Key Points:
- Dubai to Salalah bus tours provide economical bus, scenic travel within the Khareef season.
- Tourists have options for full packages with accommodation and guided tours or straightforward bus-only tours.
Key Points:
- Full-package tours cost from AED 1,400 per person, covering transport, hotel accommodations, and sightseeing.
- Direct bus services only begin from AED 200 one way or AED 350 return with departures from Deira, Dubai.
- Buses are air-conditioned, offer complimentary Wi-Fi, and have overnight journey with three stops planned.
Key Background:
Salalah, a city in southern Oman, turns into a green green paradise during the period of Khareef season from June to September. This summer monsoon changes the landscape with cool conditions, waterfalls, and misty mountains—a much sought-after getaway from UAE nationals looking for a respite from the hot summer. Though air travel to Salalah is possible, flight fares shoot up during this peak tourist season. Therefore, numerous travelers are now looking at reasonable and economical bus services running between Dubai and Salalah.
Bus tour operators have launched two key alternatives for this season. The first is a comprehensive package tour that begins at AED 1,400 per person. Round-trip bus travel, three-night accommodations at a three-star hotel, and guided sightseeing tours are included in this package. Solo travelers will have an additional AED 350 for single hotel accommodation. The tours are generally departing from the Gold Souq Metro Station in Dubai at 2 PM. It’s an overnight journey with three halts—for immigration at the Oman border, lunch break, and a tea break.
When tourists arrive in Salalah, they are received at their hotels and offered guided excursions to the most popular sites. These include Wadi Darbat, Al Mughsail Beach, the Marneef Cave blowholes, the Ittin Mountains, the Tomb of Prophet Ayyub, and others. Some tours also feature cultural trips to Taqa Castle and Frankincense farms. The meals, Oman visa cost, and border fees are often additional but can be included in the package.
The second transportation option is a direct transport-only trip for the budget traveler. The buses, provided with air conditioning and complimentary Wi-Fi, are managed by private enterprise. It costs AED 200 one-way and AED 350 for a round trip. From July 5, buses will operate three times weekly—on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays—with the intention to switch over to daily operations in the near future.
Most UAE residents are eligible for an Oman visa upon arrival. Nevertheless, visitors should have a minimum of six months validity for their passport and three months validity for their UAE residence visa or Emirates ID.
