Sharjah Safari: Ticket Prices, Hours & Zones
Walking through Sharjah Safari costs AED 40 for an adult, and riding through its habitats starts at AED 120. The park opens daily at 8:30 AM and closes at 6:00 PM, but vehicle tickets stop selling at 1:30 PM, which is the cutoff that catches most late arrivals.
The safari sits inside the Al Bardi Nature Reserve on the Sharjah-Khorfakkan Road (E55), about 5 km from Al Dhaid. African animals roam in 12 themed environments without fences, and the park runs seasonally: it closes through the summer and reopens in the autumn.
Sharjah Safari visitor information
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Location | Al Bardi Nature Reserve, Al Dhaid, Sharjah (Sharjah-Khorfakkan Road, E55) |
| Opened | 17 February 2022, inaugurated by Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah |
| Operator | Environment and Protected Areas Authority (EPAA), Sharjah |
| Size | 8 square kilometres, 12 African-inspired environments |
| Animals | Up to 50,000 animals from more than 120 species |
| Hours | Daily, 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM |
| Last entry | 4:00 PM for Bronze, 1:30 PM for Silver and Gold |
| Adult tickets | AED 40 (Bronze), AED 120 (Silver), AED 275 (Gold) |
| Children under 3 | Free on every ticket |
| Parking | Free, opposite the main entrance |
Which ticket to choose
Bronze is for walking only, Silver adds a guided drive through the open habitats, and Gold adds a personal guide and a walking safari in the Serengeti habitat.
| Ticket | Adult | Child (3 to 12) | How you move | What it covers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | AED 40 | AED 15 | On foot | Birds of Africa, East African Islands, Boma African Farm, Zanzibar Village |
| Silver | AED 120 | AED 50 | Shared safari bus or truck | Everything in Bronze, plus a guided drive through the Sahel, Savannah, Ngorongoro, Moremi, Niger Valley and Kalahari habitats, with a stop at Safari Camp |
| Gold | AED 275 | AED 120 | Luxury vehicle | Everything in Silver, plus a personal guide and a walking safari in the Serengeti habitat |
Each tier has a clear trade-off:
- Bronze is the cheapest way in and suits a short, low-cost visit. It stays in the walking areas, so the open savannah habitats are out of reach.
- Silver costs three times the Bronze adult fare, and it is the first tier that includes the vehicle tour through the open habitats. The Serengeti walk is not part of it.
- Gold costs about 2.3 times the Silver adult fare. The extra money buys the guide, the more comfortable vehicle and the Serengeti walk.
For a family of two adults and two children aged 3 to 12, the total comes to AED 110 on Bronze, AED 340 on Silver and AED 790 on Gold. Children under 3 are free on all of them, so a toddler never changes the total.
Private vehicle tours
Groups can hire a whole vehicle instead of buying individual seats. These private tours sit under the Gold category and are priced per vehicle:
| Vehicle | Capacity | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Safari Van | Up to 6 people | AED 1,500 |
| Game Viewer (no air conditioning) | Up to 9 people | AED 2,250 |
| Safari Coach (air conditioned) | Up to 15 people | AED 3,500 |
A full van or Game Viewer works out to AED 250 a seat, and a full coach to about AED 233. That is slightly under the AED 275 adult Gold fare, so a private vehicle pays off only when it is close to full. Families with several children may do better on individual Gold seats, since child fares are AED 120. The Game Viewer is the one option without air conditioning, which matters on warm days.
Opening hours & last entry
Sharjah Safari is open every day from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM, and the last entry time depends on the ticket:
- Bronze: last entry at 4:00 PM
- Silver and Gold: last entry at 1:30 PM
- Silver and Gold: last safari tour departs at 2:00 PM
The 1:30 PM cutoff is firm. A Silver tour can run up to 4 hours, so a 2:00 PM departure finishes right at closing time. Gold tours run longer, which makes a morning start the safer plan for them.
The park closes for the hottest months and reopens each autumn.
How to book tickets
Booking runs through the official Sharjah Safari ticket portal, and the process takes five steps:
- Open the portal and start a booking.
- Choose the ticket category (Bronze, Silver, Gold or a private vehicle) and your visit date.
- Select a time of entry. Each slot shows how many places remain, and full slots show as sold out.
- Review the items in your cart.
- Pay by card and finish at the confirmation step.
Tickets are also sold at the venue. Timed vehicle slots are the ones that fill up, so book Silver, Gold and private vehicles ahead.
Getting there & parking
Sharjah Safari is on the Sharjah-Khorfakkan Road (E55), inside the Al Bardi Reserve, roughly 5 km from the centre of Al Dhaid. Set your navigation to the main entrance map pin rather than the town.
Drive times by car:
- Dubai, Ajman and Umm Al Quwain: roughly 50 minutes to an hour
- Fujairah: about 40 minutes
Parking is free in the lot opposite the main entrance, with accessible bays close to the gate. Private cars cannot enter the safari tracks. Everyone moves around on foot or in the park’s own vehicles.
Al Dhaid is one of four hubs in Sharjah’s Central Region, which makes the safari easy to combine with other inland stops.
Safari zones & habitats
The 12 environments are modelled on regions of Africa, and your ticket decides which ones you reach.
Walking zones (Bronze, Silver, Gold)
- Birds of Africa: an aviary walk along Baobab Avenue.
- East African Islands: wildlife from the islands and archipelagos off Africa’s east coast, including lemurs.
- Boma African Farm: the farm area on the walking route.
- Zanzibar Village: the main walk-through stop, with food and drink.
Vehicle zones (Silver, Gold)
- Sahel: the semi-arid belt of desert and pasture that runs from Mauritania in the west to Eritrea in the east.
- Savannah: tropical grassland running from the East African coast down toward the Kalahari.
- Ngorongoro: an ecosystem built around an extinct crater, with some of Africa’s best-known species.
- Moremi: canyon and valley scenery shaped by monsoon rains, where dry riverbeds hold aquifers.
- Niger Valley and Kalahari: open habitats on the same vehicle route.
- Safari Camp: the stop with food and drink on the vehicle tour.
Serengeti (Gold tickets)
The Serengeti habitat re-creates the annual migration of large herbivores, with Nile crocodiles lying in the Mara River crossing. Gold tickets include a walking safari here.
Animals you can see
The park holds up to 50,000 animals from more than 120 species. The headline species are:
- Lions
- Elephants
- Giraffes
- Black and white rhinoceros
- Crocodiles
- Deer
- Bulls
Births are frequent: the park recorded 186 in a single three-month stretch, among them giraffes, elephants and lions. It also runs behind-the-scenes animal-care tours at selected times.
Rules & what to bring
- Pack a hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and sturdy closed walking shoes.
- Bring a reusable water bottle. Refill stations are available, and the restaurants at Zanzibar Village and Safari Camp sell meals and snacks.
- Binoculars and a camera are worth packing.
- Wear light, modest clothing that covers the shoulders and knees.
- Outside food and drinks, pets, scooters, bicycles, skateboards, balls and balloons are not allowed.
- Do not feed the animals.
FAQ
How much are Sharjah Safari tickets?
Adult tickets cost AED 40 for Bronze, AED 120 for Silver and AED 275 for Gold. Children aged 3 to 12 pay AED 15, AED 50 and AED 120 respectively, and children under 3 enter free.
What time does Sharjah Safari open & close?
The park is open daily from 8:30 AM to 6:00 PM. Bronze entry closes at 4:00 PM, and Silver and Gold entry closes at 1:30 PM.
Can you drive your own car inside Sharjah Safari?
No. Private cars park in the lot opposite the main entrance, and the safari tracks are served by the park’s own buses, trucks and luxury vehicles, or on foot.
How long does a Sharjah Safari visit take?
Bronze takes about 1 to 2 hours, Silver about 2 to 4 hours and Gold about 3 to 5 hours.
Is Sharjah Safari open in summer?
No. The park closes for the summer months and reopens in the autumn for the cooler season.
Are children under 3 free at Sharjah Safari?
Yes. Children under 3 enter free on Bronze, Silver and Gold tickets.
Plan your visit
- Pick the ticket by time: Bronze for a short walk, Silver for the open habitats, Gold for a guide and the Serengeti walk.
- Book a timed entry slot online, and aim to arrive well before the 1:30 PM cutoff for Silver and Gold.
- Pack for sun and walking, and bring a reusable bottle.
- Add a second stop if you have the day: the Central Region also holds Mleiha, with its archaeological sites and desert activities.
