Overnight desert camp with dinner, stargazing and sunrise breakfast
18 h · starts 15:00 · 4.3 (3)
The evening safari is fun, but the desert only really goes quiet after the last day guests leave. On this trip you stay. We collect you at 15:00 from your hotel or home, drive to the red dunes off the Al Ain road and do the full dune drive, sunset stop and sandboarding with a small convoy. The dunes are bumpy, so as always, pregnant guests and anyone with back problems should ask us for the smooth route to camp.
Our overnight camp sits in a quieter corner of the conservation area, away from the big show camps. There are only eight tents, each with two proper beds, clean linen, a fan or heater depending on the season, a lamp and a lockable door. Shared bathrooms with hot showers are a short walk away and cleaned twice during the evening. Dinner is a slow barbecue around the fire: mixed grill, a lamb or vegetable stew, salads, rice and bread, with a vegetarian table and plenty of tea. After a short fire show the generators are switched down and our guide brings out a telescope; on a clear night in winter you can see Jupiter, the Orion Nebula and thousands of stars.
We wake you at about 06:15 for sunrise on the ridge behind camp, which is often the moment guests remember most. Breakfast is eggs, cheese, flatbread, fruit, labneh and Arabic coffee, then the drive home on the main road, back by about 09:00. Compared with cheaper overnight packages that simply leave you in a big tourist camp after the crowds have gone, ours is small, staffed all night and genuinely quiet. Nothing is charged on top except optional quad bikes. Nights from December to February can drop below 12 degrees, so bring warm layers.
How the time is spent
- 15:00Pickup from your hotel or home
Pack a small overnight bag with warm layers, toiletries and a phone charger. Your driver loads it in the back and messages you before arrival.
- 15:50Dune drive through the red dunes
After the tyre stop off the Al Ain road we drive the dunes for about 30 minutes in a small convoy. Ask for a gentler route at any time.
- 17:15Sunset and sandboarding
We stop on a high ridge as the sun sets, take photos and try sandboarding before the short drive to our overnight camp.
- 18:00Check in to your tent
Your host shows you your tent, the bathrooms and the fire pit. There is time for a camel ride, henna and tea before dinner.
- 19:30Dinner around the fire
A slow barbecue with mixed grill, stew, salads, rice and fresh bread, plus a vegetarian table. A short fire show follows once everyone has eaten.
- 21:30Stargazing with our guide
Lights go down and our guide sets up the telescope. On clear winter nights you can spot planets, the Orion Nebula and the Milky Way.
- 06:15Sunrise on the ridge
A gentle wake-up call and a short walk to the ridge behind camp with coffee in hand, as the first light turns the dunes orange.
- 07:30Breakfast and drive home
Hot breakfast with eggs, cheese, flatbread and fruit, then we leave at about 08:15 on the main road and drop you back by about 09:00.
Times shown for the first start time; later runs follow the same plan.
Included
- Pickup and drop-off from Dubai hotels and homes
- Dune bashing, sunset stop and sandboarding
- Private tent with two beds, linen and a lockable door
- BBQ dinner around the fire with vegetarian options
- Fire show and guided stargazing with a telescope
- Sunrise walk on the ridge behind camp
- Hot breakfast and Arabic coffee
- Staff on site all night
- Water, soft drinks, tea and coffee throughout
Know before you go
- Bring warm layers for November to March; the desert can drop below 12 degrees at night even when Dubai feels warm.
- Pack toiletries, a towel, any medication, a power bank and a torch or phone light; there are charging points but they are shared.
- Dune bashing is not suitable for pregnant guests or anyone with back or neck problems; the smooth route to camp is always available.
- Child seats are provided on request, and families can book a tent with an extra mattress for a child.
- Bathrooms are shared, clean and have hot water, but this is a camp, not a hotel; light sleepers may want earplugs.
- During Ramadan dinner is served after sunset and the camp runs without music.
Questions about this experience
Can I cancel the overnight trip?
What if it rains or the wind is strong?
Is it safe for children to stay overnight?
Can you cater for vegetarians?
Can I photograph the stars?
Guests on this experience
The camp was crowded on a Friday night, with a large group playing loud music until late. When we complained, they moved us to a tent further away, which helped somewhat. Sunrise over the dunes was beautiful, but a quiet night it was not.
We are a Russian couple and wanted something romantic. Private tent with a firepit, a barbecue dinner and stargazing through a telescope. Ramesh drove us back after breakfast with a stop to see falcons up close. Truly special anniversary.
Sleeping under the stars was magic. Saeed lit a campfire and taught the kids a few constellations before bed. Breakfast at sunrise with camels wandering past. The tent was clean with proper beds, not the camping mats I had feared.
More Dubai experiences
Red dunes at sunset with a licensed driver, sandboarding, a camel ride and a BBQ dinner at our own camp, with hotel pickup and no extras at the gate.
Lift off at first light over the dunes near Margham for about an hour in the air, then a falcon show and breakfast at a desert camp. Pickup before dawn.
Four hours in the red dunes while the light is soft and the sand is cool: a proper dune drive, sandboarding and a camel ride, back in Dubai by lunchtime.