Compare Discover Oman by Intrepid Travel vs 5 Days Oman Adventure from Muscat by Tourboks

Day 1 Muscat

Salaam Alaikum! Welcome to Oman and the sprawling seaside city of Muscat. Your adventure begins with a welcome meeting at 5 pm today. If you arrive with time to spare you may like to visit the Royal Opera House, a grand building that encapsulates contemporary Omani architectural style, or take a walk along the beach, dipping your toes in the Gulf of Oman. After the welcome meeting perhaps join your group at a nearby restaurant, serving up Omani favourites like shuwa, fresh salads and local breads.

Day 2 Muscat

Begin your explorations with a visit to the beautiful Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The largest mosque in Oman, it has capacity for 20,000 worshippers and the second largest carpet in the world, handwoven by Iranian women, taking four years to produce. Your next stop is the old part of Muscat, where you'll see the two 16th century Portuguese forts, Jalali and Mirani, guarding the entrance to the city. Drive down to the busy fishing harbour at Muttrah, with its wooden dhows and fishing boats, stop at the bazaar (souq) where you can pick up a local perfume or postcard. Visit the Sidab Women's Group and learn how they're empowering local women through the production and sale of reusable bags. After learning about the organisation, enjoy a selection of salads, sambusas and stews, cooked for you by our welcoming hosts. Your afternoon is then free to spend as you wish. An optional sunset cruise provides a spectacular viewpoint for the rocky coastline of the city.

Day 3 Ras al Hadd

Drive through Oman's rugged landscapes to Hawiyat Najim Park, the location of the Bimmah Sinkhole. This picture-perfect sinkhole was formed through limestone erosion. The turquoise waters make an excellent stop to paddle the feet before travelling onwards. Your next stop, Wadi Tiwi, is known as the wadi of nine villages, with each community linked by date plantations and the flow of water through their falaj system. Spend time learning about dates, how they're grown and harvested, and their importance in Omani hospitality, and stretch your legs on a short, downhill walk through these communities. Continue driving to Ras al Hadd and check into your beachside resort where you'll be able to enjoy a lovely relaxed evening at the property.

Day 4 Wahiba Sands

After breakfast, we make a stop in Sur, an important city of Oman's maritime past. Sur has long been known for its tradition of dhow building. These mighty vessels formed an important part of Omani culture and trade over the years. Visit a dhow factory to see how they are built and be joined by a local worker who will explain the making of the dhow, the materials used and the time taken to built the vessel. Drive through the Eastern Hajar Mountains, enjoying incredible views of villages embedded in the mountains as you take this winding road to the peaceful Wadi Bani Khalid. Cool off with a swim in the wadi, surrounded by palm trees and mountains. Drive onwards to the beautiful Wahiba Sands, where you'll spend the night. Rolling dunes, some as high as 150 metres, stretch as far as the eye can see and are constantly shifting. Sunset from atop a dune is a must. After dinner back at the camp, relax under the stars with music, tea and maybe even some dancing.

Day 5 Nizwa

If you're a morning person, you have the option to climb the dunes and enjoy watching them change colour as the sun rises over them. Otherwise, enjoy a relaxed start to the day before driving further into the dunes to visit a Bedouin family. Wahiba Sands is named after the Wahiba tribe and the region is home to families that have lived and worked in the area for generations. Enjoy coffee, dates and a chat with our welcoming hosts. Leaving the desert behind, make tracks for Nizwa. On the outskirts of the city, visit Jabreen Castle, considered one of the finest and most picturesque in the country. Built in 1675, this cleverly designed residence was home to Imam Bil-Arab Bin Sultan and many subsequent generations. A local guide will share the castle's secrets and expansive viewpoints with you. It's just a short drive to Nizwa, where you'll spend the night in the old town, staying in a heritage property. Enjoy a free evening to explore the old town or relax at a rooftop cafe with a cool drink.

Day 6 Jebel Shams

Take a walk with your leader through the labyrinthine streets of Nizwa's old town this morning, before exploring the souq and its various specialty areas for halwa, vegetables, spices, ceramics. You'll have some free time during which you might like to visit Nizwa Fort. With a massive circular cannon tower and built to withstand the vibrations of 24 cannons, it's one of the most impressive forts in Oman. Depart Nizwa for Misfat Al Abyreen, a mountain village located 1000m above sea level and recognised by UNWTO as one of the world's best tourism villages for its preservation of Omani culture. Walk through the village and see how their agricultural and irrigation systems are as productive as they were centuries ago. Visit a local beekeeper and find out about their bees and the ways they produce different types of honey - with some sampling too, of course! Then enjoy a home-cooked Omani feast with your host for lunch. Omani people are famous for their hospitality and you’ll get to try some exciting home-cooked flavors including Qabuli (Omani spiced rice with either goat/fish/chicken), hummus, Omani bread (Kubz Al Rakhal) with local honey, Omani coffee and tea with dates, etc. Carry on your journey higher into the mountains to Jebel Shams, which translates as 'Mountain of the Sun'. Check into your hotel before heading out to take in the breathtaking views of the Grand Canyon and, weather allowing, a brilliant sunset.

Day 7 Muscat

An early morning hike is on offer today. The balcony walk follows the Grand Canyon, so you can expect epic views as you walk. After breakfast at your hotel, settle in for a memorable drive to Wadi Bani Awf, the end point of the canyon and known as Snake Gorge. Break up the drive with a walk through Bilad Sait, a remote fortress village in the heart of the mountains, lush with palm trees. After leaving the mountains, you'll drive back to Muscat, arriving in the late afternoon. The evening is free to spend as you wish, perhaps gather your group together for a meal to celebrate your adventure.

Day 8 Muscat

After breakfast, you are free to leave at any time, as there are no activities planned today. If you would like to spend some more time in Muscat, we’ll be happy to organise additional accommodation for you (subject to availability).

DAY 1: SATURDAY – MUSCAT - ARRIVAL

Arrival at Muscat International airport, after visa (55$ payable on arrival for most nationalities) and immigration formalities our representative will meet and escort the guests to waiting air-conditioned vehicle for transfer to hotel. Overnight in Muscat. Dinner is free.



DAY 2: SUNDAY – MUSCAT (70KM)

Breakfast at your hotel. Join at 09.30 am to start the tour of Muscat. Drive through the beautiful embassy quarter, to reach the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque that has 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. As an edifice, it maintains a perfect balance between aesthetics, culture and deeply rooted Islamic tradition. After the visit to the mosque we continue to Bait Baranda museum, which showcase the history of Muscat. Lunch will be served in the city. After lunch, we will visit Old Muscat, surrounded by steep mountains and flanked by twin 16thcentury forts ‘Jalali’ & ‘Mirani’, also see the Al Alam Palace, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’ residence. We will then proceed to Bait Al Zubair Museum. Bait Al Zubair is itself a part of Muscat 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 oriental restaurant, where the smells of grilled meats and of burned apples and roses going out from the “shisha’s” will only confirm the relaxing atmosphere that the OMANI people enjoy. Overnight in Muscat.



DAY 3: MONDAY -MUSCAT -SUR- WAHIBA (340KM)

After breakfast depart for a great adventure trip. Our first stop will be Quriyat, a small fishing village, we will proceed for a real fun – 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 sea water then continue driving on the graded road via Fins. Continue your journey and photo stop at TIWI and Wadi Shab. We will 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. Lunch upon arrival in Sur. After a quick tour of Sur, we will continue the coastal road passing through high cliffs and small fishing villages. We will reach at the end of the afternoon the desert of Wahiba Sands – 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 7000 years. We will do some dunes 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 Wahiba Sands.



DAY 4: TUESDAY- WAHIBA SANDS – NIZWA (200KM)

After breakfast, we will enjoy for the last time the desert and its secrets, 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 a chance to capture the scenic beauty with the cameras. We will walk in the wadi to investigate the surrounding area on foot. Departure to NIZWA around noon, we will stop on our 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 start our exploration of Nizwa area by proceeding to the palm groves of Al Hamra. Al Hamra, is also noted for its extraordinary ancient mud houses. We will visit one of oldest house of Sheikh “Bait Al Safa”, which has been restored, decorated and transformed into a lively museum. Check in the hotel. Dinner. Overnight in NIZWA.



DAY 5: WEDNESDAY - NIZWA- MUSCAT– DEPARTURE (250KM)

After breakfast, we will continue the visit of Nizwa. Castles are Oman’s most striking cultural landmarks and together with its towers and city walls, they have historically been used as defensive bastion look-out points. It is estimated that there are over 500 Castles and towers in Oman, our visit today will include a few of them which are more remarkable & striking in their architecture & style. The ancient capital of Oman, Nizwa was a seat of learning and the birthplace of Islam in Oman. The 17th century souq famous for the silver jewelry are the major attraction of Nizwa, not to mention the popular & interesting cattle auction, which takes place on every Friday. Built on a scold base of rock, the huge tower was designed to with stand the vibration of 24 cannons Lunch in Nizwa before we move on to Bahla famous for its handmade pottery. Bahla is listed in UNESCO world heritage sites & visit Bahla Fort. We will continue to visit the famous Jabreen Castle, built as a defensive stronghold, The Jabreen is perhaps the finest of Omani castles. The castle has dungeons, passages, rooms and ceilings decorated with fine carvings & paintings. After the visit, we will proceed to MUSCAT, the Capital. Evening transfer to Muscat Airport for the departure flight.



Your Hotel accommodation planned for this trip:

* Muscat: City Seasons 4* (excellent value or similar)

* Nizwa: Golden Tulip 4* (excellent value or similar)

* Wahiba: Arabian Oryx 4* (excellent value or similar)