Atlantis Dunes Quad Biking Review: A Petrol-Powered Adventure Day Out

With its almost desert-like landscape, a visit to Cape Town’s Atlantis Dunes is a must-do activity when visiting the Mother City. Exploring the breathtaking untouched dunes is a truly special experience, and there’s no better way to take it all in than on-board a quad bike. While I’ve previously visited the Atlantis Dunes for a sandboarding experience, getting the chance to try quad biking at the Atlantis Dunes has been on my bucket list for quite some time, and recently, I finally got to check it off.

Located in the Witzands Aquifer Nature Reserve, about a 40-minute drive from Cape Town city centre, the famous Atlantis dunes cover 500 hectares of the reserve. The dunes boast a flora and fauna-rich landscape that offers spectacular uninterrupted views of Table Bay Mountain across Tale Bay. After an hour-long guided quad biking tour navigating through the dune’s diverse landscape, I am excited to share my experience and give insights into what you should know before booking a quad biking experience at the Atlantis Dunes in Cape Town.

How to book quad biking at Atlantis Dunes

We booked our Atlantis Dunes quad biking experience online through Experience Days, which made choosing a day and time that suited our schedule super easy. The 1-hour quad biking experience costs R1,700 for two people and can be booked online here.

We arrived at the dunes 30 minutes before our booking to sign in, grab a helmet, and get the first pick of the 250cc Suzuki LTZ 250 quad bikes in the fleet. After a quick safety briefing from our guide, it was time to start our engines and hit the white sands of Atlantis Dunes.

The one-hour guided tour takes you on a 20km joy ride deep into the dunes, where you’ll have the freedom to kick up some powder and put your quad bike to the test. The bikes are tons of fun to ride, and are capable of making it over every mound with ease. These bikes reach some impressive speeds and have no problem making quick work of the soft sand at the dunes. The bikes are also easy to ride, so newbie riders are welcome and will pick it up quickly.

This tour is ideal for groups of friends, to celebrate a special birthday, or as an experience gift for a loved one who likes to enjoy the adventurous side of life. The quad biking tours take place on weekdays and weekends throughout the year and are subject to availability and weather. The tour allows for a maximum group size of 8 people, and bookings need to be made at least 24 hours in advance.

Atlantis Dunes quad biking: What to expect

Quad biking is a thrilling and adrenaline-pumping experience in itself, I have been quad biking on mountain trails many times, but with this experience, you can take it to a whole new level with a trek across the breathtaking Atlantis Dunes. For adrenalin junkies, there’s nothing quite like charging over sand dunes in the saddle of a quad bike.

A little way into the depths of the dune area, you are met with surreal views of Table Mountain and the surrounding bay. From this vantage point, Table Mountain stands alone, like a majestic beacon, and all signs of the bustling city at the foot of the mountain fall away. Visitors to this unique area often speak of its almost other-worldly serenity, and there’s no doubt you will be struck by the beauty of the dunes and indigenous flora and fauna that inhabit the region. Plus, taking it all in from the driver’s seat of a quad bike makes it even more special, as you get an uninterrupted view of the majesty of the scenes before you.

The exhilarating drive through these enigmatic pure white dunes is something that I will remember for a lifetime… And something I can’t wait to do again! The 1-hour tour is a super thrilling rollercoaster ride from start to finish, and you feel completely safe the whole time, thanks to the experienced guide leading the way. We had so much fun zig-zagging and circling over hills and dips, accelerating down slipfaces and controlling the bikes on inclines, it was a truly exhilarating experience!

What to pack for an Atlantis Dunes quad biking experience

If you’re wondering what to wear for your Atlantis Dunes quad biking experience, then you can’t go wrong with comfortable active wear. For the ladies, it’s best to avoid loose skirts and instead opt for long-sleeved cotton or linen tops with comfortable trousers or gym tights. For early morning or winter trips, you may also need a lightweight jacket. Closed shoes, like sneakers, are a must for this experience.

Regardless of whether you’re going for a morning or afternoon tour trip, make sure that you apply a good high SPF sunscreen and an SPF lip balm before you head off on the tour. It can get very hot out on the dunes, and the sun’s rays are magnified by the bright white of the sand. Sunglasses are another must-wear for the tour.

I took a lightweight backpack with me for the trip, but it’s not necessary to do so, as the guide will also gladly carry your car keys with them for the duration of the tour.

About Experience Days

Booking our Atlantis Dunes quad biking experience online through Experience Days was an absolute breeze. The online experiential gifting platform makes it easy to find the perfect experience gift for that special someone in your life that has everything. Experience Days knows gift shopping can be difficult, even stressful, and the online gifting platform is here to help make the experience of shopping for a gift easier with a great range of gift vouchers.

Explore all the incredible activities on the platform; from adrenalin-pumping adventures to food and wine tasting experiences, and even overnight getaways — anything is possible with a gift voucher from Experience Days. An Experience Days voucher is an invitation to do something extraordinary. It’s a chance for your loved one to make lasting memories, discover a new passion, or perhaps fulfil a lifelong ambition. What’s more, each voucher is valid for three years, so the recipient has plenty of time to redeem their gift and take the experience.