Discovering Oman: From Ancient Forts to Desert Sands

Arrival at Muscat airport. Meet & greet by our representative. Passengers arriving individually will be met and greeted, and will have a private transfer. Transfer to your hotel by air-conditioned vehicle. Check-in & overnight in Muscat. Dinner is free.

Breakfast at your hotel. We will start with a briefing meeting at 9:30 am to introduce the group and the guide, and to explain the trip. Afterwards, we start the tour of Muscat. Drive through the beautiful embassy quarter to reach the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, a remarkable architectural achievement. As a contemporary place of worship, it serves as a spiritual landmark for modern Oman, projecting the values and aspirations of the Omani people. It maintains a perfect balance between aesthetics, culture, and deeply rooted Islamic tradition. After visiting the mosque, we continue to the Opera House to visit this marvelous edifice specially built by Sultan Qaboos. Lunch will be served in a typical fish restaurant with the locals. After lunch, we will visit Old Muscat, surrounded by steep mountains and flanked by twin 16th-century forts, ‘Jalali’ & ‘Mirani’. We will also see the Al Alam Palace, the late Majesty Sultan Qaboos’ residence. We will then proceed to Bait Al Zubair Museum, a part of Muscat's heritage. Sheikh Al Zubair, who served three former Sultans, founded the house in 1914, and his son Mohammad Al Zubair opened it as a museum in 1998. Its carved doors open into a fortress-style reception. The museum includes traditional Omani weaponry, jewelry, costumes, domestic utensils, and recreated urban and rural environments. Then drive through the scenic beauty of the corniche, stop at Muttrah - the main port & commercial center, and explore the colorful historic souk. This is a real souk with winding alleys and backstreets, and stalls selling all manner of textiles, jewelry, traditional Omani perfumes (bukhoor - made of frankincense), souvenirs, and antiques. After that long tour, we will drive back to the hotel. Dinner is at a traditional Omani restaurant, where you will experience how Omanis eat and taste their cuisine, enjoying the relaxing atmosphere that the Omani people like. Overnight in Muscat.

After breakfast, depart for a great adventure trip. We will drive through one of the most thrilling sections of Oman's 1,700 km coastline. Visit the famous Sinkhole, a part of a collapsed mountain filled with seawater, then continue driving on the graded road via Fins. Continue your journey to Wadi Shab, where we will stop to admire the marvelous nature and maybe walk a bit in the wadi. Lunch in Wadi Shab. We will then continue to Sur, a sea-faring town and a trading port bustling with activity throughout the year, famed for the fascinating architecture of its old town and shipyards where traditional dhows have been built for centuries at the edge of the bay. After a quick tour of Sur, we will continue the coastal road passing through high cliffs and small fishing villages. We will reach the desert of Wahiba Sands at the end of the afternoon – one of the most fascinating and mysterious regions of Oman. We will board 4x4 vehicles and start the adventure in the desert. The vast, ever-shifting dunes support an astonishing variety of wildlife and host different kinds of flora and fauna. The quick-changing patterns of the dunes are a photographer’s delight. The Wahiba is also home to a few thousand Bedouins, who are known to have inhabited this inhospitable region for at least 7,000 years. We will do some dune bashing as our experienced drivers show their skill on the dune drive, which is a thrilling experience. Dinner in the camp with a real desert atmosphere & overnight in a comfortable tent well-equipped with beds & bathrooms in Wahiba Sands.

After breakfast, we will enjoy the desert and its secrets one last time before we board our 4x4 to return to normal civilization. We will then depart to Wadi Bani Khalid – a lush green valley surrounded by rugged mountains. We will enjoy an incredible view and have a chance to capture the scenic beauty with our cameras. We will walk in the wadi to investigate the surrounding area on foot. Departure to Nizwa around noon, stopping on the way for lunch. After lunch, we will continue to Nizwa, a great city with a great history. On arrival in Nizwa after approximately 2-3 hours, we will do a quick orientation of the city. The ancient capital of Oman, Nizwa was a seat of learning and the birthplace of Islam in Oman. The 17th-century souq famous for its silver jewelry is a major attraction, along with the popular & interesting cattle auction, which takes place every Friday. Built on a solid base of rock, the huge tower was designed to withstand the vibration of 24 cannons. We will visit the souk and walk around discovering the old city. Check in to the hotel. Dinner. Overnight in Nizwa.

After breakfast, we will continue our visit of Nizwa. Our first stop will be the charming ancestral village of Birkat Al Mawz at the bottom of the Green Mountain, Jebel Akhdar. Then we will proceed to Jabreen Fort. The Jabreen Castle, built in the 17th century, is one of the finest of its kind. Its magnificent plasterwork, carved doors, and painted wooden beams of the ceilings make this castle amazingly different. After we visit Jabreen Castle, we will drive back towards Nizwa, passing Jebel Shams, part of the most famous Hajar Mountains chain in Oman. We will pass by the oldest small towns of Oman, Bahla with its fort (outside visit). We will stop at the palm groves at Al Hamra to see its Falaj system. After the visit, we will head to Barka and Mussanah. On arrival at the resort, you will enjoy a welcome drink. You have just reached a small paradise on the edge of the Indian Ocean. The resort features luxurious rooms, each offering impressive views of the Hajar Mountains, Marina, or Gulf of Oman. The resort has many restaurants, a poolside bar that serves snacks, and a relaxing lounge. You will be able to relax around the 5 pools the resort has or just feel the warm sand on the beach. You can also use the sports complex, walk, and for very good rates, relax in the spa that rivals the largest palaces in the world. In other words, you will be able to pamper yourself for 2 days. You will also be connected for free with free Wi-Fi, complimentary daily newspaper, mineral water in the rooms, and tea/coffee-making facilities. Dinner at the marvelous buffet & overnight at the Millennium.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will enjoy the Indian Ocean coast and its beaches, as well as all the features the hotel offers. Lunch at the resort, and after lunch, we will proceed to visit the fort of Rustaq and the ancient fort of Nakhl. Nakhl is a typical Omani village. It lies at the foothills of the mountains near an abundant source of water, which irrigates extensive date palm plantations. The Nakhl tour starts with a photo stop at Al Thowarah Hot Spring. Then we have a photo stop at Nakhl Fort (closed – outside photo stop), then we drive to Rustaq and visit Al Hazm Fort. This fort was built by Imam Sultan Bin Saif in 1708 as a residence of the Imam. The inside of the fort has lots of interesting rooms, prisons, date storerooms; some rooms still have cannons, old rifles, daggers, and other 18th-century artifacts on display. Transfer back to the hotel. Dinner & overnight at the Barcelo.

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning free to enjoy more of your resort, the Omani sweet way of life. You will enjoy the calm of the area and the amazing nature. Check out at 12:00 hrs. Depending on your departure time, transfer to the Muscat Airport for your departure flight.