Sahra & BeyondSahra& Beyond
Two walkers in a narrow canyon of pale layered rock, with a shallow pool on the rock floor

Sahra Trail › UAE hikes › Ras Al Khaimah

Difficult

Wadi Naqab to Wadi Kub

Wadi Naqab, off the road at Al Salihia, about 40 minutes from Ras Al Khaimah city. Not the Wadi Kub camping area near Masafi

Photo: IbrahimKumar, CC0 1.0, Wikimedia Commons (resized). The Wadi Kub canyon, reached on foot from Wadi Naqab

DistanceAbout 8.5 km (sources: 7.7 to 14)
Total climbNot confirmed
Typical time5 to 6 hours
ShapeOut and back
Unmarked routeNot an official waymarked route: there is no official map or grade, and the paint marks and cairns are informal and incomplete. Go with a licensed guide if you have not walked it before. This guide covers the Wadi Kub (also written Koub or Koob) canyon and pools that you reach on foot from Wadi Naqab. It is not the drive-in camping Wadi Kub near Masafi, off the Gragrah to Ghub road.

This is an unofficial walk from Wadi Naqab into the narrow Wadi Koub (also written Wadi Kub) and up to the abandoned village of Al Sanat in Ras Al Khaimah. It is not the drive-in camping Wadi Kub near Masafi. Sources give 7.7 to 14km and about 6 hours. It is exposed, thinly marked and has little or no mobile signal, so it is for experienced walkers in the cooler months or those with a licensed guide.

Why it is graded Difficult

There is no official grade. Visit Ras Al Khaimah calls the Red Wall hike in Wadi Naqab moderately challenging, and a Wikiloc track page says Moderate. Gulf News says it is for seasoned hikers, and The Road Reel recommends a guide for beginners. We rate it Difficult because of the exposed ledges, scree, thin markings, lack of signal and repeated rescues in Wadi Naqab.

We use one scale across all our routes: how we grade.

The route

This guide covers the Wadi Kub (also written Koub or Koob) canyon and pools that you reach on foot from Wadi Naqab. It is not the drive-in camping Wadi Kub near Masafi, off the Gragrah to Ghub road. Walkers describe one route from the Wadi Naqab trailhead. You cross about 2km of boulders in the wadi bed, take a signed path along a ledge on the left to bypass the dead end at the Red Wall, then enter the narrow Wadi Koub with its seasonal pools.

In Wadi Koub there is a short ledge with a metal rope, a spot with a UAE flag, polished rock and a boulder section with a narrow gap to crawl through. Al Sanat is the hardest part: a staircase with black ropes, then about 45 minutes up loose rock and scree to the abandoned village. Markings run out after the staircase.

You return by a ridge on the far side of the village, with loose rock, then rejoin the wadi and retrace your steps. Visit Ras Al Khaimah says most Wadi Naqab walks are there-and-back with no shortcuts to the vehicle. Start by 8am to finish in daylight.

Distance
Not confirmed. Komoot gives about 8.5km and Wikiloc 7.7km. The Road Reel says 14km but its own sections add to about 8.5km.
Climb
Not confirmed. The Road Reel gives 515m but its own high and low points do not add up. Other pages give 257m to 846m for nearby routes.
Time
About 6 hours in most sources; The Road Reel says 5 to 6 hours of walking.

Trailhead

Start
The closest drivable parking in Wadi Naqab, at a sign on the rocks. There is no official trailhead. Set your map to Wadi Naqab, not to the Masafi camping Wadi Kub, which is a different place (MissionsOffroad).
Coordinates
25.72122, 56.12466
The pin comes from two walkers' track pages that agree to about 10 metres. No government source gives a coordinate, and the road end may change.
Parking
Informal parking at the end of the dirt road. No official car park or charge is described. Where you can park depends on the road, which has been reported as damaged. Check before you go.
Vehicle
Not confirmed. Visit Ras Al Khaimah advises a 4x4 for the last few kilometres. Some walkers say a sedan can now reach the start.
Getting there
Visit Ras Al Khaimah says about 2 hours from Dubai and 40 minutes from Ras Al Khaimah city. Turn right at Al Salihia.
Open the trailhead in Google Maps →

When to go

Best months
The Road Reel recommends December to February, and mid-October to mid-March for early starts. Visit Ras Al Khaimah says October to April. Do not walk it in summer.
Start time
Start at first light, by 8am at the latest, so you are off the route before dark.
Shade
Not confirmed. No source describes shade on the route.
Water
None you can rely on. Pools may be dry, and the year-round pool is described as not clean. Carry at least 4 litres each.
Mobile signal
Poor to none in the wadi. Some signal at Al Sanat. Download an offline map and track.

Fees, permits, hours and closures

Fees
No fee found. Visit Ras Al Khaimah says no permit is needed. Last checked October 2026.
Permits
Visit Ras Al Khaimah says no permit is needed, but groups of 10 or more should contact the tourism authority in advance. The National reported in 2023 that hiking rules for Fujairah and Ras Al Khaimah include trail registration and a qualified leader for organised groups. Check whether they apply to you. Last checked October 2026.
Hours
No hours are published. The wadi is open access. Last checked October 2026.
Closures
No closure notice was found, but no official body publishes a status for this route. The road to the trailhead has been reported damaged by water. Check the road and the forecast on the day. Last checked October 2026.

Checked on 8 October 2026. Rules and closures change, above all after rain: check the source pages below on the day.

Safety

  • Do not go if rain is forecast anywhere in the mountains, or if it has rained recently. Flash floods are described as deadly in Wadi Naqab, and the canyon has no easy exit.
  • Police have rescued hikers in Wadi Naqab many times since 2020, including a man who died in February 2023. Reports do not say which trail each was on.
  • Expect narrow ledges, a rope-assisted ledge, a gap to crawl through and a steep climb on loose scree to Al Sanat. You need a good head for heights.
  • Markings run out after the staircase and some walkers have got lost. Load an offline track, and go with a licensed guide if you have not walked it before.
  • Do not walk it from May to September. Police rescued an exhausted man in April 2020 and four tourists in September 2020 and urged people to avoid mountain hikes in high temperatures.
  • Do not hike alone. There is no signal in the wadi, so tell someone your route and return time.
  • Finish before dark. A rescue in January 2022 was four women lost after dark. Turn back if you are behind schedule.
  • Carry at least 4 litres of water each. Do not rely on the pools.

What to carry

  • At least 4 litres each
  • Rehydration drink and food
  • Offline map and GPS track
  • Sturdy boots with good grip
  • Sun hat, sunglasses and sunscreen
  • Head torch
  • First aid kit
  • Charged phone and power bank

Tell someone your route and when you expect to be back. Turn around if the weather, the heat or the time is against you. We describe this route from published sources; we have not surveyed it, and nothing here is a statement that it is safe for you on the day.

In an emergency
Police 999 · Ambulance 998 · Civil Defence 997

What we could not confirm

Sources

Last checked 8 October 2026

More

Difficult · Ras Al KhaimahWadi Qada'ah to Qada'ah village6.8 km (one track) Place guideWadi NaqabOur guide to the place this route starts from. Sahra TrailSahra Trail Tee and 2-in-1 ShortsOur running and trail kit, designed in the UAE.

All our UAE hikes, by grade →