What you pay, and what you don't

What you see on a tour page is what leaves your account. No booking fee, no service charge, no fuel surcharge, and no card fee at checkout — the number on the button is the number you pay.

That is worth saying because it is not the norm. A great many desert safari listings quote a headline price and then find another 10–15% between the search result and the payment screen.

Some things sit outside the ticket, and we would rather name them than let you discover them. Hotel pickup on standalone dune buggy rides is optional and priced on the booking page. A quad ride bought at the camp on the day is an extra. So are drinks and anything else you buy on site, along with gratuities, which are never expected.

None of these are switched on by default and none are needed for the trip you booked to be the trip you get. Book nothing extra and the price you paid online covers the whole day.

If you booked to pay cash on the day and then buy something extra at the camp — a quad ride, a longer camel ride — you can pay for it in cash or by card. Card carries a 5% card service fee. Cash does not.

That is the whole of it. It never touches an online booking, it never applies to the tour you already paid for, and it is not charged on cash. It exists because card acceptance out in the desert costs us more than it does in a shop, and we would rather show you the charge than quietly raise every on-site price to hide it.

If you would rather avoid it entirely, bring cash for extras, or add them to your booking online before you travel.

Weather cancellations are refunded in full, every time. Free cancellation otherwise runs up to 24 hours before your start time. Both are set out on the weather and refunds page.