Let's hike!
Hiking and camping with kids in Oman can be super rewarding experience and the possibilities are practically endless. What makes this country a hiking-heaven also for families?
- You can find hiking and trekking routes for all ages and fitness level, from easy strolls to technical climbing.
- The landscape is super diverse from 3000m high rugged mountains to desert and oceans. So if you perceived Oman as endless patch of sand, ditch that thought! There are plenty of waterfalls and fresh-water pools waiting for you here!
- Wild camping is practically allowed everywhere (only few protected places are off -limit).
- There is little chance to meet dangerous wild animals - however there are scorpions and a few types of venomous snakes so you need watch out. Be careful in the desert (do not camp close to grassy area), always look where you put your hands and wear closed shoes!
- Oman is a super safe country with friendly and helpful locals.
- You can basically hike all year around: temperature in the mountains is 10-14 degrees Celsius lower than in Muscat so even during the summer it is bearable. And of course you have the great wadis with pools to cool yourself down when hiking during the warmer months.
- If you live in Muscat, the best hiking and trekking sites are in max 2-3 hours drive away, meaning you can easily make a super exciting weekend trip without spending too much time travelling. The country is super accessible with fantastic roads linking major cities.
Here are some tips and things you should be mindful about when planning your next hiking or camping trip with your kids:
- Do not forget the sunscreen, hats, sunglasses. And UV lip-balm, plenty of it.
- Clothes: we found that best to wear long trousers and long sleeved shirts despite the generally warm weather. There are always sharp rocks and thorny bushes and anyway in the countryside you should be modest, so best to cover up. We found that fast drying clothes, the kind suitable for swimming are the best for hiking as well. You never know when you have the chance to dip into one of the wadi-pools!
- Shoes: generally trekking shoes are sufficient. If you want to do regular wadi trekking, invest in quality shoes specially made for wet terrain before you come - think of water slippers with good hold and sturdy soles. Like the adidas terrex climacool or vibram 5fingers or our favorite, the drainmaker series from Columbia. You need shoes with good grip even when they are wet and something you can swim in. There are no good adventure or outdoor shops in Oman (few general sport shops in the malls; our go to place is sand&sport factory outlet) , so buy them before you come. Tennis shoes or sneakers are ok as long as you can swim in them.
- Pack snacks and plenty of water. If you are coffee lover, it is a good idea to invest in a mini gas burner and Italian style coffee maker even if you do not plan to camp. Typically there are no shops close to the sites or along hiking trails, so you need to carry your supplies especially when you are out and about with kids.
- Camping gear: Sultan Center has the best stock - they stock up before season meaning at end of summer but they offer stuff all year around. Second hand options are worth to consider - as expats come and go, there are good deals usually. You can find tons of FB pages to buy and sell but the one which is best moderated (and trust me that is important here) is Muscat downsizing. The same moderators run What’s happening Oman - this is a good source of general info. But back to our gear: we use a Coleman automatic tent and we love it. Word of advice: their 4 person tent is not really suitable for 4 IMO. If you have 2 kids go for the 6 persons tent ! Best to invest in proper air mattresses as sleeping on rocks can result in grumpy mornings. When you hike and camp with kids, do not forget to pack some entertainment (cards, books etc). During winter at higher elevation (Jabal Akhdar, Jabal Shams, Salmah Plateau, Jabal Samhan in Salalah) it does get cold - and I mean cold. 10 degrees Celsius or even colder. So bring warm clothes !
- Snorkeling and diving equipment: we bought few things from Muscat Dive where they also have water slippers. In sand&sport factory outlet they also have sometimes fins and masks.
- Mobile coverage: if you want proper coverage, go for Omantel. In the mountains or remote areas they are usually the only one with reception. It might be changing as Vodafone is expanding.
- In 2022 Decathlon opened their first store in Oman Mall - a great and much needed addition to the sport shop offering in Oman and not just for hiking. Unfortunately they only offer their own brand shoes , but stock a good selection of clothes and accessories, like dry bags etc.
Few of the favorite ones we have done so far - for the full list click here and here
1. Wadi Mangal Lake - hidden gem, best for swimming and wadi scrambling, bouldering. Hiking time: 2-3 hours. Salon car friendly. Nor recommended for younger kids .
2. Wadi Qurai - an other hidden gem, an easy wadi. Best for falaj-walking and swimming. Hiking time: 1-2 hours. Salon car and toddler friendly.
3. Muttrah Geotrek - classic Muscat hike, a must for everyone! Hiking time: 1.5 hours, can be extended by visiting the abandoned village (signposted). Salon car and toddler friendly.
4. Sidab coastal trek - Fantastic coastal hike with good snorkeling opportunities. Salon car friendly. Not necessarily for toddlers.
5. Bandar Kharyan - arguably the most beautiful beach in Oman. If you prefer sand we would however recommend Yiti beach. This is more for kayaking, snorkeling and hiking. Salon car and toddler friendly.
6. Bimmah Sinkhole - an easy and leisurely trip, best to combine with picnic. Explore the beach in that area if you have time! We yet to see the actual sinkhole as it had been closed due to COVID. Salon car and toddler friendly.
7. Best for forts - whole day round trip to discover the best forts around Muscat. Mainly driving. Part of it can be done with salon car. Toddler friendly.
1. Al Aqabiah pool - an easy 20 min walk to a water pool. Also close by Al Hamam hot spring an area with intricate falaj system and some lovely looking old village. The Aqabiah pool can get crowded. Salon car and toddler friendly.
2.Fanja Table top - a more challenging hike, not marked but views supposed to be stunning. Needs min 4 hours hiking time. Salon car friendly.
3. Falaj Al-Mayasser - UNESCO world heritage site. Salon car and toddler friendly.
4. There are many great hikes in and around Muscat collected by the Badass Lady Hikers in Oman group.
BEST for SALON CARS
If you do not have a 4WD, it does not mean you cannot enjoy the great outdoors in Oman - there are plenty of options to explore with a standard car as well. Check out our recommendations here!
BEST for SNORKELING
Diving and snorkeling is great in Oman and kids usually love it - however the best sites are offshore or far away from Muscat. It does not mean you cannot put on the mask and fins and have some fun anywhere! We had great experience in Ras al Had beach resort, Masirah and in Sidab (within Muscat). But the best is Daymaniat Island and we always go with Daymaniat Shells. Salalah also great for snorkeling - around Mirbat there are great sites.
BEST for CAMPING and HIKING
Oman is heaven for camping - basically you can camp anywhere and you can have the best family trips you will talk about for years to come. But there are no official camp sites which means no facilities. You need to bring your water, your toilet and everything else. There are plenty of good websites helping you with packing and preparing - we use this checklist.
These are our favorite places so far:
1. Wadi as Sahtan - this is a fantastic place with endless opportunities, one of our favorite wadis (no water pools though)! You can do hardcore off-road driving or hiking. You can be close to a village or be in the middle of nowhere. We love this place!
2. Wadi Bani Awf - this is a beauty, no doubt. Snake canyon for extreme canyoning, Little Snake canyon for less extreme. Everyone should visit Bald Sayt - the short hike through the gorge (we did this back in 2016) and how the village just pops up at the end is mesmerizing.
3. Jabal Shams and Jabal Akhdar - they are both beautiful and you should visit both, however thanks to Alila, Jabal Akhdar has more marked shorter trails which makes it in our opinion more of a kids-friendly hiking site.
4. Wadi Mistal - an other big wadi with plenty of hiking opportunities.
5. Wahiba Sand - everyone should camp at least once in the desert. You can do it in your tent or choose from the many desert camps. We used Bediyah Safari to help to organize a stay with a Bedouin family camp and to guide us through the desert - we had a great trip! They also have a very small, eco-conscious desert camp what we want to try out.
6. Salmah Plateu - a remote area in only 2 hours drive from Muscat with fantastic view, great hiking and thousands of years old beehive tombs.
7. Wadi Bani Kharus - a great and easily accessible wadi (saloon car friendly) with endless hiking options and great village walking.
8. Misfat Al Abriyyin - a magical mountain village with great wadi hike. Absolute must to visit!
9. Salalah in winter is fantastic for camping - the weather is mild, the beaches are great, the water is pleasant. If you are interested in hiking, there are some good options as well!
BEST for OFF-ROAD DRIVING
1. Wadi as Sahtan - it has 2 extreme roads: the ones to Yaseb and Wujmah villages. Yaseb road is listed among the most dangerous roads in the world. It is steep and narrow but also breathtaking. Wujmah is a little easier but still requires experience.
2. Wadi Bani Awf - the road has crazy sections and gets narrow at times.
3. Wahiba-Sands - do not go alone. It is way too easy to get stuck!
Excellent information. Thanks a lot.
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