Full-Day Wahiba Desert and Wadi Bani Khalid Group Tour
4.9
38 Ratings
Wadi Bani Khalid
Embark on a thrilling full-day adventure in the Wahiba Desert and Wadi Bani Khalid. Drive through the dunes, visit a Bedouin home, and relax by the crystal-clear waters of the wadi.
Duration: 8 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Wadi Bani Khalid - Wadi Bani Khalid is one of the best-known wadis in the Sultanate of Oman.[ Its stream maintains a constant flow of water throughout the year. Large pools of water and boulders are scattered along the course of the wadi. As a geographical area, the wadi covers a large swathe of lowland and the Hajar Mountains.
  • Wahiba Sands - Wahiba Sands desert is a highlight of any trip to Oman.
    The impressive orange sand dunes offer a unique experience, especially at sunrise and sunset. Therefore, I recommend an overnight stay!

Road from Muscat to Wadi Bani Khalid 2:30 Hours minutes per way
Below is my guide to plan your visit: access, tips, map, photos and Wahiba Sands camps.

What's Included
  • Lunch
  • In-vehicle air conditioning
Additional Information

Journey over the desert’s sandy dunes by a 4WD, and feel a surge of excitement as you navigate the vehicle through challenging terrains. Traverse towards Wahiba Sands to observe the characteristic dwellings of desert wanderers and Bedouin tribes. Keep your eyes peeled for nomads travelling the desert, watching as they guide their camels. Take the opportunity to visit a Bedouin residence situated amidst the barren backdrop, juxtaposing the stark landscapes with the vibrant, blue essence of Wadi Bani Khalid. Savour a serene break under the cover of palm trees, observing petite villages interspersed along the wadi’s slopes. Gape in awe at how residences cling determinedly to the steep mountainside. Don’t forget to pack your swimwear for a refreshing swim in the enticing waters!

  • The total attraction duration is 3 hours, the rest of the time is for travel time.
Location
Wadi Bani Khalid
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.9
(38 Ratings)
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1 star
S1328jyalexf
Apr 20, 2024
Highly recommended, no scam and great guide - Great insights from our guide Abulaziz. Fun in dessert with dune bashing, not too touristic bendouin family coffee time, beautiful wadi bani khaled, and an extra Arabic pan cake as highway stop. Would alswaya do that again!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Murat_o
Apr 11, 2024
it was perfect... - it was perfect experience, enjoyed all day and very good guide . he is friendly and helpful person also good driver .So i was so happy and exciting all day
Review provided by Viator
Aline_w
Mar 31, 2024
Very good - It was a Great experience! Very Nice Guide! Small Group and the desert/ Wadi Are beautiful. so really recomendable
Review provided by Viator
Sina_s
Mar 19, 2024
Great day in the desert - This was a fantastic tour. Ahmed was wonderful and very knowledgeable. Definitely great value for what you get and breathtaking landscape
Review provided by Viator
Marcushurley
Mar 18, 2024
Two very different experiences on a fabulous day trip - We met Fahar at 8 having booked again through Viator with this tour arranged by GidOman. We drove to pick up another couple and started the two hour drive to the south east. Fahar was another steady driver and gave us plenty of information about the country although I did nod off for part of the drive! The roads are quite amazing here, sheared through the rock and excellent quality. The signs and directions are all in English and Arabic and driving seems very chilled, no beeping, people obeying lights and even using indicators! I can imagine that the roads have really opened up access to the country and encouraged both industry and development outside the capital. First stop was the wadi at Bani Khalid. Fahar was telling us about the flooding last month with a French honeymoon couple killed in a flash flood and 1m of rain falling in an hour! We drove through some minor fords before parking up and walking along the aflaj (irrigation system) to the wadi proper. We were very unsure about this trip but luckily the other couple were like us so we skipped the camel ride and none of us went for a swim either! It was quite lucky we hadn't planned to in fact as both men and women had to wear tshirt and shorts in the pools which we wouldn't have been prepared for. I walked as far up the wadi as you could and it was a beautiful hike although the rock was quite treacherous in places and there was certainly nowhere to go if there was a flash flood. Deb stopped at one of the pools and dipped her feet in and lots of fish swam up to clean them for her, a mini pedicure. The frogs here were incredibly vocal but I only saw one of them and it was about the size of a doormouse and there were lots of large dragonflies. We then wandered back to the more open area where there was a cafe and were actually able to get an ice cream, kindly paid for by Fahar. A few people were paddling and one actually swimming but most seemed to just be enjoying the peace and the view. We returned to the car and drove a short distance to Bidiyah to get the tyres deflated ready for the desert. There then followed some driving to show us what angles the 4*4 could drive out and how to take the steep ridges without launching over the top. We passed several small camp sites, some hobbled camels and a few other 4*4s before stopping so we could get out and have a wander. The sand was amazingly fine but a lot easier to walk on than expected and it was beautiful to see actual sand dunes. It was also rather hot! We spent maybe 15 minutes walking up and down dunes and taking photos before returning to the car. After reinflating the tires we drove back to Muscat and stopped at a date shop to get some Fardh dates - apparently low sugar and high fibre so if that works we'll get those regularly. A lot of driving for being outside the car less than 2 hours but two very different experiences and well worth the time. Especially as we were dozing rather than driving!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marcus_h
Mar 18, 2024
Wonderfully memorable experience - We met Fahar at 8 having booked again through Viator with this tour arranged by GidOman. We drove to pick up another couple and started the two hour drive to the south east. Fahar was another steady driver and gave us plenty of information about the country although I did nod off for part of the drive! The roads are quite amazing here, sheared through the rock and excellent quality. The signs and directions are all in English and Arabic and driving seems very chilled, no beeping, people obeying lights and even using indicators! I can imagine that the roads have really opened up access to the country and encouraged both industry and development outside the capital. First stop was the wadi at Bani Khalid. Fahar was telling us about the flooding last month with a French honeymoon couple killed in a flash flood and 1m of rain falling in an hour! We drove through some minor fords before parking up and walking along the aflaj (irrigation system) to the wadi proper. We were very unsure about this trip but luckily the other couple were like us so we skipped the camel ride and none of us went for a swim either! It was quite lucky we hadn't planned to in fact as both men and women had to wear tshirt and shorts in the pools which we wouldn't have been prepared for. I walked as far up the wadi as you could and it was a beautiful hike although the rock was quite treacherous in places and there was certainly nowhere to go if there was a flash flood. Deb stopped at one of the pools and dipped her feet in and lots of fish swam up to clean them for her, a mini pedicure. The frogs here were incredibly vocal but I only saw one of them and it was about the size of a doormouse and there were lots of large dragonflies. We then wandered back to the more open area where there was a cafe and were actually able to get an ice cream, kindly paid for by Fahar. A few people were paddling and one actually swimming but most seemed to just be enjoying the peace and the view. We returned to the car and drove a short distance to Bidiyah to get the tyres deflated ready for the desert. There then followed some driving to show us what angles the 4*4 could drive out and how to take the steep ridges without launching over the top. We passed several small camp sites, some hobbled camels and a few other 4*4s before stopping so we could get out and have a wander. The sand was amazingly fine but a lot easier to walk on than expected and it was beautiful to see actual sand dunes. It was also rather hot! We spent maybe 15 minutes walking up and down dunes and taking photos before returning to the car. After reinflating the tires we drove back to Muscat and stopped at a date shop to get some Fardh dates - apparently low sugar and high fibre so if that works we'll get those regularly. A lot of driving for being outside the car less than 2 hours but two very different experiences and well worth the time. Especially as we were dozing rather than driving!
Review provided by Viator
Genemarcus_k
Mar 15, 2024
Great guide and experience - Khalil was a great guide and super informative and taught me a lot about Oman and its culture. Hope to see him again soon
Review provided by Viator
Mona_m
Mar 7, 2024
Wonderful, interesting trip - We loved our trip.to.the desert. Unfortunately it rained, but it still.made for an unusual experience. The rains prevented us s from going to the Wadi as it was too dangerous. We had a great time with our guide, Syed, who.was friendly and knowledgeable
Review provided by Viator
Erikachristine_e
Feb 19, 2024
Desert Safari - Stunning spots and our two tourguides were absolutely amazing! Desert is not overcrowded (like in Dubai)
Review provided by Viator
Patricia_s
Mar 27, 2024
A fun day out in the beautiful countryside, but not informative. - A good tour with great driver and nice guide. The driving in the sand dunes was impressive, and I liked the desert and wadi swimming. The stop at the Bedouin is basically an underwhelming tourist trap, but at least you get to see some wares and have the Omani light coffee and dates. The guide we had that day was very nice, but wasn't able to give a good overview of the history. Much of what he told us was incorrect when I went to go read about it more from reliable sources.
Review provided by Viator
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May 2024
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