Welcome, dear reader, to the magical world of Oman’s Desert!
Sleeping in the desert in Oman has been one of my life’s best experiences. When the local guide left me when I had set up the tent, I felt so far from civilization.
There is no internet, people, or even animals, just you, the sand, and the sky.
This guide explains everything you need to know about sleeping in Oman’s desert, the Wahiba Sands.
Oman Desert: Wahiba Sands
If you are thinking of spending the night in the desert, alone or perhaps with kids, rent a rooftop tent.
During the night, many desert creatures come out! You don’t want them to knock on your door at night while you’re sleeping.
So, if you’re sleeping in the desert on the roof of your car, you’ll be safe. During the day, there won’t be any insects, scorpions, or other animals. Maybe a few camels, but they are just chilling.
The following day, I saw many tracks of animals around my tiny camp. There were a lot of visitors, and I even went out at night to the toilet, yikes!
Wahiba Sands Desert Temperature of sand and air
The temperature cools quite a bit at night, and the air and sand get pretty cold. It surprised me when I had to get out of the rooftop tent to go to the toilet (read bucket) at night.
You might think it will be warm in the desert, but bringing a sweater is a smart idea.
I was sitting beside the campfire, but I still had to wear a sweater to keep myself warm in mid-February.
The next morning, the sun was quite hot again and so was the wahiba sands desert temperature, so, of course, back to bare feet or flip-flops again!
Tours & Things To Do
Discover epic activities in Oman through Viator.
Scorpions in Wahiba Sands
There are certain areas in the desert with some more vegetation, don’t go there because that’s where scorpions might be. The guide told me to stay away from the plants.
I asked him how many times he saw a scorpion; he said only like 1 per 5 years. So not much, but more than enough for me to avoid the vegetation!
Night Sky in the Desert
Have you ever been completely captivated by the beauty of the night sky? The stars, planets, and galaxies that light up the night create an indescribable sense of awe and wonder.
Imagine experiencing this magic in an environment with almost no surrounding light. That is exactly what you can expect when visiting Oman’s Wahiba Sands.
It was so quiet that there was only a slight breeze and the sound of the campfire.
Why go by yourself when there are plenty of camps in the desert?
When I was researching camping in Oman, I noticed the many camps in the desert where you can just rent a tent or cabin, on booking.com for example. It looked terrific and I initially wanted to book one of those. But when I started to investigate it some more, I noticed many of those camps were close together.
I was thinking, when you’re going to spend the night in the desert, you would want that extraordinary remote feeling like you’re the last person on earth.
But when you’re surrounded by other tourists, you’ll never get that feeling. Besides that, when you book a tent in one of those camps, you will have to pay extra to go into the desert by car, pay for a photo, pay to see a camel etc.
That doesn’t help with getting that remote experience and immersive feeling of the desert.
Going by yourself with a 4×4 to the desert to spend the night there does take some extra effort to prepare, but it sure is worth it.
How to get to the Oman desert?
This might sound mind-blowing, but there’s a lot of sand in the desert! So, you cannot go there in a regular car. Of course, you need a good 4×4 car like a Toyota Prado or a Mitsubishi Pajero, preferably with a strong engine.
I drove a Pajero 3.5 ltr. But some of the dunes in the desert were too steep, and the car didn’t have enough power to ride them, while the guide’s jeep could drive up the hills quickly. Or it could have been my desert driving skills!
Tip: Nomad Tours in Oman offers a great 4x4 rental roof tent. More info can be found further on in this blog post.
Close to the edge of the desert, there is a town called Bidiya. From Muscat it’s about 3,5 hours driving. The roads are really well maintained, it feels safe, and people drive very calmly. Much different than driving a car in Iraq!
In Bidiya, it’s possible to meet a local guide to help and guide you through the desert to your desired spot.
I drove for about an hour and a half through the dunes until I found a nice place to build my little camp.
Contact me if you would like to receive the contact information of the local guide I was in contact with in Oman to reach the desert.
Close to the edge of the desert, there is a town called Bidiya. It’s an authentic Oman town with camels walking around and buildings that make you feel like you’re in a scene of Aladdin. The town is the primary spot to enter the desert.
From Muscat, it’s about 3,5 hours driving there. From that town it’s possible to meet a local guide to guide you through the desert to your desired spot. I drove for about an hour and a half through the dunes until I found a nice place to build my little camp.
Where can I rent a car and a rooftop tent?
In Muscat, Oman, you can rent a four-wheel-drive vehicle with a rooftop tent from several different companies. I went with Nomad Tours Oman.
Their assistance was top-notch. The owner, Chris, spent a lot of time with me when I got there, explaining how to operate everything and what the best places to visit, camp, and hike were.
All the gear was spotless and freshly laundered, including the sleeping bags. Charcoal, lighter fluid, and everything else necessary for a successful barbecue were included for a small extra fee.
I also need to mention Sights Tours. They work together with Nomad Tours. The four-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Pajero was provided by them.
The service was great. On the first day, I planned to leave the car in downtown Muscat during my stay there.
However, parking fees could only be paid via SMS message. Not sure why, but it didn’t work for me. To get into the heart of the city, I sent a text to Sights Tours, and they responded immediately and prepaid my parking fee. Absolutely incredible.
In conclusion, get in touch with Nomad Tours if you want a smooth camping trip in Oman. Thanks to their knowledge and helpfulness, my time in Oman was a great success.
How to use a 4WD in the desert?
Before you enter the desert, you need to deflate the tires of your 4×4 car. Luckily, there are several small car shops where someone can do that for you for 1 OMR. They will also inflate them when you go back.
Right before you enter the desert, after you’ve deflated the tires, you will need to put the car in 4×4 mode. The way to do it is like this: stop the car, put it in neutral (important), put it in 4HLC, wait ten seconds, check if the little green car light on the dashboard is on, and put it in drive.
If you are going up some steep dunes, put it in manual in first gear. When you’ve reached the tip of the hill, you can switch it back from manual to ‘drive’.
Wahiba Sands Desert Camp Oman
That said, there are great wahiba sands desert camps that offer a unique local experience such as traditional Bedouin Camps. One of my readers had an excellent experience in Oman.
As the Omani’s are super friendly, warm and welcoming folks you can expect a very warm and family-like vibe.
My recommended Hotels in Wahiba Sands 🛏️
Bedouin Camp Oman
Wahiba Sands, Oman
$ – Budget Friendly
The best local and cultural experience- Great reviews
- Overall a super unique experience
The best local and cultural experienceBest Time to Visit
The best time to visit Oman, and to sleep in the desert, is during “wintertime” between October and March. The weather is more relaxed, and you can enjoy the desert without the sun’s intense heat.
On the other hand, it might be more crowded at the Wadi’s or natural pools Oman, especially since February is a busy month. I was in Oman in February and there were quite some people at Wadi Shab, Bimmah sinkhole and the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Especially the Mosque and the Wadi’s can become crowded with tour busses with many European folks.
All the other locations in Muscat and the rest of Oman were quiet. So, the best time to visit Oman depends on your preferences. If you want fewer tourists to take some better photos, it might be better to go in a different month than February.
If you don’t mind some tourists and prefer nice, not too hot temperatures like, 28 degrees, then February is an excellent time to visit Oman.
When visiting the desert, a 4WD with a local guide is the way to go, even during more busy months like February. I didn’t see any people when I was in Wahiba Sands.
Do you need to book in advance to visit Wahiba Sands?
If you are going with a 4×4 car, then no! It’s the desert, so there is no need to book anything in advance.
The only smart thing to book is a local guide, but that’s only possible a day before.
I texted my guide Ahmed on WhatsApp to meet the next day at 3 pm just outside of Bidiya. We met the next day and drove into the desert. He helped with deflating the tires as well, and even when my car got stuck in the sand.
Contact me if you would like to receive the contact information of the guide.
Essential Info
- Don’t walk around on bare feet or in sandals at night in the desert. Many creatures come out at night, most of them are harmless but better to be safe than sorry.
- If you have to go number 2, buy a bucket with a lid, put some toilet paper on the bottom.
- Keep away from the vegetation, scorpions live in the desert and can be found along plants. But, my local guide told me he has seen only 1 scorpion in 5 years.
- Close all windows of the car to prevent any sand from blowing in…oops……
- If you are into photography, bring a cleaning set for lenses to clean out the sand from your precious gear.
- Place your car in the direction of the wind so you can sit behind the car without sand getting blown in your face, or on the BBQ 🙂
If you have any more tips, please add them in the comments and I will add them here so we can help more travelers!
What to bring on a trip to do Desert in Oman
If you rent a rooftop tent, you’ll probably rent most of the camping equipment from the company. But even with all that stuff, some things are essential to bring:
Bring a bucket. A bucket to the desert? Yes! It works great as a toilet. Not as good as being able to read the newspaper for half an hour while sitting on it, but you get the point.
If you are planning on sleeping in the desert in Wahiba Sands, pack some good lights and power banks.
The lights we rented needed some power source; the batteries didn’t work so I had to connect them to a power bank for some light. Luckily, I had two!
Other, perhaps more obvious essentials are:
Water: The desert is a dry and hot environment, so staying hydrated is important. Make sure to pack plenty of water and drink it regularly to avoid dehydration.
Sun Protection: The sun’s rays can be harsh in the desert, so protecting your skin and eyes is important. Pack sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat to shield yourself from the sun.
First Aid Kit: It’s always a good idea to carry a basic first aid kit with you, including items such as bandages, antiseptic, and painkillers. If anything happens, there won’t be any people around to help. So just be extra careful with the campfire or a BBQ for example.
Cash and Identification: It’s always a good idea to carry cash and identification with you in case of emergencies or unexpected expenses. Right before I went into the desert, a little shop sold wood. Just a reminder, there is only sand in the desert! 😉
It’s not possible to find wood to make a fire. If you want a campfire, make sure you bring enough wood. Ten pieces of wood will be enough for a few hours of a cozy campfire.
Final thoughts
Do it! It’s such a fantastic experience to sleep in the Wahiba Sands desert. And if you are wondering about safety. Oman is a very safe place, often compared to Japan.
I’ve slept in several locations in the rooftop tent in Oman, and the night in the desert was the most chill and relaxing night.
Walking around on the dunes, that remote and immersive feeling of the desert, finding camel tracks in the sand and seeing a few walking in the distance, and at night a sky full of stars.
I hope to return there someday to see more of Oman and more parts of the beautiful desert.
The Omani folks are friendly, but even the camels will greet you with a big smile 😀
Where to stay in Oman
After one of our trips in Oman we spend a night at the W Hotel in Muscat. We chose this hotel because we visited it one time only for a drink and saw the pool on the roof, we were blown away but this incredible serene spot and view it jus stuck with us the entire trip. So, we went ahead and booked one night to really relax and feel pampered.
I’m a bit more of an adventure camping guy but my wife loved it (I did as well 😉 ). Read my full review here. I can already say this was one of the best hotels I’ve ever stayed.
My recommended Hotels in Oman 🛏️
W Hotel Muscat, Oman
Muscat, Oman
$$$ – Upper Range
- The best rooftop bar and pool I’ve ever been
- Just more than amazing
F.A.Q.
Is Wahiba Sands worth it?
It sure is. You will get an immersive and remote feeling of being the last person on earth in the desert. When you plan on sleeping in the desert, there will be no sound, just you and the stars.
A benefit of the Wahabi Sands desert is that it’s pretty easy to reach from Muscat
How to reach Wahiba Sands from Muscat?
Drive down from Muscat to Bidiya. It’s about 3,5 hours driving.
Bidiya is the main spot to enter the desert. You can stock up on wood for a campfire, find BBQ essentials and to deflate your tires to be able to drive in the desert.
What is the best time to visit Wahiba Sands?
The “winter time,” from November to February, is the best time to visit the desert in Oman.
It’s not really winter because the temperature is already 28 degrees Fahrenheit during the day in February. At night, the temperature can drop to 12 degrees in the desert.
Where is Wahiba Sands located?
The Wahiba Sands desert is located in Oman. On the north-east side of Oman there are mountains called Ash Sharqiyah, and behind it you can find the ocean, the Gulf of Oman. On the south-west side of those mountains you will find the desert. The closest town is Bidiya.
What’s the size of the Wahiba Sands?
Wahiba Sands is a dune desert that stretches south for about 170 kilometers and has dunes up to 100 meters in height.
is oman a desert
Oman is certainly not a desert! That’s the beauty of Oman, it is so much more: Wadi’s, mountains, coastlines and many other beautiful landscapes.
