Liwa Oasis is around 250 km from Abu Dhabi, a drive of roughly 2.5 to 3 hours each way according to Visit Abu Dhabi, and Moreeb Dune near it is more than 300 metres high. From Dubai the drive is longer, so a night in the desert works better than a day trip. The dune and the Empty Quarter are open all year, the Liwa International Festival runs from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, and rental-car insurance does not normally cover sand. This guide covers the distances, the season, Qasr Al Sarab and what is safe when you drive yourself.
By SB Excursions · Published 3 November 2026 · Updated 3 November 2026
Tour on this route: Full-Day Desert Safari in Dubai — From $45 per person, 7 hours.
How far is Liwa from Abu Dhabi?
Around 250 km according to Visit Abu Dhabi, a drive of roughly 2.5 to 3 hours each way. Gulf News puts the Liwa festival site about 220 km from Abu Dhabi. From Dubai the drive is longer, and we did not find an official figure.
This guide also answers:
- How high is Moreeb Dune?
- When is the best time to visit Liwa?
- Is the Liwa festival free?
Four things to know before you go to Liwa
#1
Moreeb Dune (Tal Moreeb)
The Abu Dhabi Media Office describes Tal Moreeb as the UAE's tallest dune, at more than 300 metres. Visit Abu Dhabi says it and the Empty Quarter are open year-round. Each winter the dune hosts the Liwa festival's motorsport events, while outside the festival it is a place to look at and photograph, not a theme park.
#2
Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort
Visit Abu Dhabi features Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara as its example of an overnight stay in Liwa, because the drive alone takes five to six hours of a day trip. We could not read the resort's own site, so ask the resort about prices and whether non-guests can visit for a meal, and book ahead.
#3
Liwa International Festival
The festival runs for 23 days and the Abu Dhabi Media Office says the last edition drew more than 700,000 visitors. General admission to the grounds is free according to the festival's website, and the car championship finale runs from 30 December to 2 January. Our festival guide has the full programme and the dates of each event.
#4
The desert near Dubai instead
If the goal is dunes, sunset and a camp evening, the Dubai desert gives you that in 45-60 minutes from most hotels. It is not Liwa, whose dune is far taller, but it fits a single day with hotel pickup and no driving. Our full-day safari is from $45 per person and runs for 7 hours.
Liwa and Moreeb Dune: the short answer
Liwa is around 250 km from Abu Dhabi and takes roughly 2.5 to 3 hours each way, according to Visit Abu Dhabi, and Moreeb Dune is a dune of more than 300 metres near it. From Dubai you must add the road to Abu Dhabi, so a day trip means most of the day in the car. We did not find an official drive time from Dubai.
Go if you want the largest dunes in the country and the edge of the Empty Quarter, ideally with one night in the desert. Skip it if you have one free day in the UAE and want a desert evening, because the desert near Dubai fits into a day with hotel pickup. Be honest with yourself about the drive: Visit Abu Dhabi says that on a day trip the drive alone takes five to six hours of the day.
Distances and drive times
Figures differ by source, so the table shows where each number comes from. Use them to plan, then check your map app for your own start point.
| Route | Distance and time | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi city to Liwa | Around 250 km; about 2.5 to 3 hours each way | Visit Abu Dhabi |
| Abu Dhabi city to the Liwa festival site | About 220 km | Gulf News |
| Dubai to Abu Dhabi city | About 140 km; 1.5-2 hours on the E11 | Our Dubai to Abu Dhabi guide |
| Dubai to Liwa | No official figure found; longer than from Abu Dhabi | None found |
| Liwa villages to Moreeb Dune | Roughly 22-25 km south, according to reference sources | Reference sources differ slightly |
Distances as reported; no source gave a Dubai figure. Check your route before you leave.
Reference sources describe a modern multi-lane highway between Abu Dhabi and the oasis. The road enters the oasis at the main town and splits east and west, and another highway runs north to Madinat Zayed. Our Dubai to Abu Dhabi guide covers the first leg from Dubai.
What you see: the oasis, the dune and the Empty Quarter
Liwa is not one place but a crescent of villages and farms at the northern edge of the Rub al Khali, the Empty Quarter. Reference sources say it has around 50 villages, with date palms and farms in the sand. Visit Abu Dhabi describes a morning desert safari from Liwa with dune bashing, camel rides and falconry demonstrations, plus Emirati and Bedouin heritage.
Moreeb Dune is the headline. The Abu Dhabi Media Office calls it the UAE's tallest dune, at more than 300 metres. Emirates 24|7 reports that each year the UAE's most powerful four-wheel drives, quad bikes and dirt bikes attempt to climb it, and that its Arabic name translates as Scary Hill. You do not need to climb it to enjoy it: the scale is clear from the foot of the dune and from the road.
The honest limits are simple. It is far from Dubai, and the dune is the main attraction rather than a full programme, so outside the festival check what is open before you drive. Visit Abu Dhabi says Tel Moreeb and the Empty Quarter are open year-round, so you are not tied to the festival.
When to go: season, festival and heat
The winter months are the sensible time, from November to March, when our month-by-month desert guide gives Dubai afternoons of 20-30°C. From May to September the afternoon is 38-45°C in Dubai, and Liwa is deep inland, so check the forecast for it before you go. Those numbers are city values, not Liwa values.
The Liwa International Festival runs from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027, 23 days around Tal Moreeb. The festival's website says general admission to the grounds is free, with some sports and VIP areas at extra cost. It has fairground rides, motorsport, heritage and concerts, and the festival has its first official app for the calendar and for booking camping spots and RV parking. It is busy: the Media Office says last season drew more than 700,000 visitors, so expect traffic and book any hotel early. Our Al Dhafra and Liwa festivals guide has the event dates.
Day trip or overnight: Qasr Al Sarab and the other options
Visit Abu Dhabi suggests an overnight stay at Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara or a similar Al Dhafra hotel, so you leave more time in the Empty Quarter. We agree: a night turns a car journey into a desert trip. We could not read the resort's own website, so we give no room price and no policy for non-guests; contact the resort.
| Option | What it means | Who it suits |
|---|---|---|
| Day trip by car | Five to six hours of the day in the car from Abu Dhabi, per Visit Abu Dhabi; from Dubai more | Experienced drivers with one spare day |
| One night at Qasr Al Sarab or another Al Dhafra hotel | Splits the drive; time for sunrise and sunset on the dunes | Most visitors who want to see Liwa |
| Camping at the festival | Camping pitches and RV parking are booked through the festival app; prices not published when we looked | Families and groups used to camping |
| Skip Liwa, do the Dubai desert | 45-60 minutes from most hotels; full-day safari from $45 with pickup | Visitors with one free day |
Camping and hotel details are from Visit Abu Dhabi and the Abu Dhabi Media Office. Check prices with the operators.
Our overnight desert safari guide compares sleeping options near Dubai, and our guide to desert safaris near Abu Dhabi compares the formats and prices.
Self-drive: what is safe and what is not
The paved highway to Liwa is a normal road drive. The sand is not. Our car rental guide explains that rental insurance does not normally cover sand tracks or dunes, so a rental car belongs on the tarmac. The vehicles that climb the dune each year are powerful four-wheel drives, quad bikes and dirt bikes, not hire cars.
- Stay on the paved road in a rental car, and view the dune from the road or its base.
- Fill the tank before you leave the main highway, and carry more water than you expect to drink.
- Leave early so that you drive the long stretch in daylight, and plan the return before dark.
- Check your contract for the number of kilometres and for any rules on desert driving, because a long round trip may not be allowed.
- Do not fly a drone over the dune or the festival without reading our drone guide.
- Tell someone your route and your expected return time.
If you want to drive on the dunes, do it on a guided safari with a licensed driver, where the vehicle and the insurance are built for it.
If you only have one day: the desert near Dubai
Our full-day desert safari is from $45 per person, 7 hours, with hotel pickup in Dubai, Sharjah or Ajman, dune bashing, sandboarding, a camel ride, a BBQ dinner and shows, and no driving for you. The Lahbab Red Dunes guide explains where the dunes are. For the desert at sunrise from above, our sunrise balloon flight is from $275 per person and lasts 4-5 hours with pre-dawn hotel pickup.
If you are in Abu Dhabi for the capital's sights instead, our Abu Dhabi city tour is from $45 per person and does not go to Liwa; it is a 9-hour day with an 8:00 AM hotel pickup.
FAQ
How far is Liwa from Abu Dhabi?
Around 250 km according to Visit Abu Dhabi, a drive of roughly 2.5 to 3 hours each way. Gulf News puts the Liwa festival site about 220 km from Abu Dhabi. From Dubai the drive is longer, and we did not find an official figure.
How high is Moreeb Dune?
More than 300 metres, according to the Abu Dhabi Media Office, which calls it the UAE's tallest dune. Reference sources place it roughly 22-25 km south of the main Liwa villages.
Can I visit Liwa as a day trip from Dubai?
It is possible but long. Visit Abu Dhabi says the drive alone takes five to six hours of the day from Abu Dhabi, and Dubai is further. A night at Qasr Al Sarab or another Al Dhafra hotel is the better plan, or choose the Dubai desert for a single day.
When is the best time to visit Liwa?
Winter, from November to March, is the most comfortable, and the Liwa International Festival runs from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027. Visit Abu Dhabi says Tel Moreeb and the Empty Quarter are open year-round. From May to September Dubai afternoons reach 38-45°C, so check the Liwa forecast.
Can I drive to Moreeb Dune in a rental car?
You can drive the paved highway to Liwa, but not onto the sand. Rental insurance does not normally cover sand tracks or dunes, so view the dune from the road or its base, or join a guided safari with a licensed driver.
Is the Liwa festival free?
The festival's website says general admission to the grounds is free, and that some sports competitions, VIP areas and special events may cost extra. Camping and RV parking are booked through the festival's app. The festival runs 23 days, from 11 December 2026 to 2 January 2027.
Does your Abu Dhabi tour go to Liwa?
No. Our Abu Dhabi city tour, from $45 per person, is a 9-hour loop of the Grand Mosque, the BAPS Mandir, the Corniche and Heritage Village. For a desert day from Dubai, our full-day safari is from $45 with hotel pickup.
Recommended Dubai tours for this guide
Full-Day Desert Safari in Dubai
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Sunrise Hot Air Balloon in Dubai
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