Oman Sands & Mountains

Route Stops: Muscat –  Izki – Wadi Muadin – Nizwa – Al Hamara – Hassat Bin Salt – Jabal Shams – the Balcony Walk – Wadi Nakhr – Bahla – Fahud – Wadi Aswad –Um Al Samim – Qurun Al Fiddah –Ramlat Al Sahmah – Ramlat Muqshin – Al Ghaftayn – Jiddat Al Harasis – Wildlife Reserve – Huqf Depression – Wahiba Sands – Ghuwafat Al Habb – Wadi Bani Khaled – Sur – Muscat  

Requirements: Please note that this trip involves extensive time spent in the desert, including eleven nights’ camping, so you’ll need to do without standard toilet facilities. Navigating the desert requires understanding the precautions of travelling in a hot climate and staying safe and responsible in a desert environment. We recommend you bring hiking/trekking shoes, trekking poles and swimsuits for the oasis pool. 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: Muscat tour: We’ll visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque at 9.30 AM, after which we will head to Mutrah Souq for lunch. We’ll explore the souq and visit the National Museum, then head back to the hotel. Museum fees, hotel and lunch are included. Please note that the Grand Mosque observes a modest dress code for entry: long sleeves, long trousers or dresses, and covered hair for women

• DAY 3 (150 KM): We’ll start our trip by heading for the Hajar Mountains, which are shaped like a crown at the top of Oman’s lands, then onto Izki, claimed to be Oman’s oldest city. We’ll take a walk around ancient mud structures. Afterwards, we will head to Birkat Al Mawz, where we’ll walk around Harat As Sibani, lunch there and then continue on to Wadi Muadin, where we will set up our first overnight camp. B/L/D included. 
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• DAY 4 (75 KM): The plan is to not break camp and to leave one of our crew at the campsite, so that we can head to the Friday souq of Nizwa as early as possible. This is a rare opportunity to observe the local people at the market. Nizwa is an ancient city that was once the capital of Oman, with its famous attractions including the Nizwa fort, the souq and the Falaj Daris. We will visit the fort, then return to camp at noon, where we will have lunch, after which we will break camp and drive towards Hasat Bin Salt, an impressive prehistoric rock carving considered to be Southern Arabia's largest and most important rock art monument. B/L/D included. We will overnight in our second camp.

• DAY 5 (30KM): We’ll head to Jabal Shams, the highest point in Arabia, and begin the balcony walk: this easy-going trek offers an excellent vantage point from a balcony-style ledge, looking down into the incredible canyon - a pair of trekking poles is recommended. We’ll camp overnight in Wadi Nakhur. B/L/D included. 

• DAY 6 (270KM): We’ll visit Bahla Fort, a UNESCO world heritage site, then continue towards Fahud, where we’ll fuel the cars for the 600 km offroad crossing from Fahud to Muqshin. From there, we’ll drive to Wadi Aswad, where we’ll camp overnight in the sand dunes of the Empty Quarter. B/L/D included.

• DAY 7 (120KM): 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, where we’ll camp overnight near a recently discovered landmark. B/L/D included. 

• DAY 8 (50KM): We’ll continue towards Qurun Al Fedah, where the star dunes are located, and then on to Ramlet Abu Tabularea, exploring spectacular dune formations. We’ll camp overnight in the star dune, in one of the most beautiful deserts in the world! B/L/D included. 

• DAY 9 (190KM): We’ll cross Al Sahma, where some white baby dunes reproduce in a spectacular pattern. During our morning and afternoon walks, we’ll be looking for ancient stone tools, arrow heads and any stone-age traces, while photographing a rarely visited part of the world. We’ll camp overnight in Ramlet Muqshin. B/L/D included. 

• DAY 10  (220KM): We’ll drive to the highway towards Al Ghaftayn, where we’ll refuel and refresh our supplies then to Hayma, camping overnight in the stony desert of Jiddat Al Harasis, a short distance outside the Wildlife Reserve. B/L/D included. 

• DAY 11  (120 KM): We’ll visit the wildlife reserve in the morning, where several Arabian oryx and gazelle can be found. We will then descend to the Al Haqf depression, camping there. B/L/D included. 

• DAY 12  (230KM): We’ll head towards Wahiba Sands to begin our dune-crossing adventure while exploring the beautiful dunes. We’ll enter from the western edge, following an old local track that will help us see more different parts of the sands. We’ll camp overnight there. B/L/D included.

• DAY 13  (110KM): We’ll cross the vast, enormous linear dunes, which extend up to 50 km in length, towards Umm Adalian. We’ll continue through the central part of the sands then head North on a rarely visited track away from the crowded permanent campsites. We’ll camp overnight at a short distance from the main road. B/L/D included. 

• DAY 14  (400KM):  We’ll visit the oasis of Wadi Bani Khaled, where we’ll swim in one of their lovely natural pools. We’ll lunch there, then head back to Muscat, and check into our hotel. B/L included.

• DAY 15 : Transfer to Airport.