Dune Buggy Dubai With Hotel Pickup: How Transfers Work

A dune buggy in Dubai with hotel pickup is possible, but the pickup is booked on top of the ride. No buggy, quad bike or KTM dirt bike price includes a transfer. Choose a sharing transfer at AED 175 per person (two or more guests from one pickup point), a private car at AED 450 for 5 to 6, or meet on site at the emailed location.

Key takeaways

• Self-drive buggies, quad bikes and the KTM 450 CC dirt bike are priced per vehicle, and none of those prices includes pickup.
• The sharing transfer costs AED 175 per person and needs two or more guests travelling from one pickup point.
• A private car for 5 to 6 guests costs AED 450 per car.
• Meeting on site is the third choice: the location is emailed after booking.
• A transfer picks you up 1 hour before your ride starts, and rides start on the hour from 5:00 AM to 8:00 PM, daily.
• The shared and private desert safaris include pickup, and the shared balloon flights come with pickup at no extra charge.
• Camp-only BBQ dinners need a private transfer at AED 450 per car for 5 to 6, with seasonal pickup windows.
• Balloon pickup runs from 3:45 to 4:30 AM, with the exact time sent the day before; a private balloon car for 4 to 5 costs AED 700.

Does a desert safari include pickup in Dubai?

Yes. Every desert safari sold by Safari Desert Dubai includes pickup. That covers the shared Evening Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner, the shared Morning Desert Safari With Land Cruiser 4X4, the Evening or Morning Desert Safari + 30 Min ATV Quad Bike, and both private Land Cruiser safaris.

The shared safaris are priced per person. The Evening Desert Safari With BBQ Dinner is AED 240 per adult (12 and over) and AED 225 per child (5 to 11). The Morning Desert Safari With Land Cruiser 4X4 is AED 225 per adult and AED 210 per child. Pickup sits inside those prices, so there is nothing else to arrange for the drive out.

The private safaris are priced per car for up to 6 guests, also with pickup included. The private morning safari is AED 799 per car and the private evening safari with the BBQ dinner is AED 1,400 per car.

You can read what each safari covers on the desert safari tours page.

Do dune buggy tours in Dubai come with hotel pickup?

Not by default. A self-drive dune buggy is priced per buggy, and that price covers the ride itself: a self-drive tour with an experienced tour guide, a helmet, goggles and gloves, and refreshments or mineral water. Transport to the desert is a separate choice that you make when you book.

Here is how the buggy prices look, per buggy, before any transfer:

A 2 seater carries two people and a 4 seater carries four. The price stays per buggy whoever sits inside, but the transfer is a separate line with its own unit.

The full buggy line-up, with photos of each model, is on the dune buggy tours page.

What are the transfer options for buggies, quads and the KTM?

There are three ways to reach the start of a buggy, quad bike or KTM session. They apply in the same way to all three activities.

How does the sharing transfer work?

The sharing transfer is AED 175 per person. It runs when two or more guests are collected from one pickup point, so it works well for a couple or two friends staying together. Each person in the party pays the per person rate.

If two friends are staying in different places, they do not count as one pickup point. Agree on one place to be collected from before you book.

A single rider travelling alone does not meet the "two or more" condition on their own. In that case the private car or meeting on site are the clear routes, and the team can talk through what fits your date.

When is the AED 450 private car the better choice?

The private car costs AED 450 per car and is set up for 5 to 6 guests. It suits a family, a group of friends, or two couples sharing a day in the desert.

How does meeting on site work?

If you have your own car or your own driver, you can skip the transfer and meet the team on site. The meeting location is emailed to you after booking, together with your booking details. Safari Desert Dubai does not publish the meeting point on its pages, so wait for that email and save it on your phone before you set off.

Plan to arrive in good time. The guide gives a safety briefing before every buggy and quad ride, covering how to drive the vehicle, the safety gear and what to do in an emergency, so arriving late eats into your session.

Do quad bike tours in Dubai include pickup?

No. Quad bikes follow the same rule as buggies: the price is per quad bike and does not include pickup. Add the sharing transfer, the private car, or meet on site.

The quad bike prices, per quad bike, run from the Yamaha Quad Bike 90 CC Single Seater at AED 150 for 30 minutes up to the Yamaha Raptor 700 CC at AED 1,550 for 2 hours. A few examples:

• Yamaha Quad Bike 400 CC Single Seater: 30 min AED 250, 1 hour AED 350, 2 hours AED 600, per quad bike.
• Yamaha Quad Bike 400 CC Double Seater: 30 min AED 350, 1 hour AED 425, 2 hours AED 820, per quad bike.
• Yamaha Grizzly Quad Bike: 30 min AED 450, 1 hour AED 550, 2 hours AED 950, per quad bike.
• Sport Quad Bike 625 CC: 1 hour AED 700, 2 hours AED 1,250, per quad bike.

Every model and its age notes are listed on the quad bike tours page.

Is there a way to ride a quad with pickup included?

Yes, through a safari package rather than a standalone quad booking. The Evening or Morning Desert Safari + 30 Min ATV Quad Bike is a shared safari with pickup included. The evening version is AED 375 per adult (12 and over) and AED 340 per child (5 to 11). The morning version is AED 290 per adult and AED 285 per child.

If the quad is the main event and you want a longer session or a specific model, a standalone quad booking with a transfer gives you more choice.

Does the KTM dirt bike include pickup?

No. The KTM Dirt Bike 450 CC is priced per dirt bike, for one rider aged 18 or older, at AED 850 for 1 hour, AED 1,250 for 2 hours and AED 1,450 for 3 hours. Pickup is not part of that price, so choose the sharing transfer, the private car or the emailed meeting point, exactly as for a buggy.

KTM riders get a helmet and riding gear. If two riders book together and are collected from one pickup point, the sharing transfer at AED 175 per person applies.

What time is pickup for a dune buggy or quad bike tour?

A transfer picks you up 1 hour before your ride starts. Buggies, quads and the KTM start on the hour from 5:00 AM to 8:00 PM, daily.

That makes timing easy to plan. Choose your start time first, then count back one hour for the pickup. A 9:00 AM start means a pickup at about 8:00 AM. A 4:00 PM start means a pickup at about 3:00 PM. Be ready a few minutes before that.

The site names October to March as the best season for desert activities, and those months tend to be the busiest, so book your preferred hour early.

What are the pickup times for the camp-only BBQ dinner?

The Standard Camp and Premium Camp are camp-only evenings: a BBQ dinner with live entertainment shows (belly dance, tanoura and fire shows), with no safari drive. The Standard Camp is AED 125 per person and the Premium Camp is AED 250 per person.

These camp-only dinners do not include pickup, and a private transfer must be booked with them. The private transfer is AED 450 per car for 5 to 6. Pickup and drop-off times change with the season:

If you are travelling in October, the October to March times apply. Plan an early lunch and keep the late afternoon clear, because the pickup window opens mid-afternoon.

What time is pickup for a hot air balloon in Dubai?

Balloon pickup runs from 3:45 to 4:30 AM, and the exact time is sent the day before your flight. The flight itself lasts 45 to 60 minutes depending on the weather.

For the shared flights, pickup is included at no extra charge. The shared flights are priced per person:

• Standard Flight: AED 1,049 per adult (12 to 80), AED 999 per child (5 to 11).
• Deluxe Flight: AED 1,149 per adult, AED 1,049 per child (5 to 11).
• Premium Flight: AED 1,349 per adult, AED 1,149 per child (7 to 11).

If you would rather travel in your own vehicle, a private balloon car for 4 to 5 guests costs AED 700. That suits a family or a small group who want to leave together and avoid other stops.

The Private Hot Air Balloon is a separate product priced per booking: AED 12,500 for 2 to 5 persons and AED 20,500 for 15 to 20 persons. It comes with private pickup, a buffet breakfast, a falcon photo, a camel or horse ride and an edited flight video.

Flight details and package differences are on the hot air balloon page.

How should you prepare for an early balloon pickup?

Watch for the message with your exact pickup time, set two alarms and lay out what you need the evening before, with your ID close at hand.

Which products include pickup at a glance?

How should groups and families plan pickup?

Group size decides most transfer questions. Use these rules of thumb when you plan.

Couples and pairs of friends

Two people staying together fit the sharing transfer neatly, at AED 175 per person. A 2 seater buggy carries both of you, priced per buggy. If you are both riding quads, you book two quad bikes, each priced per quad bike, and the same sharing transfer covers your trip.

Families with children

For families, the safaris are the easiest choice, because pickup is included and the prices have a child rate for ages 5 to 11. The private safaris take up to 6 guests per car, which suits a family that wants its own vehicle and its own pace.

If the children want to ride, check ages before you book. The Yamaha Quad Bike 90 CC Single Seater is only for children aged 9 to 12, and the Yamaha Quad Bike 220 CC Single Seater is recommended for ages 14 to 17. Both ride only in a fenced area. For buggy passengers and other quad models, confirm ages with the team when booking.

A family of five or six booking buggies or quads will usually find the private car at AED 450 per car the simplest transfer, because everyone travels together and leaves from one place.

Larger groups

The private car is set up for 5 to 6 guests. If your group is bigger than that, talk to the team about how many cars to book before you pay. For the camp-only dinners, the private transfer is required, so a larger group needs to plan the number of cars at the same time as the camp booking.

Bookings of 4 or more guests follow different cancellation terms from smaller bookings. Read the refund policy before you book for a group, and keep in mind that changes and cancellations are made by email only.

What should you have ready on pickup day?

A smooth pickup comes down to a few simple checks:

• Your booking confirmation. It arrives by email within 48 hours of payment. Keep it open on your phone.
• The meeting location email, if you chose to meet on site.
• A passport or national ID for each rider.
• Closed-toe shoes for buggy and quad riders.
• Your pickup point, written exactly as you gave it when booking, so the driver finds you first time.
• A charged phone with the number you used for the booking, in case the team needs to reach you.

For the balloon, add the message with your exact pickup time, sent the day before.

How are payment and cancellations handled?

Payment is by Visa or Mastercard in AED, in full online when you book, with no card fee. Transfers are booked as part of the same booking.

For bookings of up to 3 guests, there is no cancellation fee 96 hours or more before the tour. From 24 to 96 hours before, the fee is 50%, and under 24 hours or for a no-show it is 100%. Refunds are less a 5% processing fee. Rescheduling is possible at no charge, subject to availability.

If Safari Desert Dubai cancels a tour, for example because of the weather, you choose between a refund less the 5% fee or a new date at no charge. Once a tour has started, it is not refunded.

Which choice fits your day?

Work through three questions in order:

1. Do you want transport handled for you without extra steps? Book a safari or a shared balloon flight, where pickup is part of the product.
2. Is the main event a buggy, a quad or the KTM? Pick your vehicle and ride length first, then add the sharing transfer at AED 175 per person, the private car at AED 450 for 5 to 6, or meet on site.
3. Are you booking a camp-only dinner? Add the private transfer at AED 450 per car for 5 to 6, and note the seasonal pickup window.

In short

Safaris and shared balloon flights come with pickup. Buggies, quad bikes and the KTM do not, so you choose a sharing transfer at AED 175 per person, a private car at AED 450 for 5 to 6, or the emailed meeting point. Pickup comes 1 hour before a ride that starts on the hour between 5:00 AM and 8:00 PM.

When you know your date, your pickup point and who is riding, book your desert adventure online, or call +971 52 447 2719 or email [email protected] and the team will help you match the right transfer to your plan.