Stay : Oman in 2 weeks
We recommend renting a car from the third day onwards. Prefer an all-terrain vehicle for the stretch from Ras Al Jinz to Salalah, and plan for 1 or 2 nights in bivouacs, unless you want to stay in resthouses or make a stopover in Duqm. Use the services of a driver-guide. Leave the vehicle in Salalah and fly back to Muscat. Rent a 4x4 for the desert and/or mountains.
Summary of the stay
Best time to go
15 days
€€ - Charm and comfort
Detail of the stay : Oman in 2 weeks - 15 days
Day 1: Muscat
Arrival in Muscat. Rest, swimming in the sea. In the middle of the afternoon, visit of the old Muscat: the royal city (forts and palace of the sultan) and the superb National Museum. At the end of the afternoon, direction the souk and the cornice of Mutrah. Night in Muscat.
Day 2: Muscat
Steps: Mascate
Visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in the morning (unless it's a Friday), then the Royal Opera House and House Musical of Arts. Afternoon: swimming, scuba diving, boat or kayak trips along the coast, dolphin-watching cruise... Overnight in Muscat.
ROYAL OPERA HOUSE
Day 3: Muscat - Bimmah - wadi Tiwi
Departure for the Turtle Coast. En route, short break and possible swim at the Bimmah waterhole, a natural abyss. Then 4x4, walking and swimming in the Tiwi wadi, around 1h30 from Muscat (4x4 required if you want to go deeper and visit as many villages as possible; roads can be narrow). Overnight in tents on the white sandy beach of Fins (bivouac) or at the new Nomad Inn Tiwi.
Day 4: Ras al Jinz
Steps: Qalhat, Ras Al Jinz, Shab
Stroll through Wadi Shab to the pools leading to an aquatic grotto (which you can reach by swimming through a narrow passage: impressive!); picnic, swimming. In the afternoon, drive to Ras al-Jinz, stopping at Qalhat to take a photo of Bibi Maryam's tomb (site closed for an indeterminate period), then at Sur to visit the traditional dhow factory. In Ras al-Jinz, at night, under the guidance of a guide, discovery of one of the world's largest green turtle reproduction sites. Overnight stay on site or in the immediate vicinity.
Day 5: Ras Al Jinz - Ras Al Khabbah - Al Ashkharah - Filim - Khaluf
Steps: Khaluf, Ras Al Jinz
We leave Ras Al Jinz and make our first stop at Ras Al Khabbah; just before the sign indicating the village entrance, we take a track to the left until we reach the edge of the cliffs, from where we can admire the breathtaking chalk walls and the beach below. We set off again for Al Ashkharah, where a myriad of traditional dhows bob in the open sea. Then continue south along the coastal road via Qurum, Ar Ruways, to Filim. If accompanied by a guide, cross the brownish expanse of the lagoons. Pitch your tent at Khaluf, amid superb white sand dunes, or at the even more isolated Barr Al Hickman.
Day 6: Khaluf - Duqum - Ras Madraqah
Enjoy the superb beach of Khaluf or Barr al Hickman in the morning and the hundreds of seabirds that form photogenic swarms, then continue on towards Duqm, the sultanate's future strategic port area, currently a gigantic construction site. On the way, visit the curious Rock Garden, then continue on to Ras Madraqah, another ideal bivouac spot. Pass the large public beach and pitch your tent in one of the white-sand bays sheltered by dark mountains and bordered by crystal-clear turquoise water.
Day 7: Day 7: Ras Mafraqah - Pink Lagoon - As Shuwaymiya - Salalah
Depart for Salalah, stopping first at Pink Lagoon to admire the pink-coloured lagoons and the many birds. Continue on to the magnificent Shuwaymiya wadi for a swim before heading back to Salalah... The last few kilometers before returning to civilization are full of scenic treasures. The closer you get to the Deep South, the more beautiful the coastal road becomes. Overnight in Mirbat, in the Hawana marina in Taqah (a huge hotel and leisure complex) or in Salalah.
Day 8: Salalah
Steps: Salalah
Beach and relaxation in the morning. Visit the immediate surroundings depending on where you choose to stay - several archaeological sites dot the region... Overnight in Mirbat, Taqah or Salalah.
Day 9: Salalah - East coast
Visit to the east coast of Salalah: Taqah and its two forts, the archaeological site of Khor Rori/Sumhuran, wadi Darbat (a green area where many birds nest)... Overnight in Mirbat, Taqah or Salalah.
WADI DARBAT
Day 10: Salalah - West coast
Tour of the west coast as far as the Yemeni border: from Mughsayl (beautiful beach, cliffs, natural water jets) to Rakyut via the "infernal road" (canyons, steep hairpin bends, breathtaking panoramas and superb beach on arrival). Overnight in Mirbat, Taqah or Salalah, or return to Muscat by plane.
Day 11: Muscat
Steps: Mascate, Bandar Kheiran
Return to Muscat by plane. Beach, golf, diving... a tour of the city on the Big Bus (double-decker bus) or a visit to more confidential sites and museums such as the Bait Adam Museum, the Bait Faransa Franco-Omani Museum, the Bait Al Baranda Museum, etc. Or a full day in the Bandar Kheiran fjords, etc.
Day 12: Sharqiya Sands Desert
Take the new express way, which takes 2 hours to reach the gateway to the Sharqiya Sands desert. Travel by 4x4 (yourself if you know how to drive in the sand, or with a driver-guide and/or assistance) to the camp, which, unless you're self-sufficient with your own equipment, you'll have taken care to reserve. Settle in at camp, then take a walk in the surrounding dunes.
Day 13: Sharqiya Sands Desert
In the morning, departure for a camel ride and/or sand skiing. Farniente during the hottest hours and, at the end of the afternoon, hiking in the dunes or riding a quad or a 4x4 (activity called Dune Bashing). Evening by a fire in the middle of the sands, second night on site.
Day 14: Sharqiya Sands Desert and Muscat
Steps: Mascate, Wadi Bani Khalid
Wake up at sunrise to soak up the special atmosphere of the desert in the early morning. Last walk then visit of a traditional Bedouin camp. Return to Muscat with a possible detour to the Wadi Bani Khalid to bathe in emerald water basins.
Day 15: Return flight
In the morning, departure for the airport, with a possible final visit on the way to an important part of Oman's heritage: the Amouage perfume factory.
Ideas for holidays and week-end breaks Oman
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