Full-Day Wadi Shab and Wadi Tiwi Adventure: Swim Caves, Emerald Pools, and Canyon Hiking from Muscat

Dawn breaks over the Gulf of Oman and the coast stirs—fishing skiffs hum offshore while the Hajar Mountains rise in pale limestone tiers. Your day begins with a short boat hop across the mouth of Wadi Shab, the river’s glassy surface nudging the hull as if impatient to pull you inland. On the far bank, a footpath threads through date palms and falaj channels, then slips into a canyon where the rock pinches close and the air cools. The trail works steadily on your legs, stepping over boulders and skirting pools that flash teal in the sun. Wadi Shab doesn’t shout—it coaxes, asking you to wade, then to swim. Beyond a final squeeze in the rock, a hidden cave reveals a thin waterfall that tumbles like a curtain; the pool welcomes tired arms and wide eyes.