Feb 1, 2025
Brilliant tour with Adil - We actually did a six day trip with our guide Adil.
Day 1: Tour of Muscat (Royal Tulip)
Day 2: Sinkhole, Wadi Shab, Turtles (Turtle Resort)
Day 3: Sur, Wadi Bin Khalid, Wahiba Sands (Onxyx desert camp - we liked this place but they have a new camp called star gate camp up in the dunes with a pool and I would recommend to stay there)
Day 4: Wahiba Sands
Day 5: Nizwa and Jebel Shams (Jebel Shams resort)
Day 6: Jebel Shams including the W6 hike and return to Muscat.
Hotels: The ones offered were clean, smoke-free and welcoming. They all had full amenities and buffet breakfast and dinner. Note: If you have a gluten allergy be prepared to eat a lot of salad and hummus for breakfast. Omanis like their bakery breakfasts. We really enjoyed all the hotels and they were a great standard. Western toilets, hot water and comfortable beds. Most hotels had swimming pools although we did not try them out. The hotel in Jebel Shams was on the colder side you will need jumpers and jackets. The hot water was great though with excellent pressure and length. Conditioner was limited which in the desert is needed if you want to wash the sand out of your hair so bring your own.
Food: Although lunch was not included our amazing tour guide Adil took us to the best food places that were very local and great value. One of our best meals on the trip was goat and camel in Wahiba Sands at a local restaurant. We would never have had that experience on our own. He listened to what we liked to eat and took us to yummy, home cooked style food that was both cheap and delicious. The buffet dinners were okay pretty standard. Edible but not stand out. Vegetarians will struggle as most food is shawarma based.
Transport: Great, comfortable 4x4 with plenty of space. Adil was an excellent driver and we felt safe at all times even in the heights of Jebel Shams.
Activities: These were great. We debated whether to go to the turtle sanctuary due to it being low season but so glad we went. We saw a female nesting turtle and a baby hatchling which was incredible. The sinkhole was fine but the most underwhelming of all the activities we did. The Wadis were great fun, bring goggles and wet shoes. We also had a wet bag. For swimwear we wore rash guards and also full length swimming leggings and felt this was appropriate for the Wadis although others were in normal swimwear but at Wadi Bin Khalid it was clear you needed to be covered. We did camel riding in the desert as a sunset tour which was great fun...book all activities directly with the hotel. Sadly we didn't get to do sand boarding as we wanted to do it at sunrise but the hotel reception was not open before 7am which was bad planning on our part. Nizwa was stunning and we liked the souq and the fort a lot. We also rated the W6 balcony walk as it was great exercise and the views were incredible. We enjoyed connecting with locals particularly the women at Muscat Grand Mosque who shared their religion with us and experiences as a woman living in Oman. The head of the Gazelle sanctuary and national park was very passionate about sharing his love for the animals and plants he took care of and taught us a lot. Nothing we did disappointed us and we felt like we experienced a lot of Oman.
Money: You can pay with card everywhere (tap was the way to go even at local restaurants) and getting cash out of the ATM was easy at the airport with no fees. Use cash to buy souvenirs in the market etc and don't forget to haggle. Adil can help you with this.
Guide: Adil was wonderful. He was very personable and knowledgeable and we really enjoyed spending our tour with him. He was brilliant company, very funny and willing to share about his life and culture. We felt free to ask him questions and he never pressured us to buy things or eat or visit anywhere that was not on the itinerary or discussed with us beforehand. He was a brilliant photographer and really helped us to capture our time in Oman. You can also book directly with him and he often does private tours during the season. We would really recommend this.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 3, 2025
Incredible Tour - What an incredible tour. From the incredible planning and communication we got from Karen in the months leading up to the trip to the phenomenal tour guide Saif, we were blown away.
Oman is an incredible country to visit l, and Star Tours knows the best places to see, to stop, to eat, to shop, and to stay. Highly recommend.
We were a family of 4, with children under the age of 8, traveling from the US. I would recommend for families like ours, or with any age kids.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 28, 2024
Excellent tour of Oman - My son Matthew and I had an excellent 4 day tour of Oman with Star Tours and Hamood as our guide. Oman is a fascinating country with lots to see and Hamood was very knowledgeable when showing us round and explaining the culture and history. Also the car we travelled in was a highlight for me, a very nice Land Cruiser V8.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 18, 2024
Wadi Shab - We had a amazing trip with Star Tours Oman and especially our guide Achmed. One of the highlights was Wadi Shab, a beautiful, but easy hike followed by a swim further into the canyon. Achmed accompanied us during the whole trip and with his care and all the information about Oman we wanted to know, our trip has become unforgettable!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Apr 20, 2024
Khalil and Karen are the best guide and travel agent I’ve ever had and I travel a lot! - Everything was perfect: they were easy to contact via email and whatsapp to book all the activities. The price was fair. Khalil picked us up at the airport in Oman and took care of every single detail until the time he dropped us off. We had torrential rains so he had to adjust the route and he did it with efficiency and great care. We always felt safe. He is very kind, my husband has a back problem and Khalil was always there to help. He is very knowledgeable and has a very nice demeanor and sense of humor. In the middle of the tour we changed our mind about spending an extra day at the Chedi hotel (which is magnificent) and they basically had to rearrange the entire tour last minute. In the US they would have simply said it’s not possible. Karen and Khalil got it done without any complaint. Karen arranged a boat tour for us the next day after I whatsapp her at 11 PM. Our trip to Oman was unforgettable because of Karen and Khalil. They should do the logistics for the White House - I’ve never seen a more reliable and efficient worker. I can’t say enough good things about them. Book today!!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 14, 2024
Wonderful tour - We had a wonderful experience with Saif.
He brought us to a lot of beautiful places and was very helpful and knowledgeable.
We cannot wait for the next time!
Paolo and Katarina
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Feb 8, 2024
Unforgettable trip in Oman - We did 4 days / 3 nights tour in Oman (Wadis, Tourtle Beach, Desert, Green and Sun Mountains, Nizwa, etc.) and then spent 3 nights in Muscat. Amazing experience overall. Star Tours arranged every detail from airport pick up till last day. Our guide, Mr Yahyah had been great, leading us in any interesting location, very friendly and very professional ar the same tine. In the first part we visited the most emblematic sites in north of Oman, while in the last days we enjoyed Muscat attractions and super snorkelling experience in the Daymaniyat island. Many thanks to Star Tours and specifically to Mr Yahyah for such unforgettable trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 30, 2024
Knowledgeable guide and beautiful place - Our brief visit to Oman turned into an extraordinary experience, thanks to the exceptional guidance of Mr. Ahmed, our tour guide. His wealth of knowledge about the places we explored and the insightful information he shared about Oman enriched our journey. Grateful for the outstanding trip and the invaluable insights provided by Mr. Ahmed.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jan 18, 2024
The Oman tour was delightful, everything ran seamlessly. - Our guide was exceptional always friendly, attentive, and ready to assist us. His wealth of information about Oman added immense value to our experience, making it even more enjoyable.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nov 12, 2023
The Wonders of Oman - A great trip with a great guide.
Let’s start with the trip, sink hole, secluded beach, turtles, wadis, mountains, desert sunset, hiking, swimming, cave, amazing views, souks, forts, castle, goats, camels, coffee & dates, fish lunch, UNESCO sites, irrigation systems, historic villages, and more, ending with an amazing canyon.
Now for our guide Yahya, what an amazing guide. Engaging, funny, knowledgable, full of fantastic stories and facts, and most importantly a fantastic driver!!!
A great country brought to life by a fantastic tour and guide.
Review provided by Tripadvisor