Oman Trip from Dubai: Places to Visit, Road Trip Routes and How Many Days

The short answer: Muscat is about 450 km from Dubai on the usual Hatta-Al Wajajah route: four and a half to six hours by car, about six to seven hours on the Al Khanjry coach, or roughly 1 hour 10 minutes by air. Most UAE residents enter on Oman's GCC resident e-visa, from OMR 5, or the 30-day tourist e-visa, from OMR 20. Three days covers Muscat and one day trip; five adds Nizwa, Jebel Akhdar and the Wahiba Sands; seven to eight stretches to Sur, Ras Al Jinz and either Musandam or more time in the interior. October to April is the easiest season to drive and sightsee across most of the country; the exception is Salalah, more than 1,000 km south, where the khareef monsoon runs the other way, roughly 21 June to 21 September.

Oman trip from Dubai: at a glance

Question	Answer
Distance, Dubai to Muscat	About 450 km via the Hatta-Al Wajajah crossing
Drive time	4.5-6 hours, including the border
Bus	Al Khanjry Transport, about AED 100 one way, 6-7 hours
Flight	About 1 hour 10 minutes, several airlines
Visa for most UAE residents	GCC resident e-visa from OMR 5, or 30-day tourist e-visa from OMR 20
Best time to go	October to April; Salalah's khareef runs 21 June-21 September instead
Fuel in Oman	Usually cheaper than in the UAE
Car insurance	Check your UAE policy covers Oman; if not, buy short-term Omani third-party cover at the border

Getting from Dubai to Muscat

The Hatta-Al Wajajah crossing is the usual route for the Al Khanjry coach and for self-drive traffic. Rules on which crossings non-GCC drivers can use have changed before, so confirm the current position before you set off. Our guide to driving or busing to Oman covers the bus operator, the alternative crossings, the car insurance and the paperwork in full; this guide assumes the border is sorted and focuses on where to go once you are in Oman.

Places to visit in Oman, and how far they are from Muscat

Muscat itself

Give the capital at least a day. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque lets non-Muslim visitors in free of charge, typically from around 8 to 8.30am until 11am, Saturday to Thursday, closed Friday mornings for prayers; sources differ slightly on the exact opening time and on Saturday access, so check before you go, and dress with shoulders and knees covered, with a headscarf for women. The Royal Opera House Muscat runs tours by day and a performance programme by night, and Mutrah's old souq and corniche are an easy evening walk.

Wadi Shab, Bimmah Sinkhole and Sur

About 140 km and 1.5 to 2 hours south-east of Muscat, Wadi Shab is a short boat crossing, around OMR 1, and a walk into a canyon of turquoise pools; Bimmah Sinkhole, a short drive before it, is a limestone pool you can swim in. Sur, with its old dhow-building yard, is about 40 minutes further on, and the Ras Al Jinz turtle reserve, beyond Sur again, runs guided night walks to see nesting and hatching turtles; places on the walks are limited, so book ahead.

Nizwa and its Friday market

Nizwa is about 150-170 km and roughly 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours from Muscat. Its fort and old souq are worth a morning any day of the week, but the Friday livestock market is the real draw: sellers bring goats, sheep and cattle from across the interior from before dawn, so arrive by about 7am. It is a working market rather than a show for visitors, so ask before photographing people closely.

Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams

Jebel Akhdar is about two hours from Muscat via Birkat Al Mouz; a police checkpoint partway up only lets 4x4 vehicles continue, even though the road itself is sealed the whole way. The terraced villages around Al Ayn and Ash Shuraijah grow pomegranates, apricots and the Damask roses used for rose water, with the harvest and distilling season running roughly mid-March to mid-May. Jebel Shams, further west and higher again, looks down into a canyon deep enough to earn the nickname "Oman's Grand Canyon"; it also needs a vehicle capable of its unpaved final stretch.

Wahiba Sands

The Wahiba (Sharqiya) Sands begin about 200 km south-east of Muscat, around two to three hours' drive depending on which edge of the dunes you enter from. A 4x4 is needed once you leave the tarmac, and an overnight stay in a desert camp is worth the extra time over a day trip, since the dunes are at their best at sunset and sunrise. October to March is the easiest season; December and January nights can feel properly cold in an open camp.

Musandam

Musandam is a separate Omani exclave reached from Ras Al Khaimah rather than from Muscat, so it does not fit neatly into a Muscat-based road trip. Our Musandam trip from Dubai guide covers the Dibba and Khasab routes, their distances and their prices in full.

Salalah in the khareef

Salalah is more than 1,000 km from Muscat by road, so flying is the realistic option even if you are touring the rest of Oman by car. The khareef monsoon, roughly 21 June to 21 September, turns the hills around the city green and misty while the rest of the Gulf is at its hottest. Our Dubai to Salalah by road guide covers the drive and the khareef season in full for anyone planning that separately.

Road-trip itineraries from Dubai

3 days

Drive to Muscat on day one, with the afternoon for the Grand Mosque and Mutrah. Day two is a loop to Wadi Shab and Bimmah Sinkhole, or to Nizwa and Jebel Akhdar if you have a 4x4. Drive back on day three.

5 days

Add an overnight in the Jebel Akhdar or Nizwa area, then an overnight in the Wahiba Sands before looping back through Muscat. This is enough time to see the interior properly without rushing any one stop.

7-8 days

Extend the five-day route with a day for Sur and Ras Al Jinz, or add a Musandam leg through Ras Al Khaimah on the way out or back. With this much time, you can also split the Wahiba Sands and Jebel Akhdar legs so neither feels like a drive-through.

Best time to go

October to April suits almost everywhere in this guide: daytime temperatures across Muscat, the interior and the desert stay comfortable for sightseeing and driving. From May to September, Muscat and the interior turn hot and humid, and the Wahiba Sands and Jebel Akhdar's lower approach roads are uncomfortable in the open. Salalah runs the opposite way: its khareef season, roughly 21 June to 21 September, is the one stretch of the year it is cooler and greener than the north, while the rest of Oman is at its hottest.

What an Oman trip costs

Fuel is usually cheaper on the Omani side, where prices are capped rather than reset monthly. For the car itself, check with your UAE insurer first: some comprehensive policies include Oman, though not all do. If yours does not, buy short-term Omani third-party cover at the border; it does not cover your own vehicle. On top of that, each traveller pays the UAE's AED 35 exit fee, and the Oman visa itself, from OMR 5 for the GCC resident e-visa; our Oman visa guide for UAE residents covers who qualifies for which category.

Which UAE long weekend fits an Oman trip

National Day 2026 falls on Wednesday 2 and Thursday 3 December; taking the Friday off stretches it to five days, to Sunday 6 December, unless the Cabinet moves the holiday. New Year 2027 runs Friday 1 to Sunday 3 January. Eid Al Fitr 2027 is expected on 9 or 10 March (see our Eid Al Fitr guide), and Eid Al Adha 2027 is expected to run Saturday 15 to Tuesday 18 May (see our Eid Al Adha guide); see UAE public holidays 2027 for the exact dates once they are confirmed. Any of these suit a Muscat weekend or the five-day interior route above; the longer breaks give enough time to add Sur, Ras Al Jinz or the Wahiba Sands without rushing the drive. Our weekend getaways from Dubai guide covers how Oman compares with other short trips for timing.

Plan your Oman trip with Holidayys

If Musandam fits your dates better than a Muscat road trip, our Musandam Dibba Tour starts from AED 190 per person and our Musandam Khasab Tour from AED 550 per person; both are day trips bookable at booking.holidayys.com. For the visa, see Oman visa services. We do not sell a fixed Oman package, but we put together custom Oman trips, flights, hotels, drivers and all, on request: message us on WhatsApp at +971 4 589 0001 or use the contact page with your dates.

Frequently asked questions

How far is Muscat from Dubai?

About 450 km by the usual Hatta-Al Wajajah route, which takes four and a half to six hours to drive, about six to seven hours by coach, or roughly 1 hour 10 minutes by air.

How many days do I need for an Oman trip from Dubai?

Three days covers Muscat and one day trip. Five days adds Nizwa, Jebel Akhdar and the Wahiba Sands. Seven to eight days gives time for Sur, Ras Al Jinz and either Musandam or a more relaxed pace through the interior.

What is the best time of year for an Oman road trip?

October to April for Muscat, the interior and the desert. Salalah, in the far south, runs the other way, with its best weather during the khareef monsoon from roughly 21 June to 21 September.

Do I need a 4x4 to see Jebel Akhdar and the Wahiba Sands?

Yes for both. A police checkpoint on the Jebel Akhdar road only lets 4x4 vehicles continue, even though the road is sealed, and the Wahiba Sands need a 4x4 once you leave the tarmac.

Do UAE residents need a visa for Oman?

Most do. The usual routes are the GCC resident e-visa, from OMR 5, or the 30-day tourist e-visa, from OMR 20. See our Oman visa guide for UAE residents for who qualifies for which.

How much does fuel and insurance cost for a self-drive trip to Oman?

Fuel is usually cheaper in Oman than in the UAE. For insurance, check whether your UAE comprehensive policy already covers Oman; if not, buy short-term Omani third-party cover at the border before you enter.

Related guides

• Dubai to Oman by bus or car
• Oman visa for UAE residents
• Musandam trip from Dubai
• Dubai to Salalah by road
• Weekend getaways from Dubai

Last checked 9 October 2026 against Oman and UAE road-trip and border guides, the Royal Oman Police e-visa portal, Oman tourism and travel-operator guides for the Grand Mosque, Jebel Akhdar and Ras Al Jinz, and UAE insurance-industry guides on Oman border cover. Distances, fees, opening hours and visa rules change; confirm them before you travel.