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The activities offered by Oman Self Drive Tours
Scenic roads and 4x4 adventures
Of course, all our 4x4 self-drive tours are, by definition, road trips. We choose scenic roads whenever possible, so that even driving from A to B is a voyage of discovery.
But it is also possible to include “driving visits” in your program, on picturesque roads taking you to breathtaking viewpoints.
Adventure can begin as soon as you leave the tarmac and take dirt roads, notably in the mountains, where they can be vertiginous even though well maintained.
But it is also possible to include “driving visits” in your program, on picturesque roads taking you to breathtaking viewpoints.
Adventure can begin as soon as you leave the tarmac and take dirt roads, notably in the mountains, where they can be vertiginous even though well maintained.
Rambling and hiking
Strolling in the shade of a palm grove, climbing a dune at sunset, trekking in the Hajar Mountains : Oman is a wonderful playing field for those who love travelling on foot.
Walking will reveal another facet of the country to you. Trails are little, even very little, frequented, and the amazing sceneries will unleash the adventurous spirit in you!
Long and unmarked paths are proposed with a guide, for obvious safety reasons. A real immersion in the secret Oman, possibly on several days.
For unguided walks, we provide paper descriptions, GPS with pre-recorded tracks and exclusive hiking maps.
Learn more about our travel documents and our GPS.
Walking will reveal another facet of the country to you. Trails are little, even very little, frequented, and the amazing sceneries will unleash the adventurous spirit in you!
Long and unmarked paths are proposed with a guide, for obvious safety reasons. A real immersion in the secret Oman, possibly on several days.
For unguided walks, we provide paper descriptions, GPS with pre-recorded tracks and exclusive hiking maps.
Learn more about our travel documents and our GPS.
Aquatic hiking and canyoning
Perfect combination of hiking and swimming, aquatic hiking allows you to explore some wadis (valleys) where streams feed natural pools.
At the bottom of the wadis, there is no trail : you walk on pebbles and between boulders and rocks, at times climbing over them using your hands. You often walk along pristine pools or even wade through them. Sometimes, one of these pools stretches all over the bottom of the canyon and you have to swim across it. What a pleasure when the weather is hot !
Canyoning is aquatic hiking with jumps into pools and abseiling.
Except for a few easy and short aquatic hikes, these activities are proposed with a guide.
At the bottom of the wadis, there is no trail : you walk on pebbles and between boulders and rocks, at times climbing over them using your hands. You often walk along pristine pools or even wade through them. Sometimes, one of these pools stretches all over the bottom of the canyon and you have to swim across it. What a pleasure when the weather is hot !
Canyoning is aquatic hiking with jumps into pools and abseiling.
Except for a few easy and short aquatic hikes, these activities are proposed with a guide.
Snorkelling, diving, kayaking and cruises
Cruises on a traditional dhow at sunset, dolphin watching off the coast of Muscat, snorkelling amidst coral and fishes, diving for the whale sharks near the Daymaniyat Islands or kayaking in the Khiran bay, water activities are manifold.
Cultural discovery
Stroll around in the capital of Muscat, in the towns of Nizwa or Sur, by their souks, their waterfronts, their mosques, their fish or goat markets.
Discover the small villages perched high up in the mountains and their luxuriant palm groves, real oases in their mineral environment.
Visit museums and get to know Oman history and culture, learn about the local fauna, the frankincense or the oil industry.
Dive into the past thanks to the ancient forts, old villages ruins or Bronze Age tombs.
Discover the small villages perched high up in the mountains and their luxuriant palm groves, real oases in their mineral environment.
Visit museums and get to know Oman history and culture, learn about the local fauna, the frankincense or the oil industry.
Dive into the past thanks to the ancient forts, old villages ruins or Bronze Age tombs.
Beaches and swimming
The Indian Ocean washes the 3.000 km of the Sultanate of Oman coasts. From the private beaches of high standard hotels in Muscat to the superb wild beaches on the east coast, Oman offers nearly unlimited opportunities. And you can swim all the year round : the temperature of the water never falls below 24°C/75°F! (average temperature in January).
As swimming is not part of the local culture, wild beaches are little frequented and sometimes you will have them all to yourself !
But those who love swimming can also head for the wadis (valleys). Imagine: superb natural pools with crystal-clear water, at the bottom of deep valleys and canyons, with the beautiful backdrop of arid mountains and occasionally palm trees. Some such pools are accessible by car, others will require more effort (see the Aquatic hiking chapter above).
As swimming is not part of the local culture, wild beaches are little frequented and sometimes you will have them all to yourself !
But those who love swimming can also head for the wadis (valleys). Imagine: superb natural pools with crystal-clear water, at the bottom of deep valleys and canyons, with the beautiful backdrop of arid mountains and occasionally palm trees. Some such pools are accessible by car, others will require more effort (see the Aquatic hiking chapter above).
Our approach to “dune bashing”
“Dune bashing” is off-roading up and down on sand dunes with a 4x4, for fun. Though we quite understand that you may enjoy the thrill of this type of activity, we feel this is quite contrary to our ethic of travelling and “living the desert”.
Being lovers of nature and wide-open spaces, we are inclined to leave the least possible traces of our passing behind us. We love listening to the nature and enjoying the relaxing silence of the desert. And we choose non polluting activities in so far as possible.
Also safety is at stake: dune bashing is not riskless and accidents are frequent.
For all these reasons, dune bashing is not among the activities we propose. We ask you not to go dune bashing with our rental cars and our guides are instructed along these lines. Maybe some hotels will propose it to you, with their own cars and drivers. It's up to you to accept or not.
We are also doing our best to ban dune bashing spots from our tours: the desert is vast enough for everyone to enjoy it in their own way!
However, we like to make it clear that this does not keep us from driving you amid the dunes! This will occur, for instance, when going to a camp in the sands or when crossing the desert as part of your itinerary.
Being lovers of nature and wide-open spaces, we are inclined to leave the least possible traces of our passing behind us. We love listening to the nature and enjoying the relaxing silence of the desert. And we choose non polluting activities in so far as possible.
Also safety is at stake: dune bashing is not riskless and accidents are frequent.
For all these reasons, dune bashing is not among the activities we propose. We ask you not to go dune bashing with our rental cars and our guides are instructed along these lines. Maybe some hotels will propose it to you, with their own cars and drivers. It's up to you to accept or not.
We are also doing our best to ban dune bashing spots from our tours: the desert is vast enough for everyone to enjoy it in their own way!
However, we like to make it clear that this does not keep us from driving you amid the dunes! This will occur, for instance, when going to a camp in the sands or when crossing the desert as part of your itinerary.
