Private Desert Safari Transfers from Dubai
Your own SUV and chauffeur to the desert camp or safari meeting point, and back after dinner, on your time rather than a shared pickup round.
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Choose the type of transport you need
A private desert safari transfer is a chauffeur-driven SUV or van that takes you from your Dubai hotel or home to your desert camp, or to your safari company’s meeting point, and brings you back after dinner. We drive the roads. The camp’s licensed 4x4 drivers handle the dunes. You travel in your own car, on your own timing, instead of sitting through a shared pickup round.
We don’t run safaris or camps. You book the safari, and we provide the car, the same way our car with driver by the hour works anywhere else in Dubai. It suits families with young children or older relatives, private or premium camps that don’t include transport, and anyone who wants to leave when they’re ready rather than when the group convoy does.
Reviewed by Arshad Hussain, chauffeur operations specialist, dubai · Updated
Where are the desert camps near Dubai?
The main safari areas sit east and south of the city, 45 to 90 minutes from Downtown or Dubai Marina. Ask your safari company for the exact meeting point or camp location as a map pin. Times below are typical off-peak drives. Allow more between 4 and 8 p.m. on weekdays.
| Area | Where it is | From Downtown | From Dubai Marina |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al Marmoom and Al Qudra | Dubai’s desert reserve south of the city, reached via Al Qudra Road | about 50 km, 45–60 min | about 48 km, 45–60 min |
| Lahbab (the red dunes) | East of the city, off the Dubai–Hatta road (E44) | about 45 km, 40–55 min | about 63 km, 55–70 min |
| Al Awir | East of the city, off Al Awir Road (E44) | about 36 km, 40–55 min | about 58 km, 60–75 min |
| Margham | Southeast, off the Dubai–Al Ain Road (E66) | about 57 km, 50–65 min | about 72 km, 60–75 min |
| Al Badayer and Big Red (Sharjah) | Sharjah’s Central Region near Al Madam, via the E44 | about 71 km, 60–75 min | about 88 km, 75–90 min |
Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve covers about 949 km², almost 23% of Dubai’s area according to Dubai Municipality. Visit Dubai calls it the largest unfenced nature reserve in the UAE. Al Qudra Lakes and Love Lake are inside it. It’s a protected area, so stay on marked tracks. Big Red in Al Badayer is, in Visit Sharjah’s words, the largest sand dune near the city.
How a private safari transfer works
- Book your safari or camp first. Ask the operator for the meeting point pin, the time they want you there, and when the programme ends.
- Send us the details. Pickup address, meeting point, time, passengers, child seats, and if you want a return transfer or a car that waits.
- We drive you to the meeting point. Our cars stay on paved roads. Where a camp is reached across sand, the operator’s 4x4 collects you at the edge of the desert.
- The return is timed to the camp’s finish. The chauffeur is back at the meeting point before the programme ends, or has waited nearby all evening if you booked hourly.
Evening safaris usually start with a pickup in the mid-to-late afternoon and run into the evening. The exact times vary by operator and by season. Earlier sunsets in winter mean earlier starts.
Which car for the desert run?
The drive is mostly highway, so pick the car for comfort and space rather than off-road ability. We never take our cars onto the dunes.
| Group | Car | Passengers |
|---|---|---|
| Couple or a small family | GMC Yukon Denali, Cadillac Escalade, Nissan Patrol Platinum | Up to 6 |
| Couple wanting a statement arrival | Range Rover, Lexus LX 600, Rolls-Royce Cullinan | Up to 4 |
| Larger family or friends | Mercedes V-Class, Toyota HiAce VIP | Up to 7 |
| Two families or a team outing | Two SUVs or vans, booked as one job | Any size |
See the full luxury SUV fleet for passenger and luggage limits. Tell us if you’re bringing camera gear, a cool box or a pushchair.
Return transfer or a car that waits?
A return transfer is two one-way trips: we drop you, leave, and come back for the finish time. For an evening programme of several hours, this usually costs less.
Hourly hire keeps the car and chauffeur with you, with a three-hour minimum. Choose it if you might leave early, want to stop somewhere on the way back, or are combining the desert with other stops in the same day. For a full day that pairs sightseeing with an evening in the dunes, see our private Dubai city tour.
Either way, the price is fixed in advance and includes fuel, Salik tolls and VAT. Trips into Sharjah for Al Badayer are quoted as one fixed price as well.
Check that your safari operator is licensed
Dune driving is a specialist job. In Dubai, desert safari drivers need a Safari driving permit from the RTA. It requires the driver to be at least 21, to have held a UAE licence for two years, to have completed the Department of Economy and Tourism’s tour guide training, and to work for a licensed tourism company. The DET also permits desert camps. Book your safari with an operator who can show both, then let us handle the drive to their door.
Private Desert Safari Transfers from Dubai: frequently asked questions
The evening safari is the classic: dunes in the late afternoon, sunset, then dinner at camp. A morning safari is shorter and leaves your evening free. Either way, we time the car to your operator’s schedule, and the drive out is the same 45–90 minutes.
The safari price is set by the operator and varies widely by camp, group size and package. Our part is the private transfer, quoted as one fixed price for the car and chauffeur, including fuel, Salik and VAT. Send us the meeting point and times for a quote.
If you’re staying in Dubai, the Dubai camps are closer: most are 45–90 minutes from Downtown or the Marina. Abu Dhabi’s desert is a longer day out from Dubai. We can drive to either, and we quote intercity trips at a fixed price.
No. Our chauffeurs drive to the camp or the operator’s meeting point on paved roads. Dune driving is done by the safari company’s own licensed drivers in their 4x4s, and our car picks you up again at the end.
Book your chauffeur
Send your pickup, drop-off, date and time. We reply with a fixed, all-inclusive price, usually within minutes, 24 hours a day.