VIP Desert Safari Abu Dhabi: What AED 250 Actually Buys
Every package gets the same eighteen things. What the money buys is the vehicle you travel in, the seat you sit on and the hour you are out there — so here is exactly what each step up changes.
- 5 min read
- Majlis +AED 50
- Bundle AED 250
The word VIP does a lot of unearned work in this industry. On most operators’ sites it means a bigger number and a photograph of a cushion.
On ours it means three specific things, and none of them change what happens in the desert. Everybody gets the same dune drive, the same camels, the same buffet and the same fire show. Read this before you pay for something you would not have noticed.
The eighteen things nobody pays extra for
Before the upgrades, the floor. From the AED 35 self-drive to the AED 999 sunrise car, every standard package carries the same core evening:
| 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 | Arabic coffee, karak tea, soft drinks, water |
| Falcon photo | Tanoura dance show |
| Arabic costume photos | Fire show |
| Henna painting | Belly dance performance |
| Shisha corner | Bedouin-style seating and carpets |
VAT is included and nothing is added at the camp. So when an operator tells you the VIP package includes camel riding, remember the AED 35 one does too.
What each step up changes
| Package | Price | What actually changes |
|---|---|---|
| Self-drive | AED 35 | Nothing changes at the camp. You get yourself there. |
| Shared coach | AED 50 | Fixed city pickup points, set departure time. |
| Shared 4×4 | AED 100 | Collected from your hotel door, sharing the vehicle. |
| VIP majlis seat | +AED 50 | Front bay by the grill. Seating with a back to it. Reserved table. |
| Evening VIP bundle | AED 250 | The full evening with pickup, the majlis bay and the quad bike ride. |
| Private car | AED 599 | Your own vehicle. No pickup circuit, your own timings. |
| Sundowner, private | AED 850 | Best light of the day, far fewer people, no waiting between activities. |
| Sunrise, private | AED 999 | The emptiest hour the desert has. |
| Overnight | AED 450 each | You stay after everyone leaves. Dark sky, quiet fire, breakfast at dawn. |
Extras on top, priced before you book, never at the camp: quad bikes at AED 100 and the buggy at AED 800.
When to spend it and when not to
Buy the majlis seat if anybody in the group has knees that object to two hours cross-legged on a carpet, if you are a party who wants to stay together at the front, or if you want the grill in front of you rather than a queue.
Do not buy it if you are two fit people happy on cushions. You will spend most of the evening on your feet anyway — at the camel line, on the sandboard, out where the lights stop.
Buy the private car if there are five or six of you. At six people the AED 599 vehicle costs less than six seats at AED 100, and it deletes the hotel pickup circuit. That is arithmetic, not an upgrade.
Buy the sunrise or the overnight if what you actually want is the desert without a crowd in it. That is the one thing the mid-range packages cannot give you at any price.
What “private” does and does not mean here
A private package with us means a private vehicle. It does not mean a private camp, and no honest operator in this emirate will tell you otherwise at these prices.
The camp at Al Khatim is shared every single night, with other families and other operators’ guests in it. You can have your own car, your own timing, a reserved table and the front row. You cannot have the place to yourselves.
If that is what you are after, exclusive camp hire exists and runs into five figures before food. We would rather say so now than have you find out on the sand.
The genuine privacy is bought with the clock instead: the sunrise trip, the overnight, or a weekday rather than a Friday.
Payment, timings and the drive
Nothing is paid in advance at any price point. No deposit, no card details, no payment link. One total agreed on WhatsApp, paid at the camp in cash or by card. Free cancellation to twelve hours before pickup.
The camp is at Al Khatim: about an hour from the Corniche, forty minutes from Zayed International. The evening runs roughly six hours door to door with most guests home around half past nine.
Tell us the head count when you book, not on the day. A reserved front table is arranged before the vehicles leave; at the camp it is already gone.
Between November and February bring a jacket — the front bay is closer to the fire, but it is still open desert at night.
VIP safaris — your questions
What does the VIP desert safari include that the standard one does not?
Seating with a back to it in the front majlis bay by the grill, a reserved table, and on the AED 250 evening bundle the quad bike ride as well. The eighteen core inclusions – dune bashing, camels, sandboarding, buffet, shows, drinks, henna, costume photos – are identical on every package.
Is the VIP majlis worth AED 50?
For older knees, for anyone who does not want to sit cross-legged on a carpet for two hours, and for a group that wants to stay together at the front, yes. For a fit couple happy on the cushions, honestly no – keep the fifty dirhams.
Is there a private VIP camp?
No. Our camp is shared every night and we will not pretend otherwise. Exclusive camp hire exists in this region and runs into five figures before anybody has eaten. What you can buy from us is a private vehicle and a reserved front table.
What is the most private option you have?
The sunrise car at AED 999 or the sundowner at AED 850 – your own vehicle at the emptiest hours of the day. The overnight at AED 450 each is the other one, because the camp clears out after the evening groups leave.
Is alcohol included in the VIP package?
No. There is no alcohol at the camp on any package at any price. Alcohol in the UAE is licensed to hotels and restaurants and a camp on open desert land holds no licence. Arabic coffee, karak tea, juice and soft drinks are unlimited and included.
Do I pay a deposit for a VIP booking?
No deposit, no card details, no payment link, at any price point. You agree one total on WhatsApp and pay at the camp, cash or card, VAT included, with free cancellation to twelve hours before pickup.
Read next
Every package side by side is on prices and timings, and the premium end is set out on the luxury page. For a car of your own, see private safaris; for the quietest version of the desert, overnight and sunrise.
Tell us the group — we will say which step is worth it
Including when it is not. If six of you are about to buy six seats, we will point at the private car instead. No deposit, no card details.