What to Wear on a Desert Safari in Dubai
Nobody forgets their first step onto a dune — some because of the view, others because they took it in flip-flops on 60°C sand. After hosting more than 50,000 guests, we can tell within a minute of arrival who dressed right — see what they say in our guest reviews. Here's how to be one of them. Not sure which safari format you're doing yet? Our morning vs evening vs overnight comparison affects what you'll need too.
The all-season basics
- Loose, light layers — cotton or linen beats synthetics. The desert is about airflow, not coverage-minimum.
- Closed light shoes or sports sandals. Sneakers fill with sand but protect from heat; sports sandals empty easily but expose skin. Both work — flip-flops and heels do not. You'll kick shoes off for sandboarding anyway.
- Sunglasses and sunscreen, even for the 3 PM evening safari — the first two hours are bright, and dune glare comes from below as well as above.
- A scarf or shemagh. The single most useful desert item: sun shield, wind-and-sand mask during dune bashing photo stops, and warm layer after dark. Buy one at any Dubai souk for a few dirhams.
Season by season
November – March (winter): bring the jacket. Really.
The classic tourist mistake is dressing for Dubai's daytime 25°C and discovering the open desert at 9 PM sits at 10–14°C with wind. Every winter we lend blankets to shivering guests in shorts. Wear trousers, bring a fleece or light jacket for after sunset, and thank us later. This is also peak season — see our month-by-month guide. If you're doing the overnight safari in this window, pack the warm layer twice over — desert nights get properly cold once the camp empties out.
April – May & October: the easy months
T-shirt and light trousers or long shorts all evening. A long-sleeve shirt for sunset is plenty.
June – September (summer): minimal but covered
Counter-intuitively, light long sleeves often beat tank tops — covered skin stays cooler under direct sun and doesn't burn. Choose the early morning safari in these months if heat worries you; by 6:30 PM the evening camp is comfortable too.
What women typically wear
Dubai's desert camps are relaxed — normal casual holiday clothing is completely fine, and there's no dress code beyond common-sense comfort. Most female guests wear leggings or loose trousers with a t-shirt or tunic; maxi dresses photograph beautifully on the dunes but choose one you can climb a dune and camel-mount in. For henna painting, short sleeves make life easier.
What men typically wear
Shorts or light chinos with a t-shirt covers 90% of guests. If you plan to try the Arabic costume photos at the camp (included in our packages), whatever's underneath doesn't matter much anyway.
Leave in the car: laptops, jewellery you'd cry about, and anything that hates fine sand. Your car sits in our guarded lot, which makes it the perfect locker — one more quiet advantage of the self drive format.
The five-item checklist
- Sunglasses + sunscreen
- Scarf or shemagh
- Closed light shoes
- Warm layer (November–March)
- Phone power bank — you will take more photos than you think (photography guide here)
Packed and ready? Book your spot and we'll handle the rest.