Desert Safaris in Oman Worth the Day: Our 11 Picks

1.Wadi Bani Khalid Oasis & Oman Desert Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 434 reviews · 10 hours · from $130Our pick

Travel from Muscat to Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Sands in a 4x4 with an English or Arabic-speaking guide. Swim in the oasis, eat a local buffet lunch, visit a Bedouin home, ride across the dunes, and choose a sunset and sandboarding option. Guides including Salim, Fahad, Rashid, and Khalid are praised for safe driving and thoughtful local insight.

“This was amazibg 🤩 Our guide Fahad was an exceptional driver (it showed in the desert), a great DJ 😄 and awesome guide. The day was mofe than we expected - the wadi first and 1 hour of swimming, then we went to lunch, in between the water was provided all the time and many times the coffee or tea were offered. we also got snacks. The peak of the day was the desert, Bduins house, camels and sandboarding. Hard to explain all the feelings - it will stay as a lifetime memory. Trully worth every money spent. The desert was even more adventuruous as we expected ' we were…”

Check availability →Read our full review

2.Desert Safari Sharing Tours

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 313 reviews · from $189Top rated

Leave Muscat around 8am for Wahiba Sands and Wadi Bani Khalid. Expect dune driving, desert views, an Omani lunch, water, soft drinks, and a swim in the wadi. Guides may include Saif, Khaled, Sameer, Abdullah, or Bu Mashari. Transport is by 4x4 or minivan, depending on group size.

“Our guide Khaled was amazing! Very kind, made sure we enjoyed ourselves, and was very attentive to making sure we were hydrated and healthy in the heat! Highly recommend!”

Check availability →Read our full review

3.Sunset Desert Safari Salalah Tour in Rub Al Khali – Empty Quarter

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 91 reviews · from $95

Spend 8 to 9 hours driving from Salalah through the Al Qara Mountains, Wadi Dawkah, Thumrait, and the Lost City of Ubar before reaching Rub Al Khali. Guide Mohammed Ali may lead the trip, with a private 4x4 for up to six people, dune driving, desert walks, sunset views, bottled water, and optional dinner.

“Great way of hanging out in the Empty Quarter to enjoy the dunes and the sunset in the evening Muhammad Ali was a good guide to work with. On this trip though one of the woman (from Mxo) was the most selfish and inconsiderate traveler I ever encountered in my travels. Rather shocking.”

Check availability →Read our full review

4.Sunset Desert Safari – Rub Al Khali – Empty Quarter

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 79 reviews · 8 - 21 hours · from $102

Leave Salalah in a 4WD with an Omani guide such as Musllam, Rabi, or Thaer, stopping at Wadi Dawkah, camel farms, and optional Ubar before dune bashing in the Rub Al Khali. You’ll climb a high dune for sunset, with optional Bedouin dinner and camel riding available at extra cost.

“è stato Musallah è stato un grande autista e compagno di viaggio e ha fatto di tutto per farci star bene....in sintesi è stato bravissimo.”

Check availability →Read our full review

5.Sunset desert safari tour in Salalah(private tour)

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 58 reviews · from $125

Spend about eight hours with a private guide from Salalah, visiting Wadi Dawkah’s frankincense trees, Thumrait, Ubar, black camels, and the Rub al Khali. English or Italian guiding is available. Mohammed, Mohamed, and Ibrahim have led guests, with driving, local stories, tea, dunes, and sunset all part of the day.

“Il tour è stato molto interessante ed emozionante. Ibrahim, la nostra guida è stata eccellente , ci ha spiegato con precisione cosa avremmo visto ci ha portato in punti bellissimi del deserto, si è fermato per farci vedere le stelle ed è stato un regalo preziosissimo. È stato tutto perfetto. Facile la prenotazione e la giornata è stata meravigliosa. Consigliatissimo!!!”

Check availability →Read our full review

6.2 Days and 1 Night Private Wahiba Sands Desert Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 56 reviews · from $555

Spend two days with a private English-speaking guide, swimming at Wadi Bani Khalid, riding over Wahiba Sands by 4WD, watching sunset from a dune, meeting a Bedouin family, and visiting Ibra. Majid is one guide praised for his cultural insight. The $555 price includes transport, lodging, breakfast, dinner, and water.

“Excellent driver, very knowledgeable who told us a lot regarding local culture. Sunset in the desert is a must”

Check availability →Read our full review

7.Empty Quarter Desert Sunset tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 55 reviews · from $152

This private eight-hour trip from Salalah combines Wadi Dawkah’s frankincense trees, the ancient Ubar site, and sunset in the Empty Quarter. Guides including Mohammed, Mohamed Baomar, Alawi, and Abdullah lead the day, with hotel pickup, 4x4 dune driving, camel encounters, and time for photographs.

“Mohamed is an absolutely wonderful guide! So kind, helpful, and knowledgeable — he made the entire experience unforgettable. His warmth and patience made us feel very welcomed and comfortable. I couldn’t have asked for a better guide. our kid also had a memorable time in the desert! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a truly special experience!”

Check availability →Read our full review

8.Desert Experience: Wahiba Sands & Wadi Bani Khalid Full-Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 43 reviews · from $150

Leave Muscat in an air-conditioned vehicle for Wahiba Sands and Wadi Bani Khalid. Guides such as Sultan, Ilya, Fahad, and Ahmed combine desert driving with local insight. Expect a long day, more than five hours on the road, dune views, a Bedouin stop, camel options, and time to swim at the oasis.

“Ilya arrived bang on time to pick us up from our accommodation - comms we’re great. Air conditioned lovely car with WiFi - and Ilya told us about lots of buildings as we passed through muscat - he is extremely knowledgable anf friendly. The drive was long but worth it - we went to wadi bani khakis which is very special. Ramadan meant there were almost no other visitors (which I like!) - so we had the place almost to ourselves which was magical. We then went to the desert and spent some time driving around sand dunes - being in the vast open desert is another great experience -…”

Check availability →Read our full review

9.Luxury Overnight Desert Safari in Salalah

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 31 reviews · from $245

Travel from Salalah to Wadi Dawkah, the ancient city of Ubar, and the Empty Quarter in a comfortable 4WD. With an English-speaking guide such as Mohammed, Ali, or Ahmed, you’ll enjoy dune bashing, Arabic coffee, sunset, a Bedouin-style dinner, stargazing, and sunrise from a desert camp.

“We were lucky with Ali. He told us a lot about the country, incense, and the historical development of the country in general. Perfect for children too. We can highly recommend the tour. Don't expect too much from the shared showers.”

Check availability →Read our full review

10.Desert Safari with BBQ Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★4.6 · 30 reviews · 5 hours · from $60Best value

You’ll leave your Dubai hotel in a 4x4 Land Cruiser for fast dune bashing, a sunset photo stop, sandboarding, a short camel ride, henna, and a BBQ buffet at a Bedouin-style camp. Drivers such as Abhilash and Jassem have earned praise for confident driving. Allow more time than the advertised five hours.

“Our guide Abhilash did an excellent job, the dune bashing was phenomenal, exciting, and absolutely the highlight of this tour. However, the tour does suffer from some minor problems not related to our guide -- it's a bit longer than we expected (7.5 hours from pickup to return) and the camp food could be better. Still highly recommended!”

Check availability →Read our full review

11.Bidiya Desert Sunset Camel Ride with Transfer

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 22 reviews · 6 hours

Leave Muscat at 2:00 PM for Bidiya, where an English or Arabic-speaking guide takes you across the sand by 4WD and arranges a short camel ride before sunset. Guides such as Khamees and Khazim are praised for warm service and Oman-focused stories. The ride is brief, but the dune views and sunset are the main event.

“The Tour was very good, we had an excelent Guide, which told us a lot of the local traditions and people. From the Port the tour was realy long, but the camel and the sunset worth it.”

Check availability →Read our full review