The best way to see all of the beautiful places that this country has to offer is by hiring a car, buying a tent and using our guide to these 6 camping spots in Oman.

Wild camping in Oman is legal throughout the country (apart from private or military land)therefore you can set up your tent anywhere!

To hire a 4×4 for 1 week will set you back around £400 for a week, versus a 2wd which cost us £130 for the week. We used www.rentalcars.com

Seeing the country in a 2×2 is easily doable especially if you’re on a tight budget like us.

You can buy camping equipment fairly cheap at supermarkets in Muscat and there are plenty of  supermarkets along the way to top up on supplies. 

There are not many if any official camping sites so here is a list of 6 camping spots in Oman that we used to pitch our tent.

1. NEAR WADI DAYQAK DAM

Night one

was near the Wadi Dam. From Muscat take the motorway route 17 and follow the signs to turn off for the Wadi Dayqak Dam.

Look out for a small turning on the left hand side (there is also a small road on the right hand side, almost a junction) you will see a dried up river bed with some rocks and a pole/gate to one side. Drive along the rocks very carefully and look out for any large rocks that could damage the car.

We turned up at night and managed fine but would recommend coming in daylight to see where you’re going. The area spreads out, so find some flat ground to set up camp. There was no one around at this campsite a part from a goat that we heard on the mountain.

The views of the mountains as the sun was rising in the morning was spectacular.

GPS: 23.13243, 58.90206

An alternative spot closer to Muscat is Bandar Al Khairan viewpoint. This is also a really nice spot with incredible views and would make a great camping spot but we wanted to push on closer to the dam.

GPS: 23.513656, 58.742545

2. FINS BEACH

Night two 

we stayed at White Sands Beach which is located near Finns beach.

Head towards Finns beach from the motorway, the road splits and there is also a gravel road on the right hand side. Drive along here until you see the beach down below. There is a campsite here that you can pay to stay at although they don’t have any actual facilities.

We parked our car at the top and walked down the slope with our camping stuff and set our tent up looking out towards the sea. If you come on the weekend (Thursday or Friday) it will likely be busy with locals but still a lovely spot to camp; white sand, clear water and bioluminescent in the sea at night.

GPS: 22.89329, 59.22217

3. AL SHIYA  BEACH

Night three 

and this beach is located between Sur and Ras Al Haad.

Drive along the road towards Ras Al Haad and there is a road on the left which takes you towards the sea. Follow the road to the gravel area and you can also park the car at the top.

The views of the beach below are amazing, there are some steps that lead down to the beach so take your camping stuff down and find a spot to set up your tent. Just make sure to place your tent far enough back on the sand away from the sea, the waves here are pretty big.

*please note that this is near a Wadi so if you come in the wet season you may not be able to camp here in case of flash floods.

GPS: 22.5569, 59.65177

4. AL WASIN – DESERT SAND DUNES

Night four

We stayed in the desert for free.

First of all head towards the town called Al Wasin and if you check on google maps you will see a road that goes off for a few miles to a dead end (this is where one of the desert tour camps is located).

Look out for a parking area with a tree on the left hand side, and park the car here. Take your camping stuff and head towards the sand to find somewhere you want to sleep for the night.

We had the area to ourselves and we went and explored the sand dunes in the morning.

* TOP TIP:  Tie the tent guide ropes to rocks and bury them if its windy. Pegs won’t work on sand.

GPS: 22.47436, 58.71224

5.  WILD CAMP OFF OF QUIET ROAD

Night five

was probably our worst camp spot out of all them because we just wanted to find somewhere to set up camp before it got dark.

Located just off the motorway as you are heading back to Muscat. Exit the junction and drive for about a mile. You will see a little gravel area on the right hand side that you can pull into.

There was a bit of rubbish around and old fire pits here but we did actually have the area to ourselves.

We would recommend to try and find somewhere a little nicer but if you are short on time then it’s a good little spot that doesn’t take too much of a detour to continue on the motorway back to Muscat in the morning.

GPS: 23.19362, 57.89237

6. HAIL NORTH BEACH

Night six

If you can make it to Seeb beach for sunset then this is the perfect location to watch the sunset.

The promenade is very busy but it was lovely to watch the locals playing football on the beach, going for a run, or walking along the promenade.

There is also a few food vans that sell food along here too, which smelt really good. Especially if you fancy a break from the camp food cooking for the evening.

As there were street lights all along the road we decided to pull up onto the beach. There were quite a few other cars here but as it got later it quietened down. You should be able to find a nice area to set up the tent.

GPS:  23.63747, 58.25099

So there you have it the 6 camping spots in Oman. If you find any other cool spots please share them in the comments. 

VISA

You will need a visa for Oman and you can find our guide to getting your E-Visa here.

Top Tip: We tried to do our trip on a low budget and didn’t buy sleeping mats or pillows. Ultimately this was a mistake so  BUY A SLEEPING MATT the floor can be very unforgiving.

CAMPING HACKS

If you do not have a pillow you can use your sleeping bag cover and stuff it with clothes. Works surprisingly well. Guess who was very proud of his idea ? Yes James did NOT shut up about it.

Obviously you have no fridge so what to so if your chocolate melts ? Stick it in the A/C vent inside of the car while you are driving with the A/C on. Simply but effective,

If, like us you are cheap and did not buy a sleeping matt then use the car matts as extra padding because it will add comfort underneath you while you are sleeping.

WHAT DID WE BUY FOR CAMPING?

It really depends on your budget and how many comforts you need. Equipment can also be rented in Muscat. We wanted to do it on a budget so brought as little as possible from the supermarket.

Here is a list of what we brought:

• Tent
• Sleeping bags
• stove and gas
• pots / pan
• 2 x bowls 2 x cups, 2 x knife, fork and spoon
• washing up sponge
• food (you can find supermarkets on the way throughout the trip)
• cheap blanket for padding
• usb car charger

Other useful items we did not buy:

• pillow and sleeping matt
• camping chairs
• headlamp or torch
• tea towel
• cooler

Hotels

We found accommodation very expensive in Oman but there are several hotel options on route if you are not the type for camping. In Muscat we used www.couchsurfing.com to find a host to stay with and show us the local area.

Getting here

You have the option to fly or take a bus from Dubai which may be the cheapest option. This blog covers all you need to know.