Up until somewhat recently, I had no idea what kind of vast, intricate beauty Abu Dhabi had to offer, from its amazing architecture to its vast golden dunes.

While you can certainly admire it from afar, I highly recommend getting up close and personal, taking full advantage of what it has to offer. Whether it’s zipping through the dunes in a 4×4 or unwinding in a Bedouin-style camp under a star-filled sky, you’re in for a real treat.

The best way to do this in a safe and organized manner is through one of the 5 top Abu Dhabi desert safaris that are well worth your time and money. Let’s get started!

Best Desert Safaris in Abu Dhabi

	Abu Dhabi: Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding	Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner	Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows
Location:	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Hotel pickup and drop-off included	Hotel pickup and drop-off included
Start:	3:00 PM	2:30 PM	3:00 PM
Duration:	6 hours	6 hours	6 hours
Includes:	Transportation by air-conditioned 4WD vehicle, dune bashing experience and sandboarding, camel ride, Henna painting, open buffet BBQ dinner, Tanoura show and belly dance, shisha pipe	Transportation, camel ride, sand boarding, dune bashing, sunset photo stop in desert, live entertainment, BBQ buffet dinner, unlimited soft drinks, tea, and coffee, henna painting	Dune Bashing, Camel Ride, Sand Boarding, Henna Painting, Live Shows & BBQ Buffet Dinner
	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking	Tour Information & Booking

Quick Answer: The 5 Best Rated Abu Dhabi Desert Safaris For 2025

1. Abu Dhabi: Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding
2. Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner
3. Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows
4. Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner, Sandboarding & Camel Ride
5. Abu Dhabi Desert Safari Experience with Dune Bashing, BBQ and Sandboarding

Abu Dhabi Desert Safari Reviews

1. Abu Dhabi: Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding

If it’s your first time in Abu Dhabi and you want to jump right into the deep end of the local culture, so to speak, you’re in the right place.

This first tour is an experience you don’t want to miss, offering a look into the rich, rugged beauty of the Arabian desert, melding adventure, culture, and lots of fun. If that sounds like what you’re looking for, check out the Abu Dhabi: Desert Safari with BBQ, Camel Ride & Sandboarding tour.

I love this tour because it combines high-octane, adrenaline-pumping activities with more laidback experiences like a camel ride or soaking in live entertainment from professional performers.

It’s a tour that I feel has something to offer for everyone, no matter the age, background, or interests of the participant! Starting out with a convenient hotel pickup around noon, you don’t have to worry about booking separate transport or finding a meet-up spot.

Head out in an air-conditioned vehicle with the rest of your party, heading straight to the Abu Dhabi desert in your 4×4 vehicle to make your first stop at a camel farm. We got to learn about how they take care of them, and even got to take a brief ride, which was so unique and felt almost like a dream!

After that, it was time to amp up the speed with some dune bashing, where we zoomed all over the highest sand dunes followed by a bit of sand surfing which I fell in love with!

Then, it was time to head to our campsite, where we relaxed on cushions with some rich, traditional coffee and dates, which are a delicious combo and one I first tried here! We then took part in some fun Henna painting and smoked Shisha, which was a cool experience, as well!

We were even treated to shows of Tanoura dancing and belly dancing while enjoying delicious barbecue, kebabs, salads, desserts, and more!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

2. Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With Live Shows And BBQ Buffet Dinner

Do you have an afternoon free and are looking for some great food, entertainment, and learning experiences? If so, you’ll find all that and more with the Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with Live Shows and BBQ Buffet Dinner excursion.

If you are just in the city for a short amount of time or it’s your first time here and would like to learn more about local culture, this tour is a well-organized, varied way to experience a bit of everything.

Starting at 2:30 pm and lasting 6 hours, it’s ideal if you’re free for the evening or were planning on going out to dinner – instead, try a tasty BBQ buffet dinner in the middle of the desert at a traditional Bedouin camp!

Your guide will pick you up right from your hotel lobby so you don’t have to deal at all with logistics or figuring out transportation anywhere – travel in an air-conditioned vehicle everywhere.

As you cruise along, your guide will share interesting commentary about the region’s history, like how the capital city started over a whopping 100,000 years ago!

Our first activity was a thrilling dune bashing session where we hopped on our own 4×4 vehicles up and over dunes, with our guide taking photos and videos throughout.

It’s surprisingly tiring (though a ton of fun!), and we took a well-timed break for refreshments and then made our way to camp to meet with their camels. The “Ship of the Desert” was extremely cute, and it was a cool experience being able to ride one for a few minutes!

We spent the rest of our time learning some more about their culture, while enjoying amazing, fall-off-the-bone BBQ with delicious kebabs, rich coffee, and even a bit of shisha smoking. To wrap it all up, we sat back and relaxed while partaking in henna painting, and then watching live belly dancing and fire shows!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

3. Abu Dhabi Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner & Live Shows

Are you on the hunt for a nice balance of adventure, culture, and authentic local flavors with experienced guides to lead the way? If so, the Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner & Live Shows is right up your alley!

While I recommend everyone spend at least a bit of time out in the sand and the dunes, this tour expands more upon that, bringing together the best of traditional and modern life.

I find it’s not always easy to find a tour that combines heart-racing, thrilling activities like extreme sports or racing, alongside cultural depth and education. If you’re new to the city, and want to try everything, I highly recommend taking this safari experience.

The organization is solid, and given the professionalism of the staff, their dedication to safety, and knowledge, I’d say it’s a great option for friends, families with kids, and solo travelers.

We had our guide pick us up from our hotel, though they did let us know that they’re able to pick up from just about any spot in the city, which makes it that much more convenient.

We learned a good amount about the history of Abu Dhabi and some of the notable stories that have taken place in the surrounding desert before arriving for a heart-racing dune bashing experience!

I will say that you should only do this if you haven’t eaten in a couple of hours and/or have no neck or spine injuries as it can get pretty wild, leaving you bouncing around the golden sand towers (but tons of fun!).

The real highlight is the BBQ dinner they served up, with the scent of freshly grilled meats filling the air at our Bedouin-style desert camp for a traditional feast under the stars.

With captivating live entertainment that includes belly dancing, Tanoura dance performances, and mesmerizing fire shows, and an unforgettable atmosphere, you’ll surely want to do this one again!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

4. Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner, Sandboarding & Camel Ride

It’s adrenaline-packed, it’s culturally rich, and it’s anything but an “average” desert excursion that you could organize entirely on your own.

One thing that had really piqued my curiosity for a while was sandboarding, and I really wanted to give it a try before going on a dedicated tour out to the dunes for that purpose. If that sounds like you as well, check out the Abu Dhabi Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner, Sandboarding & Camel Ride!

If you or someone else in your party is somewhat of an adrenaline junkie, I can’t think of a better tour to take than this one – especially if you have plans in the evening and need something to fill up your day. However, don’t think that you have to be all about excitement to enjoy this tour, either.

It’s a fantastic blend of thrills and relaxation, with each offering some insight into Bedouin culture and more modern looks at the local environment.

Starting out in the morning, you’ll be picked up in a comfortable, air-conditioned vehicle with a licensed guide and driver there to lead the way, sharing fun historical info as you travel along out to the desert.

If you haven’t woken up already, you will be soon enough, as your tour starts with an exciting visit to the sand dunes, zooming up and over them! It’s a ton of fun, but at no point did I ever feel unsafe or like our guide didn’t know what they were doing – they clearly have everything under control!

After that, we continued on to our traditional Bedouin-style camp, where we spent the rest of our day, starting out by visiting a camel farm!

We learned about these sweet, gentle creatures, and even spent a few minutes riding them before we partook in henna painting while sipping some tasty coffee. After, we watched a great belly dancing performance, a Tanoura show, and smoked shisha while enjoying a BBQ dinner.

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience

5. Abu Dhabi Desert Safari Experience with Dune Bashing, BBQ and Sandboarding

Last but certainly not least, is the Abu Dhabi Desert Safari Experience with Dune Bashing, BBQ and Sandboarding excursion! This is the longest of any of its kind, and if your stay in Abu Dhabi is short, it’s the one I recommend taking above all.

It’s the most comprehensive, given it is longer, including just about every one of the main desert activities that tourists like to experience at least once!

This 8-hour tour offers quite an accurate look into what desert life is like for many, where you’ll gain valuable insight into both more traditional and modern life in Abu Dhabi and its surrounding area.

What really sets this tour apart from every other, is the photography service offered at no extra charge, so you’ll not only have Instagram-worthy shots to share, but have lifelong mementos to remember the day by.

Our guide was such a fantastic photographer that we actually had a couple of the photos he took framed and hung up in our living room! This one is definitely more of an afternoon/evening experience so you do get to sleep in and get ready for a full-filled day out in the sand!

Our guide picked us up right from our hotel and we set out straight for the desert, starting out with a calming camel ride! After riding the gentle giant, we tried sandboarding which was interestingly a lot like snowboarding and I got the hang of it right away (falling feels much less painful than on snow and ice!).

After that, you can elect to go dune bashing if you’d like, otherwise you can simply relax and enjoy the Bedouin camp filled with delicious coffee, shisha smoking, and henna tattooing for the women and children.

The BBQ dinner buffet alongside the amazing performances from belly dancers was something quite special, and our guide gave us photos from that time as well – overall it was such a memorable day!

More Information & Tour Booking

100% refund for cancellations within 24 hours of tour experience