All-Inclusive Desert Safari Abu Dhabi: The Full List, and the Two Exceptions
Eighteen things in every package from AED 35 up, two things that cost extra, and nothing sold to you at the camp. This page is the complete honest inventory.
- 4 min read
- 18 inclusions
- From AED 35
“All-inclusive” is the most abused phrase in this industry. It has been used to mean everything from a genuine full evening to a car and a cold sandwich.
So instead of adjectives, here is the inventory: every single thing included in our packages, the two things that are not, and the promise that matters more than either list — nobody at the camp will try to sell you anything.
Eighteen things, every package
| In the desert | At the camp |
|---|---|
| Dune bashing in a 4×4 | Full BBQ buffet, unlimited |
| Sunset photo stop | Live grill: chicken and lamb |
| Camel riding | Vegetarian mezze and hot dishes |
| Sandboarding | Unlimited soft drinks and water |
| Falcon photo | Arabic coffee and karak tea |
| Arabic costume photos | Tanoura dance show |
| Henna painting | Fire show |
| Shisha corner | Belly dance performance |
| Camp entry and facilities | Return transfer, on transfer packages |
This list applies from the AED 35 self-drive to the AED 250 VIP bundle. VAT is inside every price we quote and no service charge is added to anything.
Two things, priced before you book
Quad bikes — AED 100. A separate motorized activity with its own equipment, helmets and minimum ages.
The dune buggy — AED 800. The serious two-seater. Same rules.
Both are optional, both are agreed on WhatsApp before the day, and neither is sold to you at the camp. There is no photographer circulating with prints, no charge for the costume photos, no surprise henna bill. If anyone at any camp in the Emirates asks you for money for something not on the agreed list, you are being hustled — the scams page covers it.
Tips are the only other money that might leave your pocket, and they are voluntary: AED 20–50 from the car for a driver who earned it. Nothing is added, nobody hints.
Unlimited means unlimited — with one absence
The buffet is unlimited. The live grill runs chicken and lamb through the dinner service, with rice, curries, hot vegetable dishes, the mezze table, salads, fresh fruit and sweets alongside. Go back three times; nobody is counting. The station-by-station list is on the BBQ menu page, with a dedicated vegetarian page.
Drinks are unlimited too: water, soft drinks, juice, Arabic coffee poured from the dallah, and karak tea. No wristbands, no tab, no drinks menu with prices on it.
The absence: alcohol. None served, none sold, none you can bring. Alcohol in the UAE is licensed to hotels and restaurants and no desert camp holds a licence. We would rather say it here than have you discover it at the camp bar that does not exist.
Why the AED 35 guest gets the same evening
Most operators build tiers by subtracting: the cheap package loses the camel, then the show, then dinner becomes “snacks”. It makes the price list look busy and the cheap guest feel cheap.
We priced it the other way. The evening is the evening. What you pay more for is how you travel (coach, shared 4×4, private car), where you sit (carpets or the front majlis bay at +AED 50), and when you go (evening, sunrise, overnight).
It also means comparison shopping is simple: when another operator quotes you less, ask for their list and count it against the eighteen above.
Payment, timing and the drive
Nothing is paid in advance. No deposit, no card details, no payment link. You agree one total on WhatsApp and pay at the camp, cash or card. Free cancellation to twelve hours before pickup.
Transport prices: self-drive AED 35, shared coach AED 50, hotel pickup AED 100, private car AED 599 — all with the identical evening. Full table on prices and timings.
The camp is at Al Khatim, about an hour from the Corniche and forty minutes from Zayed International. The evening runs roughly six hours door to door.
Bring a little cash for tips if you want to, closed shoes always, and a jacket November to February.
All-inclusive — your questions
What does all-inclusive mean on a desert safari?
Eighteen things in every standard package: dune bashing, sunset stop, camel riding, sandboarding, falcon photo, Arabic costume photos, henna, shisha corner, the full BBQ buffet with the live grill, unlimited soft drinks and hot drinks, and the tanoura, fire and belly dance shows. VAT included, nothing added at the camp.
What is NOT included?
Two things: quad bikes at AED 100 and the dune buggy at AED 800. Both optional, both priced before you book, never sold to you at the camp. Tips are voluntary and nothing is added to any bill.
Are drinks really unlimited?
Soft drinks, water, juice, Arabic coffee and karak tea – yes, all evening, no wristbands and no tab. There is no alcohol at the camp at any price; it is not licensed and no desert camp in the Emirates is.
Is the buffet unlimited too?
Yes. The live grill runs chicken and lamb through dinner, alongside rice, curries, mezze, salads, fruit and sweets, with a full vegetarian spread that needs no notice. Go back as often as you like.
Is there a cheaper package with fewer inclusions?
No, and that is deliberate. The AED 35 self-drive gets the identical evening to the AED 250 VIP bundle – what changes between packages is transport and seating, never the list of what you get.
Do I pay anything at the camp?
Only the total you already agreed on WhatsApp – cash or card, VAT included. No deposit beforehand, no payment link, and free cancellation to twelve hours before pickup.
Read next
The full price table is on prices and timings, the food on the BBQ menu, and what to watch for elsewhere on scams and red flags. Comparing seats and vehicles? Seats per car does the arithmetic.
One price, the whole list, nothing at the camp
Send us your date and head count and we will send back one total with VAT in it — and the same eighteen things whether you pay AED 35 or AED 250.