Rub al-Khali and the Frankincense Route

The Rub al-Khali, or Empty Quarter, is the largest continuous sand desert in the world. Oman's part of it lies in the far north-west of Dhofar, about 170 km north of Salalah. The road from the coast follows the old frankincense route, past the frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah and the caravan oasis of Shisr, also known as Ubar, before reaching the dunes. Trips start from Salalah, which some European foreign ministries advise against, so this page gives information only, with no trip ideas while that advice stands.

Three layers of travel advice

Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice for this region: depending on the country, it covers Salalah, the starting point, Dhofar away from the coastal strip or the Yemen border zone. Yours is in the "Travel advice" table on this page.

In the desert. Travel in a convoy of at least two vehicles, in a well-equipped 4x4 with full gear, and do not camp alone.

The Yemen border. Dhofar borders Yemen. The border zone has road checkpoints and minefields: stay on busy roads.

Our guide to the situation in Oman tracks changes to this advice.

From the coast to the sand

Wadi Dawkah. On the Thumrait road north of Salalah, Wadi Dawkah holds a stand of frankincense trees, Boswellia sacra, whose resin is still harvested. It is one of the four components of the Land of Frankincense, inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2000 under the name Frankincense Trail and renamed in 2005. The others are the oasis of Shisr, the ancient port of Sumhuram east of Salalah (see Taqah, Mirbat and Wadi Darbat) and the medieval port of Al Baleed in Salalah.

Shisr (Ubar). Some 170 km inland, on the edge of the Rub al-Khali, Shisr preserves the remains of a fortified caravan outpost, the second desert component of the Land of Frankincense. Some tours from Salalah include the Ubar site.

Al Hashman and Al Khadhf. Beyond lies the sand. Oman's Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, on its official portal experienceoman.om, describes Al Hashman as the heart of the desert and the gateway for camping, and Al Khadhf as the hub for winter events. It lists dune driving, camel rides, desert camps, sandboarding and stargazing.

How visits work

Oman's tourism ministry advises going with a specialist operator and carrying water and equipment, and European advice calls for at least two vehicles. Salalah agencies sell chauffeured 4x4 trips: the most common one picks you up at your hotel in the early afternoon, stops at Wadi Dawkah, Thumrait and Ubar, and ends with sunset on the dunes, about seven hours in all; it was listed at around €104 per person in October 2026. Private tours link all four frankincense sites, from Al Baleed's museum in Salalah to Ubar, in six to eight hours. In both cases the trip is a day out from the coast, with a return to Salalah the same evening.

Weather: no table for the desert

No weather station in inland Dhofar provides reliable climate normals, so this page has no climate table. The tourism ministry gives September to April as the desert season. The Salalah figures on the city's page describe the coast, which the khareef monsoon wraps in mist from June to September along with the plain and the mountains.

Where to stay

The Sabaro selection has no hotel or camp in Oman's Empty Quarter. Trips leave from Salalah, home to the region's hotels, from Al Baleed Resort Salalah by Anantara to the three hotels of the Hawana complex, such as Salalah Rotana Resort. For a night in the sand elsewhere in Oman, our guide to a night in the desert covers the camps of the Wahiba Sands in the north-east.