Families are most of who we take out. Children generally love the dunes more than the adults do. But a three-generation booking has a few moving parts, and they are much easier to solve before the day than on it.
Children pay less
Child pricing applies on every tour that is priced per person:
- Evening safari, package A: AED 80 instead of 100. On the other packages a child pays the package price.
- Abu Dhabi evening safari: AED 55 instead of 65
- Morning safari: AED 145 instead of 180
- Overnight safari: AED 225 instead of 280
Children must be with a parent or guardian throughout.
The dune bashing question
For most children this is the highlight. For very young ones, and for grandparents who would find the jolting uncomfortable, there are two options and both cost nothing extra.
The gentler route. Tell the driver at the start and he takes flatter lines with shallower angles. Still the desert, still worth doing.
The direct camp transfer. Anyone who would rather skip the dunes entirely goes straight to the camp instead. They arrive before the rest of you, with a drink, and get the sunset, the dinner and the shows.
This second option is genuinely useful for a grandmother who wants the evening but not the rollercoaster. It has to be arranged at booking, though — not mentioned in the car park.
Dune bashing is not suitable for pregnant guests, or anyone with heart, back, neck or spinal conditions. More on that in is dune bashing safe.
Why a private vehicle often makes sense for families
The Private Desert Safari is AED 900 for the whole Land Cruiser, up to six guests, rather than per person.
Run the numbers. Two adults and three children on the evening safari is 2 × 100 plus 3 × 80 — AED 440. So the private option is not the cheaper one. What it buys is the car to yourselves, a pickup time you choose, and a driver shaping the drive around your particular group rather than a mix of strangers.
There is a middle option too: package F of the evening safari is AED 650 for a private family vehicle on the standard run. Cheaper than the fully flexible private tour, and your group still travels alone.
For families with a nervous child, a baby, or someone who needs to leave early, that flexibility is usually worth more than the difference.
The morning safari is underrated for young kids
Four hours instead of seven, home by noon, no late night. The morning safari has dune bashing, unlimited sandboarding and camel rides, and it finishes before small children run out of patience.
What it does not have is the camp evening — no dinner, no shows. For a family with a five-year-old, that is often the right trade.
Food
The BBQ buffet has vegetarian dishes at every service and all the meat is halal. Plain rice, bread and salad are always there, which covers most fussy eaters.
Allergies and specific diets: tell us at booking and the kitchen prepares for it. Do not rely on sorting it at the buffet.
Practical things that matter with children
- Closed shoes. Sand in sandals ends the fun quickly.
- A jacket each from November to March. Children feel the evening cold first.
- Eat lunch before pickup. Dinner is at 7:30 PM, which is a long wait for a small stomach.
- Toilets exist at the camp. There is nothing between the hotel and the camp, so use them before you leave.
- Bedtime. You are back at the hotel between 8:30 and 9:00 PM.
Quad bikes
Riders need to meet the minimum age, so a quad ride is for older children and teenagers, not the whole family. Younger ones do sandboarding at the camp instead, which they tend to prefer anyway.
Tell us the ages and anything we should plan around when you send your booking. It is a short message and it makes the day work.
