What Is the Feeling of Camel Trekking?

The Moment You Mount - Nothing Prepares You For This

Before you feel the rhythm of the desert, before the silence settles over you, before any of the beautiful parts - there is the mounting moment. And this is what almost every blog conveniently skips.

The camel will be sitting on the ground when you approach it. Even seated, it is a large animal. Your Desert Holiday Tours guide will walk you through exactly what to do, so you are never left guessing. You step up alongside the camel, swing your leg over the saddle, and grip the saddle post. So far, manageable.

Then the camel stands up.

This is the part that surprises everyone. The camel does not rise smoothly like a platform lift. It lunges forward first - onto its back legs - and your entire body pitches sharply forward. Then it snaps upright onto its front legs and your body lurches back. The whole thing takes about three seconds, and every single first-timer grips the saddle post with both hands and holds on for their life.

Most people laugh. Some gasp. A few say a word they probably weren't planning to say out loud. And then, just like that, it's over. You are up. You are stable. The camel is walking.

The trick - which your guide will tell you - is to lean back as the camel rises on its back legs, then lean forward as it comes up front. That counterbalance makes the whole thing much smoother. Getting off at the end works in reverse, and knowing what to expect makes dismounting far less dramatic than the first time up.

What Does Riding a Camel Actually Feel Like?

Once you are up and the camel is moving, the experience changes completely. This is where the magic starts.

The Swaying Rhythm

Camels move differently from every other animal you might have ridden. They don't trot up and down like a horse. They sway from side to side in a long, slow, rolling motion - both legs on one side moving together, then both on the other. This is why they have been called the "Ship of the Desert" for thousands of years. It genuinely feels like being on a slow, gentle boat on calm water.

For the first five minutes, most people instinctively tense up and try to stay still against the movement. That is the wrong instinct. The moment you relax your hips and let your body move with the camel rather than against it, everything becomes surprisingly comfortable. Your guide will remind you of this - and once you feel it click, you will understand why people cross entire deserts this way.

The Height

You are sitting roughly two meters off the ground. That changes your perspective of the desert completely. Dune ridges that looked modest from the ground suddenly reveal depth. You can see the landscape stretching ahead in a way that feels cinematic. The Abu Dhabi desert - with its rolling golden dunes, wide open sky, and total absence of buildings - looks extraordinary from up here.

The Silence

This is the part that catches most people completely off guard.

There is no engine noise. No city sounds. No music. Just the soft, almost imperceptible sound of large padded feet pressing into warm sand, and the occasional grunt or moan from the camel communicating with its companions. The desert silence in Abu Dhabi's Al Khatim region is a different kind of quiet - the kind that feels almost loud in its completeness.

Many travelers say this is the moment they finally disconnected. Not when they turned their phone off, not when they left the hotel - but when they were sitting on a camel in the middle of the desert and heard nothing but wind and sand.

The Physical Sensation

For short treks of 30 to 60 minutes - like the one included in Desert Holiday Tours' Camel Trekking Tour Abu Dhabi - the ride is comfortable for almost everyone. You may feel your inner thighs working slightly to keep balance, and your lower back will be engaged in a way it normally isn't. Neither of these is painful during a standard one-hour trek. Any mild soreness afterwards fades within a day.

If you are sitting directly on a thin saddle with no padding, longer rides can feel harder. Our tours use properly fitted saddles with cushioning, and your guide will help you find a comfortable position before you set off.

The Emotions Nobody Talks About

Here is what separates a camel trek from every other desert activity. It is not just a physical experience. Something unexpected happens emotionally.

The Time-Travel Feeling

At some point during the ride - usually when the dunes are all around you and the city feels very far away - a thought arrives that you weren't expecting: people have been doing exactly this, on exactly these animals, across exactly this landscape, for thousands of years.

Abu Dhabi's Bedouin heritage is built around the camel. These animals carried families, goods, and entire ways of life across the Arabian Peninsula long before any road existed. When you are sitting on one in the same desert, you are not a tourist looking at history. You are, briefly and imperfectly, part of it.

The Slowness as an Unexpected Gift

A camel walks at about five kilometers per hour. In a world that rewards speed in every possible direction, moving at five kilometers per hour on the back of an animal through a desert feels almost rebellious.

Many travelers say this is the first time in years they did not feel a need to rush anywhere. There is nowhere to be, nothing to check, no next thing to prepare for. Just the sway of the camel and the shifting colors of the desert around you.

The Vulnerability That Creates Presence

You are trusting a large animal and an open landscape. You cannot control the speed. You cannot steer. You are, in a genuine sense, along for the ride. That absence of control - which sounds uncomfortable on paper - creates a rare and valuable feeling: complete presence.

You stop planning. You stop reviewing. You just look, feel, and exist.

The Quiet Pride Afterwards

When you dismount at the end of the trek and your feet touch the ground again, there is a quiet satisfaction that is hard to name. You did something genuinely different. You stepped outside the familiar, trusted something ancient, and it worked. That small sense of achievement stays with people far longer than they expect.

Camel Trekking in Abu Dhabi - What Makes It Different

Not all camel trekking experiences are the same. The location, the animal, the guide, and the setting around the ride all shape how it feels. Here is what makes Abu Dhabi specifically a special place for this experience.

The Arabian Dromedary

The camels used in Abu Dhabi are Arabian dromedaries - one-humped camels that have been bred and trained for desert life in this specific region for generations. They are well-adapted to the terrain, calm with riders, and entirely at home in the sand. The UAE has one of the strongest camel cultures in the world, with camel racing, camel festivals, and camel milk production all central to national identity. The animals you ride with Desert Holiday Tours are part of that living tradition.

The Desert Landscape

Abu Dhabi's desert is different from what you see in photographs taken anywhere else. The Al Khatim Desert, where Desert Holiday Tours operates its camel treks, offers rolling golden dunes, wide-open sky, and complete distance from the city. The sand here has a warmth and depth of color - particularly in the late afternoon - that creates a backdrop unlike anywhere else in the world.

Morning vs. Sunset - Which Feels Better?

Both are exceptional, but they feel different.

A morning camel trek gives you cool desert air, sharp clear light on the dunes, and a freshness to the landscape that feels alive. The desert smells different in the morning - a light mix of sand and open air that is impossible to describe to someone who hasn't been there.

A sunset camel trek - which is the most popular choice on our Camel Trekking Tour Abu Dhabi - wraps you in warm golden light that deepens as the sun drops. The dunes turn amber, then copper, then a deep red-orange as the sky changes. Being on a camel as this happens is one of those experiences people genuinely cannot stop talking about afterwards.

Desert Holiday Tours recommends booking the sunset slot if this is your first camel trek in Abu Dhabi. The light and the temperature combine to create the most complete experience.

What to Expect Before, During & After Your Trek

Before You Leave the Hotel

Desert Holiday Tours picks up guests from all Abu Dhabi city hotels, malls, residences, the Airport Premier Inn hotel lobby, and the port. You do not need to arrange transport or navigate unfamiliar desert roads. The drive itself - city transitioning into open desert - is worth watching. Browse the full tour details on the Camel Trekking Tour page.

A few things to prepare the night before:

• Wear loose, comfortable clothes that cover your legs and arms - protects against sun exposure and prevents friction against the saddle.
• Flip flops or comfortable flat shoes work well. Avoid loose sandals that might fall off while mounted.
• In winter months (October to March), bring a jacket - desert temperatures drop sharply after sunset.
• Bring sunglasses, a hat, and sunscreen. The desert sun is intense even in winter.
• Have a light meal before departure, but avoid eating heavily in the two to three hours before the trek begins.

Mounting and the First Few Minutes

When you arrive, your Desert Holiday Tours guide will introduce you to the camels and give you a brief safety orientation. Nobody is handed reins and pointed at a dune. The guide explains mounting, what to expect when the camel rises, and how to sit for comfort.

In the first five minutes, most riders are adjusting - finding balance, learning the rhythm, deciding whether to hold the saddle post or let their arms rest. By the ten-minute mark, almost everyone has settled in. The anxiety is gone. The experience begins.

During the Ride

The trek covers the open desert landscape. Your guide leads the caravan - camels are connected so yours follows naturally, meaning you can fully relax without worrying about steering. Along the way, the guide will point out details of the desert: animal tracks in the sand, desert plants, changes in dune formation, and sometimes the distant shimmer of the horizon.

Do yourself one favor: put the phone in your pocket for at least ten minutes during the ride. Give yourself ten quiet minutes where you are just on the camel, in the desert, with no frame between you and the experience.

Camels grunt, moan, and occasionally make sounds that will surprise you. This is normal communication between the animals. Your guide will explain any sounds that seem alarming. It is all part of the authenticity of the experience.

The Camp After the Ride

After returning from the desert, guests are welcomed to a traditional Bedouin-style camp. You are greeted with Arabic coffee (gahwa), traditional tea, dates, and sweets - the same hospitality that has been offered to travelers in this desert for centuries. There is something deeply settling about sitting in the desert after a camel ride, holding a small cup of cardamom coffee, watching the sky darken over the dunes.

The camp also offers sandboarding, sand skiing, and an Arabic costume photoshoot included in the tour. Quad bike sessions are available for an additional charge. Soft drinks and water are provided; alcoholic beverages are available for purchase.

The total experience - pickup, camel trek, camp activities, and drop-off - runs approximately three hours.

Is Camel Trekking Right for You? Honest Answers

Is it safe for complete beginners?

Yes. Desert Holiday Tours' Camel Trekking Tour Abu Dhabi is designed for people with zero prior riding experience. The guides are experienced, the camels are trained, and no one is left to figure things out alone. The most "dangerous" moment - the mounting - is supervised and guided every single time.

How physically demanding is it?

A one-hour camel trek requires no particular fitness level. Your body will use some muscles it doesn't normally engage - primarily inner thighs and core - but this is a gentle workout, not a strenuous one. Most people don't notice any effort during the ride itself. Some mild muscle awareness the next morning is possible and fades quickly.

Is it suitable for children?

Children over the age of five are welcome on Desert Holiday Tours camel treks. Children under five are not permitted on the camels for safety reasons. All children participate under the supervision and responsibility of their parents. The camp activities offer plenty for younger travelers even if they are not riding.

Who should not ride?

Pregnant women, individuals with heart conditions, serious back or neck problems, or other significant medical conditions are advised not to ride. If you are uncertain, check with your doctor before booking. Desert Holiday Tours recommends advising the team at the time of booking if any medical considerations apply.

Will I be scared?

The mounting moment is startling the first time - there is no way around this. The good news is that the fear lasts approximately three seconds. After that, the experience is calming, not frightening. The camels used on these tours are accustomed to carrying riders and are gentle by temperament. Your guide stays close throughout.

What if the camel is uncooperative?

Camels are famously stubborn animals, and they do occasionally express opinions. The Desert Holiday Tours guides are experienced handlers who manage the animals with confidence. You will hear grunts and protests from time to time - treat these as part of the authenticity of the experience.

8 Tips to Make Your Camel Trek Unforgettable

• Book the sunset slot. The light on the Abu Dhabi dunes during the final hour before dark is unlike anything else. This is the slot most Desert Holiday Tours guests remember most vividly.
• Book at least 48 hours in advance. Desert Holiday Tours requests bookings at least 48 hours ahead to confirm availability and arrange your pickup details.
• Wear long, loose trousers. Even in warm weather. The saddle contact over a long ride in shorts is something you will regret.
• Ask your guide about the camel. The guides know the animals personally - their names, their personalities, their quirks. This one detail transforms the experience from "riding a camel" to "riding this camel."
• Put your phone down for ten minutes. Photograph everything you want to. Then tuck it away and just feel what it's like to be on a camel in the desert. This is the part most people wish they had done more of.
• Stay for the full camp experience. The Arabic coffee at the camp, the desert air cooling around you, and the last light fading over the dunes is where the memory becomes complete. Don't rush back to the 4x4.
• Wear sunscreen even in winter. The desert sun reflects off the sand at multiple angles. UV exposure is significant even when temperatures feel mild.
• Travel light. Leave heavy bags at the hotel. A small bag with your phone, sunscreen, water, and a light layer is everything you need. The guide handles the rest.

Frequently Asked Questions

Before You Go - One More Thing

Camel trekking is one of those experiences that sounds straightforward on a tour itinerary and turns out to be genuinely profound when you are in the middle of it.

You arrive at the desert as a visitor. You mount the camel slightly nervous, slightly unsure. The camel stands up and for three seconds everything is chaos. And then you are moving, slowly, through a landscape that has looked roughly the same for thousands of years - and it occurs to you that you are part of something much older and much quieter than the hotel room and the city behind you.

That feeling is what people come back to Abu Dhabi for. It is what they describe to people at home and find difficult to fully explain. The only way to understand what camel trekking feels like is to go.

Desert Holiday Tours makes it straightforward. Hotel pickup, experienced guides, one full hour in the desert, and a traditional Arabic camp experience waiting at the end. Morning and sunset slots available daily.

Explore More Desert Experiences

Want to combine your camel trek with more of the desert? These tours work perfectly together:

• Evening Desert Safari Abu Dhabi - Includes camel riding, dune bashing, BBQ dinner, and live entertainment. The most complete desert evening. From AED 199.
• Morning Desert Safari Abu Dhabi - The desert at its freshest. Ideal for summer visits and early risers. From AED 149.
• Overnight Desert Safari Abu Dhabi - Sleep under Arabian stars with a full camp dinner and morning sunrise in the dunes. From AED 349.
• Quad Bike Tour Abu Dhabi - The adrenaline alternative to camel trekking. A 1-hour self-drive ATV experience in Al Khatim. From AED 399.
• Desert Safari Abu Dhabi - All Packages - Browse every desert experience we offer and find the right match for your trip.