Hikes to do in Oman

Even if you are going to Oman for only a few days, there are some hikes you can’t miss !

You will have breathtaking views of the canyons, the oasis or the luxurious omani greenery.

So here is my top 5 hikes to do in Oman.

First, I absolutely recommend the little hike through the Jebel Shams Canyon. You will have awesome views all the way from the bottom of the canyon.

To find the path, just put ” Wadi Nakhr”. If you have a 4WD, you can go all the way with your car, but it requires some great driving experience at some spots.

Otherwise, you can park your car at the beginning of the path and go all the way by foot, it is really easy, and flat almost all along (plus you will have better views and different angles to take pictures !).

The hike is 10km round trip. It is not a loop, you’ll have to go back, but the views, changing with the sunlight all day long, are worth it !

Here’s what you can expect along the hike :

The second and third hike I’d recommend if you are in the North of Oman are in the little village of Misfat Al Abriyeen. It is a 500-year-old village on the slopes of the mountains. You can expect traditional mud houses, lots of stairs, mountains and plantation in terraces.

You’ll see at the entrance of the village a map with 3 different hikes.

I absolutely recommend doing the W9c (you will have marks all along the trail), it is around 20-30 minutes and it is a loop. You’ll start in the heart village, then cross the wadi and end up at the entrance of the village after walking to the other side of the mountain. You’ll go though palm trees, banana trees, falaj (old omani irrigation system), plantation in terraces. It is really a sight for sore eye !

The third hike is still in Misfat Al Abriyeen but is the w9. Instead of going south like for the w9c, you will go east this time and follow the marks of this old donkey trail.

This path takes you to the wadi in about 30-40 minutes and you will have wonderful views of the mountains and the canyon (you can continue onwards for hours, we did not has we walked there for the canyons views).

The trail makes you pass next to the falajs, plantations and palm fields, always overlooking the mountains.

Here are some of the landscapes you will come across :

The fourth hike I would absolutely recommend doing is the 20-30minutes walk to reach Wadi Bani Khalid.

For this, you should follow the signs on the road to Wadi Bani Khalid (the pin on Google Maps is not very accurate).

You will find a parking there (take your bathing clothes and picnic if you plan to spend the day there) and then you can continue by foot for 30 minutes or so. I’d recommend sneakers or hiking shoes as the rocks as quite slippery with the sand.

The path takes you to a first pond and then you continue on the rocks, overlooking the water pools.

Here’s the first pond :

Here are the water pools you will come across and overlook from the rocky path :

Don’t forget to have covering bathing clothes (long tee shirt and short) if there are a few people. As we were almost alone, a guide told us we could swim with a one piece bathing suit, but I wish we knew this before going. Also, there are portable fitting room if you need to change.

The final hike on this top 5 is the path taking you to Wadi Shab.

This famous wadi is just out of Muscat and there is a parking lot under the bridge (where the hike starts).

I’d recommend going early, as you will have to cross a small river with the help of the motorboats of locals. The boat ride takes less than one minute, and they charge 1 OMR ($2.50 USD), which also includes the boat ride back when you’re done.

The hike up takes about an hour, and is quite easy. You follow the stream up and from the start the scenery is absolutely gorgeous.

I don’t have pictures of this hike as we arrived too late (the sun sets at 5pm) but I truly wish I had some !

If you don’t have the time to do them all, there are all impressive so you will have a fantastic time anyway !

That’s it for my hikes recommendations in Oman ! If you plan of visiting the country, here’s an article detailing everything you need to know before coming, or for a detailed itinerary you can hop on this one.