There are many different companies to chose from when it comes to the safari. 99% of them lead to the same place, a campsite in the middle of the desert meshed with all the other safari companies. (So try to book the cheapest you can find!)
The website I used to book our safari was Adventuresafari.ae. Ours cost 120 AED which is around $30, definitely worth the money! You can also type in "Dubai Desert Safari" to Google and you will have dozens of options.
Basically, they all include:
"Dune bashing" (off roading in the dunes)
Camel ride (it is a 30 second ride and they abuse the poor camels, don't ride them!! His poor camel legs were SHAKING!!)
Henna tattoo
Hookah session (you have to pay extra if you want the hookah on your table, otherwise there is a designated area for it)
Live dancing (traditional Arabian dancing)
"Buffet" meal (means load your plate up once as much as you can)
Pick up and drop off at hotel (they will try to charge you more for this, don't let them!)
Free drinks (water, soda, tea, and coffee)
Photo opp dressed in traditional Arabian clothing
Some other packages include sand surfing and taking a photo with an eagle.
Booking on the website was sketchy. I entered my phone number and some random guy texted me from Whatsapp, asking details like how many people and our hotel location. You pay cash up front when he picks you up, and don't expect him to give you the grand tour. Our driver was absolutely silent, not even music!
The safari time is 6 hours, but this includes the long drive there. We drove about 45 minutes to our first stop. This stop was unnecessary with annoying men trying to get you into their souvenir shops, food, and quads you were able to RENT (not included).
30 minutes later, we started our off roading in the desert. This part is ROUGH and probably not for old people. I also got car sick, but it was super fun! They also stop and let you take pictures for a few minutes.
After about 45 minutes of "dune bashing," we arrive to our campsite. They will try to sell you deluxe seating but don't fall for it. The only difference is you sit on a couch instead of pillows on the floor and they serve you food instead of standing in the buffet line.
TIP: There is barely any time to do all the activities at the campsite so I suggest you do your top picks first. (henna, photo op, or hookah)
The 3 course meal had a lot of variety but it wasn't great. They call it a "buffet" but you can only go through the line once, so load your plate up!
Even though the food wasn't great, they abuse camels, it was a long drive, and I barely got to finish all the activities, it is still worth $30 just to see the beautiful, golden desert and watch the live dancing!