Mountains, wadis, dunes and camels in abundance in this biketouring route covering the northern part of Oman. Crossing from UAE to Khasab and then a ferry to Shinas, coastal highway towards Muscat and a slingshot loop into the mountains via Nizwa before heading to the Saudi Arabian border.
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HighlightsMy favorite highlights from Oman. Be sure to visit these on your tour around the Sultanate. Some of these are very hard to complete on a fully loaded touring bike unless you are a mountain beast.
Welcome to a different world. Or so at least it feels after you leave the busy roads and skyscrapers of UAE to enter this small Omani exclave located at the very tip of the Arabian peninsula. Here there’s a feeling of remoteness and only a few scattered settlements are spread out along the narrow coastal stretch.
I crossed the Al Dara Border midday and it was very quiet with no queues. There is an ATM, National Bank of Oman (NBO), inside the border police office on the Omani side where I took out local currency without any fees on my Visa card. This is also where you go to sort out the visa and get your passport stamped - you can’t avoid seeing the ATM. At the Omani custom checkpoint, just a bit down the road, there is a water dispenser where you can fill up your water bottles.
From al Dara Border Crossing to Khasab, you ride on a road that is etched into the mountain side. It’s a wide road with a generous shoulder and very little traffic. You cruise easily along on smooth asphalt taking in the ocean coast line to your left and the steep, rugged bare mountain rock on your right. There are a couple of beaches just off the road where you can pitch your tent but expect some car noise. If you are not scared away by very steep gravel roads, there are isolated beaches to be found as well.
Khasab is not far away from the border crossing and you can easily reach the town in a day. Here you will find grocery stores, more ATM options and SIM card shops. You pass the ferry terminal just before entering town and you can pick up your ferry ticket here if you plan to connect with the rest of Oman by ferry.
Bassa Beach, just outside Khasab, is where locals come to hang out at night. There are a few food trucks selling basic food, sweets and tea. I spent many nights camping at the beach waiting for my ferry to depart. Besides hanging out at the beach, you can entertain yourself with a dolphin tour (dhow cruising around the khors) or if you are a bit adventurous, then there is a mountain road leading to Rawdah and Jebel al Harim. Exploring this area is quickly done and I wouldn’t recommend lingering around for more than one full day. I only came here for the ferry ride to Shinas which would let me see the coast from the ocean side. Spoiler alert: the ferry ride was not all that spectacular. If I could redo my route I would have skipped the Musandam peninsula and gone straight to the mainland of Oman.
Section 2: Shinas to Khafdi
I took the ferry from Khasab and arrived at the ferry port of Shinas. Get yourself quickly to Sohar from Shinas. Nothing much exciting to look at here. Coastal road from Sohar to Al Khaburah is scenic, interesting and with low-key settlements. Here you'll see fishermen drying their nets on the beach and keeping their boats covered from the sun under thatched roofs of palm tree leaves. The constant smell of dead fish reminds you how these Omanis sustain their living. Wild camping options on the beach are plentiful and remember to pay attention to the fluorescent green glow in the breaking ocean waves at night.
From Al Khaburah you get some more coastal roads but there is also some urban biking you can't avoid since the coastal roads are not connected all the way. After Al Suwayq you take a 90 degrees turn and head for the mountains. Very soon you'll find yourself in a vast open landscape with wild camels along the road.
Wadi Alhoqain marks the entrance to the mountain region. Here you have small canyon landscapes with snaking rivers and many oasis-like areas with date palm trees which all together makes this area look surprisingly lush and green. The mountains start to rise up as you travel further up the Wadi. At the top you will reach Khafdi with Rustaq close by if you need a bigger city for accommodation or other logistics. There are a strip of supermarkets and restaurants in Khafdi. Tank up on energy and get ready for some majestic mountains. You are soon in for a treat.
Section 3: Khafdi to Nizwa
Shortly after Khafdi the road turns off and you'll soon be riding in a super narrow valley with walls of mountains on each side. The road is elevated with a big concrete wall to protect it from the rampant river that comes after heavy rain in the mountains further inland. The scenery here is well worth it.
Ayn Umq is the last you'll see of asphalt roads until you reach the top next to Shorfet Alalamin Hotel located on the Birkat Al Sharaf Mountain. From here on it's gravel off road. The elevation meters slowly add up until Bald Sayt and then rockets up until you reach the top. This road is known as Wadi Sahtan.
The road from Ayn Umq and over the Birkat Al Sharaf Mountain is probably the most mountain scenic you'll find in Oman but also the most difficult to tackle on a touring bike. The views of the mountains here are jaw dropping and you do get to pay a steep price. The elevation gradients are frequently above 20% and with loose gravel you will have a very difficult time pushing a heavy touring bike uphill. I often took off the panniers to be able to push the bike. Otherwise I was slipping and struggling to get a good grip with my feet. This is the craziest steep mountain road I've encountered so far on my travels. I must admit that I accepted defeat and hitched a ride in a car from Bimah to the top.
If you do decide to go for it then allow yourself one day to get from Khafdi to Ayn Umq, then one day from Ayn Umq to Bimah. Another day to reach Hatt with a pitstop in beautiful Bald Sayt and then brace yourself for a fourth day with superhuman struggling to get to the top. There should be supplies in Bald Sayt and water in the villages you pass if you ask locals.
From the Shorfet Alalamin Hotel you will have downhill fun on asphalt paved roads all the way to Nizwa. The descent gives you a really nice view of Al Hamra and plateaus in between mountains. After the descent there is a boring and stressful busy road to Nizwa. No shoulder and heavy traffic makes this last part not very enjoyable. Luckily it is quickly done and you are in Nizwa.
I would recommend doing this section in the opposite direction, meaning that you will head from Nizwa towards Ayn Umq and Khafdi. This way you can bike up an asphalt paved road to the top with less aggressive elevation gradients. Your main downhill part will then be on gravel where you can do controlled braking but be aware that a heavy fully loaded touring bike might slip on some parts where the gravel is loose and where it is very steep. Better to walk the bike down the steepest part. This should also save you one day of travel time. Spend one day from Nizwa to Birkat Al Sharaf Mountain and then one day to Bald Sayt and the third and last to Khafdi. Also, heavily reconsider doing this road during or just after rain when the gravel turns to slippery mud.
Another entry point or exit of the area is to do the Wadi Bani Awf which is rumored to be even more scenic than the others in the area. It connects with the main road between Rustaq and Al Awabi on one end and Bimah on the other.
One thing is sure. I'm coming back to this area with a lighter setup and a full week of time to criss-cross all the wadis in the area. Because it's a spectacular place.
Section 4: Nizwa to Ibri to Rub' al Khali Border (Saudi Arabia)
Nizwa has an interesting fort to visit. A detour to Bahla is worthwhile to catch a glimpse of Bahla Fort and to ride the small roads to Al Hamra with an impressive mountain range behind which Jebel Shams hides. There are some sideroads from Nizwa to Bahla but you can't avoid the highway all together. The boring highway is not that bad and it has a wide shoulder and is a quick transport route if you choose this way.
A short bike ride from Al Hamra is the charming mountain village of Misfat al Abriyyin. Although it is a bit overrun by tourists, it's worth the climb up the mountain side on well paved asphalt roads. Walk around the terraces with date palm trees, look out for the falaj system that provides water for the village and sip a cold coffee while you enjoy the view. You can do all of this in half a day.
It's a steep climb from Misfat al Abriyeen to Al Khitaym but very much worth it even though you will have to backtrack to Al Minthar. I'm talking about the Omani Grand Canyon and the viewpoint overlooking the peak of Jebel Shams. I camped for the night 10km from Al Khitaym, dividing the total climb over two days, but you can do it all in one long day if you're really fit. The next day I did the last part and arrived early enough to spend 4 hours doing the W6 aka Balcony Walk. It's a jaw dropper of a walk and at the end you'll come to an abandoned village and ask yourself what made people settle here in the past. Be sure not to miss the pool above and behind the abandoned village. Water up here is crazy expensive so debate with yourself how much it's worth to carry up enough water. I was lucky to be given water from Omanis driving up in their cars.
After taking in the last views of the Omani Grand Canyon, backtrack to Al Minthar and take the gravel road to Sint. It's another piece of very steep gravel road but it's short enough to be easily doable. Very scenic and there are hardly any cars. Once you reach the paved asphalt road to Sint, either go here for a pit stop or continue onwards to Al Ayn. Enjoy riding on smooth asphalt again. And especially enjoy Jebel Misht that pops up in front of you. One last majestic mountain rock before the sandy desert plains begin. Just after Al Ayn there are plenty of good wadis to wild camp and some spots offer Jebel Misht as a backdrop view - what more can you ask for.
The road from Al Ayn to Bat is very scenic with smaller mountains making up the scenery. Houses scattered around in this barren and rocky desert landscape. In Bat you can stop to see some old Archaeological tombs but don't get your expectations up because they are really not that impressive. There should also be something similar in Al Ayn. From Bat the mountains slowly disappear and you have a more urban and boring scenery until Ibri which I didn't like much.
Ibri was just a stopover to get food provisions for the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia. They have a LuLu Hypermarket in town which is perfect for that purpose.
Shortly after Ibri, all the mountains are gone. Instead you got an endless plain of desert. Just a few very lonely trees breaks the utter flatness. Packs of camels wander far and wide for a few scraps of food. Signs warn about low visibility in strong winds due to whirling sand in the air. On the horizon you can see the rising dunes. The border to Saudi Arabia and the Empty Quarter is just up the road.
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Hi, I am Dani Kainoa. Summer of 2021, I set out on a journey to explore the world on a bicycle. Join my world biketour and follow my travel blog for stories, reviews, guides and more. Visit my photo journal on Instagram to keep up with more of my adventures.
