4x4 Empty Quarter

Rest Day and Empty Quarter on a 6-Day 4x4 Offroad Tour.

The rest day and the Empty Quarter are an exciting part of the Dakar Rally.

A fantastic adventure where you'll experience the Dakar stages up close after the rest day in the Empty Quarter. On the rest day, you'll have the chance to chat with the teams and drivers, then see them at the start and during the race.

The Empty Quarter is the world's largest sand desert and is so popular with racers because of its unparalleled dune landscape.

A unique adventure with the comfort and safety of an off-road vehicle like a Toyota HiLux, HiLux, or a similar model.

Bring your own 4x4

Participate this unique trip in your own 4x4.

Rally Dakar Program

After the rest day, the Dakar Rally will be divided into three stages, including a two-day marathon stage through the Empty Quarter.

The 2025 Dakar will take place from January 3rd to 17th. A prologue on January 3rd will be followed by 14 super-long days of racing. Two stages this year will be two-day marathon stages. A rest day will take place in Riyadh as usual. The highlight of the Dakar is a three-day drive through the sea of ​​dunes of the Empty Quarter. The final stage is a loop in Yanbu and promises maximum excitement all the way to the finish with bonus points.

Tour Offers

The Ride Xpower Empty Quarter 4x4 Tour meeting the Dakar is offered as a 6-day tour with 4 days of driving and 4 overnight stays in a hotel in Riyadh and desert camps in the dunes.

4x4 Models

We offer latest 4x4 models like Toyota Landcruiser, HiLux, Changan Hunter or similar vehicles from leading Saudi 4x4 rental companies. The 4x4 can comfortably accommodate up to 4 people.

Driving Level

We run the 4x4 tour in a group, but split the route up during the day if not everyone wants to complete the full off-road program. We have different routes available and we can adjust the difficulty and scope of the off-road parts to suit the group's driving experience.

Routes

Our route leads from Riyadh over Wadi Al Dawasir to Bisha, following the Dakar Rally. We'll set up camp to watch the start and the drivers from the spectator areas.

Accommodation

We'll spend the first two nights in a hotel in Riyadh and the remaining three nights in desert camps, where we'll meet the enduro and buggy riders and listen to their stories. We'll feel like the Dakar Rally riders and set up our own camps in the dunes. The final itinerary will be based on the Dakar Rally's stage schedule, which will only be announced shortly before the start of the rally. This is one of the challenges of the Dakar and this adventure tour.

Our desert camps in the dunes are simple, but offer all the comforts possible in the desert, basic showers and toilets, we cook our own food and sit together in the evenings around the open fire under the starry desert sky. Luxury tents available as extra.

More info about the Desert Camp.

Luggage and Equipment Transport, Rescue team

We have all our luggage, gear and camping equipment with us in the 4x4 giving us a max flexibility in having all our stuff with us in the car. We manage our rescue in the team as part of the adventure.

You bring a sleeping bag and a pillow with you on the tour. We will provide you with a tent for individual and shared use, with an insulating ground mat and a carpet in front of the tent to prevent sand from getting into the tent.

Dakar is a real Adventure

Participating in the Ride Xpower Dakar Adventure means you will feel and push your limits, even if you don't ride as extreme as the racers and Enduro bikers. The 4x4 tour is designed to give you a taste of what it means to compete in the Dakar and you will drive in some difficult off-road sections. We'll meet the Dakar racers at the spectator points, but we'll focus on driving an off-road adventure tour.

Final Tour Program

The rally will not announce the day's route and spectator points until late the previous day. Shortly before the start, the racers receive the road book for the next day. We have to anticipate and adjust our routes accordingly - that's part of the adventure, you never know what's going to happen tomorrow, managing it is the adventure of this tour. What we will know are the locations of the rally overnight camps between stages, but not the route taken by the racers.

The Ride Xpower team will be in Saudi Arabia throughout December exploring the routes, desert camps and hotels for the Meet Dakar Tour.

Visit to the Dakar Bivouac

The Dakar allows access to selected bivouacs in the form of a guided VIP tour. A bivouac visit on the Rest Day is an unforgettable once in a lifetime experience you should not miss. Limited day tickets cost approximately €350 and can be ordered through Ride Xpower.