Most people visiting Wadi Bani Khalid head for the springs which collect in a series of deep pools in the narrow end of the wadi. The pools have been developed into a tourist destination with a (too) small car park, a concrete pathway and a series of picnic huts. Swimming is possible here but only if clothed in shorts and a T-shirt over the top of a swimming costume.
While the scenery is beautiful, the picnic site itself is rather unattractive, and heavily visited at weekends and during public holidays. It is possible to escape the crowds, however, by climbing above the wadi on the marked path. The path eventually leads to Tiwi by the coast. It takes three days to walk (with donkeys carrying camping equipment) and is a popular hike organised by tour agents in Muscat.
