What to Wear on an ATV Tour: The Complete 2026 Packing Guide
Wear long pants (never shorts), closed-toe shoes or boots, a long-sleeve moisture-wicking shirt, and sunglasses or goggles. Bring a bandana for dust, sunscreen, and a small backpack. In the desert add lip balm and 1.5L of water. In the jungle add a light rain layer and insect repellent. Avoid loose scarves, open sandals, and anything that flaps in the wind.
ATV tours look simple on the booking page. A helmet, a quad, a guide, a trail. Then you arrive in sandals and cotton shorts, and the desert sand or the jungle mud changes your mind in the first ten minutes. Our team has booked and ridden ATV tours in Morocco, Mexico, Indonesia, the UAE, Costa Rica, Portugal, Thailand and the Dominican Republic over the last two years. We kept notes. This guide is what we wish we had read before the first tour.
The short version is that you should dress like a light hiker, not like a beach tourist. The long version depends on terrain, temperature and how much of the trail is dusty versus wet. Below is the full packing list, the gear that is always provided, the items we now refuse to forget, and the mistakes we see first-timers make every single week.
The core outfit that works in every country
If you only remember four items, remember these. Long pants, closed shoes, long sleeves and eye protection. Every operator we have reviewed from Marrakech to Bali enforces the first two. Some do not rent to guests in shorts at all. Cargo pants, hiking pants, lightweight jeans or moto-style pants all work. Leggings are fine for passengers but can tear on brush if you are the rider on a forested route.
For footwear, closed-toe trainers are the minimum. Ankle-high trainers or light hiking boots are better. Sandals, flip-flops, Crocs and ballet flats are not acceptable. The footpegs on an ATV get hot, gravel flies from the front tyres, and an emergency stop can shift your feet forward. On dune tours in Merzouga and Dubai we saw multiple guests denied boarding for open shoes.
Long sleeves serve two jobs. They block the sun at 35 Celsius and they protect your arms from brush on jungle trails. A technical fabric like polyester or merino is better than cotton because cotton holds sweat and dust. Eye protection is non-negotiable. Sand, grit and insects hit your face at 40 kilometres an hour. Operators provide goggles for dune tours but rarely for jungle or rural routes. Bring sunglasses at minimum.
Terrain-specific packing by destination
Your base kit is the same everywhere. The extras change. Here is how we pack for each terrain based on tours we booked in 2025 and 2026.
| Terrain | Extras to pack | Example destinations |
|---|---|---|
| Desert and dunes | Bandana, 1.5L water, lip balm, goggles, SPF 50 | Morocco, UAE, Jordan |
| Jungle and rainforest | Rain shell, insect repellent, quick-dry clothing, spare socks | Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Thailand |
| Beach and volcanic | Bandana for ash, reef-safe SPF, swimsuit under clothes | Mexico Riviera Maya, Indonesia Bali, Greece |
| Mountain and forest | Light jacket, gloves, buff for neck warmth | Portugal Algarve, Iceland, Spain |
| Cenote and mixed | Swimsuit, small microfiber towel, dry bag | Mexico Tulum, Dominican Republic |
One detail travellers miss. In tropical countries the tour often ends at a cenote, waterfall or beach. Wear your swimsuit under your clothes and pack a microfiber towel in a dry bag. You will save 15 minutes of awkward changing in a wet toilet cabin.
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What operators provide and what they do not
Every serious operator provides a helmet. Most also provide goggles on dune tours. A minority provide gloves, and almost none provide proper moto jackets. Based on our bookings across 40 plus tours, here is the typical split.
- Always provided: helmet, basic safety briefing, fuel, guide.
- Usually provided: goggles on dune tours, bandana on dune tours, safety vest on night rides.
- Sometimes provided: gloves, poncho in rain season, knee pads on premium tours.
- Almost never provided: jackets, proper moto boots, sunscreen, water beyond 500ml.
Helmets are shared equipment. If you are sensitive to that, bring a thin balaclava or a disposable hair cover. It also keeps the helmet padding cleaner in the heat. Gloves are worth buying cheap mechanic gloves at home for around 10 dollars. They save your palms on a 3-hour ride and protect against blisters from the thumb throttle.
The full packing checklist we use
Print this or screenshot it the night before your tour. It is the same list we pack for a half-day tour in Tulum as for a full-day tour in Merzouga, minus the desert extras.
- Long pants, durable but breathable
- Closed-toe shoes, preferably ankle-high
- Long-sleeve moisture-wicking shirt
- Sunglasses, polarised if possible
- Bandana or buff for dust and sun
- Sunscreen SPF 50, lip balm with SPF
- Insect repellent in tropical destinations
- Light rain shell in rainy season
- Small backpack, 15 to 20 litres
- Water bottle, 1 litre minimum, 1.5L in desert
- Phone in a waterproof pouch or ziplock
- Cash for tips and bathroom stops
- Photo ID, driver licence if the operator requires it
- Swimsuit and microfiber towel in tropical tours
- Thin gloves for longer rides
A quick tip on phones. Mounting a phone on the handlebars is tempting for video. Do not. Vibration destroys the optical image stabilisation on iPhones and Pixels within minutes. Use a chest strap or a helmet mount if you want footage.
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Three mistakes we see every single week
After reviewing tours for two years we see the same errors. First, flip-flops. Every operator has a story about a tourist who argued at the briefing and missed the tour. Second, white clothing. It looks great on the beach and terrible after three minutes on a dusty trail. Red desert sand in Morocco and volcanic ash in Indonesia do not wash out. Third, no cash. Most rural operators run on cash for tips, bathroom access at rest stops, and small purchases at the ranch. Bring the local equivalent of 20 dollars in small notes.
A fourth bonus mistake is perfume or scented sunscreen in jungle tours. Wasps and bees react within minutes. Stick to unscented or outdoor-specific products.
FAQ
Can I wear shorts on an ATV tour?
No, almost every reputable operator requires long pants. Hot exhaust pipes, footpegs that heat up in the sun, flying gravel and brush on trails all make shorts dangerous. A few operators in Thailand and Mexico tolerate them on paved tours but charge a waiver. We recommend long pants everywhere. Lightweight technical pants or thin jeans are comfortable in 35 Celsius heat if you choose breathable fabric.
Do I need a driving licence for an ATV tour?
Requirements vary by country. Morocco, the UAE and Portugal accept any valid driving licence. Costa Rica and Mexico often require a licence for the driver but not for passengers. Indonesia and Thailand usually do not check for guided tours on private land. Always bring your licence to be safe, and check the booking page for the specific operator.
What if it rains during my ATV tour?
Most tours run in light rain. Operators provide ponchos in some countries, notably Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic. In heavy rain tours can be postponed or refunded. Jungle tours actually improve after rain because dust is gone and waterfalls are fuller. Pack a light rain shell and waterproof your phone and wallet.
Are contact lenses a problem on dusty tours?
Yes, dust and lenses do not mix. Daily disposable lenses are fine because you throw them out after the ride. If you wear monthly lenses, bring glasses as a backup and use goggles that seal around the eyes. Some guests switch to prescription sunglasses for the day.
Pack right for a Dubai dune safari
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