Oman · Desert Adventure

5-Day Oman Desert and Wadi Tour from Muscat with Turtle Watching

5 Days Round trip from Al Hadd Easy pace

The journey

Trip highlights

01 Explore the souqs of Nizwa and Ibra
02 Experience Wahiba Sands with a 4x4 dune drive and desert sunset
03 Trek through Wadi Shab to a cave pool with a small waterfall
04 Swim in the clear waters of Wadi Bani Khalid
05 Visit Ras Al Jinz for a night walk to spot Oman's sea turtles
06 Drive up Jebel Shams for views over Oman's Grand Canyon

Sign up for this 5-day trip from Muscat to explore some of Oman's most memorable natural and cultural sights. Trek through the huge canyon of Wadi Shab to reach clear water pools and a small waterfall, stop at Bimah Sinkhole for beautiful pictures, relax at the beautiful Fins beach, and enjoy swimming or sunbathing at the marvellous Wadi Bani Khalid. The journey also takes you through the souqs of Ibra and Nizwa, into the Wahiba Sands desert, and up to Jebel Shams for spectacular mountain and canyon scenery.

Inside, sunlight filters in from outside, turning the water a beautiful turquoise blue while water showers down one side of the cave from the Wadi beyond.

From the itinerary

At a glance

What this trip includes

Duration 5 Days

Tour type Private

Activity level Easy

Accommodation Included · Standard

Transport Included

Wheelchair access Yes

Cities Nizwa, Sur, Muscat, Jebel Shams, Bimmah Sinkhole

Languages Arabic, English

Day by day

The itinerary

Day 01

Muscat to Wadi Shab and Ras al Hadd

The tour departs Muscat in the morning towards Ras al Hadd. After a photo stop at the Bamah Sinkhole, where swimming in the sinkhole lake is possible, and the long white beach of Fins, we arrive at Wadi Shab. This Wadi is an enormous canyon gorge lined with palm trees and offers impressive signs of the power of water coming down from the mountains.
We arrive at one of several crystal-clear water pools after a 35-minute hike up through the canyon. Tourists can swim through the warm waters from pool to pool. Eventually, we come to the last pool, where an opening among the enormous rocks allows us to swim into an incredible crevice cave with a small waterfall. Inside, sunlight filters in from outside, turning the water a beautiful turquoise blue while water showers down one side of the cave from the Wadi beyond.
The tour continues to Ras al Hadd. In the evening, we will take you to the Turtle Sanctuary at Ras Al Jinz. Here, we go on a beautiful guided walking tour on the beach at night under the stars, where there is a high chance of seeing Oman's great sea turtles coming onto the beach to build a nest and lay their eggs. If you are lucky, you may also see baby turtles hatching from some nests.

Day 02

Sur, Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Sands

In the morning, we will show you the city of Sur, with some old fortresses and the famous Arabian Dhow Factory, where you can see traditional wooden dhows being built.
After lunch, we drive to Wadi Bani Khalid, one of the biggest and most beautiful wadis in Oman.
Here, you can swim, sunbathe, relax, and picnic in the beautiful scenic Wadi canyons.
In the late afternoon, we continue to our desert camp in the Wahiba Sands desert, where you can relax or take part in an adventurous 4x4 drive in the dunes. Then we will watch the stunning desert sunset from one of the giant dunes.
We finish the day with dinner at the camp and an excellent romantic time around a campfire.

Day 03

Ibra Market and Transfer to Nizwa

In the morning, we drive to the city of Ibra. There, we will visit the colourful local market (Souq) and the old ancient village of Ibra.
After lunch, we drive on towards Nizwa, the old capital city of Oman.
We will arrive there in the afternoon, and after hotel check-in, you will have free leisure time for the rest of the day.

Day 04

Nizwa Souq, Nizwa Fortress and Jebel Shams

We start the day early to visit the Nizwa Souq. It is among the largest of its kind in Oman. A wide variety of vendors offer their goods in the streets of the souq from 05:00 am to about 10:00 am each morning. Here, you can find fish, meat, vegetables, pottery, jewellery, handicrafts, and souvenirs sold in authentic old market halls that few places can boast. Especially interesting is the Friday cattle market, when locals from the nearby villages come to sell their donkeys, goats, cattle, sheep, and chickens in a circus-style open marketplace.
Next to the Souq is Nizwa Fortress. The fort is a museum today and offers splendid views of this ancient town and the surrounding mountains. You can walk around this impressive fortress and visit its many rooms, passages, and towers. The fort is an architectural testimony to the economic and military achievements of the early Yoruba dynasty from the mid-17th century. It was a military stronghold designed to withstand even the strongest attacks of its time. Even along the corridors, many traps were laid to deter any intruders who might have penetrated the defences.
From Nizwa, we drive up to Jebel Shams Mountain, where we spend the last night of our tour. This mountain is the highest point in Oman, with its peak reaching 3000 meters. After our arrival at Jebel Shams Resort, you will have leisure time for the rest of the day. You can spend the afternoon walking around the famous Grand Canyon of Oman. There are many different walking paths to choose from, whether easy and short or difficult and long. The canyon edge offers spectacular views of the wadis and valleys below.

Day 05

Wadi Bani Awf Off-Road Drive to Muscat

In the morning, we drive down the mountain on the other side, eastward into Wadi Bani Awf. This mountain road drive is an exciting off-road experience and offers fantastic views into dramatic canyons and wadis as it winds down for several kilometres before connecting with Wadi Bani Awf. Once we reach the valley, the road leads us through the Wadi for about 1 1/2 hours while passing numerous small villages.
From there, we head back to Muscat.