Dunes and Stars is running guided self-drive 4×4 expeditions into the Empty Quarter, the Rub Al Khali, in Oman this winter. The first departure is from 4 to 8 November 2026. The price is USD 1,675 per vehicle, and each expedition needs a minimum of four vehicles.
How the expedition works
The trips are aimed at UAE-based 4×4 enthusiasts, who drive their own vehicles with support from experienced local guides, planned routes and a dedicated recovery vehicle. The expedition website describes five days and more than 1,000 km, mostly off road, for four to seven guest vehicles. A Dunes and Stars lead vehicle heads the convoy and the recovery vehicle follows at the back, with an Omani expedition leader, a two-person support crew and a satellite phone.
Nights are spent camping. Guests bring their own camping equipment, food and drinks, plus at least five litres of drinking water per person per day, and tents can be rented from Dunes and Stars. Departures are timed for moonless nights, and a digital telescope comes along for stargazing.
Where it starts
The release from the organiser’s PR agency says the expedition starts and finishes in Salalah. The expedition website describes the route as running from Muscat across the Empty Quarter towards Ubar or Al Mazyouna, so confirm the meeting point when you apply.
Who can join
Drivers need previous off-road experience and a robust 4×4 with off-road equipment, at least one spare wheel and enough fuel for about 550 km of off-road driving. Participants must be at least 16 and sign a waiver, and a place is confirmed only once the non-refundable payment has been received.
Further departures are listed for 16 to 20 December 2026, 2 to 6 January 2027, 30 January to 3 February 2027, 6 to 10 March 2027 and 3 to 7 April 2027. Private group expeditions are also offered.
For a desert stay closer to home, read about Caravan Hatta’s Airstream glamping retreat, and for kit ideas before you go, see the Expo Al Dhaid adventure and camping exhibition.
Dunes and Stars Empty Quarter self-drive expedition: Details
- When: 4 to 8 November 2026; further dates from December 2026 to April 2027
- Where: The Empty Quarter (Rub Al Khali), Oman; check the start point when you apply
- Price: USD 1,675 per vehicle, minimum four vehicles, maximum seven
- Book: Apply through dunesandstars.com/emptyquarter
See also: Caravan Hatta glamping retreat, Expo Al Dhaid adventure and camping exhibition, Aldhafra Resort desert packages.
Image: courtesy of Dunes & Stars.