Tribe Oman has transformed into Desert Quarter - welcome to our new website where you can explore unique cultural experiences, embark on thrilling Oman tours, and discover the stunning Hajar Mountain. Don't miss out on our desert camping adventures in the breathtaking Wahiba Sands!
11 DAYS / 10 NIGHTS
Route Stops: Muscat – Nizwa – Hamara Ad Duru – Fahud – Wadi Aswad – Umm Al Samim – Qurun Al Fiddah – Star Dune - As Sahma – Ramlat Muqshin – Qitbit – Marsawdad – Ramlat Masah - Ramlat Al Hishman – Wadi Atyah – Shisr – Thumrayt – Wadi Dawkah – Salalah
Update :
This route is the result of our detailed survey and exploration of the Empty Quarter since 2016 , it’s a pioneer route crossing the length of the Empty Quarter from Muscat to Salalah , this is most probably the last stunningly beautiful desert that’s completely safe to travel to !
The itinerary is planned to skip the Muscat tour and to Avoid the crowded Friday market in Nizwa, spending 7 nights camping in the Empty Quarter sands, however any personal plans in Muscat or Salalah before or after the trip can be easily arranged .
Requirements: The Empty Quarter’s heat levels remain a challenge to any traveler, which is why we plan our trips only in January and February. We urge you to follow every precaution for travelling in this hot desert, no matter what your level of experience in desert travel. As this trip involves extensive time spent in the desert, including seven nights’ camping, you’ll need to adjust to life without standard toilet facilities.
Please note that the trip begins in Muscat and ends in Salalah; we recommend that you book your flight arrival and departure destinations accordingly. However, if your departure is from Muscat, we will accommodate your needs by driving you back to Muscat.
We recommend you bring hiking/trekking shoes, trekking poles and clothing suitable for hot weather. Please note that our meals in the desert follow Bedouin recipes and limited resources, so we may not be able to accommodate dietary requirements or substitutes for food intolerances.
That being said, we promise you that the reward will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, where you’ll enjoy undisturbed nature at its finest! Once you adapt to the rhythm of desert camping, you’ll become enthralled with the desert’s charming solitude and learn much about the history and culture of Oman around the campfire.
ITINERARY
- DAY 1: Arrival in Muscat: we’ll meet and greet you at the airport and arrange for your transfer to the hotel. Transfer and hotel (twin room) included.
- DAY 2 : We’ll move towards the Hajar Mountains, which are shaped like a crown on the map , then on to Izki, Oman’s oldest city, where we’ll explore ancient mud structures. Afterwards, we’ll move to Birkat Al Mawz for a walk around Harat As Sibani, where we will lunch. Then we’ll continue to Nizwa to overnight in a convenient hotel . B/L/D included.
- DAY 3 : we’ll drive towards Hamra Ad Duru, On a previous expedition in 2023, we were kindly invited by an Omani family to breakfast, so we expect that it could happen again. As hospitality is the custom of the desert people, we can’t refuse their invitation! We’ll continue to Fahud, where oil was first discovered in Oman and where we will fuel the cars for the next 600 km desert crossing towards Muqshin, then we’ll continue to Wadi Aswad to have our first camp in the Empty Quarter among small, beautiful dunes. B/L/D included.
- DAY 4: We will pass through Um Al Samim, a quicksand area that intrigued Thesiger for its formidable reputation among the Bedouins. As drainage water from the Hajar mountains used to collect there, salt swamps- also known as quicksand - were formed there. Today, there is a dam in the mountains preventing this from recurring. However, if the area is wet due to rainfall, we’ll either wait or reroute our trip. After crossing Umm Al Samim, we’ll enter the area of magnificent dunes . In the eastern and southeastern areas of the Empty Quarter, the principal source of sands was outwash from the major valleys (wadis) of Dhofar and Hajar Mountains. Hard quartz forms the majority of the grains, and their surface oxidization has given them a distinctive orange color. During a previous satellite images survey, we located a majestic star dune, which we explored several times. This is where we will camp for the night. B/L/D included.
- DAY 5 : We’ll head south towards As Sahma Sands, navigating through some stunningly white, baby dunes. We’ll have our third camp overnight in the white dunes close to the main road. B/L/D included.
- DAY 6 : We’ll head on the main road towards a fuel station to refresh our fuel and water supplies, then we’ll head towards Muqshin Wadi, which British explorer Bertram Thomas described as ‘the prince of wadis in all Southeast Arabia. For nowhere have I met its like […]’ in his book, Arabia Felix (1932). We’ll have our forth camp in the wadi overnight. B/L/D included.
- DAY 7 : We’ll continue towards the mega dune country, where we camp in a spectacular location, experiencing long walks and dune-climbing. We will have our fifth camp in this fascinating Golden Empty Quarter Desert. B/L/D included.
- DAY 8 & 9 : We’ll explore the area and try to cross the dunes to find a new route away from the graded track. The graded track is in bad condition, so we try to explore a new track crossing the open desert, it is our pleasure to explore new areas of this fascinating part of the world .B/L/D included.
- DAY 10 : We’ll continue to the land of frankincense at Wadi Dawkah, where we’ll acknowledge the source of prosperity of ancient Oman. Then we’ll continue to Salalah, stopping for lunch at a restaurant, followed by checking into our Hotel which is included. B/L included.
- DAY 11 . transfer to Airport
Ready to Book Your Next Adventure?
2900 Euro per person based on a group of 6 travelers
Inclusions
- Travelling with minimum 3 four-wheel drive cars
- Transfer from airport upon arrival
- 1 night in twin room (4 stars hotel) in Muscat
- 1 night in twin room in Salalah
- Full board on 7 camping days
Exclusions
- International Flight coast
- Flight from Salalah to Muscat
- lunch and dinner of day 1
- Transfer to airport upon departure
