By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 3 min read
Where do desert safaris in Dubai take place?
The short answer is the red sand south-east of the city. Three names appear on most quotes: Lahbab, Al Awir and Margham. All three are inside Dubai emirate. Quieter wildlife trips use the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, and Al Marmoom is a separate public reserve nearby.
Pick the area by what you want from the day: the sunset and the dune drive, wildlife, or a night under the stars. The morning and evening desert safari trips use the same dunes at different hours.
Lahbab and the red dunes: the classic dune-bashing area
Lahbab is a district of about 97 km² in south-east Dubai, on the border with Sharjah. Its tall red dunes are the regular stage for the dune drive. The driver lets air out of the tyres at the edge of the sand and follows a lead 4x4 in single file.
Lahbab is also where a quad bike or dune buggy session is usually ridden. Al Awir borders it on the city side. Margham lies further south.
How far is each area from Downtown, the Marina and DXB?
Distances are by road, without traffic, from OpenStreetMap routing. Camps sit out in the sand, so add a few minutes.
| From | Al Awir | Lahbab | Margham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown Dubai | 30 km, 28 min | 48 km, 43 min | 56 km, 49 min |
| Dubai Marina | 48 km, 42 min | 63 km, 57 min | 72 km, 61 min |
| Dubai International (DXB) | 28 km, 36 min | 47 km, 53 min | 63 km, 63 min |
| Central Sharjah | 34 km, 30 min | 57 km, 50 min | 71 km, 59 min |
The Marina is 15 km further than Downtown, so a Marina pickup leaves earlier on the same trip. Landing the same day? A chauffeur can take you from Dubai International to the sand, 47 km away, with your bags staying in the road car.
Al Marmoom Desert Conservation Reserve
Al Marmoom is in Saih Al Salam and is run by Dubai Municipality. It was announced in January 2018 and is described as the first unfenced nature reserve in the UAE. It has bird and star observation decks, an 84 km cycling track, and permitted camping and barbecues.
It is a nature destination, not the main dune-bashing area. If a quote says “Al Marmoom safari”, ask the operator which dunes the 4x4 drives.
The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve: wildlife and limits on vehicles
The Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve covers 225 km², about 5% of the emirate. It holds the largest free-roaming herd of Arabian oryx in the UAE, as well as gazelles and desert birds. The Al Maha desert resort sits inside it.
Trips here are wildlife-led and slower than a dune-bashing evening. We have not confirmed the reserve’s current vehicle limits from the operator, so ask us for the rules on your date.
Big Red and the Sharjah side of the desert
Big Red is a dune name used in selling, on the Sharjah side of the desert. We have not confirmed its road access from an official source. Ask which area your trip actually uses, and see the Sharjah desert safari page for trips that start there.
Which desert suits which safari?
- Evening safari: Lahbab, for the dunes at sunset and a camp dinner. See the morning vs evening comparison.
- Morning safari: Lahbab or Al Awir, with cooler sand. The morning desert safari page covers the schedule.
- Overnight: a camp in the dunes, with a sunrise. See the overnight desert safari.
- VIP or private: a private 4x4 in the same dunes, set out on the VIP desert safari page. Our private vs shared guide explains the difference.
- Season: the best time for a desert safari sets the hours.
For other trips out of the city, see our day trips from Dubai guide. A sunrise over the dunes from the air is covered in hot air balloon in Dubai.
Photos in this guide
Three safari SUVs on rippled dunes under a clear sky in the Al Marmoum desert south of DubaiRob Young / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0
The sun rising through haze over the dunes of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, seen from the airFlorian Kriechbaumer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
A lone white 4x4 crossing wide, rippled dunes in the Dubai Desert Conservation ReserveHeba Hashem / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Rolling red sand dunes dotted with shrubs in the desert outside DubaiTiago Muraro / Unsplash, via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
