Full-Day Wahiba Desert and Wadi Bani Khalid Group Tour
Overview
Available languages
8 hours
Mobile ticket
Cross the desert dunes by 4WD vehicle, and experience the adrenaline rush of driving across the rugged terrain in an off-road mode of transport. Make your way to the Wahiba Sands to see the traditional homes of the desert nomads and Bedouin tribes. Keep a look-out for the nomads as they move through the desert with their camels. Visit a Bedouin home in the middle of the desert, and contrast the arid landscape with the clear, blue waters of Wadi Bani Khalid. Enjoy a relaxing siesta in the shade of the palm trees, and catch a glimpse of the pretty villages scattered across the slopes of the wadi. Marvel at how the houses cling precariously to the rugged mountain side. Bring your swimming costume to take a dip in the inviting waters!
Additional Info
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
The total attraction duration is 3 hours, the rest of the time is for travel time.
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
What To Expect
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
Air-conditioned vehicle
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Options
Wadi Khalid and Desert Sunset
Duration: 10 hours
Wadi Khalid and Desert Sunset: Explore the stunning oasis of Wadi Bani Khalid, and later experience the magic of the desert with a sunset over the dunes.
4WD car
Pickup included
Desert & Wadi Bani Khalid tour
Duration: 10 hours
lunch included
Desert & Wadi Bani Khalid tour: Start your day with an unforgettable visit to the golden desert dunes, then continue to the beautiful oasis Wadi Bani Khalid.
4WD car
Pickup included
Reviews
139 reviews
Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor
Great tour
Anthony K,,Feb 8, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Very full day with a lot of time spent on the road but absolutely worth it as a taste of the real Oman. Highlight was the visit to a bedouin house where we learnt the finer custom of receiving guests and sharing tea. Our guide Ahmed was a gem and willing to discuss all that Oman is - really enjoyable.
Plan your own Wahiba tour rather than a guided tour
rdkakapur,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
4.00Small group Wahiba sunset tour with Fahad of GidOman was an ambivalent experience. Our first stopover at Wadi Bani Khalid was quite average - brimming with tourists + noisy, dusty construction activity going on in the wadi area. Thankfully on Fahad’s advice, We had changed into our modest swimwear & kaftan at the clean restroom of a restaurant where we stopped for tea. That was really sensible coz the tents for changing are pathetic - there is no place to keep your clean clothes & the tiny space to manoeuvre yourself is fit only for experienced acrobats ! So better to get a dress / kaftan than trousers & tops ! Though we had opted for life jackets , later we realised it wasn’t necessary as one can splash around in the shallow waters instead of venturing out towards the deeper end. The second bummer was the lunch place we were taken to - very poor quality lunch with either only gravy ( meat pieces were missing) or dry nearly burnt roasted chicken + flies hovering over uncovered food. That was quite disappointing. Next we went to the Bauduin camp which was quite average with nothing much to do except listen to the commentary with feigned interest . The actual Wahiba sands dessert is the place you want to be in - it’s a beauty esp during the sunset . If we had to do it again , we would just hire our excellent guide & driver Fahad & proceed straight to the dessert for the sunset & star gazing experience & be back to Muscat by late evening. Personally for us, an overnight stay at Wahiba didn’t appear so enamouring. Our guide Fahad was fun to be with - jovial, interesting & very considerate of our needs. The onus of providing a worthwhile tour is totally on the tour planners to provide better lunch options & plan a refreshing itinerary.
Plan your Wahiba sands tour yourself, the guided tours are just average
Radhika K,,Feb 4, 2026
- Review from Viator
3.00Small group Wahiba sunset tour with Fahad of GidOman was an ambivalent experience. Our first stopover at Wadi Bani Khalid was quite average - brimming with tourists + noisy, dusty construction activity going on in the wadi area. Thankfully on Fahad’s advice, We had changed into our modest swimwear & kaftan at the clean restroom of a restaurant where we stopped for tea. That was really sensible coz the tents for changing are pathetic - there is no place to keep your clean clothes & the tiny space to manoeuvre yourself is fit only for experienced acrobats ! So better to get a dress / kaftan than trousers & tops ! Though we had opted for life jackets , later we realised it wasn’t necessary as one can splash around in the shallow waters instead of venturing out towards the deeper end. The second bummer was the lunch place we were taken to - very poor quality lunch with either only gravy ( meat pieces were missing) or dry nearly burnt roasted chicken + flies hovering over uncovered food. That was quite disappointing. Next we went to the Bauduin camp which was quite average with nothing much to do except listen to the commentary with feigned interest . The actual Wahiba sands dessert is the place you want to be in - it’s a beauty esp during the sunset . If we had to do it again , we would just hire our excellent guide & driver Fahad & proceed straight to the dessert for the sunset & star gazing experience & be back to Muscat by late evening. Personally for us, an overnight stay at Wahiba didn’t appear so enamouring. Our guide Fahad was fun to be with - jovial, interesting & very considerate of our needs. The onus of providing a worthwhile tour is totally on the tour planners to provide better lunch & plan a refreshing itinerary.
Outstanding tour with our...
Eric Z,,Jan 27, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Outstanding tour with our guide Mohammed. Very friendly, accomodating and patient. We travelled with 4 people total in a clean and comfortable 4X4. Stopped multiple times along the way for breakfast, lunch, snacks, tea. We stayed in the desert way longer than planned and got to see a complementary unplanned sunset!
Great
S5920NJrobertw,,Jan 24, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00We had a wonderful day with Rashid. He is a very nice guide who knows and tells a lot. We’d slide in the sand, had coffee and tea and a cooling swim.
day trip
Hugh C,,Jan 23, 2026
- Review from Viator
4.00you are well informed about meeting time in whatsapp on time friendly and professional as advertised and more refreshing swimming venue
Lifelong dream fulfilled
William H,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Viator
5.00Astonishing day with a ton of memories made. Weather perfect in January to enjoy the day without it being too hot, plenty of time to enjoy both the oasis and the desert and our guide gave lots of useful information and history. I really recommend buying swimming shoes for the oasis as the rocks can feel very uncomfortable on your feet otherwise! I wasn’t a confident swimmer but I still was able to wade as much as I could with plenty of assistance. I stuck to what I think was the right dress code (covered up with t-shirt and swimming shorts) but lots of people on other tours were dressed in revealing swimwear there, so not sure what’s appropriate or not. The Wahiba Sands were magical, I bought a lovely souvenir from the Bedouin shop and the sunset was stunning with tons of time to take all the pictures and video that we needed. There were only four of us on our tour (me + a family of three) so it felt very private while still social. Definitely recommend!
Lovely trip, and pleasantly surprised!
cbryson13,,Jan 22, 2026
- Review from Tripadvisor
5.00This tour was wonderful, and something I booked last minute. The guide, Khailid, was excellent, very friendly as were the rest of the group. We first visited the Wadi, which was stunning, in the middle of rock were these clear pools of water and while there were many cars the Wadi did not feel crowded and there was plenty of space. Wahiba desert trip was in the afternoon after a lovely lunch, the desert was impressive to see and the dunes were beautiful. To summarise, I am glad I went, the Wadi was a pleasant surprise, and the desert was stunning. The guide kept everything going at a relaxed pace while making sure we kept on time.
Ala’a was an absolutely perfect guide!
Sebastiano C,,Dec 28, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00I had the information in time but when I requested it to organize, they just greeted me on whatsapp but without giving me any details until the evening before the excursion. In the internal chat of Viator I never received answers from the agency. On the other hand, the guy who led us, ALA’A, was really good. Great company, nice and jovial person. Explain some details but without being intrusive. He jokes and makes jokes but always in a pleasant and discreet way. He arrived with a comfortable car and was available for any of our needs, always making us feel comfortable. We absolutely recommend it!
this trip was absolutely...
H H,,Dec 24, 2025
- Review from Viator
5.00this trip was absolutely amazing and truly exceeded my expectations. we had a really fun group, which made the experience even better. our guide, Murtadha, was fantastic. he was very polite, knowledgeable, looked after us throughout the day and we had great conversations along the way. the lunch (buffet) was delicious, the drives were very comfortable and the desert and sand dunes were absolutely stunning. the wadi was just as beautiful and the perfect place to relax and enjoy the scenery. overall, this was a truly fun and unforgettable experience. i would 100% recommend this tour to anyone visiting Oman.
From US$130.00
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Operated by GidOman