Empty Quarter And The Lost City Overnight Camping

Overview

The Rub Al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter, is one of the most inhospitable places on earth. The legendary ancient kingdom of Ubar is thought to have stood here, until, the myth says, the desert swallowed it up without trace, like Atlantis but in the sand.

On this overnight trip from Salalah you cross the gravel desert of Al Nejd to the dunes of Al Hashman, spend the night at a desert camp, and visit Ubar the Lost City and Wadi Dawka, the valley of frankincense.

Where you'll go

1. 1Salalah

Your days

1. Day 1

   Thumrait, the dunes of Al Hashman and a desert camp

   Pickup from anywhere in Salalah. Take a short break in Thumrait town, known for its Bedouin settlement.

   Continue west on the graded road across the gravel desert of Al Nejd to the sand desert at Al Hashman, where the dunes are clearer and more spectacular. Your professional driver takes you over the dunes of the great Rub Al Khali in the thrilling style known as dune bashing.

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   Watch the sunset behind the dunes before you reach the camp, where you can also ride a camel. Traditional dates and Arabian coffee are served, then a barbecue dinner and shisha (the Arabic water pipe).

   Overnight at the camp.

2. Day 2

   Ubar the Lost City and Wadi Dawka

   After breakfast at the camp, continue to Ubar the Lost City, a UNESCO World Heritage site. This legendary ancient kingdom is thought to have stood in one of the most inhospitable places on earth, the forbidding desert of the Rub Al Khali, also known as the Empty Quarter.

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   The myth says the desert swallowed Ubar up and it disappeared without trace, like Atlantis but in the sand. It was buried under the sands and spotted only by satellite.

   On the way back to Salalah, stop at Wadi Dawka, a UNESCO World Heritage site also known as the valley of frankincense, for its many frankincense trees growing naturally. Learn how frankincense was used in the past and is used in the modern world.

   Return to your hotel in Salalah.

What's included

Good to know

• A guide speaking a language other than English costs 130 USD more, shared by the group.

Prices

This trip has no published price yet. Oman City Tours' team gives you a price on request, for your day and your group.

We'll pick you up

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