Destination 
Verified Liwa is an exciting destination with amazing and breathtaking things to do. This list gives you the free activities, the paid experiences, and everything else worth knowing before you plan a visit, favourite Liwa attractions, things suited to kids, and the practical detail that actually helps once you're there.
Source: Abu Dhabi Culture
Source: Abu Dhabi Culture
Source: Abu Dhabi Culture
Source: Abu Dhabi Culture
One of the largest palm tree oases in the Middle East. The Empty Quarter, a vast desert spanning roughly 650,000 square kilometres, is a magnificent sea of dunes largely untouched by mankind, and Liwa Oasis sits at its northern edge. Underground freshwater here has made Liwa one of the UAE's leading date-growing regions, the largest palm tree oasis in the country. The contrast of lush palms against rolling dunes is worth the trip on its own, and it's a popular spot for a BBQ, a picnic, or just sitting with the view.
50.7 km, 40 minutes
226 km, 2 to 2.5 hours
Free
A normal vehicle reaches the oasis; you'll need a 4x4 to explore further into the dunes around it.
Read the full Liwa Oasis guide for its size, history, and why it is the ancestral home of the UAE's ruling family.
Source: Past Travelers
Source: Visit Abu Dhabi
Source: Past Travelers
Source: Past Travelers
Source: Visit Abu Dhabi
Tel Moreeb is the UAE's tallest sand dune and one of the world's biggest dune hills to climb, no surprise given the name translates to "Scary Mountain." At around 300 metres with a roughly 50 degree slipface, the climb is genuinely tough, but the view over uninterrupted desert from the top is worth it.
102 km, 1.5 hours
244 km, 2.5 to 3 hours
Free
A normal car reaches the facility area near the base. Driving or climbing the dune itself needs a 4x4 and an experienced guide.
Source: National Geographic
Source: National Geographic
Source: National Geographic
Source: National Geographic
Liwa has its own distinct breed of camel. Drop by any of the Bedouin-run camel farms on the way to Tel Moreeb, free of charge. Unlike the browner camels closer to Abu Dhabi, Liwa's camels originated from Saudi Arabia and are black in colour, and you might catch a herd crossing the red sand of the Liwa desert if you're lucky.
Free
Reachable by normal vehicle.
One of the forts built across the oasis to guard it from invading tribes. The mud-brick architecture is genuinely 19th century, and from a distance it looks almost like a sand castle. Climb the stairs to the terrace for a wide, heightened view over the dunes running to the horizon.
84 km, 1 hour
244 km, 2.5 to 3 hours
Free
Reachable by normal car.
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
Source: Isc, Liwa Sport Club
The winter festival runs across roughly three weeks and is a magnet for expert four-wheel drivers and desert bikers. It celebrates UAE heritage and offers participants and visitors camping facilities at Tel Moreeb. Events include camel racing, horse racing, drag racing, bike racing and motocross track challenges, but the highlight is the bike and car races climbing the 300 metre dune at its 50 degree incline.
Every year, late December into January. 2026 to 2027 edition: 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027.
102 km, 1.5 hours
244 km, 2.5 to 3 hours
Free
Reachable by normal vehicle. Parking near the event fills up fast, arrive early or park opposite the food truck area and walk in.
Source: The National
Source: Gulf News
Source: Turathuna
Source: Emirates247
Source: The National
Source: Gulf News
An initiative to preserve one of the most famous aspects of Emirati heritage, the date palms and the half-ripe date fruit known locally as ratab. The festival is a unique event for individuals and companies passionate about Emirati dates, and an excellent chance to learn about local handicrafts, customs and traditions, not just the fruit itself.
Every year, mid to late July. 2026 edition ran 14 to 23 July.
81 km, 1 hour
214 km, 2 hours
Free
Reachable by normal car.
With a prize fund of around 4 million AED, this is a hub of water activities, theatre and water-related heritage events on a site spanning over 20,000 square metres at Mirfa Beach. Expect rowing, sailing races, kite surfing, kayak racing, swimming, and parachute sailing, alongside local activities like traditional dhow racing and the UAE sailing national championship, plus beach football and volleyball.
Every year, typically 21 to 30 April.
224 km, 2 hours
144 km, 1 hour
Free
Reachable by normal car to Mirfa.
A walk is always a good way to connect with the landscape, and it's soothing and invigorating in equal measure. Walking through the Liwa desert lets you feel the dunes beneath your feet and the desert wind on your face. Keep a safe distance from your car and always keep it in eye level, since it's easy to lose your bearings once you're among the dunes. It's best to stop near a camel farm and walk from there.
Park in a safe spot along the highway and walk in on foot.
Get out of Liwa's town centre into untouched expanses of golden desert and witness the Rub' al Khali at its most striking. Feel the rise and fall of the dunes with a dune bashing session, then watch the sunset from the summit of the highest dune with a glass of champagne in hand.
Source: Tour Operators Abu Dhabi
Source: Tour Operators Abu Dhabi
Source: Tour Operators Abu Dhabi
Source: Tour Operators Abu Dhabi
Get out of Liwa's town centre into untouched expanses of golden desert and witness the Rub' al Khali at its most striking. Feel the rise and fall of the dunes with a dune bashing session, then watch the sunset from the summit of the highest dune with a glass of champagne in hand.
Source: Past Travelers
Source: Past Travelers
Source: Past Travelers
Source: Past Travelers
Source: Past Travelers
Source: Past Travelers
Being driven through the desert is exciting, but driving it yourself is a completely different feeling. Learn the highs and lows of the towering dunes as you manoeuvre through the sand yourself, with an experienced Liwa guide alongside you the whole way.
Being driven through the desert is exciting, but driving it yourself is a completely different feeling. Learn the highs and lows of the towering dunes as you manoeuvre through the sand yourself, with an experienced Liwa guide alongside you the whole way.
One of the desert world's best hotels, set right in the middle of the Empty Quarter with no connection to the outside world visible from the resort itself, a genuine sense of being somewhere no one else has been.
Source: Anantara
Source: Anantara
Source: Anantara
Source: Anantara
Source: Anantara
One of the desert world's best hotels, set right in the middle of the Empty Quarter with no connection to the outside world visible from the resort itself, creating a genuine sense of being somewhere few people have been.
200 km, 2 hours
You'll need to either stay at the hotel or book a meal to enter.
Any car can make the trip. An Uber from Abu Dhabi Airport runs roughly 150 to 160 USD one way; a private transfer with a local tour operator is typically 90 to 100 USD.
Three Arabiers tours are built specifically around dining here: a reserved lunch, sunset cocktails, and a private chef and butler BBQ dinner.
A desert drive is an exciting way to explore, most comfortably in a Qasr Al Sarab 4x4. Your guide manoeuvres you across the picturesque dunes while you learn about the desert's habitat, animals and plants. Push further and dune bashing takes the adrenaline up a level.
Explore the desert on the back of one of its oldest residents. Camels have carried Bedouin travellers for generations, and a variety of trek lengths are available to suit your liking. See our camel trekking guide for how riding actually works on an Arabiers tour, since it's offered as an on-request add-on rather than a standard inclusion on our own trips.
There's a special vehicle built for riding the dunes, the fat bike, a bicycle with true-to-name wide tyres that make an otherwise unmanageable feat approachable. Suitable for beginner and expert riders alike.
Falcons and salukis have been companions of Bedouin hunters for thousands of years, both inspiring Arabic poetry and standing as national symbols. The falcon's agility and sharp sight, paired with the saluki's speed and stamina, make them a formidable hunting pair. This show covers the techniques behind it, a saluki race, and more.
Visiting during a full moon is a genuine opportunity to see the desert differently. Choose between a moonlit desert walk, horse riding, or a desert drive.
Take on the dunes near the resort with a sandboard, climb up and slide back down. A quick, accessible way to feel the scale of the desert.
A romantic weekend or honeymoon-worthy addition: a private dinner set and served by a professional chef and butler, with a choice of Levantine, Mediterranean or healthy menus. This is exactly what Arabiers' own BBQ Dinner tour delivers.
Qasr Al Sarab's outdoor pool is open to non-guests on a paid basis, typically charged per person from age 6 and up, with set daytime hours. Rates and hours are set by the resort and change independently of Arabiers' tours, confirm directly with Qasr Al Sarab or at time of booking rather than relying on a fixed figure here.
Private-transfer and taxi prices are time-sensitive and can change by vehicle, pick-up point and travel date. Confirm the current rate directly with the transport provider or Arabiers before booking rather than relying on an older fixed price table.
The first hotel to open in the region, and one of the oldest. Well maintained rooms in an excellent central oasis location, with unbeatable views of the Empty Quarter.
A newer 4-star addition with good amenities at a more budget-friendly rate, though further from the Empty Quarter itself than the other options here.
A strong mid-range competitor to the Liwa Hotel, with a good pool and desert views. A well-located choice combining amenities with a genuine sense of the desert.
Yes, and most UAE residents visit Liwa for camping, a BBQ dinner, or a lunch stop at the oasis.
No. Liwa is part of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, in the Al Gharbia Western Region. If you already hold a valid UAE visa, no separate pass is needed.
Not really, most Liwa tours run privately rather than as shared bus tours. A public bus service exists for independent travel to Mezairaa station, see the bus section below.
Donkeys and goats are sometimes seen at camel farms. The Arabian Oryx is extremely rare in the wild here and not reliably spotted.
The racing and event area is centred at Tel Moreeb, reachable by normal vehicle, with camping facilities available for participants and visitors. Entry is free. Parking fills up fast, arrive early or park at the food truck area and walk in.
Unlikely. They're extremely rare in this region today, don't plan a visit around seeing one.
Yes, as long as you hold a valid UAE visa, whether on arrival or pre-approved. Book with a licensed operator with experienced desert drivers given the distance and terrain involved.
Free sights like the oasis, Tel Moreeb and Dhafeer Fort, a Bedouin cultural experience, guided desert tours from a single day to a full overnight camp, and Qasr Al Sarab's own resort activities.
A mix of large OTAs, small local agencies, and licensed operators running their own tours. Arabiers runs its own private tours end to end with its own drivers and vehicles. Book directly by WhatsApp or phone.
Arabiers doesn't offer unsupervised 4x4 rental. Self driving is possible through the guided Self Drive Adventure, where you take the wheel under a guide's supervision after instruction.
December to March, when temperatures are cooler and more comfortable for a full day outdoors. See our full weather guide for month by month detail.
From 790 AED for the per-person Sunset Champagne tour, up to 3,200 AED for the most involved overnight trekking and camping tour.
Handicrafts are sold physically at the Dates Festival's craft pavilions each July, not through an online store. For authentic Emirati food, Bedouin camp meals on a guided tour or a reserved meal at Qasr Al Sarab are the realistic options.
The main risk is the dunes, not the desert generally, self driving into soft sand without experience isn't advised. Carry more water than feels necessary and check conditions before travelling in summer.
Arabiers doesn't rent standalone camping gear, it's provided as part of the guided overnight tours only. Those tours are authentic desert camping, not glamping.
Not currently through Arabiers. The off-road options available are guided dune bashing, the Self Drive Adventure, and guided trekking on foot.
Yes, for a genuinely different reason than most UAE desert trips: real farming villages and palm groves alongside some of the tallest dunes on earth, plus the history of being the UAE ruling family's ancestral home.
Arabiers includes private return transfers on every Liwa tour. Independently, a public bus service runs from Abu Dhabi to Liwa's Mezairaa station.
From Abu Dhabi: from the central bus station (main station near Al Wahda Mall) to Liwa's Mezairaa Bus Station, a service runs 2 timings from Abu Dhabi and 2 from Liwa. From Abu Dhabi: 9:20am and 9pm, arriving 12:49pm and 12:29am. From Mezairaa: 5:10am and 8:38am, arriving back in Abu Dhabi 6:15pm and 7:43pm, 30 AED per way ticket. Timings are subject to change, confirm with the Abu Dhabi Department of Transport toll-free number before travelling.
From Dubai: there's no direct bus to Liwa. You'll need to take one of three buses from Dubai to Abu Dhabi first, then a connecting bus from Abu Dhabi to Liwa.
Timings are subject to change, confirm with Dubai RTA's toll-free call centre before relying on them.
Once you're off the bus at Liwa's Mezairaa Bus Station, here's the distance to Liwa's main attractions and events spots, with approximate taxi rates:
If you're on a budget, the taxi fare from a station this far from the city attractions can add up quickly, renting a car or arranging a transfer with a local tour operator is usually the more practical option.
| 6am to 10pm | 10pm to 6am |
|---|---|
| 1.82 AED per km | 1.82 AED per km |
| Flag-fall 5 AED | Flag-fall 5.5 AED |
| Booking 4 AED | Booking 5 AED |
