Wild camping in Oman (spots+ equipment + tips)

Wild camping in Oman is one of the best ways to enjoy nature.
The isolation, the silence… you can connect with your surroundings.
In Oman, wild camping is allowed almost everywhere which can give you memorable nights on the beach, in the mountains or even in the desert!
Here are some tips to help you decide whether to camp or not during your road trip in Oman.

Before my tips + photos, here are my favorites for Oman:

My favorite platform to rent a car in Oman: DiscoverCars

My favorite adventure from Muscat: Dolphin and Snorkeling

My favorite excursion from Muscat: Wadi Shab and Bimmah Sinkhole

My favorite places to stay:

Muscat, the capital – see the best rated hotels or my favorite hotel: The Chedi
Sur, for the turtles – see the best rated hotels
Khasab, Musandam peninsula – see the best rated hotels
Wahiba Sands, in the desert – see the best rated hotels or my favorite camp: Desert Nights Resort

Content

TIPS – Wild camping in Oman

Camping on a beach in Oman

Camping in the Wahiba Sands desert

Camping at Jebel Shams

Camping in Muscat

TIPS – Wild camping in Oman

Safety

First of all, Oman is a very safe place in general so there are no problems with wild camping. Locals might come to chat but most of the time you will be alone.
Animals are not really a problem. You would be very very lucky to see an Arabian leopard!!! The only annoying animals are the goats which are curious.

Where to camp in Oman? – Camping spots

There are no official campsites in Oman with what you are used to (showers, electricity etc). However some hotels have a few camping spots on their land and allow you to use the facilities (In Jebel Shams for example).
It is allowed to camp almost everywhere as long as it is not private property or cultivated land and not too close to inhabited buildings.
The only place (that I know of) that forbids camping are the turtle reserves around Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve, which is normal to leave the animal in peace – Note that there are few public beaches around the turtle area but those beaches are not very clean and in any case, starting a fire would frighten the turtles for years to come
So you can camp on the beach, near a oasis, in the mountains or in the desert
However DO NOT CAMP IN THE WADIS because water level can climb fast in case of rain. I know it is tempting but safety first
Avoid staying too close to habitations
In Wahiba Sands Oman, behind the Desert Night Camp (luxury camping) there are dunes smaller than the rest which makes it easier to reach an isolated spot, but you still need to be able to drive on sand dunes (very technical) and make sure you are insured for that

Camping equipment tips

I did not have to buy any equipment (it was organized by my guide) but everyone seems to agree that the Carrefour supermarket in Muscat sells appropriate and affordable camping gear. Otherwise you can find equipment at Lulu hypermarket and The Sultan Center.
You can generally find small wood everywhere. For bigger firewood, drive slowly in the villages and you might see some small shops selling many things including packs of wood
Gas is recommended because alcohol based fuel is harder to find
For the mountains, be aware that the ground is rocky and hard, a mattress is recommended. Plus it can get really cold so bring layers, hat and gloves.

Please respect the environment and take any rubbish away with you.

Need to rent a car in Oman?

My tips:

Compare prices on my favorite platform: Discovercars.com – one of the best rated comparison sites!
Choose a car with enough power for the mountain roads
Consider their full coverage option – for peace of mind!
Book early to have a large choice of vehicles!
See all my tips to choose and book your car

See available cars

Other things to know about wild camping in Oman

As always when wild camping – use a trowel, do your business away from campsites and water source and bag your toilet paper
Be careful when building a campfire – dig a pit or keep it contained with rocks. Use only dead wood lying on the ground or buy at supermarkets
Always take all your rubbish with you
Oman does not have much drinking water so plan accordingly

Road Trip itinerary

Considering you can camp quite freely, this let you free to set up your itinerary the way you want.

You can check out my article about planning an Oman road trip itinerary
and check out my eBook designed to facilitate the planning of a road trip – However note that it is focusing on places to see and does not list specific camping spots.

Plan your dream trip in Oman with my guide!

8 maps to easily plan your itinerary
190+ pre-selected locations
Tips to make the most of your time
GPS coordinates direct to the carparks
100+ original photos to help you choose

Discover it!

Camping on a beach in Oman

My first night of wild camping in Oman, the plan was to stay on the Salmah plateau (4WD access only). However when we arrived to set up camp, it was in the clouds. So we decided to drive back down and find a nice beach to stay. And I am so glad we did!

We found this little bay. There were some locals but they soon left.

In the comments, Cris recommends the beach of As Sifa.

The cooking started…

And sunset started displaying amazing colors!

I don’t drink coffee

But I also like other drinks and sweets!
Do you like the free content you find on my blog? All my tips and practical information, without intrusive advertising…

Claire, I pay you a coffee!

The rest of the evening was spent around the fire. The noise of the burning wood mixing with the noise from the waves crashing on the beach: what a peaceful moment!

One of my favorite thing with wild camping is that you can easily wake up early and admire an enchanting sunrise in nature. Look at that one!

I was ready from my Hiking and Swimming adventure in Wadi Shab Oman!

Camping in the Wahiba Sands desert

The second night was as amazing. I was in the sand dunes of Wahiba sands. I am so glad we camped. I saw 2 of the established camps and they were in the wadi between very high sand dunes so I would not have been able to go wander on my own to take pictures.

But with our tents set up between small dunes isolated, I was able to wonder at sunset as well as sunrise and be alone with my thoughts, the silence and the sand. I am looking forward to sharing more photos from the desert in a dedicated post!

We first drove along the wadi:

Driving through the dunes to camping spot Oman 2

And we passed the established camps:

The 2 camps of the Al Wasil Wadi in the desert are: The Desert Nights Camp and the Arabian Oryx Camp.

Driving in sand dunes is a very technical endeavour. You should only go if you are trained for it. However note than most car rental companies’ insurance do not cover off road driving even with 4WD vehicles.

Then we went on a bumpy ride through the smaller sand dunes. This is the beginning that looks simple but it gets harder right after. NO pictures I was holding on to the car…