The Frankincense Trail
The Frankincense Trail
4
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An ancient trade route with remains of the caravan oasis and trading ports.
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4.0
125 reviews
Excellent
44
Very good
42
Average
32
Poor
7
Terrible
0
Vivek V
Totton, UK689 contributions
Aug 2018 • Family
There are lot of Frankincense Trees in the Park. Heavy Windy area.
Not at all crowded. May be because not much of them knows about this.
There is a well maintained toilet. It would be useful for families after a long drive.
Not at all crowded. May be because not much of them knows about this.
There is a well maintained toilet. It would be useful for families after a long drive.
Written 20 August 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dimtorch
Doha, Qatar56 contributions
Jan 2014 • Couples
We were staying at the Hilton Resort. Through a bit of asking around we found a local guide who took us on a day trip to the eastern side of Salalah. We visited Taqah, Mirbad, Sumharan, etc. Our guide Mohammed was very courteous, pleasant and made us feel very welcome at all times. He drives a Landcruiser SUV and thus was able to take us to difficult to get to spots to get the best views possible. I am sure there are lots of other options and the hotels are quick to help with this but in case you wanted to contact the same gentleman here are his details: +96899493655 or almahri.1970@hotmail.com Expect to pay around 60 riayls for a half day or 80 for a full day. I am guessing these prices can be brought down a little if several trips are booked. The price is per tour. So if you are several people this can be split up between you all. good luck!
Written 27 January 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ReviewSection
London32 contributions
Oct 2012 • Couples
Enjoyed this. Take a hat tho' as it's very hot our there. Oh, and do buy some frankincense from the Salalah bazaar - it's inexpensive and it really works when you burn it at home. (Just heat it above a tea-light somehow). We were really surprised!
Written 4 December 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Frank R
Munich, Germany1,139 contributions
Apr 2018 • Couples
After a 45 minute trip from Salalah you reach Wadi Dawkah.
Wadi Dawkah is a major place where the frankincense tree (boswellia sacra) can still be found and frankincense is harvested to this day. The trees grow in the alluvial bed of the wadi under the extreme heat of this region.
The conclusion is you can see hundreds of trees and use a very clean toilet. The trip is for sure not worth on it‘s own, but if you travel the highway further you should make a brief stop, the parking lot is just 1 minute away from the highway exit.
Wadi Dawkah is a major place where the frankincense tree (boswellia sacra) can still be found and frankincense is harvested to this day. The trees grow in the alluvial bed of the wadi under the extreme heat of this region.
The conclusion is you can see hundreds of trees and use a very clean toilet. The trip is for sure not worth on it‘s own, but if you travel the highway further you should make a brief stop, the parking lot is just 1 minute away from the highway exit.
Written 1 April 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Grux45
The Hague, The Netherlands26 contributions
Dec 2014 • Friends
Nothing really something and absolutely overpriced. It was a tour organised by Oman Air travel agency. The guide himself was nice and polite, but all together, do not expect much to see.
Written 2 January 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sumikh
Lossiemouth, UK21 contributions
Dec 2011 • Family
liked everything about it no dislikes at all scenery was out of this world totally need to visit this country
Written 29 October 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AverageJoeUk
Swannington, UK81 contributions
May 2012 • Business
From the travelling I have done, it appears The Frankincense Trail tag covers a few sites dotted around Salalah, so i'll quickly describe the ones I am aware of ;
Queen of Sheba's Palace / Sumhuram / Khori Rori :
The three tags cover what is basically the remains of a ruined city East of Salalah on the coast, around 30 minutes drive. Admission prices seem to be per car ( 2 riyal if I remember correctly ) along a newly constructed cobbled road.
The palace / city is effectively blocks that are in part being reassembled by the workers on site, standing among a few uncovered city walls. There's also the remains of a smaller temple a short walk away ( foundations only ). There's a handful of signs describing the city, and also another road leading to a partially built replica of an old Arab boat. Forgive the description, my memory is fading !
There's also a gallery which I will admit we did not have time to enter.
Al Baleed archaeological park / citadel ( Salalah Beach, next to Crowne Plaza ) and Museum
Again, entry was a couple of riyals per car, the gates may be locked between 1pm and 4pm in the dry season so check opening times !
The onsite museum is new and very well kept. As with other Salalah attractions out of season - has no visitors ( or it seemed that way ) Simply put, there's a hall dedicated to Oman's maritime history and another hall containing the usual bits of old pot and stone dug up from around The Queen of Sheba's Palace. Small onsite tourist shop selling the usual stuffed camels made in China.
The park itself is a track that leads around various piles of stones leant against previously buried foundations of lost buildings. You know the drill. A nice diversion regardless.
UNESCO Frankincense Tree area :
On the road to Thumrait, around 45 minutes from Salalah is possibly the best UNESCO site ever. Weeks alter and i'm still talking about it !
Simply put, a brown tourist style sign leads you to a small unoccupied car park that has a very aged sign ( understandable - in May the temperature was 49c according to the car ) and a small path. The path loops for no more than 50 metres giving a view of, well, nothing.
I'm sure the view of a field of frankincense trees to some might be a wonderful thing, but our group definitely saw the unintentional comedy in it all. To me, it resembled a builders yard.
Then again, we visited in May before the rains. Perhaps we missed the point and the joke was on us.
Queen of Sheba's Palace / Sumhuram / Khori Rori :
The three tags cover what is basically the remains of a ruined city East of Salalah on the coast, around 30 minutes drive. Admission prices seem to be per car ( 2 riyal if I remember correctly ) along a newly constructed cobbled road.
The palace / city is effectively blocks that are in part being reassembled by the workers on site, standing among a few uncovered city walls. There's also the remains of a smaller temple a short walk away ( foundations only ). There's a handful of signs describing the city, and also another road leading to a partially built replica of an old Arab boat. Forgive the description, my memory is fading !
There's also a gallery which I will admit we did not have time to enter.
Al Baleed archaeological park / citadel ( Salalah Beach, next to Crowne Plaza ) and Museum
Again, entry was a couple of riyals per car, the gates may be locked between 1pm and 4pm in the dry season so check opening times !
The onsite museum is new and very well kept. As with other Salalah attractions out of season - has no visitors ( or it seemed that way ) Simply put, there's a hall dedicated to Oman's maritime history and another hall containing the usual bits of old pot and stone dug up from around The Queen of Sheba's Palace. Small onsite tourist shop selling the usual stuffed camels made in China.
The park itself is a track that leads around various piles of stones leant against previously buried foundations of lost buildings. You know the drill. A nice diversion regardless.
UNESCO Frankincense Tree area :
On the road to Thumrait, around 45 minutes from Salalah is possibly the best UNESCO site ever. Weeks alter and i'm still talking about it !
Simply put, a brown tourist style sign leads you to a small unoccupied car park that has a very aged sign ( understandable - in May the temperature was 49c according to the car ) and a small path. The path loops for no more than 50 metres giving a view of, well, nothing.
I'm sure the view of a field of frankincense trees to some might be a wonderful thing, but our group definitely saw the unintentional comedy in it all. To me, it resembled a builders yard.
Then again, we visited in May before the rains. Perhaps we missed the point and the joke was on us.
Written 23 June 2012
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Alessia71xyz
Province of Monza and Brianza, Italy241 contributions
Feb 2017 • Solo
On your way to the Empty Quarter you should not miss to see the park with frankincense trees. My guide explained how incense comes from the tree and it's different qualities. This is an Unescorted site and I think they should improve the visit to this place which is pretty characteristics. I hope they will carry on preserving this Omani typical tree which gives such a rich and plenty of benefits product.
Written 11 March 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Purva K
Dubai, United Arab Emirates115 contributions
July 2016 • Couples
The frankincense trail is located at wadi dawkah, Dhofar on the Incense Road. The site includes frankincense trees, Archeological sites, oasis and many trees. Its an interesting drive.
The Frankincense Trail has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The Frankincense Trail has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Written 28 July 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Yasmine B
Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia314 contributions
Like everything else in Salalah, you're on your own in this. Do your reading and enjoy the scenic route. We had a great guide with us (Abu Mussallam, a Dhofari native with good english, tel: +968 9949 3655) who took us to the interesting spots.
Written 26 September 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bonjour Jacques, j'aurai quelques questions à poser, vous parlez d'un site, pouvez vous m'en dire plus?, à savoir, est ce une excursion? j'aimerai visiter les arbres à encens, mais peut être me conseillerez vous un circuit ou autre, je suis professionnel du tourisme et j'ouvre mon agence sur Oman. Mais je ne connais pas du tout le sud et Salalah. Une simple question : y a t il une excursion spéciale pour voir les arbres à encens ainsi que le musée. qu'avez vous fait en particulier? Avez vous eu un guide parlant français (que je recherche).
Merci pour votre réponse
Cordialement
Marie
Written 23 May 2018
can this trail be experienced without walking? like on some kind of car, a cabby etc? or does it require walking all the way through?
Written 24 February 2018
The trail is within a park that is accessed by a set of stairs so walking is the only way to see it. It's not that big and it's the same all over so just seeing a small part of it is enough. Alternatively you can view it from the car park.
Written 26 February 2018
Where is the Frankincense Museum located?
Written 10 January 2018
In a place called albaleed, it’s a very old harbor or ship stop which they used to sell frankincense to merchants who stops there.
Albaleed is between Haffa market & Ouqad
Written 28 February 2018
HI, Would like to know the route to this place and far far from Salalah. Are there any other places we can visit on the way to this site
Written 24 June 2017
HI, Would like to know the route to this place and far far from Salalah. Are there any other places we can visit on the way to this site
Written 24 June 2017
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