Lowest price
Most booked
Splitting a group into cars
The 4x4 is the unit that decides everything. Private safari listings cap a car at 6 guests; private Mercedes G-Class trips take 4. Shared safaris fill the same cars with guests from different bookings.
| Group size | Best set-up | How it is priced | What to watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | One seat on a shared safari | Per person | You share the car and the table with strangers |
| 2 | Shared seats, or a private car if budget allows | Per person or per car | Private for two costs much more per head |
| 3–6 | One private 4x4 | Per car | Often close to the cost of shared seats |
| 7–12 | Two private cars, same operator and same camp | Per car | Ask for the cars to travel and sit together |
| 13 and more | Several cars or a group transfer, via the operator | Quote | See events and corporate |
A published example, checked November 2026: Arabian Adventures sells shared seats on its evening safari from AED 649 per person and a private car for up to 6 for AED 3,245. Six adults on shared seats would pay about AED 3,894, so the private car is cheaper for a full group. Platinum Heritage notes that some of its vintage Land Rovers take up to nine guests, which can keep a larger family in one vehicle. More on private safari.
Solo travellers
A shared safari is the easy option: you buy one seat, ride with other guests and sit with them at camp. Pickup is usually from your hotel or a nearby central point. The catch comes with extras. Quad bikes and buggies are often priced per machine, and many are two-seaters, so a solo rider either shares with another guest or pays for the whole vehicle. Some listings sell single-seat buggies and single quads. Look for "single" or "solo" in the option names. See quad biking and dune buggy.
Teenagers
Teenagers usually enjoy the parts adults find rough: dune bashing, sandboarding and quad bikes. The limits are about driving. Rules differ by operator and by machine, and they are written into each listing:
- many buggy listings let under-16s ride only as passengers;
- some allow 16- and 17-year-olds to drive with a parent, others ask for drivers aged 18;
- Sonara Camp prices children aged 6 to 12 as children, and Platinum Heritage charges a child rate from 5 to 11, so teenagers usually pay the adult price.
If a teenager is set on driving, check the minimum age in the option before paying, not at the camp.
Seniors and guests with health conditions
Age itself is not the problem; dune bashing is. Arabian Adventures does not advise its dune drive for pregnant guests or people with pre-existing conditions, including heart, neck or back problems. The Al Marmoom heritage safari asks guests with back or neck problems to consider their condition before booking.
Safer choices:
- A heritage safari in the DDCR. Platinum Heritage uses gentle wildlife drives on designated tracks instead of dune bashing, and lets pregnant guests skip the drive and wait at the sunset stop. The camp has toilets. See conservation reserves.
- A private car. In your own car you can ask for no dune bashing at all without affecting other guests.
- A morning or winter trip. The heat is a bigger risk than the dunes for many older travellers. See best time and weather.
- Camel rides. A camel stands up back legs first, with a strong forward and backward lurch. Hold on, or skip it if your back or hips are weak.
Wheelchair users
Be prepared for limited options. The Arabian Adventures and Al Marmoom safaris we checked both state that they are not wheelchair accessible. Camps are built on sand and the vehicles are high 4x4s. If you want to try, contact operators directly and ask about a private vehicle, step-free access from the car to the seating area, a hard surface at the camp, and an accessible toilet. Get the answers in writing before you book. A desert dinner at a resort may be more practical; see desert resorts and hotels.
Families with small children have their own rules on car seats and minimum ages: see family and kids safety.
