Camel Riding in Dubai: What It's Actually Like

Here is the part nobody warns you about with camel riding in Dubai. The camel is already sitting when you climb on, folded down on the sand with its legs tucked under. You swing a leg over the saddle, get told to lean back, and then it stands up. Back legs first. For a second you pitch forward toward the camel's neck, then it straightens the front legs and you rock back the other way. Hold the saddle horn, not the reins, and you are fine.

Once it is up you are sitting roughly two metres off the ground, higher than you expect. The walk is a slow side-to-side roll because both legs on the same side move together. People compare it to a small boat in a light swell. It is not fast and it is not jolting. After a minute your body adjusts to the rhythm and you stop gripping so hard.

Most rides are a short loop in the dunes as part of a desert safari, out in the Dubai Desert Conservation Reserve or the dune belt past Lehbab and Al Lahbab on the road toward Hatta, about 45 minutes to an hour from Downtown. The camel handler leads on foot or the animals walk nose-to-tail in a short train. You are not steering anything.

A handful of beach operators run camels along the sand near Jumeirah and the public beach by Kite Beach in the cooler months, which makes for a different photo with the water behind you. Those tend to be even shorter, more of a walk-up-and-sit-for-pictures arrangement than a proper ride.

Be honest with yourself about the length. Inside a desert safari the camel ride is usually 10 to 15 minutes, sometimes just a five-minute lap around the camp. It is one item on an evening that also includes dune driving, sandboarding, dinner and a show. The ride is the gentle part.

If it is bundled into the safari, it is often included in the package, which runs roughly AED 150 to 350 per person depending on the operator and whether it is a shared 4x4 or a private one. A standalone or longer dedicated camel trek, say 30 to 60 minutes, is closer to AED 200 to 400. Beach rides are typically sold by the loop, around AED 50 to 100. Tip the handler if the price did not already include it.

Camels are working animals here and a well-run operation treats them as the asset they are. The signs of a responsible one are not hard to read. Look at the camels themselves: a healthy animal has clear eyes, no open sores under the saddle or around the nose peg, ribs you cannot count from across the camp, and it is not visibly straining or foaming. Saddles should sit on padding, not bare skin.

Ask how long the animals work and whether they get rest and shade between rides. Good operators rotate their camels and stop riding in the worst of the afternoon heat. Avoid anyone who lets a single camel carry rider after rider all day in 45-degree sun, or who jerks the nose rope to make the animal move. If the company can name its desert site and talks about conservation-zone permits, that is usually a better sign than a roadside setup with no fixed base.

Closed shoes or trainers, not flip-flops, because you will be walking on hot sand and the camel kicks up grit. Loose long trousers are more comfortable on the saddle than shorts, and they keep the sun off. Sunglasses and a hat that will not blow away. In winter evenings the desert gets genuinely cool after sunset, so bring a layer.

Hold the saddle horn with one hand, especially during the stand-up and sit-down, which are the only moments that catch people out. Keep your phone on a wrist strap or in a zipped pocket. A dropped phone disappears into soft sand fast, and the camel will not wait for you to dig it out.