Desert and turtles in 5 days

The idea

In five days, this trip packs in the highlights of eastern Oman: a night in the Wahiba dunes and a night by the beach where green turtles come ashore to nest. It starts and ends in Muscat, as a loop, with one night at each stop. It suits a short first trip, or an add-on after a week in Dubai or in the mountains.

Distances are reasonable: the gateways to the dunes, Al Wasil and Bidiyah, are about 185 km from Muscat airport; Ras al Jinz is 45 km from Sur; the return along the coastal highway is about 270 km. Drive times given here are rough guides without stops.

The plan

Day 1: Muscat

Arrive in Muscat and stay at the Grand Hyatt Muscat, 27 minutes from the airport, right on Qurum Beach. The hotel has an infinity pool with a lazy river, a children's pool and a spa. Rates start from around €230 a night, room only, in March 2027.

Day 2: Wadi Bani Khalid and the dunes

Wadi Bani Khalid, about 225 km from the airport, is one of the most fertile valleys in the country, with clear pools and waterfalls among the palms. Swim in modest clothing, with shoulders and knees covered.

In the afternoon, head for the Sharqiya Sands, still widely known as the Wahiba: about 10,000 km² of yellow to orange dunes. The camp collects guests at the edge of the sand, as the track is 4x4 only.

Thousand Nights Camp lies beyond the busiest area, about 40 minutes by track from the road. It has Bedouin tents, tents with terraces and air-conditioned sand houses, a small pool and a barbecue restaurant. You can sandboard, ride a camel at sunset and watch the stars. The camp serves no alcohol and electricity is limited. Rates start from around €150 a night, room only.

Day 3: from sand to sea

At sunrise the dunes are at their best. As an option, a hot-air balloon flight over the Wahiba leaves around 5 am local time, with pick-up from the camps: a 40-minute flight from around €310 per person, for ages 12 and over, with a minimum of two tickets.

Then drive on to Sur, overlooked by the four towers of the 17th-century Al Sunaysilah Fort, and on to Ras al Jinz, 45 km away.

The Ras al Jinz Turtle Reserve, created by royal decree in 1996, is the only legal turtle-watching site in Oman. You sleep on site, in a Carapace room or an air-conditioned eco-tent, with breakfast and both guided viewings included. Rates start from around €230 a night. The evening viewing starts at 9 pm local time: you follow a guide onto the beach, with no flash and no torch. The reserve's museum, open until 8:30 pm, explains turtle life before you go.

Day 4: along the coast to Muscat

The second viewing leaves at 5 am. Green turtles nest all year; from October to April fewer come ashore, and the best hatching season is May to September.

After breakfast, the road back follows the coast:

• Ras al Hadd Castle, a 16th-century fort at the point where Arabia sees the sun rise first;
• Qalhat, an ancient city listed by UNESCO in 2018, of which the mausoleum of Bibi Maryam, built around 1311, still stands;
• Wadi Shab, about 175 km from the airport: a boat crossing, a walk up the canyon, pools and a cave with a waterfall. There are no shops in the wadi, so bring water and proper shoes;
• Bimmah Sinkhole, a water-filled sinkhole in a municipal park right by the road.

The night is at Kempinski Hotel Muscat, in Al Mouj, about twenty minutes from the airport, with more than 6 km of coastline, a cascade pool and a spa. Rates start from around €410 a night with breakfast.

Day 5: departure

Muscat is a few hours' flight from Europe's main cities, direct or with one stop. Oman is on UTC+4 all year round: 4 hours ahead of London in winter and 3 hours ahead in summer.

Good to know

• Getting around. A car with driver or a hired 4x4; in the desert, the track is covered by the camp's transfer. Governments advise a convoy of at least two vehicles on sand, and it is best not to drive at night outside Muscat.
• Wadis. From October to March, flash floods can be deadly. Skip Wadi Shab and Wadi Bani Khalid if heavy rain is forecast and for at least a day afterwards.
• Season. The desert season runs from September to April, Wadi Shab from September to May. In Sur, average highs range from 26 °C in January to 36 °C in April.
• Regional situation. Since the Iranian strikes in the Gulf, foreign ministries have not all given the same advice; the Oman travel situation guide has the details. Yours:

Your country's advice is shown in the box at the top of the page.

The areas are covered on the Wahiba Sands and Sur and Ras al Jinz pages; the guides to a night in the desert, turtle watching at Ras al Jinz and Oman's wadis give practical advice. Prices are recorded including taxes, with any local taxes on top.