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Wadi

Wadi Shab

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Wadi Shab (Wadi Shab) also spelled Wadi Shab, is a very popular wadi located in the Al Sharqiyah Region in Oman. It is a very popular outdoor attraction for both locals and expats, and people come here for the nature, to swim in the fresh water pools or just to have a barbecue. The main attraction of the wadi is the water fall in the cave, which you can reach after a roughly 40 mins hike and swimming in 2-3 pools. I really love coming to this wadi as it is not very far from Muscat, is easily accessible even with a saloon car and because the pools are always full with clear blue water!

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Wadi Shab is located in the Al Sharqiyah region in Oman, it is less than 2 hours drive from Muscat and you can combine your trip here with a visit to Wadi Tiwi, Bimmah Sinkhole and/or the lovely beach of Tiwi. The wadi is definitely very popular and it gets very busy during public holidays with many families having a picnic at the entrance of the wadi, so best to avoid it during that time if you don’t like crowded wadis.

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Before you go:

You may just want to enjoy a leisurely walk at the entrance of the wadi and see some of the pools, or you are more adventurous and would like to dive in the pools from the mountain cliffs (after all, the 2012 Red Bull Cliff Diving final was held in Wadi Shab), you can do both in Wadi Shab.

So what to take is pretty standard stuff:

  • Sun-screen
  • Food, snacks and plenty of drinking water
  • Swimming clothes and towel
  • Slippers or a sturdy water-proof footwear
  • Camera and water proof bag (otherwise you won’t get to take any pictures inside the cave)

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Inside Wadi Shab:

Depending on the water level, you may have to get get a boat to take you across to the other side from the car park, where you start the hike. There are villagers right at the car park who will take you across the pond, and the price is 1 OMR per person. This includes the ride back from the other side after you finish. Of course you can also decide to just walk through the water pond – but I personally tend to think 1 OMR is a small fee to pay to support the locals in this stunning place of Oman. On another note, there is FINALLY a public toilet at the entrance.

Inside you will have to walk along palm groves, on rugged rocky cliffs and swim through some pools to get to the main attraction, which the submerged cave with waterfalls. It will take you about 30-45 minutes walk to get to the cave and to enter it you have to swim through a hole between the mountains. Sometimes the water level is too high that you have to dive under the water to pass through so be careful, especially if you’re visiting after it has been raining. There are ropes in the cave which you can use to climb up the waterfall and jump in the pool, and also go up where there is another small pool, but I haven’t explorer any further unfortunately.

Of course, if you are not comfortable swimming through a narrow slit to get to the cave there is still plenty to do. There are a couple of deep pools and water falls before that, and several spots you can jump from in the fresh waters. In addition, try to find the old semi-demolished houses (which I was told was used to keep cattle) at one of the cliffs.

I personally love going to Wadi Shab since it is so easy to get to and the pools are always amazing and clean. However, something that always bothers me is the large amount of rubbish I see thrown around there, which is unfortunately expected due to the high number of visitors it gets.

Have you visited Wadi Shab? Did you get to go further after the waterfall in the cave?

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How to get to Wadi Shab:

You don’t need a 4-wheel drive to get to the Wadi Shab as it just just off the Muscat-Sharqiyah highway and you get to it by passing through Tiwi village, you can just park your car and start your hike.

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95 replies on “Wadi Shab”

Any helpful transport facility to get there from Muscat ?
There is no licence to drive here for me.. 🙁

Your best bet is to either hire a car for a day or get a taxi ride. Unless you try Couchsurfing to see if you can find someone to share a ride with 🙂

Hi
Is it possible to get a minibus going to Sur and getting off at Wadi Shab? I also don’t have a car so I am relying on public transport to get me there.
Any tips would be highly appreciated

Hi Alex, you are likely able to get a ride from Sur to Wadi Shab as it is not that far. However, I wouldn’t know if minibuses typically go there, your best bet would be to stop a taxi and negotiate price with him to get you there. Good luck!

I went through Tiwi duirng 1991-93 in my time working throughout Oman. Thanks for posting the photos of the new bridge. It brought back many happy memories of a great part of the country! In those days, the only link through was the unsealed road across the wadi. The new bridge and highway look excellent. Posted: David Thompson (New Zealand land surveyor, ex-Ministry of Water Resources, Topographic Survey Section, Oman)

Not that I am aware of! Your best bet is to get a grab a taxi and get there. Remember to negotiate price before going 🙂

It’s no longer 200 Baisa per person with the boats, last time I went there it was 1 rial if I’m not mistaken.

Good afternoon,

We’re going to Muscat from 28th to 29th of this month. I would like to know if you have any tour, do you? If you has, how much is it?

Thanks

Hi,
We have 2 persons, we had a 10-day trip in Oman from beginning of April, 2015. We have been fascinated by the beauty of Wadi Shab, and now I found information about Wadi Al-Arbeieen. We would like to come back Oman again, maybe next year. Is it allowed to do camping overnight in Wadi Shab or Wadi Al-Arbeieen in Oman?
Thanks,
Phuong

Hi Phuong,

Glad you enjoyed your visit to Wadi Shab. There is nothing disallowing people from camping in the wadis overnight. I have seen people camp at Wadi Al Arbaeen near the carpark. However, I’d say it will probably be tricky finding good camping spots and you also have to keep in mind possibility of flash-floods so check forecast beforehand!
Ali

Hi there

Looking at having a weekend away from the uae and scouting oman out for some wadi’s.
Bimmah Sinkhole looks extremely appealing, is this an all year round spot to visit or does it dry up through the summer.
Now seeing the comments and pictures on Wadi Shab am very keen to spend some time here aswell, same again is it worth going to in the month of May or will it be dried up.
Is it far to Wadi Shab from Bimmah Sinkhole?
Once in Wadi Shab are the signs directing you to the best areas?

Hi John,

Visiting Omani wadis is always a great idea and I am sure you will have great time. Just be aware that it might be a bit challenging during the hot summer months, I remember the last time I went to Wadi Al Arbaeen the car temperature showed 44°C where we parked, but that was in July.

Bimmah Sinkhole has water throughout the year, and so would Wadi Shab (it could be a bit drier than winter I suppose but the pools had always been full even when I visited in summer). The sinkhole is actually on your way to Wadi Shab (its about 30 kms from Wadi Shab) so you can definitely do both on the same visit.

There are no signs in Wadi Shab but you just need to make your way inside the valley, and as it gets narrower you will encounter the water pools 🙂

Happy travels!

Do you need to arrange by a local guide to get here? If so and if you know where and how to find them? For non-swimmers but would like to cliff dive, do they provide safety gears like life-jacket?

Thanks heaps!

Hey!
I wouldn’t know of any local guides that could take you there unfortunately. Your best bet is probably to check with the Wadi Shab resort just opposite, they should have either organised tours or contacts with locals who can help you. Besides that maybe try Muscat Diving & Adventure Centre (who also provide personal flotation devices) but they usually guide advanced places so I’d be surprised if they would do Wadi Shab.

But to be honest you can explore the place without a local guide. The trek is not very demanding and it is difficult to get lost 🙂 And if you’re not a swimmer just buy a life jacket or take a tube with you 🙂

Hope you manage to visit this beautiful wadi!
Ali

Wow that was strange. I just wrote an extremely long comment but after I clicked submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again. Regardless, just wanted to say wonderful blog!

Hi there,

August is probably not the best time to visit, with the scorching heat it will be very tiring to walk through the wadi. However, as far as I am aware the pools should still have water year-round (but probably at lower levels). I visited in June/July a couple of years back and there was plenty of water.

So if you can wait until the weather gets better, then it will probably be a more pleasant trip 🙂 But if you have to go in August, just take necessary precautions (sunscreen, keep hydrated, etc..).

Hope that helps 🙂

I’m not really sure I’m afraid. If you were to do it I’d suggest you could perhaps negotiate with a taxi driver to be your “driver” for the whole trip, i.e. to stop on other attractions on the way etc.. Again I can’t really think how much it would cost but maybe 40-50 rials? Let me know if you find out 🙂

Can children get in the water ?? Are there shallow , but clean and fresh water?
can children about 13 years get in the water? do the water cover their chest atleast(but not head to avoid drowning of those who dont know to swim). Pls reply oman tripperr!!
I am ggoingn there

Hi Abhijith,
The water pools are rather deep especially, and children who can’t swim must be supervised as they’re likely to only be able to play around at the beginning shallow points. Just make sure you keep them off the deep areas, and watch over them the whole time.
Ali

Hi Monica,
Weather should be fine in March, might be a bit too hot if you’re not used to it but stay hydrated and it should be fine. There shouldn’t be any problem going from Muscat port by Taxi, but it might cost you quite a bit (still not sure how much, I’m guessing more than 30 rials?).
Let me know how your trip goes 🙂
Ali

I love the pictures of Wadi Shab and the sink hole on the website. My friends and I (from Dubai) are planning to visit Wadi Shab & Sink hole.

A question
Is camping allowed by the wadi area?
Is it a good time to travel by of November….

Hi,

Thanks, I am glad you like them. I hope you have a good time there, November should be a good time to visit just keep in mind the wadi might be a bit busy on weekends as the good weather brings lots of people there 🙂 You can camp close to the wadi in the nearby beaches, it is hard to find a good spot but but it does the job. The best location for me was a couple of kms before you reach the wadi if you’re driving from Muscat, but not sure if there is access any more after they built Wadi Shab hotel.

Hope that helps, and hope you enjoy the trip 🙂
Ali

Hi Monica,
Unfortunately, I don’t know that yet. I really need to find out as I keep getting lots of questions about that 🙂
Ali

Ok.Than you.
We are a family from Spain.We spend one day in Muscat next March.
Do you know any person interested in be our driver for knowing sinkhole, fins and Wadi Shad?

Hi Monica,

I am in the process of offering guided tours, but haven’t posted any details yet. If you let me know what day you are looking to go to the Wadi specifically (as I can only do weekends), I can drive you there and be your guide for a fee. You can contact me on ali@omantripper.com

Cheers,
Ali

Dear Ali, we are going to cruise in the UAE & Oman during christmas. On 23 th december I have booked a rental car so we are free to drive around. Do you know a wadi which is closer by Muscat? I have seen Wadi Shab and it is really beautifull, But maybe you know another wadi a little bit closer by the city?

Thank you for your reply!
Best regards,
Monique

Hi Monique,

I realize this is not useful for you anymore, I didn’t see your comment until today due to issues with getting notifications. I hope you managed to visit another wadi during your road trip? I would have recommended Wadi Al Arbaeen myself 🙂

Best,
Ali

Hey! Just visited Wadi Shab yesterday….what an AWESOME place! Ali, thanks so much for taking the time to write and answer questions, and i too may be able to help.

as far as a Jan 2016 update on some things and to also answer a few questions posed in earlier comments:
the boat ride is now 1 rial per person round trip. You pay up front with the idea that once across the river, you have paid and they will come get you. The guys did not want a tip from us, etc. Was very easy and pleasant.
cab rides: it is an hour and a half drive from Muscat…even more so from the airport…a taxi would honestly be VERY expensive.
The hike there is nice…and just a few spots where little ones may have a bit of a rough time. To get all the way to the cave, you need to know how to swim or at least bring a flotation device.
as far as actual GUIDES….i did see a few…but the do little more than show you the path…but…as Ali pointed out on Jul 25th :But to be honest you can explore the place without a local guide. The trek is not very demanding and it is difficult to get lost 🙂 And if you’re not a swimmer just buy a life jacket or take a tube with you 🙂
(although Ali…a bus or even just some sort of transportation offered by you guys might get quite the business)
if there is anything i forgot to mention or address from a recent standpoint, lemme know and i can help. As it stands, i am living here for the next 3 years, so I will be going out there again soon!

Again: Ali…thank you so much for this website and your fast responses to people!

Hi Dave,

Thanks for writing the update, its great to know you had a good experience there.
I have stopped receiving email notifications about comments on the blog for some reason, which along with my very busy schedule (I recently returned to Oman and got a new job) resulted in missing loads of comments.. and unfortunately not being as fast to respond to people!

Cheers,
Ali

Thanks for sharing this.

We went today and this guide helped.

The only thing is that the location shown above is wrong.

@Monica: the 1 rial is just for the boat ride from the parking lot across the little pond to the start of the hike. you still have to hike/swim the rest of the way to the cave.
and yes… 1 rial total to go across and come back. (as long as you make it back before 1730…they leave after that and you would have to swim. (in reality it is only about 100 meters)

Dear Ali and the team of Omantripper,
I am a French citizen going to Oman on my own for one week vacation.
I very much like your website, nice photos and plenty of useful information for my upcomiong trip to Oman.
I am looking for the way to go from Wadi Tiwi to Wadi Shab passing thru the small village of Al Ghomb. I heard there is a trail which goes up at the end of Wadi Tiwi, then cross the plateau and down to Wadi Shab.
Do you have information about it?
Thanks
Christophe

Dear Christophe,
Glad to hear you find the information here useful for your upcoming trip.
I am not aware of any path that goes from Wadi Tiwi to Wadi Shab; however, there could very well be a path there its just that it doesn’t have any information available online. When are you planning to go on that trip? I will try to get contact information of someone who might know that and email it to you.
Cheers,
Ali

We visited Oman last week and we really had a great time, I like wadi Shab the most.
Still i didnt visit Wadi bani Khalid n Wadi Arbaeen, next time insha Allah.
Thanks for sharing good places to visit in this web, its really helpfull.

Hi Afif,

I’m glad you liked Wadi Shab, and hope you get to visit the other wadis in your next trip 🙂

Best,
Ali

Hi,
I recently visited wadi shaab, I was mesmerised by the beauty of the wadi and its surrounding nature!
Few points I would like to share.
It’s about hour and a half’s drive from muscat to Tiwi. Though it is not that far, make sure tank is filled, as the nearest filling station is 35 kilos away. Once you reach near to Tiwi you will get to see the beautiful blue beach and wadi shaab resort.You can get freshened up in the resort or else you can use the public toilet at the entrance of Wadi shaab.
Crossing the small pond : The boat ride costs 1 rial for round trip, but it if you are planning to have a swim in the wadis water, it’s wise to change into ur swimming suit and cross the pond, as it is not deep at all.
Then you will have to walk for around 10-12 minutes to reach the cliff but be aware of the snakes (Arabian vipers), if you have experience you will be able to here the sound of those snakes tails reverbing on the mountains. From the cliff u can dive into the blue water of wadi. Don’t jump if u have height fobia!

The main attraction point is actually 30 minutes walking distance from here , if you really want to go there make sure u are wearing tracking shoes and have a stick in hand as the area In Front is also filled with snakes !
It’s better if you start early at 5:00am from Muscat so that you reach Tiwi early and start your journey.

Thank you all !

Hi – Just a quick question we are looking at going to Wadi Shab late October / November. We will be driving over from Abu Dhabi for the weekend – can you camp near by? If not what are some good reasonably priced accommodation to stay at close by?

Hi Jess,

You can camp at the beaches on the Sharqiyah region, it might be tricky finding a spot if you reach at night so make sure you have plenty of day-light hours to have a look around. Alternatively, there is a “Wadi Shab Resort” right next to the Wadi entrance; I have never stayed there, so not sure how it is but that could be an option.

Best,
Ali

Hello,
Can some one suggest if visiting Wadi Shab with a 2.5 year old is ok? or do we need to be careful of something.

Hi Rajesh,

A good part of the wadi is just walking on gravel and easy path, few few spots you need to either carry them or help them through; however, there are some spots later on that I would be extremely anxious of taking a 2.5 year old, as the rocks get slipper etc.. I personally would wait until they are a bit older if I was in your place, but you can still take them and spend time at the start of the wadi with the pools. Hope that helps.

Best,
Ali

HI, Really enjoy this blog and it has been very helpful in planning our upcoming trip to Oman! This may be a crazy question, but are people hiking in swim wear or changing over or just wearing something they can hike and swim in? And is there a safe place to leave your “stuff” while swimming through to the waterfall? It is likely we will carry water and snacks for our kids …. maybe a towel?….any tips?? Thanks!

Hi Krista,

Glad you find the information helpful. In Wadi Shab, generally people hike with their normal clothes and change it just before the pools. It is entirely up to you, but the ‘trek’ takes a bit of time (40mins-1hr depends on your speed), and there is a good chance you get sunburned in your swimwear, so just keep that in mind. There are a few crevices and tiny ‘cavelets’ to the left of the first pool where you need to start swimming and I generally leave most of my stuff there. I have never personally had anything taken when I leave them there , and never heard of anyone having something taken from them, but I would be sure to tuck all valuable away and put them in bags. Take plenty of water, snacks, some sunscreen and hats. A towel will come handy too 🙂

Hope that answers all your questions, if you’re unsure about anything do let me know. Have a lovely time in Oman.

Best,
Ali

Topic: car sharing
Hey guys,
We are an easy going couple travelling in oman but unfortunately without drivers license. If you have a car and plan on going to wadi shab from mascat, we would be happy to join you and share the cost. And be good company, of course 😉
If you don’t have a car, we could organise a driver and share the cost.
We would be available to go to the wadi roughly between 5-11. November 2016.
Thanks & regards!

hi everyone,

glad I found that site!

Just decided to go for a short 10 day trip to oman,arriving march 21 early morning at 7.

plan for the day:

get the rental car,water,snacks etc and then drive to Wadi Shab with a stop in Bimmah Sinkhole..spend a few hours exploring the Wadi before heading to Sur in afternoon for a short visit and then on to Rash al Hadd for the turtle experience…

Some questions now and hopefully i can get answers and advice,)

Will that be posiible in one day?
What are ‘must see’ places in Sur?

Where can i find a guide for turtle exploring?

Any places in Rash al Hadd for camping?

thanks for reading and have a lovely day!

Hi Rayk,

Thanks, glad to hear you like our site 🙂

As for your questions:
1) Your plan is possible especially with your early start-time but might be pushing it a bit if you’re not used to driving in Oman/have issues with getting the car etc.. I reckon you’ll probably be dead-tired by the time you reach Sur to do anything (and it’ll be dark by then). I think doing Wadi Shab, Bimmah Sinkhole then drive Ra’s Al Hadd area to find a camping spot, set up camp then go do turtle watching – you can explore Sur the next morning 🙂
2) To be honest it’s something I have been meaning to do for a while – write a post about places in Sur. The corniche is worth a stop, and you can probably walk/explore the sea-side a bit there (walk up to the watch tower for a nice view), there is a Sur ‘Maritime Museum’ that might be worth exploring and the ship-building docks, but I haven’t personally visited either place to know much about them – but Sur is famous for ship-building so you should try and see these places.
3) The beaches where turtles come and lay their eggs are protected so you have to book a viewing through Ra’s Al Jinz reserve – this is in order to protect the turtles. You can find all the information here: http://www.rasaljinz-turtlereserve.com/pages/34/turtle-viewing
4) I haven’t camped in that area before, but I really suggest you go there and scout for a place – the drive from Sur to Ra’s Al Hadd is about 40kms or so and there must be quite a few spots along the coastline to camp but they will be impossible to see at night – so try to arrive there with sufficent day-light hours to scout.

Hope this helps!

Best,
Ali

awesome!

Thanks so much Ali for taking your time,very helpful!

Guess I will follow your advice!

thanks again!

We were in Wadi Shab in March. And it was an amazing trip!
It is so beautiful in the wadi.
We brought 2 kids of 4 and 6 years. This was not a problem. But off course we walked a bit slower than most people (especially in the places with narrow paths and far drops on the sides of the path), so it took us 1,5 hour to make it to the water.
We brought arm bands for the kids, so they could “float” on the water. And then we all swam into the cave. It was really a wonderful experience for all of us.

You can do it with kids, not easily, but they can manage it. And most of the time, the trip is not a problem for them. Only on smaller occasions.
I wouldn’t want to bring babies, that must be carried on the arm. There is too little room for that to feel safe on some of the path. Off course we saw local people doing it. It was only us tourists, that felt a little scared by the narrow path, I guess 🙂

We ended up being there for 6 hours. So, remember plenty of water, snacks/food, sunscreen and a sunhat.
Also, we were so happy, that we had brought swimming shoes! You could easily spot, who was trying to walk barefoot on the stones in the river, and who were walking around more relaxed in the river, wearing swimming shoes.

Thank you very much for a very helpful website, OmanTripper – where we found several helpful tips before our trip.

Hi Henriette,

Sounds like you had a fantastic time at Wadi Shab, it is one of the most beautiful wadis for me personally 🙂 I am very glad to hear you and your family enjoyed it and thank you for sharing your experience here!

Best,
Ali

Hi Ali,
I have a few questions:
1. How deep is the water from the start to the waterfall and back?
2. Is the (small) entrance to the waterfall always “open” or can be flooded? How can one know the status before starting the hike?
3. Is the waterfall always “on”? I mean does it get dry? Because if someone is hiking all the way and then swimming then don’t wanna get disappointed 🙂
4. Is there any (tourist) information center at the resort or somewhere to ensure one has the correct and upto date information?

Thanks
Parind

Hi Parind,

1) I don’t know the exact water depth along the pools, but the deepest part is at the waterfall side and I am guessing it is 5-8 meters in depth. The pools before that are probably 3-4 meters in depth and only in parts of them (i.e. you’ll need to do short bursts of ‘swims’ to get across while resting in between – if you’re not a good swimmer).
2) From the dozen times or so I have visited Wadi Shab, the cave entrance has always been open, the water level will have to be *really* high for it to be inaccessible.
3) Again, the waterfall has always been there in every trip I went. I understand that wadis in Sharqiyah region generally have waterfalls throughout the year, so you should be OK 🙂
4) Ask the villagers at the car-park or the people at the boats ferrying people across, they will be able to tell you the status of the Wadi on the particular day of your visit.

Best,
Ali

Was there today.
Charge was 1 Rial per person for return crossing.

It is a pretty hard going hike …. first 1/2 goes OK … though some of the narrow high path ways are almost glass smooth.
2nd half is hard going … so much so my wife stopped 2/3rd of way.
It is strange that they have laid multiple large water pipes almost blocking path … especially near the banana plantation, should be off the path.

I went on to the pools … and it was a great experience – so glad I went there today.

Also visited the Sink Hole on drive down.

Hi Rick,

Thanks for sharing your experience. Indeed the boat ride price is now 1 rial per person, I have updated the post accordingly.

I am sorry to hear that your wife did not manage to go all the way through – wadi treks can be sometimes deceiving due to not having a clear path and the slippery rocks! I understand that the water pipes are used by villagers to pump water to the village – I also wish that they could move them away from the path but I was told once that these are replacements of older ones which were swept away (you can see the broken support columns) after cyclone Gonu in 2007.

Good that you enjoyed your experience overall though 🙂

Best,
Ali

Hi Ali,
I plan to drive from dubai to muscat and then onto the wadi. We are 6 people in total (3 couples). Can you suggest us the best way to hike around the wadi and the best days to avoid crowds.

Any additional information would be great.
1. Swimming in the pool for females is ok?
2. Any public toilets when you start hiking the wadi?
3. Is the month of march good weather wise to enjoy the wadi?

appreciate your assistance and anything else more you can help us with

There are public toilets at the car park.
The walk is significant … need good activity sandals or stout shoes.

It is also along rock face at points

Plus the main pathway is almost fully blocked by large water pipes in the early stages.
It is a great hike … providing you are able bodied over rough ground.

Hi Jasit,

There is no easy way to explain how to traverse the wadi with text – but the good thing with Wadi Shab is that it often sees lots of crowds so you can just follow them from the car-park. It is a relatively straight-forward wadi to go through as well, as the ‘trail’ is somehow marked in the start. The wadi gets very busy on weekends, so if you want to avoid crowds try to visit on a week-day (but then you might not have enough crowds to follow – if you need a guide feel free to drop me an email).

For your questions:
1) Females can swim freely in the pools, many female tourists do so even in bikini swimsuits once the reach the pools inside the Wadi. However, if you want to show your respect to the locals and their culture, avoiding bikinis and wearing like a t-shit will be nice.
2) There is a public toilet (and a place to buy soft drinks, water and snacks) at the start of the wadi next to the car park
3) March should be ok – it’ll still be hot at midday so pack sunscreen and a hat

Hope that helps,
Ali

Hi

I will be going in a couple of weeks, would be great if you could get in touch and provide a quote on the tour to wadi shab?

let me know your thoughts.

thank you

Hi,
I´ve got a lot of great information from this page, thank you 🙂
Me and my two friends are going to Oman in May and we are three girls around 30 years old.
I´m wondering if there will be any problem for us with renting a car with a Swedish drive license?
Also, is it possible to visit Wadi Shab and the sinkhole at the same day or will it be stressful?

Thank you for a reply! I am soooo exited for our trip to Oman 🙂
Have a great day!

Josefine

Hi Josefine,

Thanks – I am glad to hear you find the information helpful 🙂

I believe expats can drive with your foreign driving licenses in Oman for a period of time; however, I am really not sure and it is best to check with the Royal Omani Police to be 100% sure (although, sometimes it is hard to find information on their website – but this is just my usual disclaimer as information could change without my knowledge).

As for your question – yes, both Wadi Shab & Sinkhole can be visited on the same day without it being too much of a stress. I often do sinkhole after a wadi trip to wind-back and relax.

Hope that is helpful, and I am sure you’ll enjoy your time in Oman!

Best,
Ali

Hej Josefine,

Jag jobbar i Muscat och ni behöver ha internationellt körkort om ni ska hyra bil här nere. Är superenkelt att fixa på motormännens hemsida.

Skulle även säga att det inte kommer vara några problem att besöka både wadin och sinkholet på samma dag. Sinkholet är coolt men det är inget ställe man stannar på i flera timmar.

Vill också passa på att tipsa om att
1. Ã…k ut i sandöknen – det finns inget som liknar detta
2. Besök wadi Bani Khalid om ni har möjlighet. Riktigt härligt.

Tänk på att det är sjukt varmt i maj så ta med svala men täckande kläder (man bör täcka knän och axlar). Ta även med paraply som ni kan ha för att skydda er mot solen.

Om ni vill ha mer hands-on tips. Tveka inte att kontakta mig. Min mail är Malin.amanda@hotmail.com

Annars, hoppas att ni får det gött!

Hello!
I’m organizing an ORE travel in Northern Oman with my husband and our children of 6 and 4 years old. Do you think that Wadi Shab hike it’s too hard for them, even in the first part? And what about the water temperature in late december? Thank you very much for your useful blog!

No its not a difficult hike at all, infact its the most unique in the region, season is about to end so better hurry up 🙂

Hi Silvana,

Temperature should be great in late December (even a bit ‘cold’ for Omani standards). Difficulty will really depends on how adventurous your kids are, the first part is really just a stroll along the farms and then the gravel, and even once you reach the Wadi rocks it should still be doable with small kids (I see plenty of people bringing their kids all the way to the first pool) – so I think it should definitely be doable. Just make sure to pack enough sun protection for them as you will be exposed to direct sun and that will make it more tiring.

Hope that helps.
Ali

I went there today – arrived about 1130am on Friday. Extremely busy but that didn’t really detract from my enjoyment. Your page was very helpful, thank you.

Quick note – when you reach the cave with the waterfall, if anyone is intrepid enough to climb the rope up the waterfall, then you reach another pool which will be just as lovely as the others but empty of humans. Nice if you prefer solitude…

About to come here at 22 Aug. Do you think is still fine or too hot? Also, would like u to be my tour guide 🙂 🙂 🙂

Hi Winnie,

August is generally quite a hot month to visit Oman in general – but it is still worth exploring the outdoors as long as you plan properly for the heat. For Wadi Shab, I generally try go very early to do most of the trip before it gets too hot.

Regarding 22-Aug, please drop me an email to discuss the tour further 🙂

Best,
Ali

Best guide i’ve seen so far. maybe you can help me sir we will be visiting this place november or december 2019 will it be a best time to go or there will be a crowd on weekends because it’s already winter time? also can we commute from muscat to wadi shab by bus or taxi.

Hi Aldrin,

If you go on weekend during the winter season, Wadi Shab will be quite crowded. I strongly recommend you go very early in the morning to avoid the larger crowds! You can take a taxi to take you there, but it may be more cost effective to hire a car and go 🙂

Hope this helps,

Best,
Ali

Something to be aware of when visiting as a solo lady – it happened to me and later I got to know it’s an open secret – some of the young villagers that take you through the pond, they pick up some solo ladies, accompany them until the end, offer help and then once swimming through into the cave they offer showing “secret places” where well – they are open for something more. In my case one young guy from the boat offered to accompany me up and I couldn’t get rid of him – thing is I cannot swim well and refused to swim trough to the cave, I was too scared. He insisted etc. but I didn’t try.
Later on stayed in Sur at a local Coachsurfer who explained it’s pretty common ..
So solo ladies- beware!

Hi Ali. First of all thank you for this thread. Its a great piece of information for anyone who wants to visit Wadi Shab.
I will be visiting the same in the month of Jan 2023 tentatively. But i am getting my parents along with me who are 65 and 67 years old. They are completely active with no health problems as such.
What I wanted to know is, will they be able to do the trail/hike? Or will it be too much for them? And tentatively how long is the entire trail/hike in terms of distance and time? Is it uphill and difficult for the old? Is it absolutely necessary to wade through water or can we just enjoy the Wadi without really getting wet.
Thanks in advance for any help that you might provide.

Hi Kiran,

Thanks, happy to hear that!

If your parents are reasonably fit and active, they should manage the Wadi Shab hike. Its difficult to estimate the distance as my garmin loses signal in the wadi, but if I had to guess it will be ~2km one way (?). It shouldn’t take more than 1 hr walk, and maximum 1.5hr maximum (each way). Also – you can go through the trail which is reasonably well marked all the way to the first pool without wading through water.

Hope the above is helpful! If you are interested in doing this as part of my ‘Sharqiyah Wadis’ tour, feel free to drop me an email 🙂

Ali

Hi Ali!
I am planning to visit wadi shab on June. I am excited but my biggest concern is that I am not a good swimmer :(. Can I still enjoy wadi shab pools? Is there any rental life jacket around the area? Lastly, do you offer transportation service from Muscat?

Thanks in advance for your reply.

Hi Anthony,

You can still enjoy Wadi Shab even if you’re not a good swimmer. You can opt to just reach the first pools and enjoy there without venturing further in. If you want to go further in, then please do take care and definitely get a life jacket – I believe you can rent them from the villagers at the start of the wadi who operate the boats.

For transportation, I can find you someone although it will probably be comparable cost to someone taking you for the whole day to the Wadi anyway. Email me with the specific date and we can take it from there 🙂

Ali

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