Hatta kayaking from Dubai: a mountain reservoir instead of dunes
Hatta kayaking puts you on a turquoise reservoir in the Hajar mountains, about 90 minutes by road from Dubai. The boats are rented at Hatta Dam itself, where the water sits between bare rock ridges, a very different picture from the dune camps of a desert safari.
Most visitors choose one of two routes: rent a kayak at the dam on their own, or join a guided day trip that bundles the transfer with the kayak hour and other stops. In both guided trips the kayak time is one hour, and the rest of the day goes to the drive and the other sights.
Our picks: Hatta kayaking tours
Choose the hill walk tour if the kayak is the main point, with an hour on the water and lunch. The heritage village trip adds the dam, two parks and village sights.
Hand-picked tours, booked through GetYourGuide and Viator. Prices are indicative starting prices in US dollars (as of November 2026). Tap a tour for live availability and the current price in your currency.
Hatta day trip with heritage village and kayaking
- One hour of kayaking at the dam
- Hatta Heritage Village
- Hatta Hill Park and Wadi Lake Park
Six hours with a photo stop on the drive through the Hajar Mountains and a visit to the dam.
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Hatta kayaking, hill walk and lunch
- Hotel pickup and drop-off
- One hour of kayaking
- Guided hill walk and lunch
One hour of kayaking at the dam, then a guided uphill walk in Hatta Hill Park and a shawarma lunch with a cold drink.
Check availability →Hatta kayaking tours from Dubai
Compare day trips to Hatta Dam, the hill walk tour and the heritage village trip, with current availability.
Two Hatta kayaking tours compared
Kayaking, hill walk and lunch: $72
This is the tour built around the water. It takes about 7 hours and includes hotel pickup and drop-off in Dubai in an air-conditioned 4x4, one hour of kayaking at Hatta Dam, a guided uphill walk in Hatta Hill Park, a shawarma lunch with a cold drink and a photo stop.
Heritage Village day trip with one hour of kayaking: $78.16
The shorter of the two at 6 hours, with pickup from your hotel or residence in Dubai. The route drives through the Hajar mountains with a photo stop and visits Hatta Dam, the Heritage Village, Hatta Hill Park and Hatta Wadi Lake Park, with one hour of kayaking at the dam. Choose it for the widest mix of Hatta sights.
Hatta kayaking prices at the dam
The kayak operator lists a single kayak at AED 75 and a double kayak at AED 150, both as an unlimited ride for one day during opening hours, daily from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. A single kayak takes one adult over 16 up to 110 kg. A double takes two adults and one child aged 2 to 4, each up to 110 kg, and children must ride with at least one adult.
Tickets are sold on site in order of arrival and a reservation is not needed, except for groups of more than 50 people. Lockers are free. The tours above add the transfer from Dubai, which the boat rental does not cover. The operator also lists a single water bike at AED 75 (up to 75 kg), a yellow boat at AED 180 for one hour and a donut boat at AED 360 for one hour.
Season, weather and rules on the water
Dubai's tourism portal says kayaking stays open in summer, while other Hatta attractions close for the season, and it recommends autumn to spring for a visit. Rain and storms are less likely in winter but possible, and activities can be cancelled in bad weather.
On the reservoir, swimming and leaving the boat during the ride are not allowed, and boats may not be swapped between guests. Private water sports equipment is banned at the dam, so you use the rental boats. Litter, fishing, hunting, picking plants and campfires are also off limits. For the drive, the bus and the season at Hatta, read our Hatta guide; for a dune day instead, see the desert safaris.
Hatta kayaking: practical questions
How much does Hatta kayaking cost?
Renting at the dam is listed at AED 75 for a single kayak and AED 150 for a double.
How long do you kayak on a day trip?
The Heritage Village trip and the kayaking, hill walk and lunch tour each list one hour of kayaking at Hatta Dam, within days of 6 and 7 hours.
Who can ride a single or double kayak?
A single kayak is for one adult over 16, up to 110 kg. A double takes two adults and one child aged 2 to 4, each up to 110 kg and children riding with an adult.
Can you kayak at Hatta in summer?
The operator lists daily hours from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Dubai's tourism portal says kayaking stays open in summer while other Hatta attractions close for the season.