2 Week Oman Road Trip Itinerary
Why Oman Is Made for a Road Trip
Having never written about a self-drive or road trip holiday before, you might be wondering, why did we rent a car in Oman?
When we started researching our two weeks in Oman, it quickly became clear that many of the places we wanted to visit were close enough together that driving made the most sense. Public transport in Oman isn’t known for being particularly efficient, and organised day tours would have added a lot to our overall costs.
Oman is incredibly diverse, with landscapes ranging from modern cities to dramatic mountains, vast desert dunes and stunning coastal roads. Because of this, the best way to get around and truly experience the country is undoubtedly by road trip.
Oman is also a relatively expensive destination compared to some of our previous travels, so we needed to be more budget-conscious than usual. This 2-week Oman road trip itinerary is therefore ideal for couples looking to explore the country at a comfortable, medium budget, without missing out on the highlights.
Let’s get into it.
2-Week Oman Road Trip Overview
Day-by-Day Oman Road Trip Itinerary
Days 1–3: Muscat (Including a Daymaniyat Islands Day Trip)
Our itinerary starts in Muscat, as this is where most international flights into Oman arrive. It’s also the most convenient place to pick up your rental car, making it the ideal starting point for a self-drive road trip around the country.
Where to Stay in Muscat
Muscat has a wide range of accommodation options to suit different budgets:
££ – Mysk Al Mouj Hotel
£££ – The Chedi
We’ve focused on well-located options with easy parking, which is especially helpful when starting a road trip.
Day 1: Arrival in Muscat
For your first day in Muscat, we recommend keeping things relaxed. Use the time to settle into your accommodation, recover from your travels, and ease into Oman at your own pace. If you’re feeling up to it, Muscat’s modern shopping malls are a comfortable and air-conditioned way to spend your first afternoon or evening.
Day 2: Muscat Highlights
On your second day, start early with a visit to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque — arriving in the morning is the best way to avoid the crowds and fully appreciate this stunning landmark.
Later, head to Mutrah for a stroll along the harbour, a wander through the lively Mutrah Souk, and a short climb up to Mutrah Fort for panoramic views over the coastline.
Day 3: Daymaniyat Islands Day Trip
Before continuing your road trip, one of the best day trips from Muscat is a visit to the Daymaniyat Islands. Just a short boat ride from the mainland, these protected islands are famous for their crystal-clear waters, vibrant marine life, and excellent snorkelling and diving. If you’re lucky, you may even spot dolphins or sea turtles during the trip.
Where to Eat in Muscat
Muscat has no shortage of fantastic places to eat, so you won’t struggle to find great restaurants and cafés throughout the city. However, if we had to recommend just one spot, Rozna is a standout choice. It is a great introduction to traditional Omani cuisine.
Day 4: Muscat to Nizwa (1 Night)
Hopefully, by now you’re feeling more confident behind the wheel after a few days driving around Muscat. The good news is that today’s journey is an easy one. As you leave the capital behind, the traffic thins out, the roads feel calmer, and the scenery gradually opens up into rugged mountains and wide desert plains. It’s a manageable first proper stretch of your Oman road trip, taking around two hours. There’s no need for an early start unless you want to maximise your afternoon in Nizwa.
Where to Stay in Nizwa
Nizwa has a wide range of accommodation options to suit different budgets. One thing to consider is how far away your hotel is from the fort, as it can take a while to go back and forth.
£ – Ewann Apartments
££ – Nizwa Inn
£££ – Intercity Hotel Nizwa
Really, the main things to do in Nizwa are visiting Nizwa Fort and exploring Nizwa Souq — and luckily, they’re right next to each other.
The souq is free to enter and doesn’t take long to wander through. It has a noticeably different atmosphere from the souqs in Muscat, so it’s still worth a visit even if you feel shopped out.
Nizwa Fort costs around £10 to enter and was pleasantly uncrowded when we visited. Your ticket includes access to all exhibits and a guided element, plus demonstrations of traditional crafts and food-making. We highly recommend trying the freshly made flatbread, known as Ragag!
Where to Eat in Nizwa
Nizwa is not short on excellent food options. Several restaurants are clustered around the fort, many with rooftop terraces and great views. Our favourites included Tamrah and Italian Barista Cafe, both offering generous portions and relaxed settings.
A short drive away is Olio — admittedly an Italian restaurant, but genuinely one of our favourite meals in Oman. There’s also a large supermarket in town, perfect for stocking up on road trip snacks.
Days 5–6: Jabal Akhdar (2 Nights)
The next two nights are spent in one of our favourite places from the entire trip: Jabal Akhdar. This mountain region is known for its dramatic cliffs, terraced villages and sweeping canyon views — and it genuinely feels like a different side of Oman. It’s quieter, cooler, and a little more rugged.
It’s important to note that you’ll need a 4×4 to drive up, and there are checkpoints where they do check. If you haven’t rented one, many of the hotels and resorts in the area offer transfer services for an additional fee, allowing you to park your car at the base of the mountain. Although the ascent is steep and winding, the roads are in excellent condition and we felt completely safe the entire time.
The drive from Nizwa takes between one and two hours, so there’s no need to rush. We stopped at Luqya Cafe in Nizwa for breakfast and coffee before fuelling up and beginning the scenic climb. Make sure to pull over at the designated viewpoints along the way — the views only get better as you ascend. Also, pack a jumper; about halfway up, the temperature drops noticeably and the mountain air feels refreshingly cool.
Where to stay in Jabal Akhdar
£££ – Hotel Indigo Jabal Akhdar Resort & Spa
During our stay, we chose the DusitD2 Naseem Resort and couldn’t recommend it more. It’s especially great if you’re travelling Oman with kids, the mountain-side high ropes adventure park is pretty special. It is on the pricier side, but for us, it was worth every penny!
Where to eat in Jabal Akhdar
As we stayed within a resort, we didn’t have many standalone restaurant recommendations, and there aren’t many visible while driving around. If you do stay at DusitD2, we’d suggest skipping the buffet dinner — the à la carte menu is far better and much better value for money.
Day 7: Misfat Al Abriyeen (1 Night)
After two nights in Jabal Akhdar, it’s worth setting off early for the roughly two-hour drive to Misfat so you can make the most of your time there. The journey itself is straightforward, but arriving with a full afternoon ahead of you makes a big difference.
Misfat felt completely different from anywhere else we’d visited in Oman. The village is known for its lush terraces, date palms and traditional mud-brick houses clinging to the hillside. After the dramatic mountain scenery of the previous days, the greenery here was unexpected and refreshing. The pace of life also felt slower, locals going about their day, narrow pathways instead of roads, and a noticeably peaceful atmosphere.
We stayed in a guesthouse a short walk from Old Al Hamra Village, which was an ideal base for exploring. That said, navigating the narrow, maze-like streets by car was a little challenging at times, so take it slow when arriving. From our guesthouse, it was easy to head up towards the higher viewpoints and Rogan Castle for sunset, which we’d definitely recommend. Watching the light soften over the terraces and mountains was one of the calmest evenings of the trip.
Where to stay in Misfat Al Abriyeen
£ – Garden House
££ – Misfah Ambah house
£££ – Al Misfah Hospitality Inn
Where to eat in Misfat Al Abriyeen
As we were only in Misfat for one night, we didn’t have a long list of recommendations.
Our host family suggested a local spot simply called Pakistani Restaurant, which was busy with locals and served generous portions of traditional dishes, and even had the football on.
Close to our guesthouse was Saaf Café. It was a beautiful place to sit and unwind, serving what was easily the best iced tea we had on the trip.
Day 8: Misfat to Wahiba Sands (1 Night)
You’ll want to leave Misfat fairly early today, as this is the longest drive of the trip so far and you’ll want plenty of time to enjoy the desert.
The journey to Wahiba Sands takes around three hours in total, with roughly 2.5 hours to reach the desert entrance near Bidiyah. The roads are straightforward and easy to follow, but the landscape gradually becomes more remote and open as you approach the dunes.
Whether you choose to drive into the desert yourself will depend on both your confidence and your hire vehicle. It’s absolutely not possible without a 4×4, and even then, driving on soft sand and dunes isn’t recommended unless you have prior experience.
The good news is that most desert camps offer transfer services. You simply drive to Bidiyah (or a designated meeting point), park your car, and they’ll take you the rest of the way.
Where to stay in Wahiba Sands
£ – SandGlass Camp
££ – Thousand Nights
£££ – Desert Nights Resorts
This is one place we’d strongly recommend booking well in advance, particularly during peak season, as camps fill up quickly. There’s a wide range of options, from luxury villas and glamping domes to more traditional tented camps. It’s worth checking what’s included — some packages cover meals and activities, which can offer better overall value.
Where to eat and what to do in Wahiba Sands
We’d recommend choosing accommodation that includes meals, as there aren’t exactly restaurants scattered across the dunes.
Activities vary by camp but can include camel rides, dune boarding, quad biking, stargazing, dune buggies and even spa treatments. Whatever you choose, spending the night under the desert stars is the real highlight.
Days 9 – 10: Sur (2 Nights)
On day 9, the drive from Bidiyah to Sur is a relatively short and easy one, with well-maintained roads the entire way. There’s no need to rush off first thing if you still have a few desert activities left on your list, a slower morning in Wahiba Sands works perfectly before heading back to the coast.
Sur feels noticeably different from the places you’ve visited so far. After the mountains and desert, arriving in this historic seaside city is a welcome change of scenery. With its whitewashed buildings, ocean views and working port, Sur has a relaxed coastal atmosphere that makes it ideal for slowing the pace slightly.
Once you arrive, we’d recommend checking into your hotel and giving yourself a bit of downtime. After several busy days of driving and exploring, it’s a good place to reset. Sur is particularly known for its seafood, so if you don’t feel like eating at your hotel, it’s worth heading out to a local restaurant in the evening to try the fresh catch of the day.
Where to stay in Sur
£ – Sur Hotel
££ – Sur Grand Hotel
£££ – Best Western Sur
What to do and eat in Sur
Sur is best enjoyed at a slower pace. As a laid-back coastal town, it’s perfect for a relaxed couple of days — especially after the energy of the desert.
That said, there’s still plenty to see. We’d recommend visiting the Maritime Museum and Sur Castle to understand the city’s seafaring history. The surrounding beaches are ideal for sunbathing or a swim, and if you’re visiting in summer, you may be able to arrange a trip to the nearby Turtle Reserve to spot green turtles. Don’t miss the dhow yards either, where traditional wooden boats are still built by hand.
Day 11: Fins Beach (1 Night)
Whether you choose to spend one or two nights in Sur or Fins Beach really depends on how you want to pace this part of your trip.
Fins is only a short, scenic drive up the coastline from Sur, so it’s an easy transition and a nice way to continue your Oman road trip without adding too many hours behind the wheel.
We used our time at Fins Beach to slow down and properly relax, while also ticking off a couple of Oman’s highlights nearby. Both Bimmah Sinkhole and Wadi Shab are just a short drive away and can easily be visited independently if you have a car. They’re straightforward to access and well signposted, making them ideal half-day trips before returning to the coast for sunset.
However if you would rather to book a day tour, they can both be done in the one day.
Where to stay in Fins Beach
££ – Fins Dream Villas
£££ – Dhabab Bay Resort
Fins Beach is a popular wild camping spot, so if you’ve brought camping gear, this is a great place to use it. Just be mindful to leave no trace, and don’t be surprised if a few curious donkeys wander through your campsite in the morning.
If you like the idea of camping but prefer a bit more comfort, there are static caravan-style rentals along the coast, as well as several beautiful beachfront hotels, which is what we opted for.
Where to eat Fins Beach
One of the best options here is to pick up supplies from a supermarket and enjoy a picnic on the beach.
If you’d rather dine out, Sahari Restaurant and Dunes Beach Club are both popular choices nearby.
Days 12–13: Return to Muscat (2 Nights)
The drive back to Muscat is an easy two-hour journey along the coast, so there’s no pressure to leave Fins Beach too early if you still have a swim or sunrise stroll planned. It’s a relaxed final stretch of your Oman road trip, with smooth roads and familiar scenery as you gradually return to the capital.
With two days left to finish your 2-week Oman road trip, how you spend them really depends on the pace you’re after. If you’re ready to slow down completely, this is the perfect opportunity to check into a resort and enjoy a couple of days by the pool or beach. Alternatively, you might prefer to stay in a city hotel for some last-minute shopping, sightseeing, or restaurant visits. Another practical option is choosing accommodation closer to the airport, especially if you have an early flight.
If there’s anywhere you feel you didn’t spend enough time — such as Nizwa — you could even use one of these days for a short return trip, as it’s still within easy driving distance. This is also a convenient point to return your rental car if your drop-off location isn’t at the airport, giving you one less thing to think about before departure.
Resorts in Muscat
If you’d like to end your trip in a similar way to us, winding down by the coast, here are some of the most popular resorts in Muscat to consider.
£ – DoubleTree By Hilton Muscat
££ – Al Bustan Palace, a Ritz-Carlton Hotel
£££ – Jumeirah Muscat Bay Oman
Driving in Oman: What to Expect on a Self-Drive Trip
Road quality and signage
One of the biggest surprises of our Oman road trip was just how good the roads were. Before arriving, we’d heard mixed reviews that they could be rough, poorly maintained, or difficult to navigate. In reality, we found the opposite. Outside of a few rural stretches, the roads were smooth, well-maintained and clearly marked, in many cases better than what we’re used to back home in the UK.
The biggest adjustment for us was driving on the opposite side of the road. It took a little concentration for the first day or two, particularly at roundabouts and junctions, but we quickly got used to it. If you’re coming from a country that already drives on the right, you’ll likely find it very straightforward. The only place that felt slightly overwhelming at times was Muscat. The capital has multiple highways, large interchanges, and fast-moving traffic, making it easy to end up in the wrong lane and miss a turning. We definitely had a few moments where we had to drive a bit further than planned before looping back.
Speed limits and cameras
When it came to navigation, we found Waze to be the most reliable app during our self-drive trip in Oman. Google Maps and Apple Maps worked in places, but Waze was more consistent, particularly for traffic updates and speed camera alerts. Once we connected it to our rental car system, getting around became much easier. Just keep an eye out for parking cameras as a lot of the car parks in the touristy areas, you need to pay for parking.
Fuel availability
Fuel was never an issue. Petrol stations are widely available in towns and along major roads, and fuel is reasonably priced. Attendants fill the car for you — you simply tell them the amount, and they handle the rest, including bringing a card machine to the window.
Overall, we felt extremely safe driving in Oman. Even when traffic was busy in Muscat, the experience never felt chaotic or unsafe — just part of adjusting to a new place.
Do You Need a 4WD for This Oman Road Trip?
Whether you need a 4WD for your trip to Oman really comes down to your budget and the kind of experience you’re after. If you’re planning to follow this exact route and 2-week Oman road trip itinerary, then yes — we would strongly recommend renting one.
That said, it’s not essential for every type of trip. If you’re sticking to cities, coastal areas and main highways, a standard car will be absolutely fine. Many travellers who opt for a more relaxed or luxury-focused holiday tend to stay in resorts, which often provide transfers or organised tours to major highlights. In that case, you could manage without a 4×4.
For us, although the rental cost of a 4WD was slightly higher than that of a regular car, it actually worked out as a better value overall. Having the freedom to drive ourselves meant we didn’t need to rely on hotel transfers or guided excursions, which can quickly add up.
On this itinerary, there are two key places where a 4WD is required. The first is Jabal Akhdar, where the steep mountain road includes checkpoints that only allow 4×4 vehicles to pass. The second is Wahiba Sands, where driving on sand dunes is impossible without one. Even then, if you don’t have experience driving in soft sand, it may still be wise to arrange a camp transfer instead of driving yourself.
For the rest of the route, a 4WD isn’t strictly necessary — but for flexibility and ease, we found it worthwhile.
Oman Road Trip Costs: Medium-Budget Breakdown
Whether a destination feels “expensive” is always subjective. We travel fairly often and usually keep a close eye on our budget, but as this was our honeymoon, we were definitely more relaxed about spending than usual. That said, we’ve tried to give a realistic ballpark of what you can expect from a medium-budget Oman road trip.
Car Rental & Fuel
This was actually our first time renting a car abroad, so we can’t compare it too much globally, but prices in Oman varied significantly between companies. The well-known brands like Europcar and Hertz operate from the airport and offer straightforward pickup and solid insurance coverage. We ended up booking through a smaller local company we found via an Oman travel Facebook group, which was slightly cheaper but involved more back-and-forth communication.
For a 14-day rental, expect to pay anywhere between £500 and £1,000, depending on the season and whether you choose a standard car or 4×4. We paid around £700 for a 4WD in early January. Fuel, however, was extremely affordable; filling the tank cost us roughly £30, far cheaper than prices back home in the UK.
Accommodation
Accommodation prices vary hugely. You can find guesthouses for around £30 per night, while luxury desert camps and resorts can cost hundreds, or even thousands, per night. Interestingly, we didn’t always find that a higher price meant better quality. One of our cheapest stays ended up being our favourite.
Food
Food was where costs surprised us most.
Even at local restaurants, prices were higher than we expected. Simple dishes like meat and rice were reasonable, but other meals added up quickly. We paid around £30 for two kebabs at one point.
Hotel dining was even pricier (we once paid over £8 for a single orange juice), so it’s worth checking menus beforehand.
Tours and Activities.
We travelled mostly independently, but the tours we researched seemed fairly reasonable when booked through third-party platforms like GetYourGuide or Viator. Hotel-organised excursions, however, were often significantly marked up, so we’d recommend comparing prices before committing.
Where to Stay on a 2-Week Oman Road Trip
We’ve shared individual accommodation recommendations throughout each stop on this itinerary, but overall, we’d suggest choosing a mix of different styles to suit each location. Muscat is where you’ll find the best range of larger hotels and beachfront resorts, so it’s a great place to enjoy a bit more comfort. In contrast, somewhere like Misfat is much better experienced through a locally run guesthouse in the village itself, which gives you a more authentic and personal stay.
One thing we learned quickly is that booking in advance really helps. A few properties we had saved ended up fully booked by the time we went to confirm, and prices definitely increased the closer we got to our dates. If you’re travelling during peak season, it’s worth securing your key stays early — especially desert camps and mountain resorts.
We also found that using the Genius scheme on Booking.com helped keep costs down, with perks like free breakfast and occasional room upgrades. That said, for smaller guesthouses, it can be worth messaging them directly. In Misfat, we did this and secured a fair rate while ensuring the payment went straight to the host family, which felt like a more meaningful way to support the local community.
Food on an Oman Road Trip (Gluten-Free Notes)
One of the biggest challenges for me during our Oman road trip was food. Being both coeliac and pregnant wasn’t the easiest combination in a country where gluten-free options aren’t always obvious. In larger cities like Muscat and Nizwa, you’ll find a decent range of international restaurants, cafés and food courts. Outside of those areas, though, choices can feel more limited.
We noticed a strong fast-food presence across much of the country, lots of burger and kebab shops, often combined with coffee counters, which isn’t ideal if you’re avoiding gluten. That said, Oman has a strong Indian culinary influence, and most towns have at least one Indian restaurant or serve dishes like curry and biryani, which were often my safest options.
I usually rely on salads when travelling, but fresh salad-based meals were surprisingly hard to come by, so that wasn’t as reliable as I’d hoped. Supermarkets, however, were excellent. They’re large, well-stocked and carry plenty of international products. I was able to find gluten-free pasta, snacks and other staples fairly easily, although bread options were limited.
Culturally, dinner in Oman is often a social occasion, eaten later in the evening and shared around large tables. The national dish, shuwa — slow-cooked marinated meat served with rice and flatbread — is a traditional favourite you’ll likely see on many menus.
Best Time to Do This 2-Week Oman Itinerary
We visited Oman from 26th December to 9th January, and it felt like an ideal time for a 2-week Oman road trip. Daytime temperatures sat comfortably in the mid-20s°C, making it perfect for exploring wadis, wandering through souqs and spending time outdoors. The only place we noticed a real temperature drop was in the mountains, particularly Jabal Akhdar, where evenings were noticeably cooler.
In general, the best time to follow this 14-day Oman itinerary is between November and the end of March. These months bring milder, more manageable weather across most of the country. During the summer, temperatures can become extremely high, and many locals avoid outdoor activities during the day, only heading out after sunset.
If seeing turtle hatchlings is on your list, September is often recommended as one of the best months to visit. And while we didn’t travel south to Salalah, it’s worth noting that July to September is when the region experiences the Khareef season, transforming the landscape into the lush greenery it’s known for.
Final Tips for Planning Your Oman Road Trip
Clothing and Modesty
What to wear in Oman was something I worried about quite a bit before our trip. I spent hours researching and struggled to find clear, practical advice. After visiting in 2026, I can say it’s actually quite straightforward once you understand the general expectations.
You’ll notice that Omani locals are usually fully covered, even at wadis and on public beaches. There’s also a large expat community who don’t wear traditional dress but still tend to dress modestly. Then there are a small number of tourists who dress exactly as they would at home — and they do stand out.
If you’re staying at a private resort, like we did at the end of our trip, things are more relaxed. On private beaches and within resort grounds, typical holiday wear is completely acceptable. However, once you leave the resort to visit landmarks, souqs, villages or wadis, modest dress is expected. Covering shoulders and knees is a good general rule.
Mosques have stricter requirements: women must cover their hair, arms and legs fully. Scarves are often available to borrow, but it’s easier to carry one with you. For everyday exploring, loose trousers or a long skirt paired with a t-shirt worked perfectly.
Sim cards in Oman
SIM cards are easy to purchase at the airport, and it’s one of the first things we sorted after landing. We went straight to the Vodafone kiosk in arrivals, told them how long we were staying, and they set everything up on our phones within minutes. It cost around £20 each and lasted the full two weeks with data included, which we found more than sufficient.
Vodafone worked really well for us — we had signal almost everywhere, including in the mountains and more remote areas along our Oman road trip. Hotel and guesthouse WiFi was a bit hit or miss, so having reliable mobile data made a big difference, particularly for navigation.
We often use eSIMs when travelling and highly recommend Airalo, but after a long journey it was nice to have someone handle the setup for us. You can also top up data easily through the Vodafone app if needed.
Social Etiquette
One of the things that stood out to us most during our time in Oman was how respectful and welcoming everyone was. Omani culture places a strong emphasis on hospitality, and as visitors, it’s important to show that same level of respect in return.
Greetings are polite and often unhurried. A simple smile and “hello” goes a long way, and you’ll likely find locals warm and helpful if you need directions or assistance. Public displays of affection, however, are best avoided, as they’re not culturally appropriate.
As mentioned in the clothing section, modest dress is appreciated, particularly outside of resorts and tourist areas. During prayer times, some shops may briefly close, so just be patient and understanding.
If you’re invited for coffee or dates, it’s considered polite to accept, even if just a small amount. Overall, being mindful, dressing respectfully and observing how locals behave will ensure you have a smooth and positive experience in Oman.
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