Private desert safari in Dubai
A private desert safari from Dubai gives your group its own 4x4 and desert-trained driver, with no other hotels on the pickup route. You choose the pickup time, the pace on the dunes and when to leave the camp. Assure can also drive you to the desert in its own car, with a private partner 4x4 for the dunes.
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Updated Checked by Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing Partner
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The day, stop by stop
Times are a guide. Your driver keeps to your group's pace.
About 3:00 pm (December)
Pickup at your address
The private 4x4, or your Assure car, collects your group and nobody else.
About 4:00 pm
Edge of the desert
On the car-plus-4x4 option, you move from your Assure car to the private 4x4 here.
About 4:15 pm
Dune drive
As long, short or gentle as your group asks, stopping for photos on the way.
About 5:30 pm
Sunset
Mid-December sunset in Dubai is at about 5:31 pm.
About 6:00 pm
Camp dinner
A private table where the camp has one and you have booked it.
Drive home
When your group is ready to leave, within the camp's opening hours.
What the trip includes
Included
- A 4x4 and desert-trained driver for your group only
- Pickup and drop-off at the address you choose
- A dune drive at the pace your group asks for, with photo stops
- Entry to a desert camp with dinner
Not included
- A private table, private camp or VIP setup, quoted on top
- Quad bikes, dune buggies and other paid extras
What to bring
- Each child's age and weight, sent before the day, so seats can be fitted
- A jumper or light jacket for camp evenings from December to February
- Sunglasses for the sunset stop
- Any dietary needs, sent with the booking
What private covers, and what it does not
On a desert safari, private means the vehicle and the driver. Your group is the only one in the 4x4, the pickup is at your address, and the time is the one you agree in the quote. The camp is still shared with other guests unless you add a private table, a private setup or the VIP desert safari camp.
| Part of the evening | On a private safari |
|---|---|
| 4x4 and driver | Your group only |
| Pickup | Your address, at your time, planned back from sunset |
| Dune drive | Longer, gentler or skipped, as you ask |
| Photo stops | When you ask for them |
| Camp | Shared, unless you book a private setup |
| Leaving the camp | When your group is ready |
Two ways to run a private safari
- Private 4x4 from your door. A desert 4x4 from a safari operator in our partner network, subject to availability, collects your group and stays with you all evening.
- Assure car plus a private 4x4. Your Assure car drives you to the edge of the desert, where a private partner 4x4 takes over for the dunes and the camp. The same car brings you home after dinner.
The second option suits guests who want a sedan or a large SUV on the road, or who come straight from a meeting or a flight. Assure’s own cars are road cars, and none of them drives dunes. The dune part is always done by a desert-trained driver in a 4x4 built for sand.
How many fit in each car
The 4x4 seats are stated in your quote, and a group bigger than one 4x4 gets a second one driving with yours. The table below lists the Assure cars for the road leg on the car-plus-4x4 option.
| Car | Guests | Large suitcases |
|---|---|---|
| Lexus ES 300h | 3 | 2 |
| Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series | 3 | 2 |
| GMC Yukon or Cadillac Escalade | 6 | 3 |
| Mercedes-Benz V-Class | 6 | 4 |
| Mercedes-Benz Sprinter | 13 or 19 | 6 (13-seat) or 3 (19-seat) |
Suitcase counts assume every seat is in use. The luxury SUVs page shows the Yukon and Escalade with their three rows of seats.
Who books a private safari
- Families with small children. Children under 4 must ride in a child seat in the UAE, so send ages and weights before the day and the quote confirms which seats can be fitted. You leave the camp when the children are tired, not when the shared 4x4 does.
- Older guests. The driver can take the dunes gently or go round them.
- Couples marking a date. A private table at the camp can be added to the quote.
- Photographers. You can stop where the light is good. In mid-December the sun sets at about 5:31 pm, so ask for the dunes by 4:30 pm.
- Groups of 7 to 19. One Sprinter carries everyone to the desert, and the 4x4s drive together from there.
Dressing up for a birthday or a proposal? Pack flat shoes for the sand, because heels sink on the dunes. On the car-plus-4x4 option, spare bags stay in the road car.
Is a private desert safari worth it?
A shared 4x4 collects several hotels before it heads out, and Dubai Marina alone is 63 km from Lahbab. A private car goes straight from your door. On the way back, a shared car drops each hotel in turn; a private one drives you home first.
The price works the other way. Two people pay for two seats on a shared safari but for the whole vehicle on a private one. As your group fills the 4x4, the vehicle price spreads across more seats. The private vs shared guide sets the two out side by side.
What sets the price of a private safari
A private safari is priced per vehicle, not per seat, and the WhatsApp quote lists each part on its own line:
- The 4x4s: one for each car-load of your group, at the seats the quote states.
- The road car, if you take the car-plus-4x4 option: from a Lexus ES 300h for 3 guests up to a 19-seat Sprinter.
- Your timings: say if you want an early start for photographers or a late leave from the camp.
- The camp setup: a shared table, a private table or a VIP camp.
- Extras for some of the group: a quad bike or buggy session for the riders only.
Starting from the airport, or making a day of it
From Dubai International to Lahbab is 47 km by road, roughly 53 minutes when the roads are clear. With an airport pickup at DXB, your chauffeur meets you in arrivals and the luggage rides in the road car while the 4x4 takes the dunes.
For a longer day, book a car with driver by the hour and fit the desert in after the city. The private tours page covers full-day trips with your own driver, and the evening safari page sets out the shared version and the camp areas. To stay out until sunrise, ask about the overnight desert safari.
How to book a private safari
- On WhatsApp to +971 56 684 8148, or in the trip form, send: “Private desert safari for __ people on __, pickup __, evening or morning.”
- Add children’s ages, any guest who needs a gentle drive, and whether you want an Assure car for the road leg.
- The quote comes back with the vehicles, the pickup time, the camp and the cancellation terms. Accept it in the same chat.
If your group is split across two hotels, say so in the first message, and the quote covers both pickups. The chat is answered on WhatsApp and phone 24/7.
Private vs shared desert safari sets out the difference. Is dune bashing safe covers the safety side, and our desert safari locations guide shows where the camps are.
Add an airport transfer
Landing the same day? The same booking can include your pickup from any UAE airport, with your name on a board in arrivals.
More trips from Lahbab desert
Questions and answers
How much is a private desert safari?
Assure quotes it per vehicle, not per person, and sends the price on WhatsApp. The total depends on how many 4x4s your group needs, the road car if you take one, your pickup address, the date, the camp setup and any quad bike or buggy time. Send the number of guests, the date and your pickup area, and the quote lists each part.
Is a private desert safari worth it?
For families, small groups and anyone short of time, usually yes. You skip the shared pickup loop, leave the camp when you want and set the pace on the dunes. For one or two people the price gap against shared seats is widest, because you pay for the whole vehicle. The gap narrows as your group fills the seats.
Can we choose our own pickup time?
Yes, within the light. Most groups want the dune drive before sunset, so the pickup is planned back from it: about 3 pm in December, when the sun sets at about 5:31 pm, and about 4:40 pm in June. Tell us when you would like to leave, and the quote confirms the time against your address and date.
How many people fit in a private 4x4?
Your quote states the seats in the 4x4 booked for you. A group bigger than one 4x4 gets a second one, driving with yours. On the road leg, Assure's own cars carry 3 guests in a Lexus ES 300h, 6 in a GMC Yukon or Cadillac Escalade, and 13 or 19 in a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter.
Is the camp private as well?
No, not by default. A private safari means your own vehicle and driver; the camp is still shared with other guests. You can add a private table, a private setup or a VIP camp, each quoted on top. Say what you have in mind, such as a birthday or a proposal, and we will tell you which camps can arrange it.
Can the safari start at the airport?
Yes, in an Assure car. Your chauffeur meets you in the DXB arrivals hall with your name on a board, and Lahbab is 47 km from the airport by road, about 53 minutes without traffic. Luggage stays in the road car while the private 4x4 drives the dunes. Send the flight number and how many bags you have, so the right car comes.
Can the driver go easy on the dunes?
Yes. With nobody else in the 4x4, the driver can take a gentler line, cut the dune drive short or skip it. Guests who are pregnant, or who have back, neck or heart trouble, should leave the dunes out altogether. Name any older guests or small children in your first message, and the quote says which route the driver will take.