Caravanserai Desert Dinner in Dubai

The Caravanserai Desert Dinner is a relaxed desert evening from Dubai, run by Tour Dubai, that swaps dune bashing for a Bedouin-style camp night of live BBQ, camel rides, henna and fire shows. Shared pick-up in an air-conditioned 4×4 is included, so all you need to do is be ready at your hotel in the late afternoon and let the evening come to you.

The name comes from the caravanserais of old: the walled roadside inns along desert trade routes where traders and their camels stopped for food, water and rest. The camp borrows that idea of desert hospitality, with an Arabic welcome on arrival and an evening built around sharing a meal under the sky.

Where the dinner takes place

One detail is worth knowing before you book. The booking page notes that guests are currently hosted at an alternative site, Tour Dubai’s Al Faqaa Desert Camp, rather than at the original Caravanserai camp. Al Faqaa lies in the open desert along the Dubai to Al Ain Road, and the camp’s map address falls just across the border in Abu Dhabi emirate, although pick-ups are from Dubai.

The programme and inclusions are the same Caravanserai dinner, but if the name of the camp matters to you, check with the operator when you receive your confirmation.

How the evening runs

Pick-up

Dinner pick-ups from Dubai run between 4.30pm and 5pm. Shared transfers work on a 30-minute window, so be ready at the start of yours. The operator warns that road works and heavy traffic, especially around Downtown and Dubai Marina, can make travel times unpredictable.

Pick-up times move with sunset through the year. The 4.30pm to 5pm window runs from November to mid-February, and it shifts to 5pm to 5.30pm from mid-February, according to the operator’s seasonal schedule. Your exact time is confirmed by email.

At the camp

Once you arrive, there is time to settle in before dinner. The activities included are:

• Camel riding, a short ride and the classic desert photo
• Henna painting, popular with families and groups of friends
• Falconry, listed by the operator among the camp activities

Dinner: buffet and live BBQ

The centrepiece is an international, Arabian-inspired buffet, which the operator describes as five-star quality, served alongside a live barbecue. Water and soft drinks are included throughout. Alcohol is not part of the package, and anything not listed in the inclusions is extra.

Since the buffet covers both Arabian and international dishes, it works for mixed groups, from first-timers keen to try regional food to children who would rather stick to something familiar from the grill.

The entertainment

The shows run as night falls, with live Bedouin-style performances setting the tone. Across the evening you can expect:

• Belly dance
• Tanura and Sufi-style dancing, with performers spinning in wide, colourful skirts
• Live music from a darbuka drummer and an oud player, according to the operator’s programme
• Fire dance and a fire show to bring the evening to a close

The oud, a short-necked, pear-shaped lute, and the darbuka, a goblet-shaped hand drum, are two of the defining sounds of Arabic music, and hearing them live in the desert is a different experience to a recording in a restaurant.

Who it suits

Because there is no dune bashing, the operator describes this evening as open to all ages. The booking has two ticket types, children aged 3 to 11 and adults aged 12 and over. It suits:

• Families with young children, and grandparents travelling with them
• Anyone who gets travel sick or simply prefers a calmer outing
• First-time visitors who want food, shows and camels in a single evening
• Couples and groups after a different kind of dinner out

If you do want the adrenaline, Tour Dubai also runs a separate Caravanserai safari with dune bashing and an earlier afternoon pick-up, sold as a different ticket.

Caravanserai or Sahara Desert Fortress?

Tour Dubai runs two dinners without dune bashing, and they are easy to confuse. The Sahara Desert Fortress Dinner is set in a fortress-style camp inspired by traditional Arabian architecture, off the Jebel Ali to Lehbab Road, and adds an Arabian spice souq to the programme. The Caravanserai dinner leans into a simpler Bedouin-camp feel, with live oud and darbuka music, and is currently held at the Al Faqaa camp. Both include a buffet with BBQ, camel rides, henna and a fire show, so the choice mostly comes down to setting.

What to bring

The operator recommends sunblock and sunglasses for the drive out and arrival, and a light jacket or shawl for winter evenings, when the desert cools down quickly after sunset. Shoes that can cope with sand are a sensible choice.

Planning a few desert nights or comparing options? See our dinner and brunch picks, more attractions, our guide to things to do in Dubai and what is on in November.