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 option.
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
- ...
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 Oman
So if you establish your base in 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
MOUNTAINS - Best Oman Day tours from Muscat
Oman Grand Canyon Tour from Muscat
About the day tour
This trip will first take to one of the most beloved village 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.
Guided Tour Option
It is a long drive but you won't get bored, the views are fascinating the whole way. And you will be able to enjoy a coffee break with some locals!
Tour Length: 10 h
Jebel Akhdar from Muscat
About the day trip
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
DESERT - Oman Day Trips from Muscat
Wahiba Sands and Wadi Bani Khalid
About the day trip
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
WADIS & FORTS - Muscat Tour Packages
Wadi Shab
About the day trip
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
Nakhal Fort & Wadi Bani Auf
About the day tour
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
Nizwa and Jabreen
About the day trip
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
BOAT - Sea Tours and Dolphin Watching in Muscat
Dolphin Watching in Muscat + Snorkeling
About the day trip
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
Snorkeling at Daymanyat Islands
About the day trip
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
Dhow Cruise at Sunset
About the day trip
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
OVERNIGHT tour from Muscat
2 day South Desert and Wadis
About the day trip
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
CITY - Muscat Tours - visit the capital city
Half Day City overview
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
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
Want more? OMAN TOUR - 6 days
If you want to cover even more, and want to just sit, relax and discover the highlights of North Oman, Consider booking a longer organized trip from Muscat.
Want to see More of OMAN?
Discover more things to do with planning information and photos in my Online Oman Travel Guide
Which ones would you like to experience?
Love sharing? Here is another pin for you:
Could you please advise whether these are offered in the August to September period?
Many of them are. When you click on the link, it opens Getyourguide and Viator. In the confirm availability box you can pick a date. On Getyourguide if it is green it means the tour is available.
But the weather will seriously limit you walking. It get really hot. I recommend either going in the mountains or visiting fort.
Happy travels!