Desert Safari in September: The Month the Desert Starts Giving Way
September is not autumn. It is August loosening its grip — two and a half degrees cooler, thirty minutes of daylight gone, and by the last week an evening at the camp that finally feels comfortable rather than survivable.
- 7 min read
- Al Khatim Desert
- Runs every day
- Same price all month
People ask us whether September is still summer or already the season. The honest answer is both, and which one you get depends on whether you come in the first week or the last.
Here is what actually changes across the month, with the numbers rather than the usual “pleasant weather all year” line.
The short version
Early September is August with a different name. Around 41°C in the afternoon, nights close to 28°C, the sea still holding the summer’s heat. Do the evening trip and skip anything at midday.
Late September is the turn. The daytime figure starts slipping, the evenings genuinely cool once the sun is down, and the sand stops radiating at you by the time dinner is served.
The light moves more than the heat does. Sunset drops from 6:41 PM on the 1st to 6:11 PM on the 30th — half an hour gone in one month, which is the fastest shift of the year.
Prices do not change. Same trip, same cost, all month. What changes is the hour we collect you.
What September actually looks like in numbers
Abu Dhabi averages for the month, alongside August so you can see the direction of travel.
| Measure | August | September |
|---|---|---|
| Average daytime high | 43.4°C | 40.9°C |
| Average overnight low | 30.2°C | 27.4°C |
| Mid-point of high and low | 36.8°C | 34.2°C |
| Sea temperature | about 34°C | about 33°C |
| Rainfall | 0.1 mm | effectively zero |
| Sunset, 1st of the month | 7:06 PM | 6:41 PM |
| Sunset, last day | 6:42 PM | 6:11 PM |
Two degrees does not sound like much written down. On the sand it is the difference between an evening you endure and an evening you enjoy, because it compounds with the shorter day: you are on the dunes for less of the sun.
The rainfall row is worth a glance too. September is the driest month of the whole year here — effectively zero. Whatever else the desert does to your plans, rain is not on the list.
The first week and the last week are different trips
If you are picking a date and you have any flexibility, this is the section that matters.
| 1–10 September | 20–30 September | |
|---|---|---|
| Afternoon | Still around 41°C | Easing, often below 38°C |
| Sunset | About 6:40 PM | About 6:15 PM |
| Evening at the camp | Warm. Pleasant once the sun has gone | Genuinely comfortable |
| Pickup window | 3:00–3:30 PM | Moves earlier as sunset does |
| Quad bikes, camel treks | Evening only | Late afternoon starts to work |
| How busy | Quiet. Low season | Filling up as the season opens |
There is a trade in there. Early September is hotter but the camp is at its emptiest of the year, which is worth something if you want photographs without strangers in them. Late September is more comfortable and correspondingly busier.
Why the desert feels easier than the Corniche
This surprises almost everyone, so it is worth repeating on every seasonal page we write.
Abu Dhabi city sits on the coast. The Gulf is shallow, it holds the summer’s heat well into autumn, and it pushes moisture over the islands. That is where the sticky, airless feeling comes from, and in September it is still very much there.
Al Khatim is roughly 85 km inland. There is no sea influence out there, so the air is dry. The temperature on your phone might read the same in both places; they do not feel remotely the same. Dry 41°C in moving air is a completely different experience from humid 35°C on the Corniche.
The August guide has the fuller explanation, and it holds for September too.
What to book, and what to leave alone
The evening safari is the right answer for almost everyone. You reach the dunes when the worst of the heat has passed, the sun goes down while you are on the sand, and dinner happens in air that is finally moving.
The morning trip comes back into play late in the month. In August the morning run is a race against the sun; by the last week of September the early hours are properly pleasant again.
The overnight safari is the one that transforms. Sleeping out in early September is warm work. By the end of the month the night air has dropped enough that it becomes what it is supposed to be, and from October it is one of the best things we run.
What to still avoid: quad bikes and long camel treks in the middle of the day, for the first three weeks at least. A helmet and an engine at one in the afternoon is not a holiday memory in any month with a 38 in front of it.
When the season properly turns
October is the month everything changes, and September is the ramp up to it.
| Month | High / low | What it means at the camp |
|---|---|---|
| August | 43.4°C / 30.2°C | Evening trip only. The heat runs the schedule |
| September | 40.9°C / 27.4°C | Evening trip, morning returns late in the month |
| October | 36.6°C / 23.7°C | Everything works. The season opens properly |
If your dates are genuinely open and comfort is your priority, wait for October. If you are here in September, come in the last ten days rather than the first ten. And if you are here in the first week regardless, take the evening trip and you will have a good night — thousands of people do, every September.
What to bring in September
- More water than you think. It is included at the camp, but the drive out is an hour and the dry air takes more out of you than humid air does.
- A light long sleeve. Not for cold. For the sun before it drops, and for the fire pit afterwards.
- Closed shoes for the drive, bare feet on the sand. Late in the month the sand cools quickly after sunset, which is a pleasure rather than a problem.
- Sunglasses that matter. The low September sun sits right in your eyes on the way out.
- A change of clothes. Sandboarding and sand do what they always do.
The full list is on the what to wear page, and it does not change much between August and October.
September questions we get on WhatsApp
Is September a good time for a desert safari in Abu Dhabi?
It improves across the month. Early September still runs to about 41°C in the afternoon and is essentially August; the last ten days ease noticeably and the evenings at the camp become genuinely comfortable. The evening safari works throughout, and September is the driest month of the year with effectively no rain.
How hot is it in Abu Dhabi in September?
The average daytime high is 40.9°C and the overnight low 27.4°C. That is two and a half degrees down on August on the daytime figure, and nearly three on the nights. The sea sits around 33°C, which is why the coast stays humid even as the air cools.
What time is sunset in Abu Dhabi in September?
It moves from about 6:41 PM on the 1st to about 6:11 PM on the 30th — half an hour lost in a single month, the fastest shift of the year. Pickup times move earlier through the month to keep you on the dunes for the sunset.
Is the desert cooler than Abu Dhabi city in September?
It is drier, which matters more than the thermometer. Al Khatim is about 85 km inland with no sea influence, so the air is dry, while the coast stays humid because the Gulf holds the summer heat well into autumn. Dry 41°C in moving air feels very different from humid 35°C on the Corniche.
Should I book September or wait for October?
If your dates are open and comfort is the priority, October — the daytime average drops to 36.6°C and nights to 23.7°C and everything we run works properly. If you are here in September, aim for the last ten days rather than the first, and take the evening trip.
Is the overnight safari worth it in September?
Late in the month, yes. In early September the night air is still warm enough that sleeping out is hard work. By the last week it has dropped enough to be what it should be, and from October it is one of the best trips we run.
Is the desert safari cheaper in September?
No. Our prices are the same every day of the year — from AED 35 if you drive yourself to the camp up to AED 999 for a private Land Cruiser. What changes with the season is the pickup time, not the price.
Is September busy at the camp?
Early September is one of the quietest stretches of the year, which is worth something if you want photographs without other people in them. It fills up through the last ten days as the season opens.
The month either side
The August guide explains what 43°C really does to an evening, and the October guide covers the month the season reopens. All twelve months are compared on the best time to go page. Every package and pickup time is on the price and timings page.
Tell us your September date and we will tell you the truth about it
Send the date, the package and how many of you there are. A real person replies, usually within a few minutes. If the first week is going to be hotter than you want, we will say so and suggest the last week instead.
Al Khatim Desert · Abu Dhabi | Pay on arrival · Free cancellation 24h · VAT included