Self-Drive Quad Bike Safari with Desert Camp BBQ Dinner Dubai

The Lahbab desert and the welcome tent

Your quad bike safari in Dubai starts with an afternoon pickup and a drive of about 45 minutes to the Lahbab desert, the area of tall orange-red dunes south-east of the city. Guests staying in Sharjah or Ajman are collected from there too. On the way the city gives way to camel farms, ghaf trees and the first ridges of sand, glowing in the afternoon sun.

At the desert you are welcomed into an air-conditioned tent with Arabic coffee scented with cardamom, tea and dates, the traditional greeting of Bedouin hospitality. This is where you prepare for the ride: the team fits your helmet, explains the controls and the safety rules, and makes sure everyone is comfortable before setting off. Use the restrooms here and leave anything you do not need in the vehicle.

One hour of self-drive quad biking on the Red Dunes

With the default option you ride a single quad bike, one per person, for a full hour, the longest ride on offer. The group follows a guide in a line across the open desert, starting on flatter sand while everyone finds their rhythm, then climbing longer slopes and riding along the curving ridges of red sand. Stops along the way let you catch your breath and take photos of the empty dunes around you.

Riders aged 16 to 55 can drive a single quad, while children under 16 cannot ride alone. Quad biking is a self-drive activity at your own risk, so all participants sign an indemnity form and travel insurance is recommended. Note that this safari replaces dune bashing in a 4x4 with the quad ride, so the thrills come from your own driving.

Sandboarding and sunset over the dunes

After the ride your guide takes you to a high dune for sandboarding. You slide down sitting or standing on a board, and the soft sand makes falls painless and funny. Climbing back up is the workout of the day, but the view from the top, with ridge after ridge of red sand stretching to the horizon, is worth every step.

With the afternoon departure you reach this point as the sun starts to set, the best time to visit the Red Dunes for photos. The sand turns from orange to deep copper, the shadows lengthen across the ripples and the temperature drops pleasantly. Take a moment to enjoy the silence of the desert before heading to the camp, where the evening programme begins.

The desert camp: camels, falcons and henna

The desert camp is laid out like a traditional Bedouin settlement, with low seating, carpets and cushions around a central stage. You are welcomed with Arabic coffee, dates and local sweets, then free to try the activities at your own pace. The camel ride is short and can be repeated, and you can also help feed the camels, which children especially love.

Falcons are the national bird of the United Arab Emirates and a symbol of desert heritage, and here you can hold one on a gloved arm for photos while the handler explains how falconry was used for hunting. Women can have their hands decorated with henna, a tradition for weddings and celebrations across the region. Children under 12 ride camels with an adult, and guests over 60 or with back problems are advised not to ride.

BBQ dinner and the evening shows

As night falls, the Arabian buffet opens with grilled meats and chicken from the BBQ, rice, salads, mezze such as hummus and mutabal, fresh bread and desserts, all halal, with water and soft drinks included. Dinner at a desert camp in Dubai is as much about the setting as the food: you eat under the stars, with lanterns glowing over the sand.

During and after dinner the stage comes alive. The Yola dance, a traditional Emirati performance with spinning replica rifles, opens the programme, followed by a horse show, a falconry display and a fire show that lights up the night. Your driver then takes you back to your hotel in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman, arriving about 7 hours after pickup.