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Swimming in a green wadi pool between high rock walls

Travelling with children | | A night in the desert, turtles at Ras al Jinz and wadi swims, with short driving days

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Yes. Oman works brilliantly for a family holiday: it is welcoming, easy to get around and varied enough to keep children interested for the whole trip. They sleep in a tent among the dunes, watch sea turtles come ashore at Ras al Jinz, swim in the green pools of Wadi Bani Khalid and climb the round tower of Nizwa Fort. Apart from Salalah and Musandam, everything lies within about three hours’ drive of Muscat, and Oman is only three to four hours ahead of the UK.

What changes with children is the pace. We plan a family trip around short driving days, swimming stops and the odd day without a long drive. The trip is private: no group and no fixed departure dates, and you either drive yourselves or travel with your own driver-guide. The best time to go with children is October to April, which takes in October half-term, Christmas, February half-term and Easter. If you would like extra comfort, every route is also available as an exclusive family holiday in our luxury edition.

On safety: crime in Oman, including violent crime, is very low. We follow how tensions in the Gulf region affect official travel advice in our article Is Oman safe?

What do children enjoy in Oman?

Four experiences that make Oman special for children, and all four fit into a ten-day trip.

  • A night in a desert camp

    Running down dunes, sandboarding, a camel ride and sleeping in a tent in the Wahiba Sands: for many children this is the highlight of the trip. Choose a camp where each tent has its own bathroom: it makes the night much easier.

  • Turtles at Ras al Jinz

    Green turtles come ashore on the beach at Ras al Jinz every night of the year to lay their eggs. Visits are only with a guide from the reserve, at 9pm or around 4.30am, and with a bit of luck you will see hatchlings scrambling down to the sea. Tell children beforehand that the beach has to stay quiet and dark.

  • Swimming in wadis

    At Wadi Bani Khalid you walk about 300 metres from the car park to a large green pool with shade, toilets and a restaurant: ideal with children. Wadi Shab is more dramatic, but its cave is only for children who swim well, and even then with a life jacket.

  • Beaches, forts and the souq

    A swim off Muscat’s city beach, the climb up the tower of Nizwa Fort, dhows being built by hand in Sur and the smell of frankincense and spices in Muttrah Souq. On Friday mornings Nizwa holds its goat market.

Where do you stay with children in Oman?

We choose places that suit a family: room to sleep, a pool where possible and not too many hotel changes. An impression of the places along the route.

Muscat, the coast, the desert and Nizwa

Family rooms or two rooms side by side, where the property offers them

Furnished tent at a desert camp in the Wahiba Sands
The large green pool of Wadi Bani Khalid among the palms
Spacious hotel room in Muscat with seating area
Campfire in the dunes of the Wahiba Sands in the evening

In Muscat and on the coast we choose a hotel with a pool wherever possible, in the Wahiba Sands a desert camp with a private bathroom at the tent, and inland a hotel in or near Nizwa. Tell us the children’s ages and how you would like to share rooms, and we choose the places to stay accordingly. Two nights in one place give children a rest, and you a free afternoon.

Read more about desert nights in Oman →

How to keep a family tour relaxed

Between the highlights you usually drive an hour and a half to just over two hours: Muscat to Nizwa takes an hour and a half, the Wahiba Sands to Nizwa 2 hours 15. We put the longest drives in the morning with a swimming stop halfway, and after two or three travel days comes a day without a long drive. A long day such as Jebel Shams with the drive back to Muscat (240 kilometres, three hours) is one we would rather leave out with young children. You will find all the driving times in our 14-day itinerary.

Self-drive is the most affordable option: you get an insured 4x4 and a day-by-day programme with routes and driving times, and the desert camp collects you at the edge of the dunes. Bear in mind that Oman drives on the right. With your own driver-guide you sit with the children rather than behind the wheel, and an English-speaking Omani guide tells you about the country along the way. Travelling with small children? Mention in your request whether you need child seats and we will check what is possible for your trip. More on driving yourself on our Oman self-drive tour page.

From November to March Muscat sees 25 to 30 °C by day, ideal with children. In October and April it climbs to 35 °C: set off at seven and spend the afternoon in the water or the shade. From May to September it is too hot for touring the north. The mountains are about ten degrees cooler, and in winter the nights get chilly in the desert and on Jebel Akhdar, so pack a jumper. Month-by-month figures are in our guide to the best time to visit Oman.

Routes we adapt for families

Every route is a starting point. With children we adjust the pace, the places to stay and the swimming stops.

The prices shown are starting prices per person based on two people sharing, for the standard edition with comfort accommodation and a hire car, excluding international flights. For your family you always receive your own no-obligation quote.

Which school holidays suit a trip to Oman?

October half-term, Christmas, February half-term and Easter all fall within the season. May half-term and the summer holidays do not. Term dates vary by council, and the temperatures are average highs and lows for Muscat.

HolidayWhenMuscat day / nightSeaOur advice
October half-termusually the last week of October35 / 24 °C29 °CWarm and perfect for swimming. Set off early and spend the afternoons by the water or the pool.
Christmas holidaystypically 19 December 2026 to 3 January 202725 to 27 / 17 to 18 °C24 to 25 °CThe most pleasant weather for touring and the desert. It is peak season, so enquire early. More in Oman at Christmas and New Year.
February half-termmid-February26 / 18 °C23 °CIdeal touring weather. In 2027 it falls during Ramadan (expected from about 8 February to 9 March): travel works normally, but do not eat or drink in public during the day.
Easter holidayslate March and early April 2027 (Easter Sunday is 28 March)30 to 35 / 20 to 24 °C24 to 27 °CGood, though April is already warm. Start early and build in the mountains and the sea.
May half-termthe week of the late May bank holiday, in 2027 from 31 May40 / 29 to 30 °C30 to 31 °CToo hot for touring the north.
Summer holidayslate July and August36 to 38 / 28 to 30 °C, over 40 °C inland30 to 31 °CToo hot for touring the north. Only Salalah is green then, at 27 to 29 °C, with mist, drizzle and rough seas.

Monthly figures are in our guide to the best time to visit Oman. Scotland and Northern Ireland follow their own term dates, so check your school calendar.

What does a 10-day family tour of Oman look like?

An example based on our 10-day tour, our most booked route. For families we leave out the long mountain days on Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams, and add the turtles of Ras al Jinz, Wadi Bani Khalid and a second night in the Wahiba Sands. That way you never drive for more than 2 hours 15 at a stretch (driving times without stops).

10-day tour in the standard edition from €1,449 per person, priced individually for your family

  1. Day 1–2Flight to Muscat and transfer to the hotel (20 to 30 minutes). Settling in by the pool or on the Corniche.
  2. Day 3Muscat with no long drives: snorkelling at the Daymaniyat Islands or a beach day, Muttrah Souq in the evening.
  3. Day 4Via Bimmah Sinkhole and Wadi Tiwi to Sur (1 hr 45 to Tiwi, then 45 min). Swimming in the sinkhole and the green pools of the wadi. Night in Sur.
  4. Day 5The dhow yard in Sur, on to Ras al Jinz (45 min) and an afternoon by the sea. At 9pm the turtles with a guide from the reserve. Night at Ras al Jinz.
  5. Day 6A second look at 4.30am if you like. Then via Sur to the Wahiba Sands (2 hrs 15) and a campfire in the dunes in the evening.
  6. Day 7Day trip to Wadi Bani Khalid (50 min each way) to swim in the big pool. Sandboarding and a camel ride in the afternoon. Second night at the camp.
  7. Day 8From the Wahiba Sands to Nizwa (2 hrs 15): the fort with its round tower, and the souq.
  8. Day 9If it is a Friday, the Nizwa goat market first (from seven to nine). Then on to Muscat (an hour and a half) for an afternoon on the beach.
  9. Day 10Depending on your flight time, a last morning by the water, then the flight home.
See the day-by-day programme of the 10-day tour

The starting price is per person based on two people sharing, for the standard edition with comfort accommodation and a hire car, excluding international flights. As a family you share the car, among other things, which brings the price per person down. Want to see the mountains too? A night on Jebel Akhdar, an hour above Nizwa, can be added: the Three Village Walk, four kilometres past terraces and mountain villages, is easy going with children. For a slower pace or the beaches of Salalah in the south, the 14-day tour (from €2,099 per person) is the base.

Lars, Oman travel specialist

Lars plans your family holiday personally

Lars knows the routes, the places to stay and the people on the ground. He asks about the ages and wishes of everyone in the family and builds the trip around them. You can reach him during the trip, too.

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“The entire trip was perfectly organized, taking into account what we really wanted to see and do and that we travelled with kids. […] All the hotels were beautifully located, outstanding and special. Lars was extremely helpful in all different situations.”

★★★★★ Sophia von Rosenzweig

“The perfect mix of adventure, culture, and relaxation for our trip. From hiking Wadi Shab and exploring Jebel Shams to experiencing the vast dunes of Wahiba Sands, every day was a new highlight.”

★★★★★ Paul Hullin

Frequently asked questions about Oman with children

Is Oman good for a family holiday?

Yes. Oman is welcoming and easy to get around, and one trip gives children a lot: a night in a desert camp, turtles at Ras al Jinz, swimming in wadis and the sea, and forts to climb. Keep the driving days short, plan swimming stops and travel between October and April, and a tour works well with children.

Is Oman safe for families?

In everyday life, yes: the crime rate and the risk of violent crime are very low, and the classic route through Muscat, Sur, the Wahiba Sands and Nizwa is far from Musandam and the Yemen border area, which several governments advise against visiting (as of October 2026). Because of tensions in the Gulf region, travel advice can change. We keep the latest position in our article “Is Oman safe?”.

When is the best time for a family holiday in Oman?

From November to March, with 25 to 30 °C by day in Muscat, which makes Christmas and February half-term ideal. October half-term and the Easter holidays are warmer, up to 35 °C: start early and head for the water in the afternoon. May half-term and the summer holidays are too hot for touring the north.

Can children swim in the wadis?

Yes. At Wadi Bani Khalid you walk about 300 metres to a large pool with shade, toilets and a restaurant. Give children a life jacket in deep water, wear water shoes on the slippery rocks and stay away when rain is forecast. The cave at Wadi Shab is only for children who swim well, and even then with a life jacket. Swim in a T-shirt and shorts over your swimwear, which is the norm here.

How long should a family tour of Oman be?

Ten days is enough for Muscat, the coast, the desert and Nizwa at a relaxed pace. A fortnight leaves room for the mountains, extra beach days or Salalah in the south, which you reach from Muscat on a domestic flight. Shorter works too: in seven days you see Muscat, the mountains and the desert.

How much does a family holiday in Oman cost?

The 10-day tour starts from €1,449 per person in the standard edition, based on two people sharing and excluding international flights. As a family you share the car, among other things, which brings the price per person down. What your trip costs exactly depends on the room arrangement, the places you stay and the choice between self-drive and a driver-guide. You always receive a no-obligation proposal with a transparent price.

Camels grazing by a lagoon on the Dhofar coast, with cliffs behind

Your family holiday starts with a conversation.

Tell us which school holiday you have in mind, how old the children are and what you would like to do together. We reply with a concrete proposal: route, places to stay and an honest price.

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