2-Day or 3-Day Self-Drive 4x4 Desert and Camping Adventure from Dubai

I took an overnight offroad trip from Saturday on Sunday. We departed around 12:30 PM and returned around 13:00PM next day. They want to have only a few jeeps in the trip and I was the only one for this day, so I got full attention from the guide/instructeur. Before the trip you get written instructions and you can watch the safety video on YouTube. You inspect your Jeep and drive yourself. Then it's about a one hour drive from Dubai to the desert area. We drove to the Pink Rock area in Sharjah. On arrival the tires are deflated from 38psi to 12. And on into the terrain and sand dunes. The guide explains the driving and then drives a route, you follow in his tracks. It starts from easy in first hour to the largest sand dunes with the loosest sand on day 2. The guide backtracks if you get stuck and helps you with what to do and how to free yourself. (via walkie talkie) Around 17:00 we made camp with campfire and bbq. Lots of meat, salad and bread available. I slept in a rooftop tent, it was very comfortable. Next morning the embers from the campfire were still hot, so the guide made me my coffee on that. -/- I was awake large part of the night due to night offroading noice and from 02:00 planes flying directly overhead. In Weekends the night off-roading is the most. +/+ excellent instructions and guidance from the guide +/+ I got to experience the capabilities of the Jeep I drove (Wrangler Sport V6, with modified undercarriage) and was amazed what you could do +/+ good info, reception and prompt answering questions beforehand +/+ total 6-7 hrs offroad driving + 2x 1 hr highway. What you need to know: - winter months are best for this, Summer months are really hot. (The Jeep has airco, but sometimes you have to go outside). - it is 'wild' camping, so the desert is your bathroom - you can be up to 3 passengers in the car (your friends/family) and I think 2 people can drive. But then you have to split the learning time.

Wonderful experience, lots of Self driving Very helpful. Also, the dinner and breakfast was well organized very rich . I’ll be coming back!

I and my husband took a one-night trip to the desert in December 2020. It was one of the most fantastic experiences in our life! The look of the desert is just breath-taking, fascinating. We watched a beautiful sunset, and in the following morning I woke up very early to capture just amazing sunrize! It's impossible to explain how great it is out there, very calm, very nice. We had a very kind and nice guide Otieno (David), who was constantly helping us to get the best possible experience. Otieno is a very friendly, accommodating, and encouraging guide. In the evening we cooked our dinner all together with Otieno, which we picked up on the way to the desert. The food was just great and it was even too much food for us ;-) In the morning we ate breakfast in our camp again and continued driving. Even for an urban person, as I am, this trip was just AMAZING. All people in OffRoad Zone are very friendly and nice, Claris was supporting us through the whole journey as well. It was very nice of her. I totally recommend it to everyone, this fusion with nature totally worth it. And I really hope that we will have a chance to do it again. Thanks to OffRoad Zone, and especially to Otieno and to Claris for making our experience unforgettable. Best, Maria and Gergely

Our guide David made sure we had a great experience with our total group of 9. He quickly learned us how to drive through the desert and made sure it was a lot of fun. He had it under control during the tour and helped out when needed. Driving was great and adventurous, the BBQ in the desert at night was delicious, as was the breakfast in the morning. Overall a unique experience. Thanks David! Henk

Very nice activity, good materials, and very friendly and experienced guide. Also the BBQ in the desert was delicious

It was a great experience. Unfortunately a bit late picked up and the equipment in the cars for special situation (stuck in the sand) a bit poor. Nevertheless, a unique thing and with our guide David we were particularly lucky. An extraordinarily nice and experienced guide who showed us a lot and could explain well how to drive and drift properly on the sand. Thumbs up... for David even 2 thumbs up!!!

Well organised and stress free. Good experience for the family especially young children. Our guide was very accommodating and encouraging without being intrusive or in you face. Great memories for the kids.

My experience is poor. Others had better luck with this company. Please do your own independent research on the numerous types of desert/dune experiences offered by several companies. Check the weather and the map, carefully ask for specific itinerary and routes, these must be documented in writing, before you commit by paying. Check the company's business permit and the specific vehicle's actual condition (not just external and internal, but also engine, steering and undercarriage). Sight the insurance policy for the vehicle. Be careful of your passport and financial credit card information that you provide, as these are collected used and retained by the company and their employees under their own practices, different from the privacy and banking data laws of countries such as US, EU, Australia etc. Be aware that even if the fine print standard terms are unreasonable or highly discretionary, the average company is likely to implement and enforce as it pleases, as there is relatively low consumer protection or no dispute resolution opportunity, compared to other countries. My personal advice based on my experience: 1. For budget and best flexibility: Rent your own 4x4 from reputable companies in Dubai. Usually the ones with large hotel connections are good. There are various desert locations for 4x4 dune bashings. 2. For fuss free: Try out a mixture of desert experiences (e.g., buggy, surf, camel) first, before self drive 4x4. We had a better experience with Arabian Adventures. 3. We had great experience with guided dune bashing activities led by experienced driver guide in Anantara Qasralsarab resort. We signed up for 3D2N self drive 4x4, via Viator, in February 2017. We were excited because of the Liwa desert segment. We encountered various difficulties. 1. We had to clarify the charge. Viator offered a better price with hotel pickup compared to direct booking with Off-Road Zone Dubai. 2. During the first day, lunch was a quick stop at fast food place in petrol station. Lunch though included, were not up to expectation. 3. Our guide was friendly and engaging, and we had a nice experience for 1.5 hours as we tried the low dunes near Dubai. Then we spent some time at a petrol kiosk waiting for a third party to deliver the BBQ food. We then set up for the first night, in dune area, just 80m to 100m from the main road, not quite the expectation. 4. Our guide decided to sleep in the next morning, so we had to close our jeep door loudly to wake him up at 9.30 am, and we had late breakfast at 10 am, and we then set off late. Second day was bad, as our guide led us through flat sandy areas, for 45 min to 60 min, we drove alongside twice, and we saw he was chatting on his phone. 5. The weather was poor, with rain, and we waited again for delivery of our BBQ food, the wait was slightly less than first dinner wait but it was still 45 minutes, and we had to put the jeeps side by side with the rear boot opened to offer some shelter from the rain, food spread was not bad but cold, with wet exposure, the guide built a fire upon our suggestion, we were in an area of the dunes, where other 4x4 driven by locals in irregular manner made us nervous as you could never tell what would come around the corner. In the end, the experience was so bad that we told the guide we did not want to set up for a second night in the same local dune. Upon our return, I discovered that they did not bring us to Liwa as per the itinerary in Viator write up and their own website write up. When I asked, the guide told me he was not instructed to go to Liwa. When I persisted, the office told me that the Liwa was far away and dunes were high. When I asked why I was not told upon arrival at the shop, I was not given satisfactory answer, and instead I was later told it was the poor weather. Anyhow, I provided detailed feedback, and their manager, Travis Bruce together with their assistant Clarisse, agreed to provide a 1D1N complimentary Liwa experience to be utilised within 12 months. We took up this offer in November 2017, but asked for rental use of the jeep only without guide, and they then kindly agreed to 2N rental instead of 1N. At this point, they did not tell us about any restrictions on the rental, and our plans were not fixed save that we wanted to visit Abu Dhabi. In the end we decided to stay in a desert resort near Abu Dhabi. Upon collection of the rental car, we were given the usual rental forms, and on the spot, we were told that the rental car could not be driven off road, and there would be GPS and we would be made to pay the penalty. My friend signed the standard forms quickly, and we took the car nonetheless, as our idea of offroad was like the previous dune experience, at that point, we had no intention to go offroad. While at the hotel resort which included its own controlled dune area, we decided on the spot to try the resort experience with their experienced drivers in a second jeep. Upon return of the rental car, Travis Bruce the manager although he offered the courtesy of shaking my friend's hand, treated me in a most dismissive manner (possibly due to my Asian ethnicity). Travis angrily berated me, and the verbal abuse was shocking (he could just have implemented the standard term and penalty of AED3000 without the verbal abuse). He insisted on checking the jeep in his workshop (even though no such checks were made or offered to us, upon our collection of the jeep were made, so we were at his mercy. We had to tell him the steering was not even, the tyre pressure was poor at the start, and the cruise control was not working, and he dismissed this, and only nodded and asked his assistant who confirmed that I highlighted these via text within the hour of collecting the car. We were kept in the office and he kept on his verbal tirade until I raised my voice at him, and his response was that he would call the Dubai police if we were not happy, so we waited as we had a flight to catch. Travis repeated at least 8 times that he had every right to impose the penalty of AED3000 and more as the jeep was not insured for off road, which we doubt, as surely the UAE laws require this due to the nature of the vehicle and business. He ignored my asking whether his AED3000 constituted unlawful penalty, as this was hardly representative of any damage incurred by him. I left the office and waited outside, as any further escalation would not be fruitful. After an hour, the checks were clear (no damage at all to the vehicle). To prove his point that he was in full control having my credit card details from February 2017 even though I was not the person who signed the contract and did not provide the card details for November 2017, he debited my credit card and only reversed the charge when my friend intervened and paid the AED3000 penalty. In any event, this person's and the company's conduct is contrary to standard credit card and contract laws, and I have lodged the necessary reports with the relevant credit card company and authorities. I would be very careful when dealing with this company.

With a group of friends we took the 2 days/1 night camping trip in the desert. Highly recommended, the instructors very good and friendly. Impeccable jeeps, one better than the other. Very very good food. It is a very good option if you have 2 days off in Dubai. Thank you x everything!!!

Excellent desert experience, camped one night with a group of friends, was spectacular Service, tents ,food, super new vehicles and excellent dunes walks!