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One of the best ways to explore more of the United Arab Emirates and Oman is by doing a trip from Dubai to Muscat by road! This way you will be able to see the best places to visit in Oman and UAE without hassle. Many of these stunning places can’t be visited by using public transportation – and no tours will take you there either!
We spent almost five weeks in Dubai before Markus and I decided to rent a car again and go all the way from Dubai to Muscat by road. Along the way, we did several stops in both UAE as well as Oman and found some really cool gems for you.
We then decided to share our itinerary with you including all the places to visit in Oman as well as in the UAE!
Each stop of our trip is marked on Google Maps below. We also added recommendations on what to do and where to stay at each stop. Hopefully, this will help you do the perfect Oman road trip from Dubai!
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate and contact us ([email protected])!
Table of Contents
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Map of the suggested UAE and Oman itinerary
We marked the whole itinerary from Dubai to Muscat by road on a map to make it more easy for you to follow our steps.
Stops along the way from Dubai to Muscat by road
Especially in the UAE, there are more options how to combine the first stops in a logical way. If you land in Abu Dhabi, you could also drive to Dubai next, follow up with some desert adventures and then go on to Al Ain for example!
We will just show you the itinerary now that we took from Dubai to Muscat by road – feel free to adapt this Dubai to Muscat itinerary to your own wishes! 🙂 Traveling both the UAE as well as Oman by car is extremely easy and rewarding!
Dubai to Muscat by road: Dubai
The first stop on the itinerary for most people will probably be Dubai as there are lots of good and cheap flights from all over the world to Dubai. Even though a lot of people think this, Dubai is NOT the capital of the UAE – that would be Abu Dhabi! (And no, Dubai is NOT a country). Anyway, Dubai is a must-visit city and you could easily spend your whole holiday here!
Time for Dubai: 3-5 days at least!
What to do in Dubai
There are a million things to do in Dubai! Aside from visiting the iconic Burj Khalifa, you could also spend days lounging on Dubai’s best beaches, take advantage of some of the most generous ladies’ days offers and ladies’ nights in the world or visit various amusement parks in just one day.
In order to make it a bit easier for you to decide what to do in Dubai, we collected the best 25 things to do in Dubai for you in a separate post!
Related: Top things to do in Dubai – the ultimate list!
Where to stay in Dubai
Dubai has probably as many luxury hotels as it has sand. Okay, or at least, LOTS of them. During our time in Dubai we stayed at various 5* hotels that we can warmly recommend to you (and one, that we did not really like a lot…)
- Grosvenor House Dubai (read our full review)
- W Dubai Palm Jumeirah (read our full review)
- Le Royal Meridien Dubai
Dubai to Muscat by road: Desert adventures
When you are in Dubai, you could almost forget that you are so close to the desert with all the pools and glitzy buildings. Most of the UAE is desert though – and luckily, this means that there is some truly amazing desert resorts to find in the United Arab Emirates!
Desert nights: 2-3 nights
Best desert resorts in the UAE
We fell in love with the desert so we slept in three different desert resorts in the UAE that we carefully selected. And we absolutely loved each and every one of them.
They are very different and thus, it depends on your preferences (and, to be honest, your budget) which resort is best for you!
- Bab Al Shams Desert Resort and Spa (only 40 minutes from Dubai, beautiful pool)
- Al Maha Desert Resort (one of the most luxurious hotels in the world, all private suites/villas with private pool and amazing activities, full board. Very expensive, but worth every cent in our opinion)
- Telal Desert Resort (Boutique luxury resort close to Al Ain, super lovely designed villas with superb desert view, low off-season prices)
Dubai to Muscat by road: Abu Dhabi
As mentioned before, Abu Dhabi is actually the capital of the UAE and not Dubai. Compared with Dubai, Abu Dhabi has a much more residential feeling. It does lack the super crazy projects like Burj Khalifa or Dubai Frame but is definitely worth a trip as well! Thus, make sure to make this a stop on your itinerary from Dubai to Muscat by road!
Time for Abu Dhabi: 1-2 days
What to do in Abu Dhabi
Most people come to see Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque (and you should too!) – but there is more to explore! These are the things we would definitely recommend you to pay a visit:
- Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
- Emirates Palace Hotel
- Qasr Al Watan (Royal Palace)
- Corniche boardwalk
- Emirates Heritage Club Heritage Village
- Saadiyat island beaches
Where to stay in Abu Dhabi
We stayed twice in Abu Dhabi during our time in the Middle East and we loved staying on Saadiyat island because the beaches are so amazing. But there are also really cool places to stay closer to some of the prime attractions.
- St. Regis Saadiyat Island (that’s where we stayed and we loved it!)
- Shangri-La (amazing views on Sheik Zayed Grand Mosque)
- Emirates Palace Hotel (there is a reason why it’s listed as a tourist attraction 😉 )
Dubai to Muscat by road: Al Ain
We decided to cross into Oman at the Meyzad Border near Al Ain on our route from Dubai to Muscat by road. Since we wanted to cross early in the morning, we decided to spend the night in Al Ain – and then we figured out how much the city has to offer on its own. This is definitely worth a night!
Time for Al Ain: One night
Things to do in Al Ain
- Al Ain Oasis: UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the traditional irrigation system. You can take a little car across it for 20 AED per person if it’s too hot to walk around.
- Camel Souq: This is a real livestock market – so it might not be for everyone! You can find goats here as well as Camels. Very few tourist come here, so please dress modestly and expect to get the full attention nevertheless. People will “help” you take photos with the animals – mostly, they’ll expect a small tip afterward.
- Jebaal Hafeet Mountain: You can drive all the way up to the top of Jebaal Hafeet Mountain. The road is well maintained (no 4WD necessary) and there are plenty of photo stops along the way. On the top, the temperature is often almost 10°C less than in the city of Al Ain!
Where to stay in Al Ain
There aren’t really any true luxury hotels in Al Ain. As Markus is a Marriott Bonvoy Platinum Member, we decided to sleep at the Aloft Al Ain and we were very pleasantly surprised by it! It has a beautiful rooftop pool and food and drinks were well priced too (ask for happy hour at the pool!)
However, Telal Resort Al Ain (see above at Desert Adventures) is only some 20 minutes from Al Ain and is a GORGEOUS property!
UAE to Oman border crossing
We crossed from the UAE to Oman at the Meyzad border south of Al Ain and this was a good choice. The border is modern, open for 24 hours and used to foreigners crossing with rental cars.
Time to show you the places to visit in Oman that we saw during our trip from Dubai to Muscat by road!
Places to visit in Oman: Bahla and Nizwa
We then went on to explore the first places to visit in Oman on our way from Dubai to Muscat by road. The first place we stopped at was Bahla Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Unfortunately, it was already closed due to Ramadan but normally, you can also visit the inside!
After Bahla, we quickly went on to Nizwa as we hoped the historical Nizwa fort there would still be open.
Unfortunately, it was not anymore as well, so we also only saw it from the outside. It’s a typical day trip destination from Muscat and most certainly one of the places to visit in Oman. I guess we’ll have to come back for this one though!
Where to stay in Nizwa
Now it’s time for you to decide whether you want to end your day in Nizwa or go with your Oman road trip from Dubai. If you decide to stay in Nizwa, we would recommend you to sleep at Antique Inn Nizwa. It has excellent ratings on Booking.com and is directly next to Nizwa Fort.
Another option for the night is driving up in the mountains and stay at a stunning hillside resort. Alila Jahbal Akdhar receives particularly ravish reviews on Booking.com. It has an infinity pool with stunning views over the mountain valley too!
And last but not least, you can also directly go on and spend the night at the next stop, the Wahiba sands. As we were short on time, this is what we did. However it was quite a lot of driving for one day – so this might not be a perfect choice if you have more time!
Places to visit in Oman: Wahiba Sands
If you visit Oman without spending a night at the Wahiba Sands, you are definitely missing out on one of the most amazing sunsets you can have around the world!
The Wahiba Sands are also named Sharqiya Sands and cover an area of 12,500 square kilometers in Oman. They are known for their biodiversity – and frankly, they look amazing!
Where to stay at the Wahiba Sands
There are a number of desert camps in Oman that all offer more or less the same: accommodation, dinner and breakfast and a drive up into the dunes for sunset.
Don’t be fooled by their descriptions: these are not super luxury experiences. They claim to be “luxury resorts” but they are all rather basic, especially compared with the stunning desert resorts in the UAE.
We stayed at “Desert Nights Camp” and were rather disappointed by the hotel and especially their food. However, the sunset in Wahiba sands was amazing and thus, we will still recommend staying a night in one desert camp. Just be prepared that “luxury” in Oman is not the same as in the UAE. It might be worth bringing your own food and paying for accommodation only if possible.
Places to visit in Oman: Wadi Bani Khalid, Ras Al Jinz Turtle Sanctuary and Sur
After (an unsatisfying) breakfast at “Desert Nights Camp” we went further south of the Wahiba Sands. We planned to stop at Wadi Bani Khalid for a bath, visit the city of Sur and then head on to sleep at the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Sanctuary.
However, we would now probably recommend you to NOT do this. Or to do it differently from how we did. But let’s start from the beginning.
Wadi Bani Khalid
Our first stop that day on our way from Dubai to Muscat by road was Wadi Bani Khalid. Wadi Bani Khalid is not as famous as Wadi Shab – but it is absolutely stunning! And it comes with the huge advantage that you neither need a 4WD nor do you have to walk far.
We had to stop a bit before the official parking space as it had rained the week before and there was still quite a lot of water on the street that we were afraid to pass. However, it was just one kilometer of walking from where we parked until we reached the first gorgeous pools of Wadi Bani Khalid.
The water temperature was just perfect for bathing and there was not a single other person around when we visited! If you walk further up the Wadi, you will also reach a small cave. As it was 46°C when we visited, we did not take the whole walk up to the caves and instead, enjoyed the water at the pools closer to the parking lot.
Please be advised that locals consider it inappropriate to swim in just bikinis or swimsuits. Wear at least knee-length shorts and a T-Shirt – or take a light dress that quickly dries in the sun as I did! (Btw: mine is from Amazon.com and it’s really cheap! Absolutely LOVE that dress!)
The coastal city of Sur
Next up on the places to visit in Oman is the coastal city of Sur. There are not a million places to see here, but it was certainly worth going up to the Sunaysilah fort and driving along the iconic coast!
Ras al Jinz Turtle Sanctuary (and why you shouldn’t stay there)
Our last stop for the day was Ras Al Jinz Turtle Sanctuary. We opted to stay here for the night and booked our accommodation there before arriving (as it was much cheaper on Booking.com than on their own website).
However, we were vastly disappointed by the sanctuary. The turtle hatching tours at night are an amazing experience – but the accommodation there for sure is not! And well, the “museum” was closed – and it did not seem to be due to Ramadan…
You can sleep inside the main building or in one of their “Eco tents”. We decided for the “proper building” and can only say: Don’t go there. We had to change our room THREE times as each of them was broken. (One smelled like garbage due to rotten stuff in the fridge, in one the AC was broken and the last one, there was a missing window – letting all the 44°C air getting into the room constantly).
We also visited the “Eco tents” and found them to be broken at various places as well. We spoke with another couple that we had already met at the Desert Nights Camp (funny coincidence) and they were not delighted by their “Eco tent” as well.
Where to stay instead near the Turtle Sanctuary
Our recommendation would be to only visit Raz Al Jinz Turtle Sanctuary for the Turtle hatching experience and then sleep at SAMA Ras Al Jinz Resort.
It’s a brand new resort only a few minutes from the Turtle Sanctuary and has promising reviews as well as beautiful pictures! And since the turtle hatching tour can run well into the night (we returned to our beds around 2 am), you definitely do not want to drive back to Sur.
Sur to Muscat: Places to visit in Oman
Actually, there are a whole bunch of places to visit in Oman when driving from Sur to Muscat. It’s the perfect distance for one day when driving from Dubai to Muscat by road like we did.
Wadi Shab – the most famous Wadi
Wadi Shab is arguably the most famous Wadi in Oman and it’s probably the number one of places to visit in Oman for many tourists. Please be aware though that it is a more strenuous hike that will require a while.
We also wanted to see Wadi Shab for sure (especially after falling in love with Wadi Bani Khalid) so we parked our car and wanted to go on our way. As there had been heavy rains a few days before, we needed to cross a little river by boat and some friendly Omanis quickly brought us over for 1 OMR (~2$).
Unfortunately, the way was so muddy that we got stuck after a few minutes and both my flip flops ripped. Yes, flip flops are most certainly NOT the right attire for that walk -, especially after heavy rains! Much to our disdain, this meant that we had to give up and go back.
When we came back to our car, the Omanis who took us over the river offered me their shoes! I was completely astonished by their friendliness but was too tired to try again since it was scorchingly hot outside (47°C / 116°F). But for sure, Omani people are one of the reasons you should visit Oman – I rarely met such genuinely welcoming people! (Okay, maybe in New Zealand, Japan, and Australia as well!)
Bimmah Sinkhole
Next up on our Dubai to Muscat by road itinerary was another swimming opportunity: The Bimmah Sinkhole. The Bimmah Sinkhole is definitely one of the places to visit in Oman – and it’s close enough to Muscat already to visit it as part of a day trip as well.
No one really knows how the Bimmah Sinkhole was created – but it reminded me a lot of the Cenotes we swam in in Mexico!
Again, when visiting, please be considerate about the feelings of Omanis and dress appropriately for swimming (no swimsuit!). Again, I went with my quick drying black dress that I found on Amazon.com.
Places to visit in Oman: Muscat
Our last stop on our Dubai to Muscat by road itinerary is – surprise – Muscat! Muscat is the capital of Oman and has around 1.6 million inhabitants – that’s a third of the country!
What to do in Muscat
You can easily write another article about things to do in Muscat (and maybe I’ll do that one day!). Muscat is a really fascinating city – on one hand, it’s clearly the capital with many impressive buildings such as the Opera House. But on the other hand, it still feels like a really traditional place, almost small, but incredibly authentic.
Here’s just a short list of things to do in Muscat:
- Visit Sultan Quaboos Mosque (THE Instagram Hotspot in Muscat)
- Visit Muttrah Souk (best in the evening!)
- Muttrah Fort + Muttrah Corniche
- See Al Alam Palace from the outside (hidden gem)
- See the Royal Opera House (soooo instagrammable too!)
- Qurum Beach
- Wander along Qurum National Park
Where to stay in Muscat
If you are looking for a fancy place to stay in Muscat, I’ll make it easy for you: Go for the W Muscat.
W Hotels is one of our favorite luxury hotel brands and their W Hotel in Muscat is brand new and has a stunning pool!
Another luxury option in Muscat would be the Al Bustan Palace (Ritz Carlton). We stopped by there for an afternoon drink only, but the property definitely look amazing. And for a Ritz-Carlton, I would even call it pretty modern! The location is a bit outside of Muscat though!
Muscat to Dubai by road
You can either end your Dubai to Muscat by road itinerary here or go back to Dubai. Going back to Dubai is mostly easier as you will have to pay extra to return your car in Muscat instead of in Dubai.
We decided to go back to Dubai in just one day and it’s perfectly doable. We didn’t really do a lot of stops, but there are certainly some places in Oman and the UAE that would be worth stopping by:
- As Suwayq Castle
- Sohar Gate
- Sultan Quaboos Mosque Sohar (yes, there’s one too!)
- Shinas Fortress
- Hatta Dam and Hatta Rock Pools
I wish we would have had the time to see the Hatta Dam but we had some issues crossing at Hatta border. (They forgot to give us our stamp at the Omani border even though we had asked if they did…) Thus, we lost too much time and the sun had already set when we were back in the UAE.
How did you like this Dubai to Muscat by road itinerary?
How did you like this article? Let me know in the comments below! Have you done a road trip already? Or visited Oman or the UAE?
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I promise that I won’t spam you – but you will always be the first to know about my next destination guides or Lightroom and Instagram tips! Plus, you will get access to my exclusive and free member’s area! That’s where I share lots of invaluable additional content with you – like my hashtag list for Instagram!
