Khasab: Musandam Fjords Dhow Cruise & Snorkeling with Lunch

★★★★★★★★★★ 4.83 (94 reviews) 90% rated it 5 stars

Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/19

Duration6h

GroupUp to 300

LanguagesEN · AR

PickupAt your hotel

A dhow cuts through Musandam's narrow waterways, and dolphins race alongside

You board a wooden dhow at Khasab port and spend six hours moving through the Musandam fjords, snorkeling at two islands, watching wild dolphins, and eating a traditional Omani lunch on deck. The boat provides all snorkeling gear, life jackets, towels, and refreshments, and returns you to port by 4 p.m. Free pickup and drop-off applies only within Khasab itself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Full day Musandam dhow cruise

Arrive Khasab Cruise Terminal
Board dhow cruise at 10:00 AM
Enjoy welcome drinks and fruits
Watch dolphins naturally at 10:45 AM
Swim and snorkel at Telegraph Island
Eat traditional Omani lunch onboard
Swim and snorkel at Seebi Island
Return to Khasab dhow port at 4:00 PM

The Experience

Hands grip the wooden rail as the boat pulls away from Khasab port at 10 a.m. sharp. The staff hands you soft drinks and fresh fruit before the engine settles into a steady rhythm, and within forty-five minutes you're watching dolphins move through the water like they own it—racing the dhow if the mood takes them. This is the Musandam fjords, the part of Oman that juts into the Strait of Hormuz, and it looks nothing like the desert you might have imagined. The water is clear, the cliffs rise straight up, and the villages clinging to the shore are small enough that you can see the fishing nets drying on the rocks.

The first stop comes at Telegraph Island around 11:30 a.m. You grab a snorkeling mask and life jacket from the boat—both provided—and slip into water so clear you can see the seabed without trying. The island itself is historical, a telegraph station from the British era, but what matters is what's underwater: small colorful fish, coral formations, and the kind of quiet that makes you forget there's a boat full of people doing the same thing thirty meters away. After thirty minutes in the water, you climb back aboard damp and hungry.

Lunch arrives at 1 p.m., and it's not a token meal. Fried chicken, fried rice, salad, Khubz bread, hummus, fresh fruit, soft drinks—it all comes out on the deck while the boat drifts. This is the full-day Khasab dhow cruise, which means you get the traditional Omani spread; the half-day version stops at refreshments only. By 2:15 p.m. you're heading toward Seebi Island for a second snorkel, and this time you can feed the fish if you want—throw bread scraps and watch them swarm. The boat reaches the port again around 4 p.m., and you step off with salt in your hair and the kind of tired that comes from a day on the water.

If you're arriving by cruise ship, the crew meets you at the Khasab terminal with a name card and handles your transport to and from the port at no extra charge. The boat departs at 10 a.m. regardless, so arriving late means missing the dolphins and the first snorkel stop. Bring your original passport—it needs three months validity from the tour date—and if you're driving a rental car across the border into Oman, you'll need an NOC (No Objection Certificate) from the rental company and Oman insurance, which you can buy at the border.

What’s included

Your day includes free pickup and drop-off within Khasab, entry to the fjords and both snorkeling islands, snorkeling gear and life jackets, towels, a traditional Omani lunch with fried chicken, rice, bread, hummus and fresh fruit, unlimited soft drinks and refreshments throughout the day, and basic toilet and shower facilities on the boat.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessiblePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by Dhow Khasab Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you want a full day on the water with snorkeling, wildlife, and a proper meal included—the fixed departure time and included transport within Khasab means you don't have to arrange anything except showing up at the port by 9:30 a.m.