Itinerary
- Day 1
Muscat
You'll land at Muscat airport and get transferred to your hotel. The afternoon and evening are yours to explore however you like. The Corniche is good for a walk along the waterfront, and the Muttrah market right by the port has lots of local goods and shops. If you want to see the Sultan's Palace, it sits between two Portuguese forts and makes for some nice photos. The new National Museum is another option if you're interested in Omani history. If you arrived with time to spare, arranging a private city tour through your hotel can give you a better sense of where everything is.
- Accommodation
- Hotel
Optional Activities
- Private guided tour of Muscat city
Landmarks Corniche Muttrah Market Sultan's Palace National Museum 
- Day 2
Nakhl - Wadi Bani Auf - Hail Al Shas
After breakfast your rental car will be waiting at the hotel. You'll drive north to the fishing village of Seeb first, then head to Nakhl Fort which has been recently restored. From there walk through the date palm village toward the natural hot springs. The real highlight today is the Wadi Bani Auf route, which is one of Oman's best off-road drives with dramatic mountain scenery throughout. You'll pass through the oasis village of Bilad Sayt, then through Al Hamra before reaching Hail Al Shas by evening. Plan on roughly 350 km of driving, so start early and take breaks.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Hotel
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Visit Nakhl Fort
- Walk through Nakhl village to hot springs
- Off-road drive through Wadi Bani Auf
- Dinner
Optional Activities
- Rental car delivery the day before (available for extra charge)
Landmarks Seeb Nakhl Fort Nakhl Hot Springs Wadi Bani Auf Bilad Sayt 
- Day 3
Misfah - Wadi Nakher - Jebel Shams - Wadi Ghul - Bahla Fort - Jabrin Palace - Nizwa
Begin with the traditional mud-brick buildings and date farms around Al Hamra, then drive to the mountain village of Misfah. From there you'll see Wadi Nakher, which locals call the Grand Canyon of Oman. Continue to Wadi Ghul village and then up to Jebel Shams, Oman's highest peak at just under 3,000 meters, with views that stretch for miles. Later you'll visit Bahla Fort and the newly restored Jabrin Palace, which has multiple levels, a mosque, library, and beautiful courtyard surrounded by thick outer walls. This is a full day covering about 250 km, so budget your time between stops.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Explore Al Hamra traditional mud houses and date plantations
- Visit Misfah mountain village
- Visit Wadi Nakher (Grand Canyon of Oman)
- Visit Wadi Ghul mountain village
- Visit Jebel Shams with views
- Visit Bahla Fort
- Visit Jabrin Palace
Landmarks Al Hamra Misfah Wadi Nakher Jebel Shams Wadi Ghul Bahla Fort Jabrin Palace 
- Day 4
Birkat Al Mauz - Jebel Akhdar
Head to Nizwa, the historic trading center that was once Oman's capital. The souq there specializes in silver jewelry and traditional curved daggers. Nizwa Fort is worth a look if you have time. If you're there on Friday, the livestock market happens in the morning with locals buying and selling goats, sheep, and cattle under date palms, and it's quite an experience. After exploring Nizwa, drive to Birkat Al Mauz village and walk through the date plantations to see how the traditional falaj irrigation system works. Then tackle the winding 36 km mountain road up to Jebel Akhdar at 2,000 meters elevation, known for rose gardens and views of dramatic ridges and valleys. Expect about 300 km total.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Explore Nizwa Souq
- Visit Nizwa Fort
- Walk through Birkat Al Mauz date plantations
- View traditional falaj irrigation system
- Visit Jebel Akhdar orchards and rose gardens
- Walk through signposted village paths in Jebel Akhdar
Optional Activities
- Visit traditional livestock market on Friday (market day)
Landmarks Nizwa Souq Nizwa Fort Nizwa Livestock Market Birkat Al Mauz Wadi Al Madeen Jebel Akhdar 
- Day 5
Wadi Bani Khalid - Wahiba Sands Desert
From Nizwa you can take the scenic route through Sinaw or Ibra (check which markets are on, they're Thursday and Wednesday respectively), or skip straight there. You'll reach Wadi Bani Khalid with its natural pools where you can swim and cool off. After that it's into the Wahiba Sands, a massive desert covering about 12,500 square kilometers with dunes stretching 80 km in one direction and 160 km in the other. A four-wheel drive takes you through the dunes to visit a Bedouin family and see how they live in the desert. You'll spend the night at a desert camp where the sky gets absolutely filled with stars away from city lights. The drive is approximately 320 km.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Hotel
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Visit Wadi Bani Khalid and natural pools
- Visit Bedouin family in Wahiba Sands desert
- Four-wheel drive exploration of Wahiba Sands
- Dinner
Optional Activities
- Visit Sinaw traditional market (Thursday market days)
- Visit Ibra women's market (Wednesday market days)
Landmarks Sinaw Ibra Wadi Bani Khalid Wahiba Sands 
- Day 6
Sur - Bimah Sinkhole - Wadi Arbayeen - Mazara - Muscat
You'll leave the desert camp early and head out over the Wahiba Sands dunes toward Sur on the coast. Stop at a small dhow shipyard where craftsmen still build traditional wooden boats by hand in all different sizes. Heading back along the coast, you'll pass Bibi Miriam's grave and then reach the Bimah Sinkhole, a dramatic limestone crater that's quite something to see. The route back to Muscat takes you through Wadi Arbayeen with natural pools and the coastal village of Mazara. From there you're transferred to Muscat airport or to a separately arranged hotel. The whole drive back is around 310 km, so plan to arrive in Muscat by late afternoon.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Breakfast
- Visit Sur dhow shipyard
Landmarks Wahiba Sands Sur Bibi Miriam's Grave Bimah Sinkhole Wadi Arbayeen Mazara 
