Dubai: City & Desert
Four nights, one skyline and one desert night — the short-haul trip that needs no leave saved up.
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Placeholder artwork — real trip photography drops in here.
About this trip
The easiest international trip we run: under four hours from Delhi, no altitude, no trek, and a group that gets the skyline, the old city and a night in the desert inside four nights. Two days in the new Dubai — the Burj, the fountains, the Marina — one day in Deira and Bur Dubai for the souks, the creek and the abra crossing that still costs a dirham, and an overnight desert camp with dune driving, dinner and a sky you cannot get in the city. Good for a first passport stamp, and good for a group that wants to be back at work on Monday.
- Burj Khalifa observation deck, booked for the hour before sunset
- An overnight desert camp — dune drive, dinner, and a morning camel ride
- The gold and spice souks in Deira, and the abra across the creek
- Old Dubai on foot — Al Fahidi, the wind towers, and a coffee museum
- Dubai Marina by boat, with the fountain show at the Dubai Mall after
- A free day for the beach, the malls, or whichever park the group votes for
Day by day
5 days, written by the host who runs it.
Day 1Arrive Dubai
Airport pick-up and hotel check-in. Evening at the Dubai Mall for the fountain show, and dinner nearby. An easy first night on purpose — most flights land late.
Day 2New Dubai
Burj Khalifa in the late afternoon, so you get the city in daylight and lit up on the same ticket. Dubai Marina and a walk along JBR before that, and the evening is free.
Day 3Old Dubai, then the desert
Al Fahidi, the textile souk and an abra across the creek to Deira for gold and spices. Picked up at four for the desert camp — dune drive, dinner, and a night under canvas.
Day 4Desert to city
Camel ride and breakfast at camp, back to the city by lunch. Afternoon free for the beach or the malls, and a last dinner as a group.
Day 5Out
Breakfast, then airport drop. Anyone extending gets help rearranging.
What the price covers
Included
- 4 nights — 3 in a central Dubai hotel and 1 in a desert camp, twin sharing
- All breakfasts, 2 dinners, and dinner at the desert camp
- Airport transfers and all transport within Dubai
- Burj Khalifa observation deck ticket
- The desert safari with dune drive, camp stay and camel ride
- Your host for the full trip
Not included
- International flights to and from Dubai
- UAE visa — we arrange it, and the fee is charged at cost
- Lunches, and 2 dinners
- Optional activities — the Marina cruise, the aquarium, the water parks
- Travel insurance, which we ask everyone on an international trip to carry
- Anything personal
Where you sleep, how you move
Stay
A four-star hotel in Bur Dubai or Deira within walking distance of a metro station, and one night in a desert camp with proper beds and attached bathrooms. Twin sharing; a private room is ₹18,000 for the trip.
Transport
Private air-conditioned coach for all sightseeing and transfers, and 4x4s for the dune drive. The metro is a short walk from the hotel for anything you want to do on your own.
What to carry
- Passport valid for at least six months beyond travel, plus two photocopies
- Printed visa or e-visa approval, and your travel insurance certificate
- A universal travel adaptor
- Some local currency for day one; cards work for most things after that
- Layers appropriate to the season — see the trip overview
- A reusable water bottle and personal medication
Who this trip is for
Open to 18 and over. Nothing here is physically demanding. The dune drive is bumpy enough that we will suggest sitting it out if you have a back or neck problem, and the camp is still worth the night.
Cancellation & refunds
Specific to this trip, because a permit-bound Himalayan departure cannot carry the same terms as a weekend by a river.
- More than 60 days before departure — full refund, less a ₹5,000 processing fee.
- 45 to 60 days before departure — 60% refund.
- 30 to 44 days before departure — 30% refund.
- Under 30 days before departure — no refund. Air tickets and hotels are non-refundable by this point.
- Visa rejection with proof — full refund less the visa fee and ₹5,000 processing.
Full terms are in our refund & cancellation policy.
Meet your host
Nilanjana Bose
Based in Bengaluru · 2 trips led
Quit a product job in 2022 after leading one trip as a favour. Now runs our international women-only departures and speaks enough Georgian to argue about a taxi fare.
“Twelve women in a country none of them had been to, and by the end they had a group chat that is still going two years later.”
Not quite the one?
There are other departures, and we would rather put you on the right trip than the nearest one.
Or reach us on WhatsApp at +91 96063 37793