Desert safari in Ras Al Khaimah

How the evening runs in Ras Al Khaimah

Your driver collects you in the afternoon from your hotel on Al Marjan Island, in Al Hamra Village, at Mina Al Arab or in Ras Al Khaimah city. The pickup time moves with sunset through the year, so it is set in your quote.

From Al Marjan Island the car crosses to the mainland on Marjan Island Boulevard, follows the E11 for about 3 km, then takes the E87 inland to Al Hamraniyah. The Al Wadi desert lies there, about 22 km and 30 minutes from the island.

A 4x4 drives the dunes before sunset. You stop on the sand for the sun going down, then move to the camp for dinner. The drive back to your hotel is the same 30 minutes or so.

The safari books on the same WhatsApp number as our RKT airport pickups and Jebel Jais day trips, so one chat can cover the whole stay.

How far is the Al Wadi desert from your hotel?

Free-flow drive times from OSRM on OpenStreetMap road data, measured to the Al Wadi desert resort on Emirates Road at Al Hamraniyah.

From	Road distance	Without traffic
Al Marjan Island	about 22 km	about 29 min
Al Hamra Village	about 23 km	about 31 min
Ras Al Khaimah International Airport (RKT)	about 23 km	about 32 min
Corniche Al Qawasim, Ras Al Khaimah city	about 32 km	about 35 min
Umm Al Quwain city	about 56 km	about 50 min
Jebel Jais, top of Jais Road	about 74 km	about 1 h 15 min
Downtown Dubai	about 91 km	about 1 h 15 min

From Downtown Dubai the Lahbab desert is about 48 km away, so guests staying in Dubai usually book our evening desert safari from Dubai instead.

The desert camps in Al Wadi

Visit Ras Al Khaimah, the emirate’s tourism board, lists several desert camps in the south of the emirate.

• Bedouin Oasis sits next to a protected reserve with wild camels, oryx and donkeys. Dinner includes whole mutton slow-cooked in a zarb, an underground sand oven.
• Bassata Desert Village is in the Al Wadi desert, with self-ride dune buggies, short camel rides and an Arabic buffet.
• Sonara Camp Al Wadi is in the grounds of The Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi Desert, with owl and hawk shows and vegan and children’s menus.
• The Dunes Camping and Safari runs dune drives in Land Cruisers, sandboarding and dawn quad bike rides.

The camp for your evening is named in your quote, with what its dinner and shows include. The Ritz-Carlton Al Wadi Desert itself sits inside the protected Al Wadi Nature Reserve, where oryx live.

Private car or a shared evening

A private car collects only your group and leaves when you are ready. A GMC Yukon or Mercedes-Benz V-Class seats 6, and a 13-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter takes a larger family. Families with a pram or beach-week luggage can see every van and people carrier we offer.

Prefer an early start? Our guide to morning or evening desert safaris compares the two, and a morning dune drive in RAK can be quoted on request.

Jebel Jais by day, the desert by night

The top of Jais Road is about 74 km from the Al Wadi desert, roughly 1 hour 15 minutes without traffic. Spend the morning on our Jebel Jais day trip, then come down for the dune drive and sunset. One private car covers both, and you set the stops.

For a free-form day around the emirate, book a car with driver by the hour and add the desert evening at the end.

What sets the price

Prices are quoted on WhatsApp for your date and group.

Factor	How it changes the quote
Private car or shared evening	Private is priced per car, shared per person
Vehicle class	Sedan, SUV, van or 13-seat minibus
Group size and children	Seats needed and child seats on request
Pickup area	Al Marjan Island, Al Hamra, RAK city, RKT or further afield
The camp and add-ons	Dune buggies, quad bikes and other paid activities
Combined day	Jebel Jais or other stops before the desert

Who drives on the dunes, and who should skip it

Your hotel car is not the dune car. On the sand you switch to a 4x4 from our partner network, subject to availability, with a driver who handles the Al Wadi slopes.

Skip the dune section if you are expecting, have a back, neck or heart condition, or have a baby with you. Tell us when you book and we quote the evening without it, so the sunset and dinner stay in the plan.

Licences for pickups in Ras Al Khaimah

Assure is RTA licensed in Dubai. In Ras Al Khaimah, Resolution No. 3 of 2021 gives the Ras Al Khaimah Transport Authority (RAKTA) the job of regulating passenger transport by luxury vehicles and limousines. Pickups that start in RAK use a partner car with RAK permits where the rules require one, subject to availability.

Flying into RAK for the safari

RKT is about 23 km from the Al Wadi desert. Our Ras Al Khaimah airport pickup meets you in the Arrival Terminal after customs, with your name on a board. Land by early afternoon if you want to go straight to the dunes, or check in first and take the safari the next day.

Places to visit in Ras Al Khaimah lists what else to see in the emirate. Dubai to Ras Al Khaimah covers the road from Dubai.