With children · Al Khatim desert
Family desert safari in Abu Dhabi
Written for the parent doing the actual planning. What each age can and cannot do, when you will really get home, what is on the buffet that a fussy five-year-old will eat, and the car seat rule that most operators quietly ignore.
- From AED 40 per person
- Private car AED 700
- Dune bashing from 3
- Camel from 4
- Quads from 12
Tell us your children’s ages when you message and we will tell you honestly whether the trip suits them.
The bit parents actually need
Your evening, hour by hour — and what time bedtime really is
Nobody publishes this and it is the first thing you need. Times are approximate and shift by twenty minutes or so with the season.
- 3:00–3:30 PMCollectedFrom your hotel or building. If you are on Saadiyat or Yas it is earlier. This falls inside most toddler nap windows — useful, because the drive is the boring part.
- 45–60 minutesThe drive outMotorway, then the city thins out. Bring something for them to look at. There is no wifi out here and phone signal gets patchy.
- Around 20 minutesDune bashingThe exciting part and the part that goes wrong. Read the section below before you decide.
- 5:00–7:00 PMCamp: camel, sandboarding, hennaFree-roaming time. Children usually love the camel and are unsure about the sandboard, which surprises parents every time.
- Around 7:30 PMBBQ dinnerLater than most young children eat. If yours falls apart at half past six, feed them something before you leave.
- 7:45–8:30 PMThe showsTanoura, fire and belly dance, roughly forty minutes. Small children either sit transfixed or lose interest at minute ten. Both are normal.
- 8:30–9:30 PMHomeBack where you were collected. Realistically your child is in bed between 9:30 and 10.
If that bedtime is impossible
Take the morning safari instead. Out around 6:00 AM, back in the city before noon, no dinner and no shows, and everything else is the same. For anyone under about six, in summer, or with a strict bedtime, it is the better trip and we will say so.
By age
What each child can actually do
Search this and every operator gives you a different set of numbers. Here are ours in one table so you can plan instead of guessing.
| Activity | Minimum age | Notes for parents |
|---|---|---|
| Dune bashing | 3 | In a proper seat, belted. Ask the driver for a gentle drive and he will give you one. Read the car seat section below first. |
| Camel ride | 4 | Seated in front of a parent up to about ten. Under fours can feed and meet the camel from the ground, which most of them prefer. |
| Sandboarding | About 5 | Sitting or lying on the board from five, standing from around eight. Soft sand underfoot unnerves small children more than the slope does. |
| Quad bike | 12 | Single-seater from twelve with a guide alongside. Four to eleven can ride as a passenger on a double with an adult driving. |
| Dune buggy | 16 to drive | Passengers from eight with an adult driving. Under eight the harness does not hold them properly. |
| Henna, costume photos, the camp | Any age | No restrictions. This is where most small children have the best time anyway. |
The sibling problem
One thirteen-year-old who wants a quad and one four-year-old who wants a camel is the commonest family we take. Both are fine on the same trip — the quad is an add-on at the camp, and one parent goes with each child. Tell us the ages and we will lay out what the evening looks like before you book.
Car seats
The rule most operators quietly skip
UAE law is not vague about this. A child under four must be in a safety seat. Nobody under ten or under 145 cm goes in the front. The fine falls on the driver — AED 400 and black points on his licence.
It matters far more than a fine. There is a documented case in the Emirates of a three-year-old killed on a desert safari after the vehicle rolled. He was on his mother’s lap, unbelted, and was thrown through the rear window. Operators interviewed afterwards admitted taking babies as young as eight months on laps.
We will not take a small child on a lap on the dune drive. Not for a good customer, not for a bigger group, not because you are only doing the gentle route.
- Tell us the ages when you bookWe will confirm what we can fit for your date rather than promising something generic on a web page.
- You can bring your own seatMost families travelling with a toddler already have one, and a seat you know fits your child is better than a seat you have never seen.
- Under five? Book the private carAED 700 for the vehicle. It is the only way to be certain the right seat is fitted properly, and it lets you set the pace of the drive. This is the honest recommendation, not an upsell — below three people the shared car is cheaper and we say so on the private safari page.
- Or skip the dune drive entirelyDrive yourself out for AED 40 a head, in your own car with your own seat, and meet us at the camp. Everything at the camp is the same. Details on the self-drive page.
When it goes wrong
If your child is frightened, here is exactly what we do
Something usually rattles at least one child on a trip. Dune bashing is the big one, the camel standing up is the second, and standing on soft sand catches out more small children than the slope ever does.
Say stop and he stops
Tell the driver at the start that you want it gentle and he will drive it gently. Say stop halfway through and he takes the flat track to camp. No argument, no persuading, no “just one more.”
Front-facing, horizon, light stomach
It peaks between about two and twelve. Sit them where they can see out and forward, no tablets or books in the car, something plain in their stomach rather than a full meal, and a window cracked. If you use a travel sickness medicine, it needs to be in them an hour before, not as you set off.
Sitting out costs nothing
A child who does not want the camel, the board or the shows can sit with you by the fire and eat. Nobody at our camp will try to talk them into it and nobody charges differently.
Sometimes the answer is don’t
Under about three, and especially under one, we would gently steer you away from the evening trip. It is long, it is late, the drive is rough, and there is not much in it for them. Come back in a couple of years — the desert is not going anywhere.
The unglamorous list
Toilets, food, nappies and prams — the honest version
- ToiletsYes, at the camp, and they are the usual desert camp standard rather than a hotel. Go before the shows start, because that is when the queue happens.
- Baby changingAssume there is no changing table and bring a mat. Doing it on the back seat of the car with the door open is what most parents end up doing, and after dark you will want a torch.
- Prams and pushchairsUseless. The wheels sink immediately. A soft carrier or your hip is the only thing that works on sand, and it is worth knowing before you load one into the boot.
- Food a fussy child will eatThe buffet has plain rice, bread, grilled chicken, salads and fruit alongside the spiced dishes. Nothing is aggressively hot, and nothing stops you asking. If your child eats at six, feed them before you leave — dinner is around half seven.
- ShadeThere is shade at the camp and there is none in the dunes. On a morning trip in April onward that matters more than people expect.
- Warmth after darkThe desert drops fast once the sun is gone, and children feel it first. Bring a jumper each even if the city was 30 degrees when you left.
Which trip
Morning or evening — pick by your child’s age, not the weather
| Your children | What we would book | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Under 3 | Morning safari, or self-drive to the camp | Short, cool, home by noon, and no 9:30 PM bedtime. Skip the dune drive entirely if you would rather. |
| 3 to 7 | Evening in winter, morning in summer | Old enough for the camel, the sandboard and the shows. In summer the evening heat is still hard on them. |
| 8 to 11 | Evening safari | The sweet spot. They can do everything at the camp and stay awake for the fire show. |
| 12 and up | Evening plus a quad | This is the age the quad becomes possible, and it will be the thing they talk about. |
| Mixed ages | Private car, evening | Your own timing, your own pace of driving, and you can leave when the youngest has had enough. |
In June, July and August, take the morning trip whatever the ages. Doctors here advise keeping children out of direct sun through the middle of the day, and an evening safari in August is still 38 degrees when you arrive.
FAQs
Desert safari with children — your questions
Is a desert safari safe for young children?
Yes, with two conditions: a proper car seat for anyone under four, and a driver who has been told to keep the dune drive gentle. We insist on both. We will not take a small child on a lap during the dune drive under any circumstances.
What is the minimum age?
There is no minimum for coming to the camp. For the activities: dune bashing from 3, camel from 4, sandboarding from about 5, quad from 12, buggy passenger from 8. Under threes are welcome at the camp and we would steer you toward the morning trip.
Do you provide child car seats?
Tell us your children’s ages when you book and we will confirm what we can fit for your date. You are very welcome to bring your own, and for under-fives we honestly recommend the private car at AED 700 so the seat can be fitted properly.
Can I hold my baby on my lap?
No. It is against UAE law under four and it is the specific thing that has killed a child on a desert safari in this country. If a seat is not workable, drive yourself out to the camp for AED 40 a head and skip the dune drive.
What time do we get home?
Between 8:30 and 9:30 PM on the evening safari, so realistically your child is in bed around 9:30 to 10. If that will not work, take the morning safari — out at 6, back before noon.
Morning or evening with kids?
Under three, morning. Three to seven, evening in winter and morning in summer. Eight and up, evening. In June to August, morning whatever their age.
Will my child get car sick?
It peaks between about two and twelve. Sit them forward where they can see out, no tablets in the car, something light in their stomach rather than a big meal, and if you use a travel sickness medicine give it an hour before you leave.
Can we skip the dune bashing?
Yes, and plenty of families do. Either book the private car and tell the driver, or drive yourself out to the camp. Everything at the camp is identical either way.
What if my child hates it halfway through?
Say stop and the driver takes the flat route to camp. At the camp, sitting out costs nothing and nobody will try to talk them into anything.
Is there food my picky eater will eat?
Plain rice, bread, grilled chicken, salads and fruit alongside the spiced dishes. Nothing aggressively hot. Dinner is around 7:30 PM, which is late for young children — feed them before you leave if that matters.
Are there toilets at the camp?
Yes. Desert camp standard rather than hotel standard. Go before the shows start.
Is there anywhere to change a nappy?
Assume not, and bring a mat. Most parents end up doing it on the back seat with the door open. Bring a torch if it is after dark.
Can I bring a pushchair?
It will not work — the wheels sink in sand straight away. A soft carrier is the answer.
Is it too hot for children in summer?
In the middle of the day, yes. Take the morning safari, keep them out of direct sun, and drink more than you think you need. Doctors here specifically advise keeping children out of the sun from late morning to mid afternoon in summer.
How much does it cost for a family?
From AED 40 a head if you drive yourself, AED 60 on the shared coach, AED 150 for door pickup, AED 250 for the full evening safari. A private car for up to six is AED 700 total. Nothing is charged in advance.
Do children pay full price?
Ask us with the ages when you message. Nothing is paid in advance either way, and we will give you the total for the group before you commit.
Tell us their ages and we will be honest with you
Send us the date and how old your children are. If the evening trip is wrong for them we will say so and point you at the morning one instead.
More to read: Morning Safari · Private Safari · Camel Rides · Self-drive from AED 40