A Week in Oman

Explore ancient and natural wonders in the Pearl of Arabia

Oman, the most beautiful of the Gulf States, has a rich culture and ancient heritage waiting to be discovered during this one-week cultural adventure. Starting in the capital of Muscat, we gaze in awe at the Grand Mosque, wander through the colourful Mutrah Souq and see the Omani capital and coastline through seafarers’ eyes on a traditional dhow cruise.

We spend a night deep in the desert in very comfortable accommodation and navigate the dunes of the Wahiba Sands in 4x4s; marvel at stunning views over the Grand Canyon of Arabia from Jebel Shams, the highest mountain in Oman; wade in the cooling, turquoise waters of an idyllic desert oasis and uncover historic forts before witnessing the weekly live auction cattle market in Nizwa, an event not to be missed!

People, Places & Planet

We work hard to create trips that have a positive impact on the people and places we visit and look after the planet we explore. Learn more about our sustainable travel ethos and practice here and find out about the work of the Exodus Travels Foundation here.

Some sustainable travel highlights of this trip include:

People

How this trip helps improve life for local communities.

• Local guides keep you well informed about local traditions and cultural-social sensitivities.
• This trip brings income and opportunity to the destination community through the inclusion of locally owned hotels, restaurants, and other enterprises, and by championing locally produced food wherever possible.
• We visit the Sidab Women’s Association, which is focused on women’s empowerment. They make reusable bags, which guests can purchase in support of their initiatives.
• On a couple of occasions, local families cater lunch which provides a great opportunity to share cultures.
• Read more about our other initiatives here.

Places

How this trip helps protect and conserve local landscapes and nature.

• By travelling in a small group, we ‘tread lightly’ to minimise our impact on local resources and the environment.
• We work with our partners on the ground to proactively reduce waste; this includes eliminating all single-use plastic water bottles by providing refills for reusable bottles.
• The payment of entrance fees to natural reserves and archaeological sites generates income used to upkeep and develop these important sites.
• This trip visits the Ras Al Jinz centre for turtle watching. The entrance fees are used for conservation initiatives.
• We rewild 1,075sqft (100sqm) per passenger to compensate for all trip and flight emissions.
• Read about our commitment to nature protection and restoration here, including our rewilding commitment for every customer who travels with us.

Planet

How we seek to keep the carbon footprint of this trip low.

• Accommodation and restaurants in the itinerary use locally sourced food which has not been transported long distances.
• Read about our climate action here, including our carbon reduction and compensation commitments.

Tips for sustainable travel on this trip

• Leave no trace: We do all we can to ensure we leave no rubbish in the wild and beautiful places we visit; we ask that you do the same. If there are no recycling facilities in-country, consider bringing recyclable materials home with you.
• Plastic waste reduction: Please bring a reusable water bottle on this trip, also consider avoiding single-use hotel toiletries, which generate a large amount of plastic waste.

Visa

Oman

There are 103 countries (including the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand) that are exempt from visas for stays of less than 14 days: please visit the Foreign Ministry of Oman website for a full list of visa-exempt countries. To qualify for the scheme, you must have a prior and confirmed hotel booking, health insurance and a return ticket – you should have hard copies of these to hand upon arrival. The visa on arrival is a new system and, as such, you may still wish to apply for an e-visa in advance for speed and ease upon arrival.

If the duration of your stay is more than 14 days, or your nationality is not on the exempt list, then you will require a visa. You should apply for an e-visa before you travel. Applications can be made through the Royal Oman Police Portal. 

If you’re travelling as a tourist, you can apply for an unsponsored visa. E-visa applications are usually approved within one to three working days but we suggest applying one to two weeks before your trip, as occasionally there can be delays. A digital copy/scan of the photo page of your passport and a digital passport photograph are required for the e-visa application. Please see the Oman Police website for further criteria. Once approved, tourist visas are valid for 30 days from the date of issue so you cannot apply for your visa too far in advance.

As this information may change we advise you to check with the your local Omani embassy before travel.

Vaccination

Oman

There are no required vaccinations. However, you may want to consider vaccinations for tetanus, hepatitis A, hepatitis B and rabies. Please confirm with your doctor or travel clinic. You will also need a yellow fever vaccination certificate if you're arriving from a country with risk of yellow fever transmission (or Rwanda or Tanzania) or transiting for more than 12 hours through the same.

Eating and Drinking

All breakfasts, four lunches and five dinners are included.

Omani cuisine is influenced by Arab, Persian, Indian, Asian, Eastern Mediterranean and African cuisine. Rice is a staple and often includes a variety of flavours and ingredients, while fish and meat, such as chicken and lamb, feature prominently. Dishes are full of rich mixtures of spices, herbs and marinades. Dates are much loved and are an essential part of the Omani diet.

Curry, soups, fresh salads and vegetable dishes are all very common. Coffee is the national beverage but tea is also drunk. Yoghurt drinks and soft drinks are also popular. Alcohol is not readily available but can be purchased in some hotels and likely to be quite expensive.

During the tour, you have the opportunity to taste and experience a variety of dishes and eat in local restaurants. Included lunches will be picnic lunches and other meals will be eaten in cafes/eateries. The night spent at the desert camp includes a barbecue with traditional dishes.

Non-Muslims are permitted to bring in two litres of alcohol by air only. Alcohol may be purchased at Muscat airport after having cleared immigration. Care must be taken not to cause offence through the use of alcohol and should not be consumed in public places apart from licensed premises, such as hotels and restaurants. It is generally not a problem to bring your own alcohol into hotels but please always ask the hotel first out of courtesy.

Please advise at time of booking if you have any dietary requirements.

Weather

Temperatures and humidity are high throughout the year on the coast. May to September is the hottest season, so we avoid scheduling trips at this time. Temperatures rise even higher inland, but here humidity is lower so higher temperatures are more tolerable and nights are cooler. In spring and autumn, expect sunny weather throughout with warm to hot days (around 35C/95F) and pleasant night temperatures. There is little chance of any rain except from December to February. February will be cooler. In December, days are warm (20C-25C/68F-77F).

Is this trip for you?

This trip is rated Activity Level 1 (Leisurely). For more on our trip gradings, visit our Activity Level Guidelines page.

This is a busy itinerary that visits the main highlights of Oman with a focus on providing a real taste of all this country offers. We travel by private air-conditioned minibus and 4×4 throughout. Although this is a cultural trip, some days can be long and tiring and there is some walking involved so a reasonable level of fitness is required. The people of Oman offer a very warm welcome to tourists. Oman is hot during the day, so care should be taken to drink lots of water. On Day 6, when departing Nizwa to Wadi Bani Auf, the stretch of graded road is very adventurous as it involves steep bends and bumpy roads which may not be suitable for vertigo sufferers.

Ramadan is expected to run from approximately 10 March-10 April 2024 and 28 February-29 March 2025. One of the most important periods in the Islamic calendar, it is a special time to visit a Muslim country. Each evening, the streets empty as people head home to break the fast, followed by an air of festivity upon their return. Our leaders and drivers choose to work at this time so we continue to run trips; however, their energy levels may be slightly lower than normal. Many tourist sites, restaurants and shops will have an amended schedule, but your tour leader will know how to adapt the itinerary to still experience all the inclusions on this trip and maximise your experience during this special time.

Following a review of all our trips we have categorised this trip as generally not suitable for persons of reduced mobility. However if you are a regular traveller on such trips, please contact customer services to discuss the trip and your personal condition.