A real Bedouin night at the Al Khatim camp — full evening safari, sunset, dune bashing, BBQ and live shows, then a Bedouin tent under a thousand stars and a sunrise breakfast. 18 hours from afternoon pickup to next-morning drop-off. From AED 400 per person.
An Overnight Desert Safari Abu Dhabi is the full evening safari plus a real Bedouin night at our Al Khatim camp. You arrive mid-afternoon, do the dune bashing and camel ride and sunset, eat the BBQ, watch the shows, then sleep in a proper Bedouin tent with a bed, mattress, pillow and blanket. Wake to a desert sunrise, have breakfast, and we drive you back to the city for 9 AM. The total is 18 hours — long enough to feel like an actual desert trip, short enough to fit into one working day off. Only here for the afternoon? The sunset half of this trip is the evening desert safari; prefer dawn instead? That's our morning and sunrise desert safari. And if tonight is a special one, the whole route runs as a private desert safari in your own vehicle.
The full evening safari, plus a Bedouin tent under the stars and a sunrise breakfast. No upsells, no walk-up charges at camp.
4×4 dune bashing, camel, sandboard, sunset, henna, shisha, BBQ, live shows — same programme as our evening tour.
Wooden-framed bed, mattress, pillow, blanket, fresh sheets. Not a sleeping bag on sand. Hot showers & Western toilets a short walk away.
After the shows, the staff lights a fire and most guests drift up the dune for the stars. Best between October and March.
Foul medames, labneh, hummus, fresh bread, dates, Arabic coffee, eggs to order. Served while you watch the light come up.
Any Abu Dhabi address — Yas, Saadiyat, Al Reem, Al Raha, Khalifa City, the cruise terminal. Long-haul (Dubai, Al Ain) on request.
We stop at a quieter ridge away from the camp, so you get the sunset without five other 4×4s in the photo. Photography is the reason most guests book this.
Not in the AED 400: alcohol (camp is dry), private tent (add AED 350), quad bike (add AED 100 with the overnight+quad package), and Dubai/Al Ain pickup (quoted on request). · See the 3 packages →
18 hours from afternoon pickup to next-morning drop-off. The evening runs exactly as the standard evening safari does; the morning is the part you can't get any other way.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 2:30 – 3:30 PM | Hotel / residence pickup in an air-conditioned 4×4 |
| ≈ 4:15 PM | Arrive Al Khatim · air down the tyres · safety briefing |
| ≈ 4:30 PM | 30 minutes of 4×4 dune bashing with an expert driver |
| ≈ 5:00 PM | Camel ride · sandboarding · photo stops |
| ≈ 5:45 PM | Arrive camp · welcome refreshments (Arabic coffee, dates, soft drinks) |
| ≈ 6:00 – 6:30 PM | Sunset on a private ridge |
| ≈ 7:30 PM | BBQ buffet dinner (veg & non-veg) + live shows (Tanura, belly dance, fire) |
| ≈ 9:45 PM | Campfire, last shisha, stargazing up on the dune |
| ≈ 11:00 PM | To your Bedouin tent · lights out |
| 6:00 – 6:30 AM | Wake for sunrise · short walk up the dune above the camp |
| ≈ 6:45 AM | Sunrise breakfast at the campfire (foul, labneh, hummus, eggs, fruit, tea, Arabic coffee) |
| ≈ 8:00 AM | Pack up · freshen up · last photos |
| ≈ 8:30 AM | Drive back to Abu Dhabi |
| ≈ 9:00 AM | Drop-off at your hotel / residence |
Timings shift slightly by season and pickup location. We confirm your exact window when you book. The camp goes quiet after 11 PM — there is no nightclub, no music after the shows, and the generators are switched to silent mode for sleeping.
The vehicle is shared by default, the tent is shared by default, and both can be upgraded. The maths work out differently for each option — here is the comparison.
| Option | What's included | From | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shared (default) | Shared 4×4 to camp · shared Bedouin tent (separated by gender or family) · full evening programme · breakfast | AED 400 per person |
Solo travellers, couples, and first-timers happy to meet other guests |
| Private tent | Same shared 4×4 · private tent for your group · full evening programme · breakfast | + AED 350 per tent |
Couples, families, and friends who'd like a tent to themselves but don't need the car |
| Private 4×4 + private tent | Whole Land Cruiser to yourselves · private tent included free · full evening programme · breakfast | AED 900 + AED 400 per vehicle + per person, up to 6 |
Groups of 3+ who want the car and the tent to themselves |
The honest version. For a couple, shared is the right call — you save AED 350+ and the shared tent is genuinely a nice social experience. For a family with kids, the private tent (AED 350) is worth it. A private 4×4 is AED 900 for the car plus AED 400 per person, with the tent included — so two guests pay AED 1,700 all-in and six pay AED 3,300. You are buying the car and the tent, not a cheaper per-head rate. We will tell you this on WhatsApp before you pay.
Three ways to do the overnight — same Bedouin camp, same 18-hour programme, different vehicle and activity mix. Pick the one that fits your group and your appetite for adrenaline.
Shared 4×4 · shared tent · the full 18-hour programme
Shared 4×4 · shared tent · + 30-min guided ATV
Your own Land Cruiser · private tent included · up to 6 guests
How the prices stack up. Standard (AED 400 pp) is the right call for solo travellers and couples. The overnight + quad adds the 30-min guided ATV for AED 50 more per person — the cheapest adrenaline hit we sell. The private overnight is priced as AED 900 per vehicle plus AED 400 per person, which is the same per-person rate as standard but with the car to yourselves. At 3 guests the private works out at AED 700 per person (car split 3 ways), at 6 guests it falls to AED 550 per person — at which point you might as well also add the quad. We'll work the maths out on WhatsApp before you pay.
It is a real Bedouin-style tent — goat-hair weave on the outside, cotton lining on the inside, with a wooden-framed bed, a proper mattress (not a foam pad), a pillow, two blankets, fresh sheets, and a small bedside table. There is a reading lamp, a hook for your jacket, and a rug on the floor. Tents are pitched on a flat sandy area behind the main camp, with a clear line of sight to the washroom block. They are not en-suite.
Short list — the camp supplies bedding, towels, soap, water, and breakfast. You bring the rest.
"Booked the overnight for my parents who were visiting. They are still talking about it. Real beds, the campfire, the silence of the desert at night — magic."
"We did the private tent and it was worth the AED 350. The shared tent looks fine in the photos but with a 4-year-old you want your own space. The sunrise breakfast at the campfire was the highlight of the whole trip."
"February night was colder than I expected — bring a jumper — but the Milky Way from the dune was unreal. The camp was quiet, the toilets were clean, the staff walked us to the tent at 11 PM. Exactly what was promised."
Rated 4.9 on Google from 462 verified overnight-safari reviews · Guests at our own Al Khatim camp since 2014 · Read all Abu Dhabi desert safari reviews →
Most guests love it. A few don't. Here is the honest version, so you can tell before you book.
Pick from the 3 packages above (standard, overnight + quad, or private), then your date, your pickup point, and the number of guests. We confirm in minutes with a printable voucher. WhatsApp is the fastest way to check availability, especially in season (October–March) when the camp fills.
Book your Overnight Desert Safari Abu Dhabi — from AED 400 per person →
Booking open · Instant confirmation
Pick shared or private tent, your date, the number of guests and your pickup point — we confirm in minutes with a quoted itinerary and pickup time. Standard from AED 400 per person, and free cancellation up to 24 hours before pickup.
Check availability for my date · most overnight bookings confirm in under an hour.
Still deciding? · Evening desert safari if you'd rather sleep in your own bed · Morning desert safari for the sunrise without the sleepover · See the private 4×4 upgrade → · VIP desert safari with reserved seating and table service · desert safari with quad bike if you want the 30-minute ride · desert safari with dune buggy where you take the wheel.
18 hours total. Pickup between 2:30–3:30 PM, drop-off around 9:00 AM the next morning after sunrise breakfast.
Shared by default — Bedouin-style tents separated by gender with proper beds, mattresses, pillows and blankets. A private tent is a separate add-on from AED 350 per tent, or free if you book a private 4×4 vehicle.
Yes. The camp has tiled Western toilets and hot showers in a separate block, walking distance from the tents. They are basic but clean, and there is always toilet paper and soap.
Toothbrush, change of clothes for the morning, a warm layer for October–March nights (desert drops to 14–18°C), phone charger, and a power bank. Everything else — bedding, pillows, towels — is supplied.
Yes, from about 6 years up. Younger kids do the evening programme with you, sleep in the family tent if you book a private one, and wake for sunrise. Bring a sleeping bag for very young children if you have one.
October to March: 14–18°C. May to September: 24–28°C, which is genuinely the most comfortable time to do the overnight because the night is mild.
Yes — there's a small generator-run charging station in the tent area. Bring your own charger. The camp is off-grid so power is limited; heavy laptop charging is not a great idea. A 10,000 mAh power bank is the better plan.
Book a private tent for AED 350, or book a private 4×4 vehicle (AED 900 per vehicle plus AED 400 per person) and we'll arrange a private tent at no extra charge. Both are subject to availability — ask when you book.
