Half-Day Red Dunes Safari with Quad Bike & Dune Buggy Dubai

The Lahbab Red Dunes: Dubai's red desert

The Lahbab desert lies about 45 minutes south-east of the city along the road towards Hatta, where the pale sand of the coast gives way to tall dunes of orange-red sand coloured by iron oxide. Locals simply call the area the Red Dunes, and it is the classic setting for a red dunes safari in Dubai: high ridges, long slopes and almost no buildings in sight, with the Hajar Mountains sometimes visible on the horizon on clear days.

How to get to the Red Dunes is easy on this tour, because our driver collects you from your hotel and drives you there in an air-conditioned 4x4. Along the way the towers of Dubai fade behind you, camel farms and ghaf trees appear, and the dunes start to rise on both sides of the road. The best time to visit the Lahbab desert is from October to April, when mornings and afternoons are warm rather than hot.

Welcome tent with Arabic coffee and dates

On arrival you are welcomed into an air-conditioned tent with restrooms, cold water, soft drinks and the traditional greeting of the desert: Arabic coffee and dates. The coffee, called gahwa, is lightly roasted and flavoured with cardamom, poured from a dallah pot into small cups without handles. It is a custom of Bedouin hospitality, and your guide explains how guests shake the cup gently when they have had enough.

This 30-minute break is the time to put on sunscreen, leave anything you do not need in the vehicle and prepare for the activities. If you have booked the quad bike option, the team gives you a safety briefing and a helmet here. It is also a good moment for your first photos of the dunes in the soft light, before the vehicles head out into the sand.

Quad bike ride on the red dunes

With the default option you drive your own quad bike for 35 minutes, and you choose your level when booking at no extra charge. The beginner and normal ride takes place in a large fenced area the size of a stadium, ideal for first-timers and nervous riders; the advanced ride heads into the open desert, following a guide over real dunes. Helmets are provided and a marshal watches the group throughout.

Quad biking in Dubai is a self-drive activity done at your own risk, so travel insurance is recommended. Children under 16 cannot ride alone and must share a bike with an adult. If you prefer more power, the dune buggy option replaces the quad with a 30-minute self-drive buggy ride with seats, a roll cage and seat belts, which many couples enjoy driving together.

Dune bashing in a 4x4

Dune bashing is the heart of every Dubai desert safari. Your licensed driver lets some air out of the tyres for grip, then takes the 4x4 up and over the ridges, sliding sideways along the crests and dropping down steep faces like a roller coaster on sand. The vehicles have roll cages, seat belts, GPS and a first-aid box, and the drivers are trained specifically for desert driving.

Expect plenty of laughter and the occasional scream. If anyone in your vehicle feels uncomfortable, just tell the driver and they will take a gentler line. Dune bashing is not recommended for pregnant women or people with back or heart problems. Between runs the driver stops at a high point so that you can step out and see the waves of red sand stretching away in every direction.

Sandboarding, camel ride and falcon photos

At a long slope your guide hands out sandboards, and you slide down sitting or standing; the sand is soft, so even children can try it safely. Climbing back up is part of the fun and the best workout of the day. The view from the top of the dune is one of the finest photo stops on the tour, especially on afternoon departures when the sand glows in the low sun.

Then meet the camels, which carried families and goods across this desert for centuries. The short camel ride can be repeated, though children under 12 must ride with an adult. The falcon, the national bird of the United Arab Emirates, perches on your gloved arm for a photo while the handler explains the long tradition of falconry. Our driver then takes you back to your hotel in Dubai.