What a typical safari includes
Most operators combine dune bashing (4x4 driving over sand dunes), a stop for sandboarding or a short camel ride, and end at a desert camp with a buffet dinner and entertainment (often a fire show and a belly dance performance). Trips typically run in the late afternoon into the evening to catch sunset over the dunes.
Morning safaris and quieter alternatives
If dune bashing and evening entertainment aren't your interest, morning desert safaris exist too, usually focused on quieter activities like sandboarding, a short quad bike session, or simply photography at sunrise, without the dinner-camp format.
What to actually book
Prices and quality vary a lot between operators offering what looks like the same trip — read recent reviews for the specific operator and vehicle group size, not just the tour name, since a shared 6-person Land Cruiser and a shared 20-person bus tour get marketed almost identically.
Book this as one activity within a longer Dubai itinerary rather than the centerpiece — a few hours in the desert is a strong contrast to the rest of a Dubai trip, which is otherwise almost entirely urban.