FIELD GUIDE / DUBAI

Dubai Excursions and Day Trips

QUICK ANSWER

To combine Dubai and the desert in a day, choose the 13-hour combo: city tour and safari, both in English. If you prefer a single destination, allow 5 hours for the city tour, 7 for the safari with dinner or 8 for Abu Dhabi.

Barjano · Travel guide

Editorial review November 12, 2026

Illustration of a 4x4 among orange dunes — Travel illustration

BEFORE YOU CHOOSE

Is the city plus dunes combo right for you?

Pick the combo if you have a full day and want both visits. The city part is in English and so is the driver in the desert.

City + dunes · 13 hOne day for both landscapes.

Dunes only · 4–5 hHead back without staying for dinner.

Dunes + dinner · 7 hA trip to the camp, without sleeping there.

Illustration of the Dubai skyline with the Burj Khalifa

CITY + DESERT

Dubai Tour + Desert Safari

Rating9.5/10· 2,768 reviews

Civitatis ratings · 10/11/2026

City · English-speaking guideDesert · English-speaking driver

13 hours

City tour, 4x4 and dinner

Reference price

From€81.28

Civitatis listing · 13/11/2026

See price and availability Civitatis listing

Check the price and availability on Civitatis for your travel date.

Before booking

Which option to choose

Choose by the time you have

The city tour fits in half a day. The safari with dinner takes about 7 hours; the combo, 13. Keep the Abu Dhabi day for that trip alone, rather than counting on another fixed-time plan when you get back.

Check where the trip starts

Before paying, check whether you are picked up at your accommodation or at an agreed point. If you are leaving from a cruise terminal, confirm the pickup point and the return time for the specific activity.

If language is your priority

All the trips we compare run in English: the city tour, the classic Abu Dhabi excursion and the desert safaris. In the combo, the city morning and the afternoon 4x4 are also both in English.

Continue on Civitatis

ATLAS / BEFORE YOU GO

Check these decisions

Use it to fit the visit into the rest of your day.

Where it starts and ends

Check whether the pickup covers your accommodation and where the option ends. If the tour ends in Downtown, confirm the return before scheduling the next visit.

Civitatis · Complete Dubai Tour

Observation deck ticket

Check in the summary whether the tour includes At the Top and which floors it gives access to. An outside stop does not include going up.

Civitatis · Complete Dubai Tour

Guided or on your own

If you book the combo, keep in mind that the city visit has a guide while the desert part has a driver, and both speak English.

Civitatis · Dubai Tour + Desert Safari

BEFORE BOOKING

Travel questions

Which is the shortest excursion we compare?

The short safari takes 4–5 hours and the city tour about 5. Choose depending on whether you prefer the dunes or a tour of the city.

Can I visit Dubai and the desert on the same day?

Yes. The combo takes 13 hours and includes a city tour and a safari with dinner.

Are there excursions to Abu Dhabi in English?

Yes. The classic excursion from Dubai runs with an English-speaking guide and takes about 8 hours.

Where do I check if I get picked up at my hotel?

In the pickup section of the listing. Some areas are excluded and the agreed point may not be the hotel.

Is the safari with dinner a guided tour in English?

Yes. The guide on that trip speaks English.