Are the Daymaniyat Islands open now?

Yes. The beaches of the Daymaniyat Islands Nature Reserve opened for landing on 1 November 2026 and stay open until 30 April 2027. Snorkelling in the reserve is open all year. Every visitor needs an Environment Authority permit, which Horizon Blue arranges with every booking.

Can you take large groups to the Daymaniyat Islands?

Yes. Horizon ONE takes up to 13 guests and Horizon TWO up to 15. For larger groups we run both boats in parallel and bring everyone together at the same island for lunch. For groups bigger than both boats together, message us with your numbers and dates and we will plan it with you.

Do we have to go ashore, or can we just snorkel?

Either. Some groups want an island day with a beach set-up, lunch on the sand and a climb to a viewpoint. Others want as many reef stops as we can fit in and never leave the water. Most full days end up somewhere in between. Tell us what your group wants and we plan the route around it.

Is a Daymaniyat trip suitable for children, older guests and non-swimmers?

Yes. Life jackets are on board for every guest, and guests who would rather not snorkel can stay on the shaded deck or relax on the beach in season. Children under 3 travel free and children aged 3 to 12 pay the child rate on the sharing trip. Let us know the ages in your group when you book so the crew can plan the stops.

Do you host school trips and corporate team-building days?

Yes. School and study groups get a day of marine education in the reserve, with the crew explaining the turtles, the reef and the reserve's conservation rules, and discounted rates for educational groups. Corporate teams can be split across both boats and meet for lunch on an island, and we issue tax invoices.

How do DMCs and tour operators book with Horizon Blue?

Apply on the Horizon Blue partner page. Partners receive commission of up to 30%, a live availability calendar for both boats, branded booking confirmations for their guests, and permits and gear priced in. For group programmes, incentive trips and repeat departures, message us on WhatsApp at +968 93232 837.

The Daymaniyat Islands Are Open: Beach Season Has Started, and We Take Groups of Every Size

The islands have been open for three days. Have you been yet?

On 1 November the beaches of the Daymaniyat Islands opened to visitors for the first time since April, and the season has started the way we hoped it would. The water is clear, the air is warm rather than hot, and our boats are coming into the shallows again so guests can step off onto white sand for the first time this winter.

Our calendar is already filling with DMC bookings for groups large and small, along with families, friends and couples booking direct. If you have been waiting for the right time to visit, or to add the Daymaniyats to your clients' Oman itinerary, this is it.

Green sea turtle swimming over a sunlit reef in clear shallow water at the Daymaniyat Islands — The first week of beach season: clear, sunlit water and a green turtle over the reef.

Two Ways to Spend the Day

Every group we take out wants something slightly different, so we plan each trip around the people on board. Most days fall into one of two shapes, or a mix of both.

An island day

For groups who want the full Daymaniyat experience. We snorkel the reef in the morning while the light is best, then land on one of the islands and set up on the beach for the rest of the day. Guests swim straight off the sand, walk the shoreline, explore the rock pools and climb one of the small jabals for a view across the whole reserve. Lunch is our Omani BBQ: mishkak skewers off the grill, Lebanese bread, hummus, salad, fresh fruit and a bag of Chips Oman. A last snorkel on the way home, then back to Muscat in the late afternoon.

This is our private full day: 8 hours, 9 AM to 5 PM, from 350 OMR per boat.

A green sea turtle seen from above, swimming over pale sand and reef at the Daymaniyat Islands — Between the beach and the boat, the turtles are never far away.

A snorkel-focused trip

For groups who came for the reef. We spend the day in the water: more reef stops, more time with the green and hawksbill turtles that live here all year, and, for confident swimmers, the sandy channels where blacktip reef sharks are most often seen. No wild animal is ever guaranteed, but our crew knows where they like to be.

This works as a private half day (5 hours, 250 OMR per boat), a full day with every stop we can fit in, or, for small parties and solo travellers, a seat on our sharing trip from 30 OMR per adult.

A green sea turtle swimming just below the surface, its reflection on the water above, at the Daymaniyat Islands — The turtles stay all year. Winter just makes the water clearer.

Whoever You Are Bringing, We Have a Day for Them

Big groups and small ones, young guests and older ones, first-time snorkellers and people who have dived all over the world. Here is who we are hosting this season, and how we plan for each.

Families. Life jackets for every guest, a shaded deck for naps and snacks, and a beach where children can dig and splash while the grown-ups do nothing at all. Children under 3 travel free.
Grandparents and older guests. Nobody has to snorkel. Guests can watch the turtles surface from the deck, relax on the sand in the shade, or float on the surface in a life jacket. We plan an easy pace when you tell us who is coming.
International visitors. Winter is when Europe, the wider Gulf and the rest of the world come to Oman. We arrange every reserve permit, explain the rules on board, and send you home with photos from the action camera we carry on every trip.
School trips and study groups. The reserve is the best classroom in Muscat. The crew explains the turtles, the reef and the conservation rules that protect them, and we offer discounted rates for educational groups. See our Daymaniyat dos and don'ts for the rules your students will learn.
Corporate teams and team building. A day off the laptop, 18 km from the office. We split larger teams across both boats, set off on different reef routes, then bring everyone together on one island for lunch. Tax-invoiced.
Celebrations. Birthdays, engagements, proposals, reunions and farewells. Bring a cake, a banner or your own catering, or let us handle lunch. More on our private events page.
Couples, friends and solo travellers. The sharing trip is the easiest way to see the reserve without booking a whole boat.

A shoal of reef fish swimming over a coral garden at the Daymaniyat Islands — Something for every age: shoals of reef fish over the coral garden.

Big Groups, Small Groups

We run two boats from Al Mouj Marina: the 35ft Horizon ONE for up to 13 guests and the 36ft Horizon TWO, our shaded cruiser, for up to 15. Compare the boats to see which suits your group.

Up to 15 guests: one boat, all to yourselves.
16 to 28 guests: both boats in parallel, on the same route or on two, meeting at the same island.
Larger than that: message us with your numbers and dates. We would rather plan it properly with you than say no.

Group days in beach season book out first, especially weekends and public holidays. For school trips and large corporate groups we recommend four to six weeks' notice so we can plan the day together.

Clownfish sheltering in a sea anemone on a colourful coral reef at the Daymaniyat Islands — Small wonders too: clownfish at home in their anemone.

For DMCs, Tour Operators and Travel Agents

November to April is high season in Oman, and the Daymaniyats are one of the strongest days you can put in an itinerary: a short crossing from Muscat, a nature reserve your clients will not see anywhere else, and a day that works for cruise calls, city stays, incentive programmes and multi-day tours alike. DMC group bookings are already on our calendar for this season, and we have room for more.

Working with us means:

Commission of up to 30%, tiered by volume and fixed in your partner account
A live availability calendar for both boats and every slot, so you can quote and hold dates without phone tag
Branded booking confirmations for your guests
Permits, gear and refreshments priced in, so there are no surprises for your clients on the day
Custom itineraries for groups of any size: island days, snorkel-only departures, mixed-ability groups, repeat weekly programmes and private charters
One crew to plan with, who will tell you honestly what works for your group and what does not

Apply on our partner page to open an account in about two minutes, or send us a programme on WhatsApp at +968 93232 837 and we will come back with a plan and a quote.

A green sea turtle gliding through open blue water above the reef at the Daymaniyat Islands — A nature reserve your clients will not see anywhere else.

The Season at a Glance

Beaches open: 1 November 2026 to 30 April 2027. Snorkelling runs all year.
Departures: Al Mouj Marina, Muscat, about 45 to 50 minutes to the islands.
Sharing trip: 30 OMR per adult, 18 OMR per child aged 3 to 12, under-3s free.
Private half day: 250 OMR per boat, 5 hours.
Private full day: 350 OMR per boat, 8 hours, with an optional Omani BBQ.
Reserve permits: charged per guest on top of the trip price; we arrange them for you.
Included: boat, captain and crew, snorkelling gear, life jackets and refreshments.

A shoal of silver fish swimming over coral heads in sunlit blue water at the Daymaniyat Islands — Winter water at the Daymaniyats, the reason the season is worth planning for.

New to the reserve? Read what changed on 1 November in our beach season guide, and what you will see underwater in the complete Daymaniyat snorkelling guide.

Book Your Day

Travellers and families: book online in about two minutes.
Groups, schools and companies: message us on WhatsApp at +968 93232 837 or use the contact page with your dates, group size and the kind of day you want.
DMCs and tour operators: join the partner programme for partner pricing and live availability.

The islands are open, the water is clear and the season is only three days old. Follow @horizonblue.om for the first beach days as they happen, and come and see them for yourself. See you on the sand.