Exploring Oman › Oman itineraries › The 3-Day Escape: Coast, Islands, Nizwa
Photo: Andries Oudshoorn · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Wikimedia Commons
The 3-Day Escape: Coast, Islands, Nizwa
Day 1 Wadi Mibam, Sur and the turtles. Day 2 the Daymaniyat Islands. Day 3 Misfat and Nizwa. One Muscat hotel, any car.
Three day trips from one Muscat bed, no repacking: the coast and the turtles, the islands, then the mountains. The Muscat Day covers the capital itself, so do that one first. Every stop timed, every rial on the receipt.
| Best for | Your first 3 days in Oman |
|---|---|
| Base | One Muscat hotel, 2 nights |
| Car | Any car (4×4 to drive up Mibam) |
| Days | 3 |
Day 1: Wadi Mibam, Sur & the turtles
coast road, dhow yard, Ras Al Hadd · driving ~5.5h
08:00 Coast road east
Route 17, the sea on your left.
09:45 Wadi Mibam
The top of the Tiwi valley: emerald pools, nobody there.
13:00 Lunch on the way, or in Sur
14:00 Sur dhow yard
Ocean-going dhows still built by hand. Walk right up to the hulls.
15:00 Sur old town & the Ayjah lighthouse
Whitewashed lanes, three watchtowers, the lighthouse across the bay.
17:00 Ras Al Hadd at sunset (optional)
Where the sun rises first in Arabia. Tonight it is the sunset.
20:30 Ras Al Jinz turtle reserve (optional)
Green turtles nesting in the dark.
21:30 Back to Muscat
Days 2 to 3
Day 2 The Daymaniyat Islands
boat, snorkel, sunset beach
Day 3 Nizwa & Misfat
the mountain village, the fort, the souq
The whole route, hotel and car included: from about OMR 109 per person when four share.
All three days, hour by hour, are in the app, free. The drives between stops, where to sleep, every entry fee and a costs receipt per person. Answer a few questions about your trip (under 30 seconds) and this route opens, together with The Muscat Day.
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Other Oman itineraries
- The Wadi Shab Day, One day, the famous swim, timed to the hour and costed to the rial.
- The Muscat Day, The capital done properly in one day. No 4x4, barely any driving, home for dinner.
- The 5-Day Grand Tour, The 3-Day Escape, plus Wadi Bani Khalid and the Wahiba Sands, then Quriyat and Wadi Dayqah. One Muscat hotel, 4 nights.
- The 7-Day Full Oman, The 5-Day Grand Tour, plus Jabal Akhdar and a Muscat sea day: Sidab, Marjan, Muscat Bay. One hotel for the whole week.
From Exploring Oman, a guide to Oman by Hussain, a licensed Omani tour guide (@hussain_explores). 67 places and two 1-day plans, free to read; the 3, 5 and 7-day routes are in the app.
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