L'Heure du Voyage
🇴🇲 Itinerary · Oman · 14 days

2-week Oman itinerary 2026: the grand northern tour

14-day loop: Muscat, Nizwa, Jebel Akhdar, Jebel Shams, the Wahiba Sands, the wadis and the Sur coast. Day-by-day itinerary, budget and transport.

🔄 Updated June 1, 2026

📅 See the program 🔄 See variants

In brief

Duration

14 days

Stops

8 places

Average budget

€2,300-3,800

Total distance

~1,600 km

Profile

Versatile

Season

Oct-Apr

Muscat 3d · Nizwa 2d · Jebel Akhdar 2d · Jebel Shams 1d · Wahiba 2d · Sur 2d · Wadi Shab 1d · return 1d

Itinerary map

The route at a glance

2-week Oman itinerary map: Muscat, Nizwa, Jebel Akhdar, Jebel Shams, Wahiba Sands, Sur, Wadi Shab

© OpenStreetMap contributors

Detailed program

8 days, day by day

1

~€75/day

Muscat · D1 to D3 · The white capital

  • D1 Arrival, car pickup, Mutrah souk and corniche at sunset.
  • D2 Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, old Muscat, Al Jalali and Al Mirani forts.
  • D3 National Museum, Qurum beach, royal opera house or a Bandar Khayran snorkeling trip.
🛌 🛌 Mutrah · e.g. Mutrah Hotel (3 nights)·🚗 Rental car essential·Muscat guide →
2

~€70/day

Muscat → Nizwa · D4 to D5 · Forts and oases

  • D4 Drive to Nizwa (1h30). 17th-century fort, date and copper souk.
  • D5 Bahla (UNESCO) and Jabreen forts, oasis villages of Birkat Al Mouz.
🛌 🛌 Nizwa (2 nights)·🚗 Car
3

~€85/day

Jebel Akhdar · D6 to D7 · The green mountain

  • D6 Climb to Jebel Akhdar (4×4 required). Perched villages and rose terraces.
  • D7 Balcony hike between the highland villages, a night at 2,000 m, 10°C cooler than the lowlands.
🛌 🛌 Jebel Akhdar · e.g. Sahab Hotel (2 nights)·🚙 4×4 required
4

~€75

Jebel Shams · D8 · Arabia's Grand Canyon

  • Morning Drive to Jebel Shams, the country's highest peak (3,009 m).
  • Day The Balcony Walk (W6) along the Ghul canyon to an abandoned village.
  • Evening Sunset over the canyon from the rim.
🛌 🛌 Jebel Shams (1 night)·🚙 4×4 recommended
5

~€90/day

Jebel Shams → Wahiba Sands · D9 to D10 · The desert

  • D9 Long drive to the Wahiba Sands (4 h). Enter the desert at sunset.
  • D10 Sunrise over the dunes, dune bashing, a Bedouin visit, sandboarding.
🛌 🛌 Wahiba Sands · e.g. 1000 Nights Camp (2 nights)·🚙 4×4 recommended
6

~€70/day

Wahiba → Sur · D11 to D12 · Wadis and turtles

  • D11 Wadi Bani Khalid, swim in the pools, drive to Sur.
  • D12 Sur dhow shipyard, Bimmah sinkhole, a night at Ras Al Jinz for the green turtles.
🛌 🛌 Sur / Ras Al Jinz (2 nights)·🚗 Car
7

~€60

Sur → Wadi Shab · D13 · The finest wadi

  • Morning Wadi Shab: a 45-min walk then a swim to the cave and its inner waterfall.
  • Afternoon Drive back to Muscat along the coast (2h).
  • Evening Last dinner on the Mutrah corniche.
🛌 🛌 Muscat (1 night)·🚗 Car
8

Flight

Muscat → Return · D14

  • Morning Last shopping at the souk, frankincense and worked silver.
  • Afternoon Return the car, Muscat airport (MCT).
  • Evening Return flight to Paris via a Gulf hub.
✈️ Return flight

How much

Itinerary budget (per person, flight included)

Backpacker

€2,300

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €550
  • 🏨 2★ and camps: €45/night
  • 🍜 Canteens: €20/day
  • 🚙 4×4 14 d: €900
  • 🎫 Activities: €350
Recommended

Comfort

€3,100

per person

  • ✈️ Return flight: €650
  • 🏨 3-4★ and camps: €90/night
  • 🍽️ Mixed restos: €32/day
  • 🚙 4×4 14 d: €1,100
  • 🎫 Desert + mountain + wadis: €450

Premium

€5,400

per person

  • ✈️ Upper-cabin flight: €1,500
  • 🏨 5★ and luxury camps: €230/night
  • 🍽️ Fine dining: €70/day
  • 🚖 Private driver-guide
  • 🎫 Private experiences: €700

Shorter, longer

Other possible durations

1 week

1 week

Muscat, Nizwa, the desert and the wadis. The essential loop.

You're here

2 weeks

2 weeks

The grand northern tour, from Jebel Akhdar to Jebel Shams.

1 month

1 month

The whole Sultanate, from Musandam to Salalah's Dhofar.

How to get around

Itinerary logistics

Two weeks run self-drive as a loop from Muscat. A 4×4 is recommended throughout: it is required at Jebel Akhdar and advised at Jebel Shams and in the Wahiba Sands.

🚙

Rental 4×4

€70-90/day · required at Jebel Akhdar · ideal everywhere else

⛽

Fuel

~€0.65/litre · very cheap · stations on every route

🥾

Balcony Walk (Jebel Shams)

3-4 h return · balcony trail · view over the Ghul canyon

🐢

Ras Al Jinz reserve

guided night outing · green turtles · book ahead

Adapt by season

The North from October to April, never in high summer

This grand northern tour works from October to April: 25 to 30°C in the lowlands, cooler in the mountains (10 to 18°C at Jebel Akhdar). From May to September the lowlands top 40°C and the desert becomes harsh. Only the mountains stay bearable in summer, but it would be a shame to reduce the route to them. For a summer trip, aim for the South (Dhofar, Salalah) during the khareef.

Author tips

What I would redo (and change)

✅ Would redo

  • • In December 2024 I slept up at Jebel Akhdar at 2,000 m: the night was 6°C, the sky packed with stars and the sunrise over the rose terraces unforgettable, light-years from the lowland heat.
  • • Doing the Jebel Shams Balcony Walk early: shade on the trail and no one at the abandoned village.
  • • Booking the Ras Al Jinz turtle outing: watching a female dig her nest at midnight is a rare memory.

⚠️ Would change

  • • Cut a day in Muscat to add a night in the Wahiba Sands if the desert wins you over.
  • • Skip Jebel Shams if you dislike hiking and spend more time on the coast.
  • • Flip the end in hot season: do the wadis and coast in the morning, the mountain in the afternoon.

FAQ

Itinerary FAQ

Is two weeks too much for northern Oman? +
No, it's the ideal format: capital, forts, two mountains, desert, wadis and coast without rushing. One week forces a choice between desert and mountains; two weeks allow both.
Is a 4×4 really necessary? +
Yes on this route. Jebel Akhdar is only reachable by 4×4 (police checkpoint at the entrance), and Jebel Shams and the Wahiba Sands are far easier with one. Count €70-90/day.
Can you see the turtles in any season? +
Green turtles nest year-round at Ras Al Jinz, peaking June to September. Even in winter the guided night outing lets you watch some. Book ahead, slots are limited.
What budget for 14 days? +
Count around €2,300 backpacking, €3,100 in comfort and €5,400 premium, flight from Paris and 4×4 included, per person. The 4×4 hire weighs the most.
Do you need a visa for two weeks? +
Yes, beyond 14 days or for a 14-day stay without the exemption conditions, the e-visa (~€20) is issued online in 1 to 3 days. Passport valid 6 months after return.
What's the best period? +
October to April: lowlands at 25-30°C, cool mountains, pleasant wadis. Avoid summer in the lowlands (above 40°C). Dhofar (Salalah), by contrast, shines in summer during the khareef.

Marie Laurent ✓

·

Southeast Asia specialist · itinerary personally tested.

Last updated: June 1, 2026.

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