Wadi Shab is only a short drive from Muscat and worth every minute! This wadi is a great representation of Oman and it’s natural beauty! Whether you are here for a hike, some wadi crossing by foot, swimming, or photography, Wadi Shab has something for the whole family or all of your friends to enjoy. (definition of a wadi- an area between mountains that is usually rocky and can retain water)
When you arrive, head under the highway overpass area and you will see a small parking lot. Park and then go to the edge of the boat dock and pay 1 Omani Rial to get on the boat and cross over (kids are free). This covers your return trip also.
Follow the path and stay to your right on the high edge. When you get to the falaj, cross to the left and stay on the left for a little while, then cross some small boulders down the middle. There are usually tourists and guides there, so easy to follow the crowd and the route towards the end.
It’s about 45 minutes walking inside to the swimming area. It’s a pretty easy walk, with some steps and places to step over some rocky terrain. Wear good shoes!
The last bit is the best! IF your a good swimmer go on to the end (you will need to do some swimming to get into the last cave. Some people do wear a life vest for safety! The very last part you will swim under the cave/rocks for a short part, but you can keep your head above the water and in the middle of the cave opening if the water is low enough. Then, in the last part, you can enter the cave area and see people jumping off the inside cliff if you are daring- join them! There a re a few spot inside the cave to hold on and rest from swimming. Only about 10- 12 people can fit in this area safely.
Be safe and travel with friends or a guide if you are not a good swimmer!
SNAPSHOT
| GPS Location | 22.844853, 59.239835 Exit Right then turn left and right again down the winding road towards the village to the right and you will be under the highway and near the wadi water |
| Activities | Hiking, trekking, swimming, photography, cliff jumping, swim inside a cave |
| Fitness level | level 1 hiking, swimming- depending on how deep you go in, you must be a good swimmer to go to the end cave area. Wear a life vest if needed! Shallow areas for walking/kids playing |
| Bring this | Waterproof camera bag, small backpack, good sturdy shoes/water shoes or hiking
Sunscreen, 1 Omani Rial per person |
| Around the Area | Wadi Tiwi, Fins Beach, Sur, Bimmah Sink Hole, Wadi Al Arbyeen |
| Time/Length | 3-4 hours, best to go in the morning around 8 AM, it’s too crowded after 12 |
| GoGo Rating | 4 **** |
Food– bring your own- great place for a picnic, or there are 3 local restaurants in the next village to your right when you are facing the sea. (Wadi Tiwi entrance) This place has some nice local food! Vegetarian and meat options!
Enjoy! What else did you like to do in this area? Please Share!
GoGo Dee
12 Comments
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Thank you for the great post
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Thanks for the excellent article
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A bit crowded for our taste but beautiful nonetheless. We would love to climb those rocks or swim through those underground rivers. And those rock formations are gorgeous!
What I see is there are a lot of activities to do here. And some of them are beginner level, so anyone can enjoy. This would definitely make for a great break from the busy city lives of Oman, Glad you found Wadi Shab and you chose to share your experience
Ohh.. Sounds like a great place for swimming! I’m claustrophobic though. Was the cave pretty small? It sounds like an awesome place to check out though and can’t be missed.
Looks like Wadi Shab is a good inclusion in an Oman itinerary. Thank you for sharing.
seems like an amazing experience. i really love these smalls natural “gems” . could spend days there relaxing and clearing my mind
Wadi Shab sounds wonderful and lots of fun. Especially swimming in the cave. I love the photos.
Wow, I’d never heard of this place before but man it looks beautiful. I love hiking but not so much cliff jumping. I’d definitely still wanna check it out though! Thanks for sharing.
I have never seen this side of Oman and it looks beautiful. I was not thinking of visiting the place until I have read this post.
Thank you for the thorough chart that maps out everything you need to know before doing this! Makes it so simple and easy to understand.
This looks like a fun adventure! Caves have so much mystery to them. Does the tide rise up and block the opening late afternoon?
Yes! It’s great fun! The water is pretty still, no movement. It’s more like a pool and it will only rise with rain (which is hardly never here). Most of the time it is a nice level, perfect for a dip and a swim!
Oh my goodness, this looks like so much fun! Definitely something I’d want to do if I ever get to Oman. It looks like there aren’t many people there too, which is an added bonus 🙂
Haven’t heard about this place before. Looks very interesting and thanks for writing this up