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Full-Day Wahiba Desert and Wadi Bani Khalid Group Tour
Badge of ExcellenceMuscat, Oman
- 8 hours
- Pickup offered
- Mobile ticket
- Offered in: English
Explore our promoted experiences
Overview
What's Included
- Lunch
- Air-conditioned vehicle
Meeting and Pickup
Pickup points
Select a pickup point
Start time
08:00 AM
What To Expect
Wadi Bani Khalid
2 hours • Admission Ticket Free
Wahiba Sands
1 hour • Admission Ticket Free
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Most travelers can participate
- The total attraction duration is 3 hours, the rest of the time is for travel time.
- This tour/activity will have a maximum of 11 travelers
Operated by GidOman
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
- For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
- If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
- Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
- Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s canceled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund.
- This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
Traveler Photos
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Featured review
Mhyar_M
I recently had a trip where Hamood was our guide, and it was amazing. He knew a lot about the places we visited and made the tour fun and interesting. He was also very kind and helpful, making our trip smooth and enjoyable.
Reviews
5.0
37 reviews
murat_o, Apr 2024
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
Response from Host, Apr 2024
We're thrilled to hear that you had such a wonderful experience with us! Our team takes great pride in providing friendly and knowledgeable guides who ensure your day is enjoyable and safe. We're glad you were happy and excited throughout the tour. Thank you for choosing us, and we hope to welcome you back for another adventure soon!
Aline_W, Mar 2024
It was a Great experience! Very Nice Guide! Small Group and the desert/ Wadi Are beautiful. so really recomendable
Response from Host, Apr 2024
That sounds like a fantastic experience! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour with a small group and found the desert and Wadi beautiful. Thank you for recommending it! If you have any photos or memories you'd like to share from your trip, we'd love to hear more about it.
Patricia_S, Mar 2024
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.
Response from Host, Apr 2024
Thank you for sharing your feedback with us. We're pleased to hear that you enjoyed the driving in the sand dunes and the swimming in the desert and wadi. However, we're sorry to hear that your experience at the Bedouin stop was underwhelming. We strive to provide authentic and meaningful experiences, and we'll take your feedback into consideration to improve this aspect of the tour. We apologize for any inaccuracies in the historical information provided by our guide and appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We will address this with our team to ensure that future tours are more accurate and informative. Thank you for choosing GidOman, and we hope to welcome you on another tour in the future.
Sina_S, Mar 2024
This was a fantastic tour. Ahmed was wonderful and very knowledgeable. Definitely great value for what you get and breathtaking landscape
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for your review! We're thrilled to hear that you had a fantastic tour with Ahmed and found the experience to be great value. The breathtaking landscape of Oman truly is something special. We hope to see you again on another adventure soon!
Marcus_H, Mar 2024
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!
Response from Host, Mar 2024
It sounds like you had quite an adventure on your tour with Fahar! Exploring the wadi and the desert must have been a unique experience, and it's great that you got to see such diverse landscapes. The cautionary tale about the flash floods is a reminder of the power of nature. It's good to hear that you enjoyed the hike and the desert walk, despite the treacherous terrain in some places. It's always fascinating to witness different ecosystems and the wildlife they support. The desert sand dunes must have been quite a sight! Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
GeneMarcus_K, Mar 2024
Khalil was a great guide and super informative and taught me a lot about Oman and its culture. Hope to see him again soon
Response from Host, Mar 2024
Thank you for your review! We're delighted to hear that Khalil provided you with a great experience and shared valuable insights about Oman's culture. We'll be sure to pass on your kind words to Khalil. We hope to see you again soon on another adventure with us!
Mona_M, Mar 2024
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
Response from Host, Mar 2024
It sounds like despite the unexpected rain, you still had a memorable experience in the desert. It's great to hear that Syed made the trip enjoyable for you. If you have any photos or more details about your trip, feel free to share!
ErikaChristine_E, Feb 2024
Stunning spots and our two tourguides were absolutely amazing! Desert is not overcrowded (like in Dubai)
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your experience with us! We are thrilled to hear that you found the spots stunning and that our tour guides made your experience amazing. We take pride in providing a less crowded and more authentic desert experience.
We appreciate your feedback and hope to welcome you back for more adventures in the future!
Shajeen_S, Feb 2024
Definitely a worthwhile experience. Our tour guide Abdul was fantastic and really accommodating. He was very patient and took time to explain things to us or take photos or let us spend more time in the Wadi.
The dessert experience was really nice and the driving was really fun. We had coffee and dates in a Bedouin afterwards.
Wadi Bani Khalid is the highlight for sure. Lunch was served there and was a really nice buffet meal with plenty of food and drink options. The Wadi itself is very big but be aware it's quite deep so you need to be a decent swimmer or you can try the kids' pool which is much smaller.
The only downside is that there is a lot of time taken driving to these places but apart from that it was a very worthwhile experience!
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for sharing your wonderful experience with us! We're delighted to hear that you found the tour worthwhile and that Abdul made it even more enjoyable with his fantastic service. Your feedback about the desert experience, the Bedouin coffee, and Wadi Bani Khalid is greatly appreciated.
We understand the concern about the travel time, and we're glad it didn't overshadow the overall positive experience.
We look forward to the opportunity to serve you again on future adventures!
GidOman Tours Team
Manuel_T, Feb 2024
great experience, yakoob is the best guide.
Wabiha sands are amazing.
also the car is modern and confortable
Response from Host, Feb 2024
Thank you for your positive feedback! We're thrilled to hear that you had a great experience and that Yakoob, your guide, made the journey memorable for you. It's wonderful that you enjoyed the amazing Wabiha Sands and found the car to be modern and comfortable. We appreciate your kind words, and we look forward to hosting you again for more fantastic experiences in the future!
Likely to Sell Out
From $140.00
up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Full-Day Wahiba Desert and Wadi Bani Khalid Group Tour
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