Best Oman Day Tours from Muscat (Desert, Canyon, Wadis…)

Planning to visit Oman? Don't want to drive ? That's fine, there are many Oman day tours from Muscat available to you. The thing is to find the right ones for you in a sea of proposals. So here is my own selection of destinations for the best day trips from Muscat : to see wadis, grand canyon, sand dunes or dolphins... 

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Establish your base in Muscat

Why base yourself in Muscat to visit Oman?

Road tripping is great (see my guide to help you plan your Oman road trip), but if you have only a few days, the option of guided excursions from Muscat are a great alternative.

The advantage is that many incredible locations can be visited on day trips from Muscat such as:

• The desert of Wahiba Sand and its orange sand dunes
• Nizwa and its famous fort
• Jebel Shams, the Grand Canyon of Oman with its impressive drop
• The mountains of Jebel Akhdar and its plantations in terrace
• The incredible Wadi Shab where you can swim in the canyon
• The Daymaniyat islands and their snorkeling paradise
• ...
• See the many amazing options on Getyourguide

And you can alternate the days on the roads, with calmer day exploring the capital city and its many wonders.

Note:  many Oman day tours are only offered as private tours - there are not yet many group tours in the Sultanate yet

Where to stay in Muscat

So if you establish your base in Muscat, Oman, you have to choose your accommodation.

Most hotels are in the modern part of Oman called Qurum or in the more business part Ruwi. A great place to stay is near the Al Qurum beach to enjoy a nice walk at the end of the day.

Here are some suggestions:​

• PRACTICAL - The Coral Muscat Hotel and Apartments is a great location for a base with spacious facilities and with an apartment you can have more freedom - Check photos and prices
• MODERN & GOOD VALUE - The Centara Muscat Hotel is not near the beach so has good value deals with really good accommodations - Check photos and prices
• LUXURY  and CHARM - Located by the beach, The Chedi Muscat is displays Sumptuous decor and a unique atmosphere - it brings the local architecture styles with modern concept - Check photos and prices
• The WELL KNOWN BRAND - The Grand Hyatt Muscat has a great location by the beach and all the facilities you could need - Check photos and prices
• CHEAPER OPTION BY THE BEACH - The Al Ferdous apartments offer a great price alternative for those you still want to stay very close to the beach - Check photos and prices

This trip will first take to one of the most beloved villages in Oman called Misfat al Abriyeen with its exquisite views and narrow stone paths on the mountain slopes.

Then you will climb to the top of Jebel Shams to feel dizzy with the impressive drop of Jebel Shams. This canyon is called the Arabian Grand Canyon. Its summit reaches 3000m in height. 

Want to see more photos of Jebel Shams? Head to my article.

If you want to escape the heat and business of Muscat, the Akhdar mountains are where the locals go. This large plateau is quite fascinating with plantations in terraces and what looks like layers of mountains.

The "Green Mountains" are not that green , but greener than most of the country :-)​

Want to see more photos of the Jebel Akhdar ? Head to my article.

Guided Tour Option

The drive will take you through some small villages all the way to the plateau. After a picnic, you can enjoy some of the most beautiful locations in the area.

Tour Length: 8h

Check out program and price

If you love desert, raise your hand!!! Me too, me too.

Whenever there is a desert, I don't miss a chance to spend some time there.

The chance is that the sand dunes of Wahiba sands are not really far from Muscat, so you can visit them on a day trip (but an overnight stay is even better 🙂 see the overnight section further in the article). 

The dunes are longitudinales and between them are smaller ones.

Want to see more photos of the Wahiba Sands ? Head to my article.

Guided Tour Option

This toor take you both the Wahiba sands for some 4WD fund and to the gorgeous Wadi Bani Khalid with white walls and crystal clear pools where you can swim. A full day of wonders.

Tour Length: 9h

Check out program and price

Explore one of the most beautiful wadis in Oman. Wadi shab is exquisite. The fun hike at its bottom will take you from large area to narrower ones with small and larger pools.

After a while you can only continue by swimming all the way to a semi-cave and a waterfall.

Want to see more photos of the Wadi Shab ? Head to my article.

Guided Tour Option

This tour to Wadi Shab will also take to the turquoise Sink hole of Bimmah and Finns beach, one of the most beautiful in the country. 

A gorgeous day with not too much driving time.

Tour Length: 6h

Check out program and price

Another Oman day trip from Muscat goes to Wadi Bani Auf, a canyon where you can drive 4WD. This allow you to explore small isolated villages.

Thanks to a strategic location, the Nakhal Fort has had a long history and has been enlarged and modified many times. Today it is open to tourists who can enjoy beautiful views of the Oasis.

Guided Tour Option

This 4WD tour will take you through Wadi Bani Auf with a stop along the way to visit the Nakhal Fort, an impressive fortress

Tour Length: 8h

Check out program and price

Nizwa is the biggest town inland. It is built around its fort and traditional market. It is a great place to explore to learn about the Omani history and culture.

And in the Nizwa fort you can climb the round tower to enjoy views of the oasis and surrounding mountains.​

Want to see more photos of the Nizwa fort ? Head to my article.

Guided Tour Option

This Nizwa tour will give you some time to explore the fort and the market. 

But you will also discover a very different Jabreen Castle with its luxurious decoration and the historic Village of Birkat al Mauz which still displays the protected historical irrigation system

Tour Length: 8h

Check out program and price

The waters of Oman have an abundant sea life with turtles, fishes and dolphins.

So hop on a boat and try finding a pod of wild dolphins that will have fun with the waves created by the boat.

Of course sightings cannot be guaranteed, but the views of the coast are already worth the trip

Want to see more photos of this snorkeling experience ? Head to my article.

Guided Tour Option

This is a great tour where, on top fo the dolphins, you can see the coastal formations and mountains North of Muscat.

You will also have an opportunity to snorkel in the Bandar-al Khiran reserve. And maybe like me you will spot a turtle!

Tour Length: Several hours

Check out program and price

If you love Snorkeling the waters of the Daymaniyat islands are perfect.

Located off the coast of Muscat, the small archipelago attracts many species and the experience varies a lot from one island to the other.

The largest island offers some protect coves with transparent waters and peaceful white sand beaches.

Want to see more photos of the Daymanyiat Islands? Head to my article.

Guided Tour Option

Let the pilot take you to the best snorkeling spots around the islands!

Landing is not allowed at all times of the year, but snorkeling is always tolerated.

Tour Length: 5h

Check out program and price

A great time to go on a boat in Muscat is at sunset, when the sun drops behin the city and the mountains. Gold appears all around 

Want to see more photos of this sunset experience ? Head to my article.

Guided Tour Option

Several boat types can be taken to watch sunset.

In this tour you hop on a traditional Dhow boat to experience it the Omani way 🙂

Tour Length: 2h

Check out program and price

If you want to cover sevaral of the coastal highlights with a night in the desert, you have to book an Overnight tour

Nizwa, Wahiba Sands, Wadi Shab... a great variety of the different Omani landscapes.

Guided Tour Option

No reviews yet on this tour, but the program is promising with sunset in the desert, Nizwa and 3 beautiful Wadis including Wadi Shab and Wadi Bani Khalid

Tour Length: 2 days

Check out program and price

Guided Tour Option

In between your Oman day tours from Muscat you can explore the capital city.  Why not start with a half day tour to learn a bit about its history and get oriented?

Tour Length: Half day

Check out program and price

After getting oriented you can easily take cabs to the various parts of town to visit the main monuments. Check out my article about the things to do in Muscat.

Muscat Guided Night Tour

Want to see Muscat in a different light?

Discover its wonders by night coupled with a nice Omani diner and a guide that will be able to answer all your questions (or almost all...)

Tour Length: 4h

Check out program and price

Want to see More of OMAN?

Which ones would you like to experience?

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