Dubai

Overnight Desert Safari - Vintage Land Rovers & Traditional Activities

Name: Overnight Desert Safari - Vintage Land Rovers & Traditional Activities
Brand: Platinum Heritage
SKU: 6183OVERSAF
Price: 305.62 USD
Rating: 5.0 (136 reviews)

Badge of ExcellenceDubai, United Arab Emirates

Overnight Desert Camp Experience Dinner Emirati Activities and Vintage Land Rover Transport from Dubai

From $305.62

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

16 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

Explore our promoted experiences

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Private Gold Souk - Walking tour

from $99.00

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Full-Day Private Tour of the Six Emirates with Hotel Pick Up

from $399.00

Per group

Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Abu Dhabi City Tour Full Day with Private Car

from $250.91

Per group

Viator earns higher commissions on experiences featured here

Overview

Make like a Bedouin on this overnight experience from Dubai. Take a wildlife-spotting drive around the dunes of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve by open-top vintage Land Rover to watch for animals such as oryx and gazelles. Then, head for a royal retreat and enjoy an evening of traditional Emirati activities, including falconry displays, camel rides, cooking demonstrations and a scrumptious 4-course dinner. After sleeping in an traditional Arabic stone dwelling, wake to a delicious outdoor breakfast before returning to Dubai.

Overnight desert experience with dinner with transport by Vintage Land Rover
Look out for wildlife while traveling through Dubai Desert Conservation Reservation
Eat and sleep at a Bedouin-inspired camp in the grounds of a Royal Retreat in the desert
See a bread-making demonstration, falconry display, traditional dancing and more
Feast on four courses of traditional Emirati cuisine while sitting under the stars
Sleep overnight in a comfortable traditional Arabic stone dwelling with full bedding and enjoy a traditional breakfast the next morning

What's Included

Hotel pickup and drop-off in an air-conditioned vehicle
Wildlife Safari through the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve in an 1950's Land Rover
A Sunset Falcon Demonstration
Dinner
Emirati entertainment, Camel ride, live Bread and Coffee making
Overnight - traditional Arabic stone dwellings complete with mattress and beddings (no showers)
Breakfast

Gratuities
Souvenir photos (available to purchase)

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

02:30 PM

Pickup details

Pick-up times will vary through-out the year. Pickup from a residence or an apartment is possible if booked in a private vehicle. In order for you to plan your day, please be prepared for a pick-up between the following times: October – February: 14:00h-15:00h March – May: 14:30h-15:30h June – September: 15:00h-16:00h A confirmation with a precise pickup time will be sent to your email or phone latest 13:00h on the day of the excursion. If we were not able to reach you, we kindly ask you to contact our office.

What To Expect

Dubai

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Platinum Heritage Desert camp

11 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Platinum Heritage Desert camp

1 hour 15 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Dubai

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
The Dubai desert can get cooler in the evenings during winter, so we recommend you bring a light jacket and closed shoes
Please note: Guides in the following languages (German, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Italian, Chinese, ) are upon request and availability.
Children under 5 years are not permitted on shared car and need a private car booking
Not recommended for pregnant women in their third trimester
At the camp there is running water and clean bathroom but no shower

Infant seats available
Most travelers can participate
One backpack or luggage not more than 50 cm in height is allowed per guest
The rate for a private vehicle depends on the total number of participants including children 11 and below.
Not recommended for pregnant travelers after their second trimester. A private car booking is then nessesary.
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 24 travelers

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

5.0

136 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 136 reviews

Fantastic overnight experience in the Royal Reserve

Yako_W, Mar 2024

Very enjoyable and rewarding experience with top class guides (Lourenzo and Khairi). The best part is that this tour is in the Royal Reserve and focuses on nature and Emirati local culture. The driving through the reserve in vintage Land Rovers at a gentle pace and the wildlife spotting and photo opportunities were fun and rewarding. The evening entertainment and dinner were focused on Emerati culture. The food served was really tasty and well prepared. Finishing off the evening grilling marshmallows around the fire made the day. The camp accommodation and facilities were clean and comfortable and the breakfast served in the morning was delicious. Watching the surprise in the morning was a beautiful experience. Overall a really fun, relaxing and enjoyable experience. I would definitely recommend Platinum Heritage tours.

Amazing desert stay

ConstanseMjeldheim_B, Mar 2024

Excellent overnight stay in the desert. The highlights were the safari in an open 1950s Land Rover, sunrise with a cup of coffee on a sand dune and seeing falcons hunt. Loved the camp which was charming and great breakfast

Great time overnight camping

Catrine_K, Mar 2024

Great trip and our guide was superb. Personable, knowledgeable and super nice. Fantastic time. Highly recommend

Outstanding experience

Margareth_S, May 2023

This tour was well worth the money spent. Great experience if you want to escape Dubai and experience the Emirati desert and gain an understanding of Bedouin culture. I chose the overnight option of staying at the camp for one evening. I highly recommend this tour and would do it again next time I visit Dubai. All tour personnel from hotel pickup to desert safari to dinner/cultural events at the camp were highly professional, enthusiastic and always willing to help -- nothing is of trouble if you ask them. Top quality customer attention and service. I love that the host company - Platinum Heritage -- emphasizes sustainability and eco awareness for their tours.

Amazing Family Experience

Brian_P, Feb 2023

What an amazing day/night with my 12 year-old daughter. Her favorite parts were the Land Rover and camel rides. Every person associated with this company was incredibly hospitable and friendly. Pickup/drop off and the food were all great as well. Would recommend to anyone looking for an amazing family experience.

Desert Nights

Emma_K, Apr 2022

Our guide Lize was excellent! She was friendly, funny and very knowledgeable - also a great driver! The Safari was beautiful with amazing views. Our night in the desert was great, we enjoyed some amazing food, stargazing and plenty more. We slept in the very comfortable Bedouin camp and woke up to see sunrise from on top of a dune. It was magical. We then had a delicious breakfast and enjoyed peacefulness of the desert camp before returning to the city. We will definitely be back!

A magical experience

Brigitte_L, Mar 2022

The whole experience was fantastic. Waking up before sunrise and walking in the desert was magical and an experience I will never forget

Most sustainable, but not authenic experience

tamfeiertag, Mar 2022

I was looking for something authentic to experience during our trip to Dubai. This tour seemed to be the best fit. While the tour definitely was the most sustainable around Dubai (reason why I’d still recommend it), it felt like a stay in an all-inclusive luxury club in the middle of the dessert. So, if you are looking for an environmentally aware and luxury excursion to the dessert, this is the right choice. If you are looking for an authentic experience, I’m not sure if that’s even possible close to Dubai. In general, please do not support any of those dune bashing tours, as they destroy what’s left of the nature here.

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Hi! Thank you for sharing your experience with us. Our mission is to provide an eco-friendly desert tour in the Dubai Conservation Reserve. Along with preserving and educating on local fauna and flora, we also endeavor to preserve the UAE culture. We have two collections to take note of. The Heritage Collection (the 1950s) is a journey back to the turning point in Dubai's history when Land Rovers were first introduced to the desert. While the Platinum Collection consists of the most luxurious desert safaris. Our Bedouin Camps on our Heritage Safaris are made of natural materials and our tents are made of goat hair. This is very significant in portraying the authenticity of the experience. With our experiences, we strive to deliver unique and memorable adventures in the most sustainable and innovative ways possible. We believe that rating us with 3-stars is unfair. We recommend trying our morning Bedouin Culture Safari where you can even listen to Bedouin storytellers and learn more about their rich heritage.

Overnight Desert Safari

Grace_T, Jan 2019

If you are seeking an authentic yet comfortable overnight desert experience then this is the tour for you. Flawlessly organised from pick up to drop off with quality food, accommodation and activities. This is not though a high octane Dune bashing adventure but having previously done that, felt that this provided a full desert experience albeit at a full price.

Desert Camp: a must-do in Dubai

Anh_L, Jan 2019

We have nice experience with the overnight desert camp. It is not the kind of dune bashing or sand boarding but worth for sight seeing and experiencing Bedouin lifestyle in desert (including foods and how-the-Bedouin-prepare, their stone dwellings, camping in desert, camel riding (although I am a little bit regretful that it is just a very short ride rather than one on real path). They aimed at showing and letting you experience most everthing of the Bedouin's real life. Our guide Hosam is very fun and knowledgeable. He made us feel as family. We had a very good time. Suitatable for kids and old people as well. Remember to pack some warm clothes as it is cold at night.

This tour was really worth it! Not...

Amy_C, Jan 2018

This tour was really worth it! Not the high octane tour like some that have the dune bashing and the sand boarding but for us it was a perfect blend of history and sight seeing. I guess that many of these tours are close to the main roads but this one was way out in the dunes with no civilization in sight. At the onset they aimed to make sure the tour was amazing. They started by personally wrapping each of our heads in colorful pashminas head scarves so sand didn't get in our hair and giving us metal water bottles so we didn't create waste. After our drive thru the dunes we saw the falconry experience. It was amazing seeing the bird go after the lure and then catch it, even better was holding it immediately after the exhibition tip- walk up to get in line to do this while others are applauding! After this we drove to the Bedouin Camp which was amazing. They showed us all the tools that the bedouins used as well as coffee making and bread making. The food was excellent don't overeat the appetizers as you'll be too full for dinner!. Get in line early for the henna tattoos if you wait until the line is long you will get a small tattoo. We also did the camel ride which was kind of like a petting zoo but still fun tip- you can go out again later at night to get a 2nd ride. Later that night we enjoyed the stars. Pack warm clothes as it gets cold at night. The accommodations were very comfortable beds are very hard but they are beds with clean sheets, pillows, and blankets. In the morning it is worth it to get up early to catch the sunrise on the dunes make sure to bring a hat and sweatshirt or jacket. The breakfast is very good. My only recommendation is that they need to serve real coffee for this rather than instant. Luckily, the ballon people were coming for breakfast too and they served traditional coffee for them which we mooched off of! Great tour. When you are heading back to the city try to get your guide to stop at the Bird Sanctuary to see the migrating flamingos. Our guide wouldn't but maybe yours will!

Samir our guide was great fun and...

Joanne R, Nov 2017

Samir our guide was great fun and knowledgeable. Memories will stay with us of sitting around the camp fire with some of the guides chatting to the early hours, waking up in time to see the sun rise.

This tour was an unforgettable...

Yvonne_H, Apr 2017

This tour was an unforgettable event. The food, reserve, the sleeping tents modest but nice. The staff was friendly and accommodating. We stay up late to see the moon and stars under the desert darkness and to my suprise Ali (Camp Boss) and Adel kept us company so we could have the experience we wanted.

The desert camp was amazing! A must...

Glenn D, Nov 2016

The desert camp was amazing! A must do in the UAE, be sure to stay overnight. Nasir was a great guide, very knowledgeable and provided the highest level of customer service. We truly enjoyed Bedouin speaker, so interesting to learn about the history of the region. The food was remarkable and plentiful, delicious lamb! Breakfast with the sunrise was so moving. THANK YOU!!

Awesome way to experience the Middle...

DawnA_T, Nov 2016

Awesome way to experience the Middle East in one tour. The guides were informative and enjoyed showing us a very hospitable tour. Thought of all our needs. Food was incredible and the evening very entertaining. Glad we spent the night. It was the night of the super moon. So incredible in the desert. Our rooms and beds were very comfortable and bathrooms are nice and modern.

Fabulous experience. Great guide...

Debra N, Jul 2016

Fabulous experience. Great guide. Everything went like clockwork! Highly recommend when in Dubai!

The guide was generally excellent...

Barbara M, Jun 2016

The guide was generally excellent, although he did not explain that I was not to return to the desert camp after the hot air balloon ride. He took time to explain many things to us, including the camel racing we passed on route to the desert camp. The activities at the desert camp were not particularly appealing to me, and in hind sight I may have opted to return to the city after dinner. Seeing the desert dunes and the falconry display were good experiences.

Exceptional! Added the sunrise hot...

Elizabeth B, Apr 2016

Exceptional! Added the sunrise hot air balloon ride. Loved every minute of all activities! Special thanks to our desert tour guide Sharaf who was so friendly and attentive! Originally thought the two tours were pricey but was worth every penney! Best excursions I have ever experienced anywhere, any country!

Of course there are no real bedouin...

annette c, Feb 2016

Of course there are no real bedouin camps any more but this reproduction is interesting and comfortable though a bit contrived. Staying overnight was like being on a school camp with a 'lights out' curfew and no sitting around the fire talking for too long. The ride into the desert in the trucks was OK but there were a dozen other trucks running a well worn track with you. Hovering 4000 feet above the desert in a hot air balloon? Now this is living.

A mmemorable overnight desert...

Robert_R, Feb 2016

A mmemorable overnight desert experience, staffs were courteous and professional.