Wild Wonders of Oman: A School Holiday Guided Self-Drive Adventure
Create cherished family memories when you embark on “Wild Wonders: A school holiday guided Omani self-drive adventure”, designed for nature-loving families.
Led by Xpedition Arabia’s owner, Marina, and with the help of our trusted Omani guide, this small group tour unveils Oman’s diverse landscapes, hidden gems, and fascinating geology.
Explore the magnificent Huqf Escarpment with its stunning rockscapes and rich fossil record, including remarkable rudist reefs which are over 65 million years old. Experience the serenity of Masairah Island, exploring wadis, relaxing on pristine beaches and snorkelling in crystal-clear waters. Journey through enchanting deserts, encountering roaming camels and vultures soaring high above.
Fully catered, all you need is your personal effects and your sense of adventure.
This off-the-beaten-track adventure immerses you in Oman’s untouched landscapes, offering insights into its culture and heritage. Join us for an authentic, immersive experience, discovering Oman’s remarkable beauty and forging connections with nature on this extraordinary journey.
(Note: this itinerary is based on our classic Rocks, Sea and Sand, with a few tweaks to make it even more family friendly, with 15% less driving and more time to spend on the gorgeous island of Masairah.)
- Approx 1500kms including 450kms offroad
- 3 nights Hotel on our 7 night Adventure
- 1 night “glamping” at a traditional camel farm
- 3 nights wild camping
- No previous offroad driving experience is required
- Family friendly with lots of stops
- Maximum 6 guest cars
- Wild Wonders of Oman is based on our most popular Rocks, Sea and Sand itinerary, but with 300kms less driving!
- Reserve your place today with a deposit of only 10%!
Package A : 7 Nights
Includes
- Car Rental Nissan Patrol Y62 4.0L Auto
- Petrol
- Hotels
- Camping Equipment Hire
- Breakfast/lunch/dinner
- Soft drinks
- Camping Equipment Hire
Package B : 7 Nights
As for package A, but excluding
- Rental Car
- Petrol
Aimed at GCC Residents
- Using their own 4×4 OR
- Independently rented 4×4
Package C : 6 Nights
As for package B, using your own 4×4 but excluding
- Historical tour of Adam
- Last Night at Muscat
- Farewell dinner at Rosna
Join us in the evening of day 1 at Adam and leave us when we come off the Wahiba Sands at Bidayer on Day 7 (approx. 1300hrs)
Tour Dates
Wild Wonders of Oman is a new itinerary, based on our top selling Rocks, Sea and Sand itinerary. We have scheduled it when many schools, local and overseas, are on autumn/spring break; you can also request this itinerary as a private tour, subject to availability, between October and April each year, with a minimum charge for 3 cars/6 adults.
Sunday 15th-Sunday 22nd October 2023
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT of 10% applies if reserved before 17th July 2023, or 5% between 18th July and 17th August 2023
Sunday 31st March 2024-Sunday 7th April 2023
EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT OF 10% applies if reserved before 31st December 2023 , or 5% between 1st January and 29th February 2024
Other dates upon request
Please note: this is a great trip for families, however, children should be a minimum of 5 years old at the time of the trip.
Other dates may be added; if you fill in our enquiry form we will email you updates
Join us before 12 noon at Muscat Airport where we’ll set you up with your Nissan Patrol Y62 (if you don’t have your own 4×4) and go through the essential controls. Next, once we’re all gathered, we’ll head for a coffee and a pre-trip briefing going over everything you need to know. Our convoy sets off for the old city of Adam where we’ll drive around the oasis showing you what a little water can do to bring life to the desert. Our overnight rest is at a camel farm, where we will camp but with all modern conveniences, where we’ll introduce you to some traditional Omani dishes.
After a 100km road drive it’s time to leave the blacktop far behind. We’re heading for the Al Huqf Escarpment and our route takes us through some spectacular rockscapes where millennia of weathering has carved the rocks into fantastic shapes. We’ll find a picturesque place to stop for a picnic lunch before heading further down the wadi. Having covered 80kms offroad, we’ll set up camp as the sun sets, cook our barbeque and wait for the night sky to fill with thousands of stars as we enjoy some tea and coffee in the inky blackness.
We’ll start today with a little breakfast before setting off for a 100km offroad drive not only covering gravel plains and tracks but tackling some easy rock crawling along the way. We’ll leave the canvas in the cars and stay overnight at a local hotel in the town of Mahut, where we will have dinner at an Arabic restaurant before turning in for the night.
Today we’re heading for Barr Al Hickman after breakfast in Mahut. Our first port of call is the tiny fishing village of Filim, from there we will continue along the coast to try to spot flamingo! Late morning, we will make our way towards Shannah Port to catch our ferry to the amazing Masairah Island, where we will camp for the night.
Note: if tides/weather not favourable, we will have to skip the visit to Filim and instead explore a nearby wadi
A leisurely start to the day with a walk along the beach or an early morning swim. Breakfast and lunch on the beach before we’re on the road heading for our ferry. Disembarking, we’ll head for our hotel and settle in before heading out to catch the sunset over the tied-up dhows and the opportunity to sample some of the local seafood.
We’ll start the day with breakfast at a local café while we watch the islanders go about their daily business. Then we’re off again to drive round the island finding a shoreside spot for a picnic lunch. We’ll return to the ferry port but this time, catch the National Ferries catamaran for our return to the mainland. Our evening destination is the Wahiba Sands where we’ll have a short offroad drive to reach our camp spot and enjoy our evening meal in the quiet of the desert.
Time to pack away the tents for the last time as we cross the Wahiba Sands heading for Muscat. At Bidayah we’ll say farewell to our guests who’ve opted for the 6 night package, while the rest of us will head for the Mysk Al Mouj Hotel in Muscat. We’ll officially end our trip with a visit to the lovely Rozna Restaurant; Omani food served in a beautiful building reminiscent of an old fort. Time to exchange email addresses and share pictures taken along the way.
No more scheduled times to meet; enjoy breakfast at your leisure and relax at the poolside. We’ll arrange a late checkout if you want and wish you a safe trip home.
Wild Wonders of Oman What's Included
| Details | Package A | Package B | Package C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hire of Nissan Patrol Y62 | yes | no | no |
| Extra Driver | $60 each | n/a | n/a |
| Petrol | yes | no | no |
| Airport Meet & Greet | yes | no | no |
| Hire Car delivered/picked up to hotel | $15 each way | n/a | n/a |
| Ferry fares | yes | yes | yes |
| Camping Equipment Rental | yes | optional | optional |
| Crowne Plaza OCEC | one night | one night | one night |
| Local Hotel, Mahut | one night | one night | one night |
| Hotel Apartment, Masairah | one night | one night | one night |
| Glamping at Omani Farm | one night | one night | one night |
| Wadi Camping | one night | one night | one night |
| Beach Camping | one night | one night | one night |
| Desert camping | one night | one night | one night |
| Breakfasts, lunch, dinner | yes | yes | yes |
| water, tea and coffee | yes | yes | yes |
| accompanied by Scottish Guide | yes | yes | yes |
| Accompanied by Omani Guide | yes | yes | yes |
| Oman Visa (now free for most nationalities for up to 13 nights/14 days | no | no | no |
| Flights | no | no | no |
Wild Wonders of Oman Accommodation and Catering
Season 2023-24: Wild Wonders of Oman USD (payment also possible in GBP, EUR, AED)
| Details | Package A | Package B | Package C | comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nights including Car Hire and Petrol | 7 nights using own 4x4 (or externally hired car) | 6 nights using own 4x4 (or externally hired car) | EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT! Reserve your place 90 days or more before departure for 10% discount, or between 89 and 60 days before departure for 5% | |
| Two Adults | 4904 USD (equivalent to 2452 USD per person)* | 3518 USD (equivalent to 1759 USD per person)* | 3262 USD (equivalent to 1631 USD per person)* | in 1 car, sharing hotel rooms/tent |
| Two Adults plus one child aged 5-11 | 5350 USD | 3964 USD | 3714 USD | In 1 car; sharing existing bedding in hotels. one extra bed per room available for a small charge |
| Two adults plus two children aged 5-11 | 5796 USD | 4410 USD | 4160 USD | in 1 car; sharing existing bedding in hotels. one extra bed per room available for a small charge |
| 3 adults | 5882 USD | 4496 USD | 4121 USD | in 1 car; 2 hotel rooms |
| 4 adults | 6460 USD | 5074 USD | 4699 USD | in 1 car; 2 hotel rooms |
| 1 Adult | 4025 USD | 2639 USD | 2439 USD | own room in hotels |
Season 2023-24: Wild Wonders of Oman AED (payment also possible in GBP, EUR, USD)
| Details | Package A | Package B | Package C | comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nights including Car Hire and Petrol | 7 nights using own 4x4 (or externally hired car) | 6 nights using own 4x4 (or externally hired car) | EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT! Reserve your place 90 days or more before departure for 10% discount, or between 89 and 60 days before departure for 5% | |
| Two Adults | 17998 AED (equivalent to 8999 AED per person)* | 12911 AED (equivalent to 6455 AED per person)* | 11972 AED (equivalent to 5986 AED per person)* | in 1 car, sharing hotel rooms/tent |
| Two Adults plus one child aged 5-11 | 19635 AED | 14548 AED | 13630 AED | In 1 car; sharing existing bedding in hotels. one extra bed per room available for a small charge |
| Two adults plus two children aged 5-11 | 21271 AED | 16185 AED | 15267 AED | in 1 car; sharing existing bedding in hotels. one extra bed per room available for a small charge |
| 3 adults | 21587 AED | 16500 AED | 15124 AED | in 1 car; 2 hotel rooms |
| 4 adults | 23708 AED | 18622 AED | 17245 AED | in 1 car; 2 hotel rooms |
| 1 Adult | 14722 AED | 9685 AED | 8951 AED | own room in hotels |
Season 2023-24: Wild Wonders of Oman GBP (payment also possible in AED, EUR, USD) *estimated cost based on exchange rate of USD:GBP 1.24:1
| Details | Package A | Package B | Package C | comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nights including Car Hire and Petrol | 7 nights using own 4x4 (or externally hired car) | 6 nights using own 4x4 (or externally hired car) | EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT! Reserve your place 90 days or more before departure for 10% discount, or between 89 and 60 days before departure for 5% | |
| Two Adults | 3995 GBP (equivalent to 1998 GBP per person)* | 2837 GBP (equivalent to 1418 GBP per person)* | 2631 GBP (equivalent to 1315 GBP per person)* | in 1 car, sharing hotel rooms/tent |
| Two Adults plus one child aged 5-11 | 4315 GBP | 3197 GBP | 2995 GBP | In 1 car; sharing existing bedding in hotels. one extra bed per room available for a small charge |
| Two adults plus two children aged 5-11 | 4674 GBP | 3556 GBP | 3355 GBP | in 1 car; sharing existing bedding in hotels. one extra bed per room available for a small charge |
| 3 adults | 4774 GBP | 3626 GBP | 3323 GBP | in 1 car; 2 hotel rooms |
| 4 adults | 5210 GBP | 4092 GBP | 3790 GBP | in 1 car; 2 hotel rooms |
| 1 Adult | 3246 GBP | 2128 GBP | 1967 GBP | own room in hotels |
Season 2023-24: Wild Wonders of Oman EUR (payment also possible in AED, GBP, USD) *estimated cost based on exchange rate of USD:EUR 1:0.93
| Details | Package A | Package B | Package C | comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Nights including Car Hire and Petrol | 7 nights using own 4x4 (or externally hired car) | 6 nights using own 4x4 (or externally hired car) | EARLY BOOKING DISCOUNT! Reserve your place 90 days or more before departure for 10% discount, or between 89 and 60 days before departure for 5% | |
| Two Adults | 4583 EUR (equivalent to 2292 EUR per person)* | 3288 EUR (equivalent to 1644 EUR per person)* | 3049 EUR (equivalent to 1549 EUR per person | in 1 car, sharing hotel rooms/tent |
| Two Adults plus one child aged 5-11 | 5000 EUR | 3705 EUR | 3471 EUR | In 1 car; sharing existing bedding in hotels. one extra bed per room available for a small charge |
| Two adults plus two children aged 5-11 | 5474 EUR | 4121 EUR | 3888 EUR | in 1 car; sharing existing bedding in hotels. one extra bed per room available for a small charge |
| 3 adults | 5497 EUR | 4202 EUR | 3851 EUR | in 1 car; 2 hotel rooms |
| 4 adults | 6037 EUR | 4742 EUR | 4392 EUR | in 1 car; 2 hotel rooms |
| 1 Adult | 3762 EUR | 2466 EUR | 2279 EUR | own room in hotels |
Empty Quarter Enterprises Ltd T/A Xpedition Arabia, 39/8 Hyvot View, Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom, EH17 8PQ
Call/whatsapp us +971509478563 UK number +447565570827
copyright Empty Quarter Enterprises Ltd, T/A Xpedition Arabia 2020
