The Essential Guide to Visiting Wadi Tiwi (2024)

We love Wadi Tiwi. It ranks as one of our favourite wadis in all of Oman. 

The scenery is amazing, with lush palm trees studded around a magnificent wadi pool and high mountains in the background. Sound amazing? Yeah, it is! 

Read on for our essential guide to visiting Wadi Tiwi in Oman. 

Wadi Tiwi Overview

Wadi Tiwi is a lesser-known wadi just outside the small and ancient village of Mibam. Because the wadi is located in the village of Mibam, it is sometimes referred to as Wadi Mibam. 

Wadi Tiwi is super stunning, with high canyon walls, lush vegetation, and crystal-clear turquoise water, all set against the backdrop of the Hajar Mountains. 

The entry point to access Wadi Tiwi is deep within the wadi and requires driving via a steep and curvy mountain road.

Because it isn’t as accessible as its neighbour, Wadi Shab, it receives far fewer visitors. This makes it a great wadi to visit if you’re seeking peace and tranquillity. 

Read next: The Ultimate Guide to Camping in Oman

Wadi Tiwi Location

Wadi Tiwi is located in the Al Sharqiyah region, adjacent to the very popular Wadi Shab. It’s approximately 180 km from Muscat, near Sur. 

It’s well-signposted off Oman’s Route 17 and easy to get to. Put this location into Google Maps and it’ll direct you properly. 

For another epic wadi, read The Essential Guide to The Wadi Damm Pools

The Road to Wadi Tiwi

First up, what is the road like? 

Well, the road to Wadi Tiwi is no joke! Yes, it’s not as crazy as the roads in Wadi Bani Awf, but it requires a bit of confidence to navigate. 

The road is a pretty crazy little road. It’s very steep and narrow, but fully paved the entire way, so you don’t need a 4×4. In fact, locals drive sedan cars to Mibam village. 

You do, however, need confidence, as the gradients are some of the steepest we’ve come across (again, outside of Wadi Bani Awf) and it’s very narrow with sharp drop-offs. 

That said, it’s beautiful and a lot of fun. The journey to Wadi Tiwi is part of why we love it so much!

Important: remember to honk on blind corners! 

Parking

On the drive into the wadi, keep on going until you’ve reached Mibam village and you see the first parking area on the left-hand side. 

There’s relatively good parking near Mibam waterfall and you shouldn’t have to worry about finding a space. 

As the parking is literally in the middle of the village, it’s not a set ‘car park’. Rather, it’s just an area of the village that they have set aside space for visitors to park in. 

There are a couple of different spots indicated on Google Maps. This spot or this spot are good options to direct yourself to. 

Related: The Ultimate Guide to Conquering Wadi Bani Awf

Wadi Tiwi Hikes

First things: there are a few different Wadi Tiwi hikes. 

The first option is to park 1.5 km before Mibam village (here) and do a 2-3 hour hike into the pools. This route requires a lot of boulder hopping and is pretty physically challenging. 

Wadi Tiwi is also part of the E35 Hike, a two-day, 28-km hike that begins at Wadi Tiwi and ends at the famous Wadi Bani Khalid. The typical Oman trekking sign is at Mibam village, showing the route. 

However, the most popular option, and what we did and recommend, is to ‘hike’ from Mibam waterfall into the wadi pools. This is what we detail here. 

Wadi Tiwi Hike From Mibam Waterfall

While the Wadi Tiwi hike (or, really, swim) is a lot trickier than others, so long as you’re confident with heights and relatively experienced, it is perfectly manageable. 

From the parking area, follow the falaj (water channel) to the staircase going to Mibam waterfall (sometimes referred to as the Wadi Tiwi waterfall). 

When you get to the bottom of the staircase, you’ll reach Mibam waterfall. This is a very beautiful, 2-tiered waterfall. It’s great for your first swim of the day!

After a nice swim at Mibam waterfall, turn to the left of the staircase and go down the rock face.

You’ll soon come across 2 sets of ropes. Walk (or, if you’re more comfortable, crab walk) down to the ropes. 

Use the ropes to slowly walk yourself down the rocks. The ropes are very strong, so you can be confident in them (unlike the time we used a rope to hike on Koh Adang and it broke – that was a disaster). 

The rocks are a bit slippery, but with the rope, it’s a pretty straightforward descent. Just hold on tight and take your time. 

When you reach the set of big boulders, it’s safe to jump into the water. 

Once you’re in the water, you first swim to a small, enclosed, cave area. This is fun! 

After you’ve left the enclosed area, you’ll enter into a large, open pool with big boulders at the end. Swim to these boulders, then past them, to reach the final pool. 

The final pool is incredible! 

At the final pool, you can swim to the big rocks at the far end and jump in. 

What we particularly loved about the hike/swim into the main pool was the lack of crowds. Most visitors just hike down straight to the main pool via the shortcut (see below) and skip the fun and adventurous part to get there. 

We loved the adventure of getting to the main pool and it was a lot of fun. If you’re adventurous, take the long route in! 

Leaving the Main Pool

To depart, you can hike out via the shortcut, or re-trace your steps to return the way you came. 

The shortcut is a short and steep hike out on a path adjacent to the main pool. 

We retraced our steps and loved it. We enjoyed the whole adventure of getting to the final pool and wanted to redo it. 

I was worried about pulling myself up the rocks on the rope, but it wasn’t too difficult. I don’t have a crazy amount of upper body strength and I was able to do it without any major issues. 

Wadi Tiwi Tours

Of course, if you don’t have your own car, or just want to visit in a more organised fashion, you can always visit as part of a tour.

If you’d like to take a tour, your best options are:

Best Time to Visit Wadi Tiwi

Wadi Tiwi can be visited all year round, however, it is most magical in spring. During spring (March and April), the foliage is especially lush and green – really enhancing that desert oasis vibe that makes it so special.

To avoid crowds, it’s best to visit during the week (Sunday to Thursday), as weekends invariably bring out more people. 

It’s also quieter in the morning, although at that time, the wadi is in the shade (and the water is cold!). 

Important: as with all wadis in Oman, never visit Wadi Tiwi if rain is in the forecast. Flash flooding is a real thing in Oman and people die every year because of it. 

Do You Need a Guide for Wadi Tiwi?

As the hike/swim is more challenging than some of the other wadis in Oman (notably, the popular Wadi Shab), it is common for visitors to take a guide. 

When we were there, there were about 3 or 4 different groups of people and we were the only ones that didn’t use a guide. 

If you’d like a guide, once you’ve parked your car in Mibam village, there will be people offering to help and guide you. 5 OMR is the current going rate. 

So long as you’re okay with heights and a relatively experienced and confident hiker, you do not need a guide for Wadi Tiwi. We did not use a guide and we found the route pretty straightforward. 

We had read online that we may be harassed for not using a guide, however, this was not our experience.

When offered, we simply said, ‘no, thank you’, and they were polite afterwards. 

How Much Time Do You Need for Wadi Tiwi?

Including the return hike and time to hang out at the main pool, 3 hours is a good amount of time to explore Wadi Tiwi. 

Of course, you could do it quicker –  I’d say as quickly as 1 hour (but only if that’s all you have, you want time to enjoy the beautiful scenery). 

Wadi Tiwi or Wadi Shab – Which is Better?

Wadi Tiwi or Wadi Shab – what a question! Honestly, they’re both incredible. If you have time to visit both, we recommend doing so. 

But, we understand that not everyone has time to visit both and you’re looking for a clear answer. 

On balance, if I had to choose, I would choose Wadi Tiwi over Wadi Shab. I loved the adventure of getting to the wadi and I found the scenery so incredible.

Plus, it’s so, so much quieter than Wadi Shab, which really allows you to soak in the magic of the environment. 

Where to Stay Near Wadi Tiwi

Mibam village doesn’t really have much in terms of accommodation, so you’re best staying in the village of Tiwi (which is very close to Fins Beach and Wadi Shab).

Nomad Inn Tiwi

Tiwi Pearl

Wadi Shab/Fins Villa

Wild Camping Near Wadi Tiwi

The best wild camping that we could find was on the coast between Tiwi and Fins. Around this spot, you’ll find some excellent spots overlooking the ocean.

Tips for Visiting Wadi Tiwi and Mibam Waterfall

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