Not sure this is your page? This page is the AED 35 self-drive safari — you drive your own car to our Al Awir camp. If you want pickup included (shared bus AED 50, shared 4×4 AED 100, private car from AED 799), see the full Desert Safari Dubai page.
How much is a self drive desert safari in Dubai and how does it work?
A self drive desert safari in Dubai with Royal Arabian Safari costs AED 35 per person. You drive your own car on a normal paved road to our DTCM-licensed camp in Al Awir, about 40 kilometres and roughly a 40 minute drive from central Dubai, and you park free at the camp. From there our own trained driver takes you dune bashing in our 4×4, so you do not drive on the dunes yourself and you do not need a 4×4 to reach us. A standard family car is perfectly fine.
How you travel changes the price more than which tour you pick — the cheapest ways to reach the same camp are listed in desert safari Abu Dhabi deals.
The AED 35 self drive price includes dune bashing, a camel ride, sandboarding, henna for ladies, Arabic-costume photos, sunset photography, eight live shows and a full BBQ buffet dinner with unlimited soft drinks, water, tea and coffee. If you would rather not drive, a shared bus pickup is AED 50, a shared 4×4 hotel pickup is AED 100 per person, and a private car for up to seven guests is AED 799. Self drive is simply the cheapest option because you cover your own transport instead of paying for ours.
The Cheapest Way to Do a Dubai Desert Safari
A self drive desert safari is the lowest-cost way to experience the Dubai desert, and it is far simpler than most people expect. Instead of waiting for a hotel pickup and paying for a seat in a shared 4×4, you simply drive your own car to our camp, leave it in our free parking area, and step straight into the full evening safari. Everything that happens once you arrive is identical to our pickup packages, the same dunes, the same dune bashing in our vehicles, the same dinner and the same shows. The only thing that changes is how you get there, and that single change is what brings the price down to AED 35.
There is one point worth clearing up immediately, because the name confuses many first-time visitors. Self drive does not mean you drive across the sand dunes yourself. Driving on soft desert dunes is genuinely dangerous without training and deflated tyres, and no responsible operator lets guests do it in their own cars. Self drive simply means you drive yourself to the meeting point on a normal tarmac road. Once you are at the camp, our licensed, experienced driver takes the wheel of our properly prepared 4×4 for the dune bashing. You get all the thrill with none of the risk, and your own car stays safely parked the whole time.
At Royal Arabian Safari we own and run the camp you are driving to. We are not a website reselling someone else trip and adding a fee on top, and we are not an agency forwarding your booking elsewhere. We are licensed by the Dubai Department of Economy and Tourism, we have welcomed more than five thousand guests, and we hold a 4.9 star average rating. You book directly with us on WhatsApp, there is no deposit, and you pay only when you arrive at the camp. This guide explains exactly how self drive works, where to go, how long the drive takes from every major area, what to bring, how the price breaks down and who should choose a different option, so you can book the right package with complete confidence.
How a Self Drive Desert Safari Works, Step by Step
From booking to driving home, the whole process is quick and stress-free. Here is exactly what happens.
1. Book on WhatsApp
Message us your date and number of guests. We confirm in minutes. There is no deposit and no online payment, so nothing is at risk before you arrive.
2. Get the exact location pin
We send you a Google Maps pin of the camp entrance in Al Awir, plus the meeting time. Save it to your phone before you leave so you can navigate straight to it.
3. Drive to the camp
Leave the city so you reach us around 3:00 to 3:30 PM for an evening safari. The entire drive is on paved highway and surfaced road. You never drive on sand to reach us, and any normal car will do.
4. Park free and check in
Pull into our free, secure parking area at the camp, give your booking name, and pay on arrival. Your car stays parked here safely for the whole experience.
5. Dune bashing in our 4×4
You move into our prepared 4×4 with our trained driver for the dune bashing across the golden dunes, with a stop for sunset photos. You sit back and enjoy it, the driving is ours.
6. Camp, activities, dinner and shows
Back at the camp you enjoy camel rides, sandboarding, henna, Arabic-costume photos, the live shows and a full BBQ buffet dinner with unlimited drinks, before driving yourself home whenever you are ready.
What the AED 35 Self Drive Price Actually Covers
A common worry with any AED 35 desert safari is that it must be a stripped-back teaser with everything charged as an extra. With us it is the opposite. The AED 35 self drive rate is the full evening experience, and the list of what is included is genuinely long. You are only covering your own transport to the camp, which is why the headline price is low, not because the experience is cut down.
Included in the AED 35 self drive price at no extra cost: 4×4 dune bashing with our driver, a camel ride, sandboarding, henna for ladies, Arabic costumes for photos, a sunset photography stop, all eight live shows including belly dance, LED Tanoura, fire show and more, a full BBQ buffet dinner with both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, and unlimited soft drinks, water, tea and coffee. Clean separate washrooms for men and women and a relaxed seating area are part of the camp too.
The only things that cost extra are genuine upgrades that not everyone wants: a quad bike, a Can-Am dune buggy, a private falcon photo, a longer camel ride, a professional photo package, VIP seating and table-side sheesha service. Every one of these is optional, every price is listed openly further down this page, and none of them are pushed on you at the camp. There is no entry fee, no parking charge and no compulsory tip. What you read here is what you pay.
Exactly Where You Drive To: Our Al Awir Meeting Point
Most operators are vague about where you actually go, naming only a broad zone like Lahbab or the DDCR boundary and leaving you to figure it out. We give you a precise Google Maps pin of our camp entrance. Our meeting point is at our own camp in Al Awir, on the eastern edge of Dubai just off the Dubai-Hatta Road (E44), at approximately 24.638, 55.490. Al Awir is the closest desert to the city, which is exactly why it suits self drive so well, the journey is short and entirely on good roads.
The full drive to the camp is on paved highway and surfaced approach road. You do not drive on sand at any point to reach us, so a normal saloon car, hatchback or family SUV is completely fine. When you book, we send the live pin and the meeting time, and our team is reachable on WhatsApp the whole way in case you need a landmark or guidance near the entrance. There is a free, secure parking area at the camp where your car stays for the entire experience.
Drive Times to the Camp From Every Major Dubai Area
Because Al Awir sits on the city side of the desert, the drive is genuinely short from most of Dubai, and quickest of all from the eastern communities. These are realistic door-to-camp times for late afternoon traffic. Aim to arrive around 3:00 to 3:30 PM for an evening safari, so leave a little earlier than the time shown to be safe.
| Starting from | Approx. distance | Approx. drive time |
|---|---|---|
| International City / Dragon Mart | ~12 km | ~20 min |
| Dubai Silicon Oasis / Academic City | ~15 km | ~20 min |
| Mirdif | ~18 km | ~25 min |
| Deira / Dubai Airport | ~28 km | ~35 min |
| Bur Dubai / Karama | ~30 km | ~35 min |
| Downtown Dubai / Business Bay | ~35 km | ~40 min |
| Jumeirah / Dubai Canal | ~38 km | ~40 min |
| JVC / Sports City | ~42 km | ~45 min |
| Dubai Marina / JBR / JLT | ~52 km | ~50 min |
| Sharjah (central) | ~35 km | ~45 min |
| Ajman | ~48 km | ~60 min |
If you are staying in Marina, JBR or another far-western area, the drive is around 50 minutes and you may decide a shared bus pickup at AED 50 or a hotel pickup at AED 100 is worth it to avoid the return drive after dinner. From central and eastern Dubai, self drive is usually the easiest and cheapest choice by a clear margin.
Your Quick Pre-Drive Checklist
Five minutes of preparation makes the self drive completely smooth. Run through this before you leave home, something almost no other operator tells you to do.
Fuel up before you go
Top up your tank in the city. There are fewer petrol stations near the desert edge, and you want enough for the round trip plus a margin.
Save the pin offline
Download the Google Maps area or take a screenshot of the pin. Signal is strong on the route, but an offline map removes any doubt near the camp entrance.
Leave a 30 minute buffer
Late-afternoon traffic out of the city can be heavy. Leaving half an hour earlier than the drive time means you arrive relaxed, not rushed, for sunset.
Never turn onto soft sand
Stay on the marked road right up to our parking area. Do not attempt to drive your own car onto the dunes, normal cars get stuck in seconds. Our 4×4 handles the sand.
Bring water and your phone charger
Carry water for the drive and a car charger so your phone is full for photos. Everything else, from costumes to dinner, is waiting at the camp.
Your Evening Self Drive Safari, Hour by Hour
Once you arrive and park, the evening unfolds in a relaxed sequence. Exact times shift slightly with the sunset across the year, but this is how a typical self drive evening runs.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| 3:00 – 3:30 PM | Arrive at the camp, park in our free secure area, check in and pay |
| 3:45 PM | Move into our 4×4 with our driver, dune bashing begins across the golden dunes |
| 4:30 PM | Sandboarding on the slopes and a stop for desert photos |
| 5:00 PM | Camel ride across the sand |
| Around sunset | Golden-hour photography stop, the best light of the day |
| 6:30 PM | Welcome at camp with tea, coffee and dates, henna, Arabic costumes and falcon photos |
| 7:00 PM | Live shows begin, belly dance, LED Tanoura, fire show and more |
| 8:00 PM | Full BBQ buffet dinner, vegetarian and non-vegetarian, with unlimited drinks |
| From 9:30 PM | Relax with sheesha, then drive yourself home whenever you are ready |
Because you have your own car, you are never tied to a group departure. If you want to leave straight after dinner you can, and if you want to linger over sheesha under the stars a little longer, that is fine too. That freedom is one of the quiet advantages of self drive that pickup guests do not get.
Self Drive Packages and Prices
Self drive is the cheapest way in at AED 35, but you can also choose a pickup option if you prefer not to drive home after dinner. All prices are per person unless stated, and every option includes the same full experience at the camp.
| Option | What you get | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Self drive | Drive your own car to the camp, park free, full safari and dinner | AED 35 / person |
| Shared bus pickup | Seat on our bus from a central Dubai pickup point and back | AED 50 / person |
| Shared 4×4 hotel pickup | Shared 4×4 collects you from your hotel and returns you | AED 100 / person |
| Private car (up to 7) | Private 4×4 for your group only, hotel pickup and drop | AED 799 / car |
| VIP seating upgrade | Premium private majlis seating at the camp, add to any option | +AED 50 / person |
A quick comparison for a couple driving themselves: two people self drive is just AED 70 total plus your own fuel, against AED 100 by shared bus or AED 200 with a shared 4×4 hotel pickup. For a family of four, self drive is AED 140 total. There is no charge for children under three, and there is no deposit on any package, you pay at the camp.
Optional Add-Ons and Their Prices
These are genuine extras for guests who want more. Everything below is optional, and nothing is required to enjoy the full safari. Basic henna and the camp sheesha area are already free.
| Add-on | Price |
|---|---|
| Quad bike — controlled area (single) | AED 150 · 20 min |
| Quad bike — controlled area (double) | AED 200 · 20 min |
| Quad bike — open desert (single) | AED 200 · 20 min |
| Quad bike — open desert (double) | AED 300 · 20 min |
| Can-Am dune buggy | AED 800 / 30 min |
| Falcon photo | AED 20 |
| Long camel ride (2 people) | AED 300 |
| Professional photography package | AED 50 |
| Extra dune bashing | AED 150 / vehicle |
| Full henna design (basic free) | AED 30 – 50 |
| Table-side sheesha service (camp area free) | AED 50 |
If you think you might want a quad bike or buggy, tell us when you book so we have it ready for your arrival, the pre-booked rate is the same and it saves waiting at the camp.
Everything Included in Your Self Drive Safari
All of this is part of the AED 35 self drive price, with nothing added at the camp:
Falcon photos, professional photography, quad bikes, the dune buggy, a longer camel ride and VIP seating are the only paid extras, and all are optional.
What You Will Do at the Camp
A self drive ticket gives you the full programme. Here is the experience waiting once you park.
Dune Bashing
Thrilling 4×4 ride over golden dunes, our driver at the wheel
Sunset Photography
The desert glows gold, the best photo light of the day
Camel Ride
A gentle ride across the sand on a calm, handled camel
Sandboarding
Slide down the dune slopes, easy for first-timers
Falcon Photo
Hold a magnificent falcon for an unforgettable shot (add-on)
Henna Art
Traditional henna designs for the ladies, basic included
Belly Dance
Live belly dance under the desert sky
LED Tanoura
Spinning, glowing Tanoura folk performance
Fire Show
A dramatic fire show as the night sets in
BBQ Buffet Dinner
Veg and non-veg grills, salads and dessert, unlimited drinks
Sheesha Corner
Relax with sheesha in the camp area, included
Group Memories
Costumes, photos and a real Arabian night with your group
Self Drive vs Hotel Pickup: Which Should You Choose?
Both get you the same safari. The right choice depends on where you are staying, whether you have a car, and how you feel about driving back after dinner.
| Self drive (AED 35) | Hotel pickup (AED 100) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | AED 35 | AED 100 |
| Best for | Anyone with a car, central and eastern Dubai | Tourists, no car, far-western areas |
| Transport | Your own car, you drive | Shared 4×4, we drive |
| Flexibility | Leave exactly when you want | Leave with the group |
| Drive home after dinner | You drive (about 40 min) | We drop you at your hotel |
| Need a 4×4? | No, any car reaches us | No vehicle needed at all |
In short, if you have a car and you are not far across the city, self drive saves you a lot and gives you total freedom over your evening. If you have no car, you have been out all day, or you would simply rather relax both ways, the AED 100 hotel pickup is worth it. There is no wrong answer, only the one that fits your trip.
What to Wear and Bring
Dress comfortably and practically. Light, loose clothing works best, and because you are driving yourself, you can leave anything bulky in the car until you need it.
Modest, comfortable clothing is the most respectful and practical choice in the desert. You do not need special gear, everything for the activities, including Arabic costumes for photos, is provided at the camp.