Overland region

The Wahiba Sands by 4x4: local guides and trips

The Wahiba Sands, also called the Sharqiya Sands, are a desert in eastern Oman about 180 km long and 80 km wide, with dunes up to 100 m high in the north, bounded to the north and west by the Wadi Batha and the Wadi Andam. For anyone travelling with their own vehicle it means driving on sand, with villages like Al Mintirib and Al Wasil at the northern end, the market town of Sinaw to the west, the pools of Wadi Bani Khalid to the north-east and the coastal city of Sur to the east. Here are the local guides who work in the area and the trips that cross it.

1 local guide and 1 trip in the Wahiba Sands on GuideMeet.

On the map

1. Sinaw — Town. City west of the sands, known for its cattle market and its souk, one of the most important markets of eastern Oman. 22.5156, 58.0332 · Google Maps
2. Al Qabil — Town. Capital of the Al-Qabil province, at the north-west corner of the sands and north of the Bidiyah wilayat; the province recorded 24,824 inhabitants in the 2020 census. 22.5667, 58.6833 · Google Maps
3. Al Wasil — Village. One of the fifteen villages of the Bidiyah wilayat, close to Al Mintirib at the northern end of the sands. 22.5044, 58.7491 · Google Maps
4. Al Mintirib — Village. Village of the Bidiyah wilayat, which lies about 233 km from Muscat, at the northern end of the sands. Pictured: Al-Mintirib Fort. 22.4339, 58.8006 · Google Maps
5. Wahiba Sands — Dunes. Desert of 12,500 km², 180 km long and 80 km wide, with dunes up to 100 m high in the north. Bedouin tribes live here, among them the Al Wahiba, who give the region its name. 22.0000, 58.8333 · Google Maps
6. Wadi Bani Khalid — Valley. Wadi north-east of the sands, visited for its large pools among the boulders. It also has caves, such as Muqal Cave, springs and aflaj, the underground canals. 22.6020, 59.0830 · Google Maps

Local guides in the Wahiba Sands

• MAURIZIO TURCO — Roma, Italia · 4x4 car, 4x4 truck, 4x4 van, offroad motorcycle, adventure motorcycle, bicycle / e-bike

Overland trips in the Wahiba Sands

• 🌴 Oman Fly Drive 4x4 - Wahiba Sands 🚙 — 10 days · Oman

When to go

The mildest months are around December and January, with temperatures between 18 and 26 °C; summer runs from March to September and the Omani interior has recorded up to 49.8 °C. After rain, wadis can fill with water.

Before you go

• All guides and trips in Oman
• Do you need a local guide in Oman?
• Is Oman safe to travel?
• Driving and local rules in Oman

Photo credits

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, under the licences shown.

• Wahiba Sands: Andries Oudshoorn, CC BY-SA 2.0
• 1. Sinaw: Andries Oudshoorn, CC BY-SA 2.0
• 4. Al Mintirib: Albinfo, CC BY 4.0
• 5. Wahiba Sands: albinfo, CC BY-SA 4.0
• 6. Wadi Bani Khalid: Diego Delso, CC BY-SA 4.0