By air
Muscat (MCT), ~3 h by road
Middle East · Oman
Wahiba Sands, Oman
Sweeping dunes and desert camps
Getting there
Best time to visit
October to March — cool desert nights
Don't miss
The dunes
Wadi Bani Khalid
The Bedouin camps
Things to do
Dune drives
Camel rides
A night at a desert camp
Where to eat
What to pack
Layers, a scarf
A quieter corner
Wadi Bani Khalid's pools on the way
Questions travellers ask
When should I go to Wahiba Sands?
October to March, when the desert nights are cool. Bring layers and a scarf.
What is there to do in Wahiba Sands?
Dune drives, camel rides and a night at a desert camp, with dates and Omani coffee.
Is there a stop worth making on the way to the dunes?
Yes — Wadi Bani Khalid's pools, on the way.
How long is the drive to Wahiba Sands?
Fly into Muscat (MCT); from there it's about 3 h by road.
About Wahiba Sands
- Desert
Where it is
Wahiba Sands, also called the Sharqiya Sands, is a sea of sand dunes in eastern Oman, south of the Hajar Mountains, stretching from the edge of the town of Bidiyah south towards the Arabian Sea coast.
History
The sands take their name from the Al Wahiba, a Bedouin tribe who have herded camels and goats here for generations, moving between desert grazing and the palm-grove towns on its edge. A Royal Geographical Society expedition in the 1980s studied the desert in detail, and today camps along its northern edge receive visitors.
People
The Al Wahiba and other Bedouin families live on the desert's fringes, raising goats and camels, including racing camels, and many now also run camps and tours. Arabic is spoken, and Bedouin crafts include weaving rugs and bags from goat and camel hair.
Known for
- Towering sand dunes
- Dune drives and camel rides
- Nights at desert camps
- The pools of Wadi Bani Khalid nearby
- Bedouin camel culture
Did you know?
The Royal Geographical Society expedition of the 1980s found the Wahiba Sands full of far more life than its bare dunes suggest, recording some 150 species of native plants and many kinds of animals.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.