Africa and the Middle East hold some of the biggest contrasts in accessible travel anywhere. The Gulf cities — Dubai, Abu Dhabi — are gleaming and ultra-modern, with accessibility built in from the ground up; adapted safari vehicles and lodges now make the great game parks genuinely reachable; and yet some of the region's most famous wonders, the ancient stepped cities and medina alleys, remain a real challenge. This is a guide to its great destinations with an honest note on each, most carrying films from wheelchair travellers who have been.
These are general destination notes, not venue-by-venue guarantees — confirm with the specific hotels, attractions and transport before you book. Where we haven't confirmed something we say "not yet checked". This guide grows as we add destinations.
Africa and the Middle East
Dubai, UAE
The Gulf's futuristic city of superlatives — the world's tallest tower, malls and desert.
Dubai is modern and largely step-free, with an accessible metro, malls with free wheelchair loans, 'People of Determination' beach facilities and accessible desert safaris.
Our tip Look for the 'People of Determination' access services at beaches and attractions.
Access
Modern and largely step-free: accessible metro, malls with wheelchair loans and dedicated accessible beach facilities; desert excursions vary.
For blind & low-vision visitors An ultra-modern city of accessible malls, metro and level developments — navigable indoors — but vast distances, heat and big roads between them; the desert is wild.
Sensory A hot, gleaming, air-conditioned city — calm and controlled in the malls, lively at the fountains and souks; the desert beyond is silent.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Dubai's public transport is wheelchair accessible Lovin Dubai
- Visiting Dubai as a disabled person Disability Horizons
- Free wheelchairs at the malls in Dubai Lovin Dubai
More Official site · Wikipedia
Also featured in Accessible travel around the world
Masai Mara, Kenya
Kenya's legendary savannah — lions, elephants and the great wildebeest migration.
Accessible safari is real: adapted 4x4 vehicles, transfer support and accessible tented camps let wheelchair users experience the Mara's wildlife up close.
Our tip Book a specialist accessible-safari operator with adapted vehicles and hoist support.
Access
Game-viewing is from adapted 4x4 vehicles; accessible tented camps and transfer support make the Mara reachable, though the bush itself is wild.
For blind & low-vision visitors Experienced from a safari vehicle rather than on foot; lodges vary in access, and the reserve is wild bush — wildlife is heard, smelt and described rather than navigated.
Sensory A vast, calm savanna of birdsong, distant animals and huge skies — profoundly peaceful, punctuated by wildlife drama; dusty and hot.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Leopards in the Masai Mara, Kenya WheelchairTravel.org
- The wildebeest migration, Serengeti to Masai Mara WheelchairTravel.org
More Wikipedia
Cape Town, South Africa
Where mountains meet two oceans — Table Mountain, winelands and dramatic capes.
Cape Town's V&A Waterfront is flat and accessible, the Table Mountain cableway carries wheelchair users to the summit, and adapted tours cover the peninsula and winelands.
Our tip The Table Mountain cableway is wheelchair accessible — a step-free route to the top.
Access
Accessible, flat V&A Waterfront and a wheelchair-accessible Table Mountain cableway; wider terrain and beaches vary.
For blind & low-vision visitors A scenic but hilly city; the V&A Waterfront is level and accessible and Table Mountain has a cableway, but many areas are steep with uneven surfaces — a guide helps.
Sensory A relaxed, scenic city of sea and mountain; the Waterfront is lively, the beaches and gardens calm, with strong wind at times.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- How to explore Cape Town: a disabled traveller's guide Factory mma
- Wheelchair access at Boulders Beach penguins, near Cape Town Accessible Thailand
More Official site · Wikipedia
Also featured in Accessible travel around the world
Morocco (Marrakech & the Sahara)
Colour, spice and desert — Marrakech's medina, mountain kasbahs and Saharan dunes.
Morocco is challenging underfoot, but accessible riads, adapted transport and specialist operators make the medinas, kasbahs and even a Sahara camel experience possible.
Our tip Use a specialist operator — they arrange accessible riads, transfers and adapted desert experiences.
Access
Rough medina lanes and desert sand; accessible riads, adapted transport and specialist Saharan experiences make it reachable with planning.
For blind & low-vision visitors The medinas of Marrakech are a dense, chaotic maze of narrow, uneven alleys, crowds and obstacles — disorienting and needing a guide; the desert is soft sand.
Sensory Hot and intensely sensory — the medina's noise, smells, colour and crowds are overwhelming, while the Sahara is vast, silent and elemental.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
More Official site · Wikipedia
Cairo & the Pyramids, Egypt
Egypt's teeming capital beside the Giza Pyramids and Sphinx — the last of the ancient wonders.
The Giza plateau can be toured by accessible vehicle right up to the pyramids and Sphinx viewpoints, and accessible operators run the Egyptian Museum and Nile cruises.
Our tip Book an accessible-tour operator whose vehicle drives onto the plateau — the viewpoints are then easy.
Access
The Giza plateau is reachable by accessible vehicle to the pyramid/Sphinx viewpoints; sandy ground and pyramid interiors are not accessible. Accessible museum and Nile-cruise tours exist.
For blind & low-vision visitors The pyramids are on open, uneven desert sand with slopes and crowds of vendors; the city is chaotic and hard — a guide is essential, some areas have firmer paths.
Sensory A vast, loud, high-stimulation city of traffic, horns and crowds; the desert at the pyramids is more open, hot and windy, with persistent vendors.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Giza Pyramids accessibility: wheelchairs & tips Gventures
- Visiting the Great Pyramids in a wheelchair Freewheel Weekends
More Official site · Wikipedia
Also featured in Accessible travel around the world
Petra, Jordan
Jordan's ancient Nabataean city carved into rose-red desert cliffs, entered through a slot canyon.
Petra is a challenge of sand and distance, but golf-buggy transfers run through the Siq to the iconic Treasury and specialist operators make this wonder genuinely reachable.
Our tip Golf buggies run from the gate through the Siq to the Treasury — book them and a specialist accessible guide.
Access
Long, sandy and undulating, but accessible golf-buggy transfers run through the Siq to the Treasury and the main monuments; higher trails (the Monastery) are steep steps.
For blind & low-vision visitors Hazardous and strenuous for VI visitors: a long walk through the Siq over uneven ground, then sand, rock, steps and unfenced drops — a guide is essential.
Sensory A vast, awe-inspiring desert site — mostly calm and elemental with the sound of hooves and wind in the Siq; hot, exposed and busier at the Treasury.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
- Exploring the wonders of Petra by wheelchair The Wheelchair Traveller
- A more accessible way to Petra The Life Outside Podcast
More Official site · Wikipedia
Also featured in Accessible travel around the world
Abu Dhabi, UAE
The UAE's stately capital — the Grand Mosque, Louvre Abu Dhabi and the corniche.
Abu Dhabi is modern and largely step-free: the Grand Mosque provides wheelchairs and accessible routes, the Louvre and theme parks are accessible, and the corniche is flat.
Our tip The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque lends wheelchairs and has step-free routes; the corniche is a flat, easy stroll.
Access
Modern and largely step-free: accessible Grand Mosque (wheelchairs provided), accessible Louvre and theme parks, and a flat corniche; desert trips vary.
For blind & low-vision visitors A modern, planned city of accessible malls, mosque and level developments — navigable indoors — with vast distances, heat and big roads between; the Grand Mosque is largely accessible.
Sensory A hot, gleaming, orderly city — calm and air-conditioned in the malls and mosque, quiet and spacious; the desert beyond is silent.
Access last checked 5 Jul 2026 — always confirm with the venue.
Worth watching
More Official site · Wikipedia
Before you go
For safaris and the ancient sites especially, a specialist accessible-travel operator is often worth its weight — adapted vehicles, accessible lodges and the right local knowledge make the difference between possible and not. Heat is a serious planning factor across much of the region. And if somewhere here appeals, open the planner to shape a trip around it. For the wider world, see the full accessible-world guide.