Oman Mountains, Desert, Beaches

Oman Mountains, Desert, Beaches Overview

This tour takes you from camping under the stars in the desert and an adventurous crossing of the Wahiba Sands to days relaxing on empty beaches. Watch turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, take a dip in spectacular hidden pools at Wadi Bani Khalid, take a mini trek at Jabal Shams and indulge in some culture at the historic forts.

Mountains, Desert and Beaches of Oman

The mountains, beaches, and desert of Oman tour take you from camping under the stars in the desert and an adventurous crossing of the Wahiba Sands to days relaxing on empty beaches. Watch turtles come ashore to lay their eggs, take a dip in spectacular hidden pools at Wadi Bani Khalid, take a mini trek at Jabal Shams and indulge in some culture at the historic Forts.

Touring style: Private basis with English speaking guide / experienced driver

Best time to visit: during the winter months from October to March when the weather is warm and cool. Avoid the hot summer months between June and August.

• Camp under the stars in the desert
• An adventurous crossing of the Wahiba Sands
• Relax on deserted beaches
• Visit historic Forts

Day 01: Muscat/Wadi Bani Khalid/Wahiba Sands

Embark on a soft adventure trip by 4-wheel drive to the great desert of Oman. You will drive through small villages and towns before arriving at Wadi Bani Khalid. You will pass many pretty villages embedded in the mountains. Here the road winds down to the wadi alongside a large, shallow pool fringed with vegetation and ends at a village. We will park our vehicles at this point and continue on a short trek to the deep blue pools of the wadi. If you wish you may enjoy a swim in this glorious natural pool. It is recommended to wear comfortable clothes & walking shoes for this trip.

A picnic will be served at the Wadi Bani Khalid. After lunch, continue your drive to the great desert of Oman Known as the "Wahiba Sands". Soon you will come face to face with the enormous desert and our experienced driver will drive you through the sand dunes to give you a thrill of dune driving.

If an opportunity arises, you will meet a Bedouin family to know more about their lifestyle in the desert. Thereafter you will bid goodbye to the inhabitants of the desert to drive to your campsite for overnight.

Distance and journey times:

Muscat to Wadi Bani Khalid: 229 km, 3 hrs

Wadi Bani Khalid to the Wahiba Sands: 48 km, 1 hr

Day 2: Wahiba Sands crossing /Qahid/Masira

After breakfast, leave the camp to drive to Qahid, crossing the Wahiba sands. It takes 4 hours to cross the desert. Reach Qahid and continue your drive to Shannah, flanked by the azure waters of the Arabian sea and the tapestry of desert dunes. After lunch, take a ferry to Masirah Island. Masirah is located 15km off the south-east coast of Oman in the Arabian Peninsula with miles of isolated sandy beaches. The island is famous for wind surfing and known for aquatic visitors such as the turtles that come to lay their eggs on its stretch of beaches and a number of migratory birds, the egrets, curlews and the flamingos.

Stay at the Masira Island Resort. Masira Island Resort is situated on the borders of the breeding grounds of the turtles, making it a perfect destination for nature lovers

Distance and journey time: 311 km, 4 hrs

Day 3 to 5: Masira Island Resort

Explore the stretch of the endless beach where you will find scores of wrecked ships, skeletons, and bones of dolphins, whales, turtles birds, camels and countless other creatures that live and die in the wild place.

Days at leisure on the beach.

Day 6: Masira Island to Nizwa

Take the ferry to the mainland. From Shannah drive to Nizwa via Mahoot and Sinaw. Visit the Sinaw Souq en route. Overnight in Nizwa.

Distance and journey time: 369 km, 4 hrs

Day 7: Nizwa to Jebel Shams and return to Muscat

Morning tour of the oasis city of Nizwa, the capital of Julanda Dynasty in the 6th and 7th Century AD. Today it remains an important tourist attraction with its historical buildings and imposing fort. Visit the impressive 17th-century fort with its enormous round tower built by Imam Sultan Bin Saif Al Ya'aruba to defend the route to the interior. The fort dominates the entire area, with the town having grown up around it. From here proceed to Nizwa souq which is renowned for its intricately hand-carved "Khanjar" and ornately designed silver jewellery. On Friday, a unique goat and cattle auction is held.

Continue to Misfah (approximately 45 minutes from Nizwa) a village in the mountains, where the houses cling to the rocks. After a short walk through the village return to your vehicle and continue the journey to Jebel Shams (30 minutes drive) the highest peak in Oman at over 3,000 metres. Jabel Shams, know in ancient times as Jabel Al Qanah, means “Mountain of the Sun” and the area is home to weavers of heavy woollen rugs in distinctive colours. Lunch will be at the Jabel Shams camp. Afterwards, drive back to Muscat.

Distance and journey times:

Nizwa to Jebel Shams: 92 km, 2 hrs

Jebel Shams to Muscat: 266 km, 4 hrs