Itinerary
- Day 1
Muscat
You'll arrive at Muscat airport and transfer directly to your hotel for a 2-night stay. This gives you time to settle in and adjust before your self-drive adventure starts the next morning.
- Accommodation
- Hotel
- Day 2
Muscat
Start by picking up your rental car and meeting your local guide who'll hand over the GPS device and route tips for the day. You'll spend the morning checking out the Sultan Qabus Mosque, which is pretty impressive with its architecture and details. After that, head to the Beit Al Zubair Museum to get a sense of Oman's cultural heritage and history. From there, drive over to Mutrah's fish market and the traditional souq where you can walk through clothing stalls, jewelry vendors, antiques, and local crafts. Before wrapping up, stop for photos at Al Alam Palace with the historic Mirani and Jalali forts flanking it, both dating back to the 16th century.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Sultan Qabus Mosque
- Explore Beit Al Zubair Museum
- Visit Mutrah fish market
- Browse Mutrah souq
- Photo stop at Al Alam Palace with views of Mirani and Jalali forts
Landmarks Sultan Qabus Mosque Beit Al Zubair Museum Mutrah Fish Market Mutrah Souq Al Alam Palace Mirani Fort Jalali Fort 
- Day 3
Muscat to Mussanah
You're heading north through the al-Batinah coastal plain with its rows of date palm plantations. Stop at Seeb fish market early in your route, then continue to the Nakhl oasis where you'll see the fort and can check out the hot springs. After lunch, drive through Wakan Village to see the terraced fruit farms, then head to Wadi Abhayad. The white riverbed there is something you can actually drive through with your four-wheel drive, which makes for a fun break from regular road travel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel, Hotel
Included Activities
- Stop at Seeb fish market
- Visit Nakhl oasis and fort
- Explore hot springs at Nakhl
- Walk along Nakhl river
- Visit Wakan Village
- Drive through Wadi Abhayad white riverbed
Landmarks Al-Batinah Coastal Plain Seeb Fish Market Nakhl Oasis Nakhl Fort Wakan Village Wadi Abhayad - Day 4
Mussanah to Jebel Shams
Today takes you into mountain territory. You'll tackle Wadi Bani Auf, one of Oman's toughest off-road drives with narrow sections and steep bends that give you some incredible valley views. After that adrenaline rush, you'll roll into Bilad Sayt, a quiet mountain village surrounded by palm groves. From there, explore Al Hamra's old mud structures and the stone houses of Misfah before reaching your mountain hotel in the afternoon.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Hotel
Included Activities
- Drive through Wadi Bani Auf
- Visit Bilad Sayt mountain village
- Explore Al Hamra
- Visit Misfah stone village
Landmarks Wadi Bani Auf Bilad Sayt Al Hamra Misfah Jebel Shams - Day 5
Jebel Shams to Nizwa
You'll drive through Wadi Ghul and Wadi Nakher to reach the top of Jebel Shams, where Oman's Grand Canyon view spreads out below you. Later, stop at Jabrin fortress to see its restored architecture, then head to Bahla and its huge UNESCO-listed clay fort. You'll finish in Nizwa, a historic city with lots of history, and take an evening walk through its famous market.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel
Included Activities
- Drive to Jebel Shams summit
- Visit Jabrin fortress
- Visit Bahla pottery town
- Visit Bahla fort
- Explore Nizwa city
- Stroll through Nizwa market
Landmarks Jebel Shams Grand Canyon of Oman Wadi Ghul Wadi Nakher Jabrin Fort Bahla Fort Tanuf Nizwa Nizwa Market 
- Day 6
Nizwa to Jebel Akhdar
If you're here on a Friday morning, the cattle market opens with goats and cows on sale, which is worth seeing. Then visit Nizwa's 17th-century fortress and its notable main tower. Later you'll drive to Birkat Al Mauz to walk through the gardens, which rely on traditional Falaj irrigation channels. Then the road takes you through Wadi Al Madeen with its switchback turns up to Jebel Akhdar, Oman's tallest mountain, where marked hiking trails connect small villages if you want to get out and walk around.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Nizwa fortress
- Walk through Birkat Al Mauz gardens
- Drive through Wadi Al Madeen
- Explore Jebel Akhdar hiking trails
Optional Activities
- Visit Nizwa cattle market (Friday mornings only)
Landmarks Nizwa Fortress Nizwa Cattle Market Birkat Al Mauz Wadi Al Madeen Jebel Akhdar 
- Day 7
Nizwa - Wahiba Sands
Drive about 20 km south of Nizwa to the Oman Across Ages Museum, then head to Sinaw Market to browse around. From there, you'll drive toward the inland Wahiba Sands desert through Mudhaybi. Stop at Wadi Bani Khalid, which is considered Oman's nicest wadi, where you can walk along the river or swim in the clear water. Later in the day, drive through the desert to reach your accommodation and catch the sunset from a sand dune. For the night, you'll stay at either 1000 Nights Camp with canvas roof accommodation and an open-air bath, or Desert Nights Resort. After dark, you'll get to see the starry sky without much light pollution.
- Meals
- Breakfast, Dinner
- Accommodation
- Hotel, Hotel
Included Activities
- Visit Oman Across Ages Museum
- Visit Sinaw Market
- Visit Wadi Bani Khalid
- Walk along Wadi Bani Khalid
- Swim in Wadi Bani Khalid
- Sunset viewing from sand dune
Landmarks Oman Across Ages Museum Sinaw Market Wadi Bani Khalid Wahiba Sands 
- Day 8
Wahiba Sands to Ras Al Jinz
You're crossing back through the Wahiba Sands dunes to Mintirib, then heading toward the coast through Bilad Bani Bu Ali and on to Ras Al Jinz. Your hotel sits right at the entrance to where giant green turtles nest. After dinner, you'll join a guided turtle tour to watch these creatures up close.
- Meals
- Breakfast
- Accommodation
- Hotel
Included Activities
- Cross Wahiba Sands dunes
- Drive to coast at Ras Al Jinz
- Guided turtle tour at nesting area
Optional Activities
- Desert Crossing (optional, approximately 110 km through desert to Qihayd with escort vehicle and picnic)
Landmarks Mintirib Bilad Bani Bu Ali Ras Al Jinz Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve 
- Day 9
Ras Al Jinz to Muscat
Head to Sur to see the traditional dhow shipyard where craftsmen still build wooden ships by hand. You'll pass by Bibi Miriam's grave and stop at Fins Beach, then check out the Bimmah Sinkhole, a natural crater that's quite striking. Next you'll walk through Wadi Tiwi and Wadi Shab, both lined with water and palms and good for exploring on foot. To finish, you'll take an off-road route through Wadi Arbayeen via Mazara back toward Muscat, then return your rental car at the airport or hotel.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Visit Sur dhow shipyard
- Stop at Bibi Miriam's grave
- Visit Fins Beach
- Visit Bimmah Sinkhole
- Explore Wadi Tiwi
- Explore Wadi Shab
- Drive through Wadi Arbayeen
Landmarks Sur Sur Dhow Shipyard Bibi Miriam's Grave Fins Beach Bimmah Sinkhole Wadi Tiwi Wadi Shab Wadi Arbayeen Mazara 
