5 Days Oman Adventure from Muscat

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)