Private Night Safari and Astronomy

A spectacular stargazing journey in the Dubai desert

The best way to learn about the Arabian night sky is by venturing into the desert on a private night safari, followed by an immersive astronomy session. Explore the desert after dark in your private 1950s Land Rover, followed by a nocturnal ecowalk. All while your experienced Conservation Guide tells you more about the desert nightlife.

After your nature safari you will join other guests and relax in a peaceful camp on Royal Desert Grounds, smoke flavourful shisha and savour a delicious threecourse dinner featuring Emirati dishes. The evening ends perfectly when a professional astronomer takes everyone on a journey through the galaxies and tells tales about the starry sky and how the Bedouin used it to find their way.

Should you wish to extend the night, you can opt for a traditional overnight experience in authentic stonedwelling rooms, followed by a lavish breakfast the following morning. You can also upgrade your experience with a sunrise hot air balloon ride after your overnight stay, before returning to the Heritage camp for breakfast.

2024 Astronomy Events To Look Out For

3 January 4 January 2024
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
22April 23 April
Lyrids Meteor Shower
6May 7 May
Eta Aquarids Meteor Shower
18 September 2024
Supermoon and Partial Lunar Eclipse
17 November 2024
Supermoon

Itinerary

1. Get picked up in a private airconditioned vehicle from Dubai between 05:00 PM and 06:30 PM, depending on the season. We will inform you of the exact pickup time on the afternoon of your desert safari.
2. Arrive at the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve and receive your Headscarf and a Stainless Steel Water Bottle. These are included in each booking and are a gift for our guests to take home.
3. Embark on a private 60minute nature safari in a vintage Land Rover.
4. Venture on a nocturnal ecowalk with torches and try to spot creatures like sandfish, scorpions etc.
5. Join other guests at a torchlit, peaceful desert oasis. You will receive a warm Arabic welcoming with coffee and dates.
6. Savour a delectable threecourse dinner. View Menu.
7. Partake in an immersive astronomy session with a professional astronomer and telescope. Please note that depending on the weather and the clouds in certain times of the year, there is a small chance the stars might not be fully visible, in which case you will enjoy an informative astronomy talk.
8. Return to the hotel between 10:00 PM and 11:30 PM, depending on the season. Your total experience will last approximately five hours.
9. Extend your desert experience by staying overnight in a traditional Arabic stone dwelling room. You will be provided with all the amenities like a comfortable bed, pillows, sheets and a peaceful nights sleep. Awake to a gourmet breakfast.
10. Enhance the experience even more with a spectacular sunrise hot air balloon flight the next morning. 11. The overnight Bedouin camp is located only 15 minutes away from the hot air balloon takeoff site. After the flight, you will return to the camp to enjoy a delicious breakfast before returning to the city.

Finer Details
1. A portion of your Desert Safari fee is contributed towards local conservation in Dubai.
2. Pickup from Dubai is included and will be in a private airconditioned vehicle.
3. You will have a private vehicle throughout the experience and for the nature safari, however all camp activities are shared.
4. Please inform us of any dietary requirements or allergies when booking. We can accommodate vegetarian, vegan, kosherstyle, glutenfree.
5. As the desert can get quite warm during the day all year round, we suggest bringing a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen and cool, comfortable clothes. For desert safaris in the winter (November to March), we recommend bringing something warm to wear for the evening.
6. Bookings need to be made at least five hours in advance when booking online. For shortterm bookings, dont hesitate to contact our reservations team at +971 4 440 9827.
7. Bathroom facilities are available at the camp.
8. The nature drive is not recommended for guests more than six months pregnant.

Overnight Stay
1. For room allocation requests, please reach out to our Experience Consultants as rooms have different capacities and will be assigned automatically for group bookings.
2. Please take into account that we are an ecofriendly desert operator and this is an immersive nature experience. Although rare, there may be some harmless insects at our desert camps. Regular pest control are conducted at our premises, however, we strive to protect the desert ecosystem as much as possible.
3. If you booked a shared vehicle, we can accommodate one overnight backpack or carryon per guest (not exceeding 50cm in height). Please leave big luggage pieces at your hotel.
4. For private vehicles with bigger pieces of luggage, please contact us at +971 4 440 9827 for more information.
5. Enjoy a restful sleep with no sounds or lights to interrupt as the camps power gets switched off from 11:00 PM06:00 AM.
6. Your room is equipped with a bed and comfortable bedding.
7. Ensure to wear clothes appropriate for the weather as there are no airconditioning or heaters in the overnight rooms.
8. There are shared bathroom facilities, however no showers onsite.

Price

Starting From
AED 4,100
per private vehicle