later. Before you book any cheap ticket, check these:

• How many people are in the car? Cheap tickets often fill every seat and collect guests from many hotels, so you can spend over an hour on pickups.
• How long is the dune bashing? It can be as short as 10 minutes.
• What's charged at the camp? Quad bikes, sandboarding, camel rides, photos or drinks are sometimes "extra" once you arrive, often in cash only.
• How big is the camp? Very large camps mean long queues for food and less space for the shows.
• Is the price per person or per adult only? Children's prices and pickup from certain areas may be added later.

A ticket at AED 99 that includes everything can cost less overall than an AED 89 ticket with extras at the camp. The honest test is simple: ask for the final total price for your group, in writing, and whether you'll pay anything else on the day.

What to have ready on the day

• Your booking confirmation on WhatsApp, with the reference number
• Your pickup time and place, sent the day before. Be ready in the hotel lobby or at the gate a few minutes early, with your phone on.
• The balance (70%) for the driver, as agreed when you booked
• Some cash for optional extras, like a longer camel ride, shisha at your table, or souvenirs at the camp
• Light, loose clothes and a jacket in winter. Our what to wear guide has the details.

If your plans change

• Cancel 24 hours or more before pickup: 70% of your advance is refunded.
• Cancel later, or don't show up: the advance isn't refunded, but you're never charged the balance.
• Want a different date? Moving your safari is free if you ask at least 24 hours before pickup and there's space.
• If we cancel for weather or safety, you choose a new date or a full refund.
• Running late? On shared safaris, the driver can only wait about 10 minutes, because other guests are in the car. Message us straight away if you're delayed.

The full details are in our cancellation policy.

Frequently asked questions