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Clear turquoise water, a strip of sand and steep bare cliffs on the Musandam coast, Oman

Sample journey · 7–9 days

Mountains and fjords: the northern Emirates and Musandam

The wadis of Ras Al Khaimah, the heights of Jebel Jais, a dhow through the khors of Musandam, a mountain road above Khasab and the quiet coast at Dibba

Photo: Julius Yls / Unsplash

Illustrative journey ideas — not bookable packages. No prices, dates or accommodation are implied.

The northern tip of the Arabian peninsula has little in common with skyscraper Dubai, even though it's only an hour away. In Ras Al Khaimah the desert gives way to brown mountains, and Jebel Jais rises almost two kilometres, where summers are cooler than on the coast and winter mornings sometimes bring frost. Further north still the mountains plunge straight into the sea: this is Musandam, Oman's exclave on the Strait of Hormuz, where narrow inlets called khors cut into the rock and some fishing villages can still only be reached by boat.

The journey joins mountains and sea across a border and suits couples, active travellers and families with children who love the water: a day aboard a dhow with snorkelling, a mountain road by 4x4, short walks and quiet afternoons by the pool. Distances are small and you stay at least two nights everywhere, so it never feels like a race. We would shape the pace, the stays and how active it is around you and the time of year.

The route

The journey

  1. Dubai
  2. Ras Al Khaimah
  3. Jebel Jais
  4. Khasab (Musandam)
  5. Dibba
  6. Dubai
  1. Rose-coloured mountain rock in sunset light at Wadi Shah, Ras Al Khaimah

    01Days 1–2 · Ras Al Khaimah

    Mangroves, a pearling village and a wadi

    From Dubai airport to Ras Al Khaimah is around an hour along the coast. Three nights at a hotel between sea and mountains, an easy base to set out from and return to each day. On the second morning, kayaks through the mangrove channels, where herons wade between the roots, then the abandoned pearling village of Jazirat Al Hamra with its coral-stone houses and wind towers. In the late afternoon, a short walk up a wadi at the foot of the Hajar, as the brown rock turns pink in the setting sun.

  2. A winding road and mountain ridges to the horizon, seen from Jebel Jais, Ras Al Khaimah

    02Day 3 · Jebel Jais

    Cool air high above the coast

    On the third morning the road switchbacks up Jebel Jais, the mountain that holds the highest point in the Emirates. At the top the air is noticeably cooler than on the coast, and from the viewpoints the ridges roll on all the way into Oman. For the more active, walking trails along the slopes or a guided via ferrata, and for the boldest, one of the world's longest zip lines. With children, a short walk and a picnic with a view are enough. In the afternoon you return to the coast: an evening by the sea, with grilled fish and bread from a clay oven for dinner.

  3. A white dhow carrying passengers through a Musandam inlet between bare mountains, with a dolphin surfacing alongside

    03Days 4–5 · Khasab & the khors

    By dhow between the cliffs

    On the fourth morning, north across the border and along a coast road cut into the cliffs above the sea to Khasab, the main town of Musandam: around an hour and a half to two hours. Three nights at a small hotel by the sea or at the foot of the mountains. Day five is a full day aboard a traditional wooden dhow in Khor Ash Sham: narrow corridors of water between cliffs several hundred metres high, fishing hamlets reachable only by boat, and Telegraph Island, where a telegraph station stood in the nineteenth century. The boat stops for snorkelling over rocky reefs, and dolphins often swim alongside, though they are never guaranteed. For children it often becomes the day of the whole trip.

  4. A rocky islet in a calm sea with mountains behind in golden-hour light near Khasab, Musandam

    04Day 6 · The Musandam mountains

    The road to Jebel Harim

    On day six, by 4x4 with a driver into the mountains above Khasab. The road climbs past stone villages and terraced fields to Jebel Harim, Musandam's highest peak, where fossils of ancient sea creatures are set in the rock. Along the way, a viewpoint above Khor Najd, where the inlet looks like a lake among the mountains and, if time allows, the rock carvings near the village of Tawi. In the afternoon you return to the sea: a kayak on calm water off Khasab, or simply a cold drink looking out at the rocky islets in the golden hour.

  5. A rocky shore and gentle waves in evening light on the coast at Dibba, Fujairah

    05Days 7–9 · Dibba

    A slow finish on the Gulf of Oman

    On day seven, back across the border and over the mountains to the east coast: around three hours to Dibba. Dibba is shared by two emirates and Oman, and here the mountains come down to a wide sandy beach. Two nights at a hotel by the sea: in the morning, snorkelling around rocky islets if the sea allows; in the evening, fishing boats coming back to harbour. On the last day, Dubai airport is around two hours away.

Experience highlights

  1. 01

    A day aboard a dhow

    The cliff corridors of Khor Ash Sham, fishing hamlets, Telegraph Island and snorkelling, often with dolphins not far away.

  2. 02

    The cool of Jebel Jais

    The mountain that holds the highest point in the Emirates, where the air is cooler and the ridges roll on into Oman.

  3. 03

    The mountain road in Musandam

    Stone villages, fossils in the rock and the view down over Khor Najd.

  4. 04

    A pearling village and mangroves

    The abandoned village of Jazirat Al Hamra and kayaks through quiet mangrove channels in Ras Al Khaimah.

First, we listen. Then, we explore what's possible.

Make it your own

  • Shorter: seven days

    Leave out Dibba, drive from Khasab straight back to Dubai and give Ras Al Khaimah two nights, and the journey fits into seven days.

  • A night on the water

    Instead of a day trip, you can choose two days aboard the dhow with a night anchored in a khor, where the only lights after dark are the stars and a distant fishing village.

  • With young children

    With younger children we choose hotels with a pool, shorten the dhow day to half a day and the mountain drive to a few hours with picnics.

  • On into Oman

    From Dubai it's natural to continue to Muscat and Oman's wadis, dunes and mountain forts, a week of its own that can follow on from this one.

Practical considerations

  • November to March is generally the most comfortable time. From roughly May to September the heat on the coast often passes 40°C and the sea is very warm; Jebel Jais is cooler then, but active days are still best kept to early mornings.
  • The route crosses the border between the Emirates and Oman twice. Border arrangements and paperwork can change, so we check them before you travel, and taking a hire car across is not always allowed, which is why travelling with a driver is usually easier.
  • Dhow trips and snorkelling depend on the wind and sea; dolphins are often seen, but not always. Children need life jackets aboard, and it's worth being especially careful with the sun on the water.
  • Modesty is appreciated in Musandam's villages and in Oman: away from the beach, shoulders and knees covered, and it's worth asking before photographing people.

General guidance only. Seasons, weather and wildlife are never guaranteed, and travel requirements are always worth checking before you go.

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