Muscat Inn
Hotel
Day 1
Oman: Hajar & Wahiba - 5 Days (Muscat, Nizwa, Jebel Shams, Wadi Ghul & Wahiba Sands)
Five days from Muscat to the Hajar rim and the Wahiba sands. Five days with a private 4x4 and driver-guide, a rim camp with proper tents and the turtle reserve room booked inside the reserve.
Meridian Overland
Runs this trip
Group trips
Five days from Muscat to the Hajar rim and the Wahiba sands
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Sultan Qaboos Grand MosqueThe Grand Mosque admits non-Muslims in the morning only, and the dress code is enforced at the gate. Nizwa FortWadi Ghul drops a thousand metres below the rim. Wahiba SandsTwo hundred kilometres of dune running north to south.
Itinerary
The Grand Mosque admits non-Muslims in the morning only, and the dress code is enforced at the gate.
MuscatHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer, then the corniche in the evening
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationMuscat Inn
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Hotel night
- Grand Mosque visit
LANDMARKS Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque Mutrah Souq Corniche Start point Muscat, Muscat International Airport (MCT), Oman 00:00 - 23:59Wadi Ghul drops a thousand metres below the rim. The Balcony Walk follows a ledge to a village abandoned in the 1970s.
Muscat, Nizwa, Jebel Shams, Wadi GhulHow the day runs
- 2 hrs8:00 AM — inland to the old capital and its fort
- 2 hrs1:00 PM — 4x4 up to the canyon rim
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationJebel Shams House
Included Activities
- Nizwa fort entry
- 4x4 to the rim
- Rim camp night
Optional Activities
- The Balcony Walk along an abandoned village ledge
LANDMARKS Nizwa Fort Jebel Shams Wadi Ghul Balcony Walk Two hundred kilometres of dune running north to south. The drivers deflate the tyres at the edge and that is when it starts.
Jebel Shams, Wahiba SandsHow the day runs
- 5 hrs8:00 AM — off the mountain and east into the sand
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationWahiba Sands Lodge
Included Activities
- Dune drive with tyre deflation
- Desert camp with dinner
Optional Activities
- Camel ride at sunset
- Sandboarding
LANDMARKS Wahiba Sands Bedouin camp Green turtles come ashore at Ras al Jinz to nest every night of the year. Visits are guided, red-light only, and capped.
Wahiba Sands, Wadi Bani Khalid, Sur, Ras al JinzHow the day runs
- 2 hrs8:30 AM — out of the sand to the pools
- 3 hrs2:00 PM — via Sur to the turtle reserve
- MealsBreakfast, Dinner
- AccommodationRas al Jinz Residency
Included Activities
- Wadi entry
- Turtle reserve permit and guided night visit
- Reserve night
LANDMARKS Wadi Bani Khalid Sur dhow yard Ras al Jinz turtle reserve The coast road passes the Bimmah sinkhole, which is a twenty-minute stop and worth it.
Ras al Jinz, MuscatHow the day runs
- 4 hrs9:00 AM — the coast road back north
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Transport to the airport
Optional Activities
- Bimmah Sinkhole on the way
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Hotel night
- Day 1Grand Mosque visit
- Day 2Nizwa fort entry
- Day 24x4 to the rim
- Day 2Rim camp night
- Day 2The Balcony Walk along an abandoned village ledgeCosts extra
- Day 3Dune drive with tyre deflation
- Day 3Desert camp with dinner
- Day 3Camel ride at sunsetCosts extra
- Day 3SandboardingCosts extra
- Day 4Wadi entry
- Day 4Turtle reserve permit and guided night visit
- Day 4Reserve night
- Day 5Transport to the airport
- Day 5Bimmah Sinkhole on the wayCosts extra
- Day 1 · 1 nightMuscat Inn
- Day 2 · 1 nightJebel Shams House
- Day 3 · 1 nightWahiba Sands Lodge
- Day 4 · 1 nightRas al Jinz Residency
- Day 1Muscat to MuscatTransfer, then the corniche in the evening
- Day 2Muscat to Nizwa8:00 AM — inland to the old capital and its fort
- Day 2Nizwa to Jebel Shams1:00 PM — 4x4 up to the canyon rim
- Day 3Jebel Shams to Wahiba Sands8:00 AM — off the mountain and east into the sand
- Day 4Wahiba Sands to Wadi Bani Khalid8:30 AM — out of the sand to the pools
- Day 4Wadi Bani Khalid to Ras al Jinz2:00 PM — via Sur to the turtle reserve
- Day 5Ras al Jinz to Muscat9:00 AM — the coast road back north
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Jebel Shams House
Hotel
Day 2
Wahiba Sands Lodge
Lodge
Day 3
Ras al Jinz Residency
Hotel
Day 4
What you'll eat
4 breakfasts and 4 dinners across 5 days, at the lodges you sleep in. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 5.
- DinnerServed on days 1–4
- BreakfastServed on days 2–5
8 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered everywhere; Jain and gluten-free on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.7/5
Based on 6 reviews
Review summary
Food4.5/5
Guide4.3/5
Itinerary4.7/5
Transport4.3/5
Accommodation4.2/5
Tour operator4.3/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
H
Hannah Lindqvist – Zurich2025-10-03 · Verified booking
Well paced over 5 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Rooms were comfortable and the locations meant we could walk most evenings. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones. Would send friends their way.
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5
Y
Yuki Tanaka – Amsterdam2025-10-03 · Verified booking
Muscat & the Hajar done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. The team read the group well and adjusted without making a thing of it. Would send friends their way.
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4
I
Ishita Ghosh – Pune2025-10-03 · Verified booking
Muscat & the Hajar done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Worth every rupee.
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5
E
Elena Petrova – Dubai2025-10-03 · Verified booking
Muscat & the Hajar done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Accommodation was a notch better than the price suggested. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. No hesitation recommending them.
Reply from Meridian Overland
Appreciate the honest feedback; we're looking at the pacing on that section.
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5
S
Sofia Marchetti – Dubai2025-10-03 · Verified booking
Muscat & the Hajar done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Whoever planned the days knew what they were doing. Worth every rupee.
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4
R
Rahul Menon – Ahmedabad2025-10-03 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. No hesitation recommending them.
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Questions people ask
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