Sharjah Desert Tour.

The desert of the Emirate of Sharjah offers an essential experience for those visiting the city of Sharjah and its region, as it provides exciting adventures through golden dunes in a sea of sand. Thanks to its vastness, the Sharjah desert offers a unique opportunity for adventure enthusiasts to immerse themselves in the wilderness and discover the traditional culture of the United Arab Emirates.

Sharjah Emirate Desert Photo: Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Depositphotos

This desert is a true paradise for those seeking thrills, spectacular landscapes, and an authentic experience. There are many tours and excursions available, suitable for families with children, and you can choose from various activities, whether more or less challenging. Options include the classic desert safari, leisurely walks among the dunes to explore the vast sandy expanses, camel rides, enjoying a dinner under the stars accompanied by traditional music and folk dances, visiting archaeological sites, or engaging in more educational experiences focused on learning about endangered animals, the wildlife of Sharjah, or falconry.

Sharjah Desert Safari Photo: Copyright © Sisterscom.com / Depositphotos

All experiences in the Sharjah desert, from the more tranquil to the more adventurous, offer a captivating connection with nature and add unique excitement to your journey in Sharjah.

Text by Enzo Cuppari, Avion Tourism Magazine
Text source: Copyright © Sharjah Tourism Development Authority

Tourism Board

www.sharjahtourism.ae

Where to sleep in Sharjah

Sharjah offers endless possibilities to stay in facilities equipped with the best services.
To find the ideal hotel and the best offers you can do a search by stars but also by neighborhoods or places of interest.

STARS

Hotels for stars, differentiated by type of services:

HOUSES, APARTMENTS, B&Bs

LANDMARKS

Hotels in tourist areas

Sharjah City Center

University of Sharjah

American University of Sharjah

Sharjah National Park

Sharjah Mega Mall

Sharjah Heritage Museum

LANDMARKS

Hotels in tourist areas

Sharjah Aquarium

Sahara Centre

Museum of Islamic Civilization

Al Jawaher Convention Centre

Adventureland

LANDMARKS

Hotels in tourist areas

Al Majaz Waterfront

Al Jazeera Park

DISTRICTS

Hotels in the districts

Al Majaz

Al Khan

Beach & Coast

REGION

Hotels in the region

Sharjah Emirate

TOURS AND EXCURSIONS IN THE SHARJAH DESERT

In the Sharjah desert by 4x4 Off-Road

You depart for the desert from Sharjah on a six-hour guided 4x4 off-road tour in air-conditioned vehicles with qualified drivers, heading to the Mleiha Archaeological Centre, located approximately 65 km southeast of the city. This excursion allows you to admire the landscapes of the region, ascend imposing sand dunes, cross spectacular rock formations, and ultimately explore pre-Islamic archaeological sites while taking in panoramic views from three different peaks.

Tour: Pickup from Sharjah for Mleiha desert safari with sandboarding, stargazing and dinner.

Off-Road Adventure Park

Located in the Mleiha area, less than 80 kilometers from the center of Sharjah, this is the perfect place for a variety of adventures right in the heart of the desert: off-road cycling, four-wheel driving, off-road driving, mountain trail exploration, and other adrenaline-pumping challenges. In the adventure park, you can also savor a traditional barbecue and spend the night camping with friends and family, a unique experience in the heart of Sharjah's desert near Mount Al Faya.

Tour: Pickup from Sharjah for Mleiha desert safari with sandboarding, stargazing and dinner.

Desert Camping Under the Stars

Depart from Sharjah to the Mleiha Archaeological Center where you can discover the beauty of the sandy desert landscape with walks among the dunes or a guided trek to spot flora and fauna.

At the Mleiha campsite, you can experience an Arabian feast under the stars in a traditional Bedouin-style majlis, and after dinner, gaze at the stars under a clear and dark sky. After spending the night in a traditional tent, visit Fossil Rock with unique dunes from which you can spot birds, reptiles, and camels. Indeed, Sharjah's desert is a natural reserve, and its sand dunes host species that thrive only in the desert habitat.

Tour: Pickup from Sharjah for Hatta Safari, Camel Rock and Fossil Rock and bee garden visit.

Mleiha Archaeological Center

The Mleiha Archaeological Center is located in Mleiha near Jebel Fayah, 65 kilometers southeast of the city of Sharjah. It is a significant Arab archaeological site ideal for discovering the ancient history of the United Arab Emirates and the secrets of early humanity on the Arabian Peninsula. You can visit Umm an-Nar tomb (a Bronze Age round tomb) to delve into the history of the ancient Bedouin civilization or explore Fossil Rock, a large rock formation rich in marine fossils. In the area, you can go on hikes, treks, dune bashing, quad biking, desert safaris, glamping, paragliding from the high peaks of Mleiha, or spend a night under the stars among the sand dunes.

Tour: Prelievo da Sharjah per Safari nel deserto di Mleiha con sandboarding, osservazione delle stelle e cena.

Fossil Rock

It is an ancient rock formation visible from over 25 kilometers away and rises above sand dunes in the desert of the United Arab Emirates near Mleiha, an hour's drive from the city of Sharjah. The area is renowned for its numerous archaeological sites.

Here, you can go trekking through the desert sands and fossil-rich rocks, embark on a safari, or experience desert camping. Nearby, you'll find the Mleiha Archaeological Center for a more in-depth understanding of the history of the United Arab Emirates and early life in the desert. In fact, millions of years ago, much of Arabia was submerged under the ocean, and many of the fossils found here are said to be over 80 million years old.

Tour: Pickup from Sharjah for Desert Drive and visit Wadi Shawka swimming pool.

Sharjah Desert Park

Located approximately 30 kilometers from the city, Sharjah Desert Park is a must-visit destination for wildlife enthusiasts and families with children. It offers an educational farm, a botanical garden, and a breeding center for rare and endangered animals saved from the desert habitat. The Arabia's Wildlife Centre houses the Arabian leopard, oryx, and other rare animals that can be observed up close. At the Natural History Museum and the Botanical Garden, you can learn more about the flora and fauna of the Arabian Peninsula. Additionally, you can take walks amid the flora and fauna in the nature reserve, and children can visit the petting zoo with farm animals.

Tour: Sharjah Pickup for Hatta Safari, Camel Rock and Fossil Rock with bee garden visit.

Adventure at Big Red

Al Badayer (Big Red) is a historic desert formation perfect for adventurous activities and is located near Al Badayer, approximately 65 kilometers southeast of downtown Sharjah. Big Red is the largest sand dune near the city, an ideal spot for desert sports and panoramic views. Here, you can engage in dune bashing (riding the sand waves in off-road vehicles), four-wheel quad biking, and sand skiing. You can also rent quads, dirt bikes, and buggies on-site. Big Red offers adventurous sports suitable for children as well, and they can enjoy short family hikes and sunset picnics on a sea of red sand.

Tour: Sharjah, four wheels in the sand dunes of the Sahara oppure from Sharjah family UTV tour with sandboarding.

Al Madam Buried Village

It's a small abandoned village nestled among the desert dunes in the Madam area, shrouded in mystery: a captivating destination to explore, appealing to adventure enthusiasts, explorers, and photographers.

You can stroll through the abandoned houses and points of interest that are said to have imaginary stories.

Built as part of a public housing project after the formation of the United Arab Emirates in 1971, the Buried Village once housed a semi-nomadic Bedouin tribe. About twenty years later, it is presumed that the residents were forced to leave the village due to tumultuous natural conditions and desert winds.

Tour: Sharjah, ghost village tour, dune hike and evening barbecue.

Khor Kalba Nature Reserve with Bird of Prey Observation and Falconry

Bedouin tribes have a long tradition of hunting with native raptors and falconry. Enthusiasts can visit the Kalba Bird of Prey Center, a wildlife center in Sharjah dedicated to birds of prey, offering free-flight demonstrations, aviaries featuring owls, eagles, hawks, vultures, and, of course, falcons. It's a wonderful experience to share with family and children, providing educational entertainment about Sharjah's wildlife. The center is located in Kalba, within the Khor Kalba Nature Reserve, one of Sharjah's must-visit places.