Dubai with Kids: Heat, Desert Trips by Age and Pacing

Choosing between our family desert trips

Four trips cover what most families want, and the right one depends mainly on the children's ages and on the time of day that suits you.

Dubai Dune Safari with Sandboarding and Camels. A four-hour morning: a welcome drink in an air-conditioned tent, 30 to 45 minutes of dune driving, sandboarding, a short camel ride and a photo holding a falcon. There is no meal, only Arabic coffee, tea, dates, water and soft drinks. It suits families with children aged three and over who want the desert without giving it the whole day, and it leaves the afternoon free for a nap or the pool. Expect sand in everyone's shoes after sandboarding.

Dubai Oasis Camel Caravan and Breakfast. The gentlest option. The caravan moves at walking pace through a desert reserve in the morning cool. Afterwards there is a recreated Bedouin village where you can try on traditional dress and hold a falcon for a photo, and then breakfast at the oasis. There is no dune drive. It suits young families and anyone who wants a calm, unhurried start to the day.

Dubai Sunset Camel or Horse Ride and Dinner. This trip is built around the ride rather than a dune drive. You choose a 40-minute camel ride, a 40-minute horse ride, or twenty minutes on each, timed for the low evening light, then continue to a camp for live performances and a barbecue buffet. The whole outing lasts about six hours, which is long for small children, so it suits families whose children can stay up and stay patient. No experience is needed for the camel; for the horse, tell us each rider's level so the team can prepare a suitable animal.

Dubai Red Dunes Safari and BBQ Evening. The classic seven-hour outing, with a dune drive, sandboarding, camels, a falcon, henna, a buffet dinner and shows. It is open from age three, but the length and the bumpy drive make it a better fit for school-age children than for three- and four-year-olds.

Who does the desert not suit? Children who struggle in the heat, babies on a dune drive, and anyone, child or adult, prone to motion sickness on a trip that includes dune bashing. For them, the camp dinner without dune driving or the morning camel caravan is the honest recommendation.

City days that children can manage

Dubai is spread out, and walking between sights in the heat is where family days usually go wrong. Our Dubai City Tour from the Creek to Jumeirah is built the other way round: much of its five hours is spent in an air-conditioned vehicle, with short outdoor stops in between. You stop at Jumeirah Beach for the view of the Burj Al Arab, walk a short stretch of Dubai Marina, take photos at the Museum of the Future and look around its ground floor, visit the Blue Mosque with a guide, cross the Creek by abra and walk through the gold and spice souks.

In summer, pick the morning slot and bring sunglasses and hats. You can also book the private-vehicle option for up to six guests, so a family travels with its own guide and car on the same route. The tour is not wheelchair accessible, which is worth knowing if you rely on a pushchair for long stretches.

Children usually enjoy the abra most: a short crossing on a wooden boat with the water close enough to watch. For the mosque visit, everyone covers shoulders and knees and avoids tight or see-through clothing, and women bring a scarf for their hair.

For families with older children who like to walk, the Old Dubai and Al Fahidi Walking Tour adds a traditional coffee-making session, the restored lanes of the old quarter and the souks on foot. It is not recommended for infants under two, and strollers are not allowed, so it is a trip for children who can walk for a few hours.

A wooden abra crossing Dubai Creek — Photo: Unsplash

Car seats and getting around

UAE traffic law requires a child seat for children up to the age of four, and children under ten, or shorter than 145 centimetres, may not sit in the front seat. Whatever transport you use, from airport transfers to taxis and tour vehicles, it helps to know these rules before you arrive, because not every vehicle carries a child seat as standard.

Our advice is simple: tell us the age of every child when you book, and say if you need a child seat. On our Abu Dhabi day trips a child seat can be requested at booking. For other trips, ask before you book and we will tell you what the vehicle has. If your child uses a seat at home and you can bring it, that is the one you know fits.

Drives can be long. Abu Dhabi is about one and a half to two hours from Dubai by road, and the desert camps lie well outside the city. Pack snacks, water and something to keep children busy, and use the toilet before pickup.

Pacing: one big thing a day

The most common mistake is planning a family week the way you would plan it as two adults. With children, one main activity a day is usually enough, with the rest of the day kept loose. A morning safari followed by an afternoon at the pool works. A morning city tour, an afternoon in a mall and an evening desert camp does not.

A few principles help. Put outdoor activities at the start or the end of the day. Alternate busy days with quiet ones. Keep the long outings, such as a seven-hour safari with dinner or a day trip to Abu Dhabi, for the middle of the holiday, once everyone has adjusted to the heat and to any time difference.

Be ready in the hotel lobby at your pickup time, since shared vehicles collect other guests on the same route. On the dune safari, pickup can come up to 45 minutes after the booked time, so keep a snack and a book to hand for the wait.

Water, sun and sand

Children can dehydrate quickly, and in Dubai the air conditioning hides how much they are losing. Make drinking a habit rather than a response to thirst: one bottle per child, refilled through the day. Our desert trips serve water, and some include soft drinks, but carry your own for the drive as well.

The sun is strong all year, not only in summer. Hats with a brim, sunglasses, a high-factor sunscreen reapplied regularly, and light, loose clothes that cover the shoulders are the basics. In the desert, closed shoes are better than sandals, because the sand can be hot and gets everywhere. A scarf helps against wind-blown sand. In winter, bring a jacket for the evening, because the desert cools quickly after sunset.

Watch for the signs that a child has had too much heat: unusual tiredness, a headache, flushed or very pale skin, or a child who suddenly goes quiet. Move into shade or air conditioning, give water, and tell the guide straight away if anyone feels unwell. A guide would much rather adjust the day than push on.

Camels resting in the dunes at sunset — Photo: Unsplash

Before you book: a short checklist

• The age of every child, for every trip.
• Is there a dune drive? If so, no children under three.
• Quads and buggies: ten and over only.
• Need a child seat? Ask when you book.
• In the hot months, a morning or evening slot.
• Water, hats, sunscreen, closed shoes and a light layer for winter evenings.
• One main activity a day.

If you are unsure which trip fits your family, send us the children's ages and your dates. We will tell you honestly which trips suit them and which ones to skip.