All you need to know about offroading in Dubai

Jump into a four-wheel drive and get ready for the ride of your life – going on a offroading experience in Dubai's desert is something you cannot miss. From vast desert landscapes and beautiful wadis to thrilling mountain passes with impressive scenery,  there's a huge variety of terrains to conquer.

 

Take a tour

 

Even for the experienced offroad driver, the Dubai sandscape can be challenging. Desert-sand driving is notoriously unpredictable, while the surfaces of mountains and wadis are constantly changing. So, it’s better to be accompanied by a qualified driver on your 4WD adventure. Platinum Heritage is a leading operator of unforgettable desert experiences, with a number of tours organised in the protected Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve.

 

If you'd like to get behind the wheel yourself, take a short course to learn the ins-and-outs of desert driving. The Emirates Driving Institute, for example, offers a good introductory course, with a nice balance of theory and practice. There are also a number of dedicated clubs such as Emirates Offroaders that have welcoming members who can introduce you to the nitty-gritty of offroading.

 

 

Once in the car, a good place to acclimate yourself is Fossil Rock en route to Hatta, on the right side of the Sharjah-Kalba Road (E102), close to Al Malaiha. Known as Jebel Malaiha, this large outcrop gets its name from the prehistoric marine fossils found on its slopes. 

 

Fossil Rock is accessible via a sandy dirt track, or you can make your own path and explore the striking terracotta red sand dunes and rock formations – perhaps the gigantic sand dune, Bidayer (‘Big Red’) out on the Hatta-Oman Highway (E44). This popular site has a good variety of dunes to match all driving levels.

 

Dune buggies and quad biking

 

Want to actually feel the sand on your face? You might want to try a dune buggy or quad bike. Dune buggies are stripped-down vehicles custom-made for dunes. Without doors, a roof or windows, they consist of a roll cage, bucket seat and a safety harness, along with a 750cc engine and extra suspension for tackling the dunes at high speeds. You can experience a desert safari with Big Red Adventure, while Dadhabai Travel has morning and full-day quad bike safaris on dunes as steep as 45-degrees.

 

 

Alternatively, if you want a more DIY experience, head out of Dubai in your car along E44 (Dubai-Hatta Road) and after around 45 minutes, you’ll find several quad bike and buggy rental companies on either side of the road. Pay around AED300 to rent a quad bike for one hour, and AED500 for sand buggies. If you don’t have a car to get there, take a taxi for around AED100 to get to the jumping off point. 

 

Mountain climbs

 

Offroading is not just about the desert. Just a short drive from Dubai, you can find a number of spectacular and challenging mountain routes. One such route is the 15km trek from Nazwa Road to Pink Rocks. Once you're offroad, head east to the Pink Rocks (from Nazwa Road to the left of Hatta highway, just before you reach Big Red). You can then either turn north and drive parallel to the escarpment or to the south, where you’ll find a route up to the top of the rocks, which is a great place for photos and a picnic.

 

 

Drive about an hour from Dubai and you'll discover Hatta, another popular stop with rolling dunes and dramatic mountainscapes. Surf the sand in your 4WD or, for those craving more thrills, climb Hatta’s rocky outcrops around its wadis (valleys). You can even have a two-wheeled adventure at Hatta Wadi Hub, with mountain bikes for hire to tackle the dedicated 52km trail.

 

The essentials

 

If you’re driving your own or a rented 4WD, make sure you have these essentials before heading offroad:

• Breakdown equipment including a tool kit, tow rope, shovel, jump leads and car jack

• Fully-serviced vehicle

• Updated GPS and printed map

• Torch

• Foot pump

• Mobile phone with a portable charger

• First aid kit

• Spare tyre

• Tyre pressure gauge

• Extra petrol can

• Drinking water and snacks

 

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