By Mohammed Rashad Hussain, Managing PartnerPublished 6 min read
Which is better, a morning or an evening desert safari?
It comes down to what you want from the desert and what else is in your day. The evening trip is built around the sunset and dinner at a camp. The morning trip is built around the dunes themselves, with the sand quieter and the rest of your day free.
- Pick the evening for a first visit, for couples, and for anyone who wants the full night out with dinner and a show.
- Pick the morning for young children, for evenings already booked, for a flight out that night, or for more time on a quad bike or buggy.
Both trips go to the same desert. Lahbab, a main safari area, is 48 km from Downtown Dubai, about 43 minutes without traffic. For more trips out of the city, see our guide to day trips from Dubai.
Side by side: pickup times, duration, activities, food and price basis
| Morning safari | Evening safari | |
|---|---|---|
| Pickup in central Dubai | 7 to 8 am | About 2 hours 30 minutes before sunset |
| Back at your door | About 11:30 am to 12:30 pm | About 10 pm in winter |
| Door to door | About 4 to 5 hours | About 6 to 7 hours |
| The light | Low morning sun | Sunset over the dunes |
| Dune drive | Yes, about an hour | Yes, before sunset |
| Sandboarding and camels | Where the operator offers them | At the camp, where offered |
| Food | No dinner | Dinner at the camp |
| Show | None | Evening show where the camp has one |
| Quad bike or buggy | Add-on, after the dune drive | Paid extra at most camps |
| Price basis | Per seat shared, per vehicle private | Per seat shared, per vehicle private |
Assure publishes no safari prices. The quote on WhatsApp sets out what each trip includes on your date. The morning desert safari and the evening desert safari pages show the full inclusions.
What happens on an evening safari, hour by hour
This is a December evening from a Downtown Dubai hotel. In June, every time moves about 1 hour 40 minutes later, because sunset does.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| About 3:00 pm | Pickup at your hotel |
| About 3:45 pm | Edge of the sand. The driver lets air out of the tyres for grip. |
| 4:00 to 5:00 pm | Dune drive, with photo stops on the crests |
| About 5:30 pm | Sunset, seen from the dunes |
| About 6:00 pm | Camp: camel rides and sandboarding where offered, then dinner and the show |
| About 9:00 pm | Leave the camp |
| About 10:00 pm | Back at your hotel |
The drive home is in the dark, so a jumper and a charged phone for the return are worth packing.
What happens on a morning safari, hour by hour
This is a January morning from the same hotel. In mid-January the sun rises at about 7:04 am, so the dunes are in full daylight by the time you arrive.
| Time | What happens |
|---|---|
| About 7:30 am | Pickup at your hotel |
| About 8:15 am | Edge of the sand, tyres let down |
| 8:30 to 9:30 am | Dune drive while the sand is still cool |
| 9:30 to 10:30 am | Sandboarding, a camel ride, or your quad or buggy session |
| About 10:45 am | Drive back |
| About 11:30 am to 12:30 pm | Back at your hotel |
You lose the sunset and the camp evening. You gain an afternoon for the beach, a city tour or a nap.
Which suits families, couples, photographers and first-time visitors?
- Families with small children. The morning, as a rule. It is over by lunch, nobody is up past bedtime, and there is no long dinner to sit through. UAE rules put children under 4 in a child seat and keep children aged 10 or under, or under 145 cm, out of the front seat, so send ages when you book.
- Couples. The evening, for the sunset and dinner under the sky.
- Photographers. The evening for the sunset itself. The morning gives low, raking light and long dune shadows.
- First-time visitors. The evening, because it shows the most in one trip.
- Guests flying out tonight. The morning, which has you back with the afternoon to pack.
- Guests who want a sunrise. Neither. Stay at a camp on the overnight desert safari, or take a sunrise hot air balloon flight.
Anyone who is pregnant or has back, neck or heart trouble should skip the dune drive on either trip and ask for a flatter route.
How does the season change the answer?
From October to April both trips work, and the choice is about your plans. From May to September the heat decides. The figures below are averages at Dubai International, with sunrise and sunset at Lahbab.
| Month (15th) | Sunrise | Sunset | Average high |
|---|---|---|---|
| October | 6:16 am | 5:51 pm | 35.9 °C |
| December | 6:55 am | 5:30 pm | 26.5 °C |
| February | 6:52 am | 6:12 pm | 26.1 °C |
| April | 5:55 am | 6:40 pm | 33.7 °C |
| June | 5:28 am | 7:09 pm | 40.0 °C |
| August | 5:52 am | 6:53 pm | 41.9 °C |
In summer the morning is only pleasant very early. Even the average lows at the airport stay above 28 °C from June to August, and the sand heats quickly once the sun is up. The evening trip starts later, with pickup at about 4:40 pm in June, and most of it happens after the worst of the heat. Pack for the season with our what to wear on a desert safari checklist.
Can you add a quad bike or dune buggy to either?
Yes. On the morning trip, the session fits straight after the dune drive while the air is still cool. On the evening trip, a quad or buggy ride is a paid extra at most camps and has to fit before sunset.
The dune buggy page covers 2-seat and 4-seat machines, and the quad bike page covers sizes and riding times. Each operator sets its own minimum ages, so send the age of every rider with your enquiry.
Private or shared: does it change the choice?
It can. A shared trip runs on the operator’s set pickup window, and a shared departure has to be running on your date, so it is offered on request. A private desert safari lets you set the time. That makes a 6 am summer morning possible, or an evening pickup that suits a late lunch.
On a private trip the camp is still shared with other guests unless you book a private setup. Our private vs shared desert safari guide explains what each option covers.
How to book either one
- Send the date, the adults, the children with ages and your pickup area on WhatsApp to +971 56 684 8148, or use the trip form on this page. Say morning or evening, and shared or private.
- The quote comes back with the pickup time, what is included and the cancellation terms.
- Accept in the same chat, and your driver will message you on WhatsApp ahead of the pickup.
Photos in this guide
The sun setting behind a sand dune beside Al Awir Road in the Dubai desertStzeman / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
A white Toyota Land Cruiser on the dunes outside Dubai as the sun goes downiMahesh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
The sun rising through haze over the dunes of the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve, seen from the airFlorian Kriechbaumer / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Quad bikes on a wide sand track beside a shaded rental station in the Dubai desert in JanuaryRenek78 / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0
