VIP Platinum vs Gold vs Premium Desert Safari: Which One Should You Book?
2026-08-12
All three of our VIP desert safaris include the exact same core adventure — dune bashing, camel riding, sandboarding, sunset photography, and six live entertainment shows, all over a six-hour evening with hotel pickup from Dubai, Sharjah, or Ajman. So what actually changes as the price climbs from 150 AED to 230 AED to 300 AED?
The answer is entirely about what happens once you arrive at camp. The activities in the dunes are identical across all three tiers — the difference is your seating, your table service, and a handful of extras that get more exclusive the higher you go. Here's exactly what separates VIP Premium, VIP Gold, and VIP Platinum, so you can pick the right level for your evening.
Quick Comparison
Entry VIPVIP Premium
AED 150 per person
- Camp seating: Shared VIP area
- Buffet: VIP BBQ buffet at your table
- Extras: Henna, Arabic costume photos
- Best for: Great value, first VIP upgrade
Mid-TierVIP Gold
AED 230 per person
- Camp seating: Separate private table
- Buffet: Same VIP buffet + hookah at your table
- Extras: Henna, costumes, complimentary Ghutra
- Best for: More privacy without going top-tier
Top TierVIP Platinum
AED 300 per person
- Camp seating: Fully private, air-conditioned room
- Buffet: Mini tabletop grill — cook your own steak, fish & kebabs
- Extras: Longer camel ride, falcon photo, 20% off buggy/quad
- Best for: Full privacy and the most exclusive evening
What's Identical Across All Three Tiers
Before getting into what's different, it's worth being clear about what isn't — because it's most of the actual adventure:
- 6-hour evening desert safari
- Private or shared 4×4 pickup and drop-off — Dubai, Sharjah & Ajman
- Dune bashing with professional drivers
- Camel riding and sandboarding
- Sunset photography stop
- Henna painting & Arabic costume photos
- 6 live shows: Belly Dance, Tanoura, Fire Show, Saeedi, Dabka & Sofi Dance
- Unlimited soft drinks, tea & coffee
So the dune bashing isn't more thrilling on Platinum, and the entertainment lineup isn't longer on Gold. Every guest sees the same show and rides the same dunes — the tier you choose only changes what happens at your table.
VIP Premium: The Smart Starting Point
VIP Premium gets you everything above, plus a dedicated VIP seating area at the camp — a step up from a standard shared group tour, with a full BBQ buffet and refreshments served directly at your table. It's the tier most guests choose first, and for good reason: at 150 AED, you're getting the same activities and entertainment as the higher tiers without paying for extra privacy you might not need.
Choose VIP Premium if: you want the full VIP activity list at the most accessible price, or you're traveling in a group that's happy with shared VIP seating rather than a fully private table.
VIP Gold: A Private Table of Your Own
VIP Gold's one real upgrade over Premium is the seating — instead of a shared VIP area, you get a fully separate table just for your group, complete with your own hookah, juice, and refreshments. It's a meaningful difference if you'd rather not share your camp seating with other guests, without paying for the fully private room that Platinum offers.
Choose VIP Gold if: you want your own table and hookah service, but don't need a fully enclosed private room.
VIP Platinum: The Fully Private Experience
Platinum is where the experience changes the most. Instead of a table in a shared or semi-private area, you get your own air-conditioned private room at the camp. Dinner also changes format entirely: rather than a standard buffet plate, you get a mini tabletop grill at your table, so you can cook your own steak, fish, and kebabs exactly how you like them.
Platinum also adds a longer camel ride, an exclusive photo opportunity with a falcon, and 20% off buggy and quad bike rides at the camp — extras that don't appear on either of the other two tiers.
Choose VIP Platinum if: you want full privacy for your group, you like the idea of grilling your own dinner rather than a buffet line, or you're celebrating something and want the most exclusive version of the evening.
Which One Should You Book?
- Want the full VIP activity list at the best price → VIP Premium
- Want your own table and hookah without going top-tier → VIP Gold
- Want a fully private room and to grill your own BBQ → VIP Platinum
- Celebrating a honeymoon, anniversary, or milestone → VIP Platinum, for the privacy and falcon photo
- Traveling as a large group or corporate team on a budget → VIP Premium, same activities at the lowest per-person cost
Want to compare these against our other desert safari options too? Our complete Dubai Desert Safari Guide covers every package side by side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the dune bashing different between the three VIP tiers?
No. Dune bashing, camel riding, and sandboarding are identical across VIP Premium, Gold, and Platinum. The only differences between the tiers are at the camp — your seating, table service, and a few tier-specific extras.
Do all three tiers include the same live entertainment?
Yes. All three include the same six live shows — Belly Dance, Tanoura, Fire Show, Saeedi Dance, Dabka Dance, and Sofi Dance — regardless of which VIP tier you book.
What's the biggest difference between VIP Gold and VIP Platinum?
VIP Gold gives you a separate table with hookah service within the VIP area. VIP Platinum goes further with a fully private, air-conditioned room, a mini tabletop grill for cooking your own BBQ, a longer camel ride, and an exclusive falcon photo — extras not included in Gold.
Is VIP Platinum worth the extra cost over Premium?
If privacy matters to your group — for a honeymoon, anniversary, or a group that doesn't want to share camp seating with other guests — Platinum's private room and tabletop grill make a real difference. If you're mainly there for the dune bashing, camel ride, and show, VIP Premium delivers the same core experience at a lower price.
Still not sure which VIP tier fits your group?
Browse all desert safari packages or message us on WhatsApp and we'll help you pick based on your group size and budget.