7-Day Private Cultural Tour of Oman

On arrival at Muscat airport, you will be greeted by our representative and you will be transferred to the Hotel. Overnight stay will be at a hotel in Muscat

0830 Hrs, This morning we will start our tour with visit to Grand Mosque the most exquisite Mosque in Oman. The developed part of the site, including the fully consolidated areas and landscaping, covers 416,000 square meters. The Mosque complex (covering 40,000 square meters) is constructed on a raised podium in keeping with the tradition of Omani mosques that built elevated from street level. It can accommodate up to 20,000 worshippers and consists of a main prayer hall, ladies prayer hall, covered passageways, a meeting hall, and library which will eventually contain up to 20,000 books. A major feature of the main prayer hall is the hand-made Persian carpet consisting of 1,700 million knots, Weighing 21 tones and made in a single piece measuring 70 x 60 meters. From design stage it took 4 years complete and 600 female weavers from province of Khurasan in Iran were involved. Note: Ladies visiting the mosque are required to cover their head with scarf and do not wear shorts, beachwear or sleeveless outfits as they are to be fully covered. Men are required to wear long trousers. No shorts are allowed. We drive to old town of Muscat and visit Bait Al Zubair Museum. It consists of a concise collec-tion reflecting the splendid Omani Heritage. The collection includes traditional Omani Weap-ons such as swords, daggers, rifles & their accessories, along with jewelry, cosmetics & cos-tumes from various regions of Oman. We drive to the magnificent Al Alam Palace, the official residence of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said the ruler of Oman. The palace is an architec-tural marvel for both its design and its location between the twin Portuguese forts Mirani and Jalali (A brief photograph stop from outside only). We then visit Muttrah Souq – one of the most popular souqs in the Middle East. Take a walk in its labyrinthine alleyways beckoning with a myriad of merchandise, from imported fabrics to exotic Oriental spices, perfumes and richly handcrafted artefacts. A visit to this frenetic, pul-sating hub of Muscat’s old quarter makes for a delightful experience. Here, scents of exotic Arabian perfumes and spices float through the air. Other shops specialize in famous Omani khanjars (daggers), antiques, traditional silver jewellery, and handicrafts in copper, camel bone, wood, leather and hand-made Omani costumes. After shopping at Souq you will be transferred back to hotel. Overnight stay will be at a hotel in Muscat [B]

Breakfast at Hotel Morning, drive to the historic town of Nizwa, Oman’s cultural capital. You visit the powerful Fort with its massive Circular Cannon Tower, one of the most impressive forts in Oman and the traditional Souq. Then you proceed to Jabrin castle built in 17th century is one of the finest of its kind. Its magnificent plasterwork, the carved doors and the painted wooden beams of the ceilings makes this castle amazingly different. Thereafter continue to Bahla, one of the oldest small towns of Oman and in the 12th century the capital of the tribe living in the region. Only a photo stop is planned at the monumental fort. Bahla is also famous for its Pottery. After the tour we check in at the hotel. Overnight stay will be at a hotel in Nizwa [B] (Nizwa & Jabrin forts are open Saturday–Thursday: 0900 – 1600 & Friday: 08 00–1100)

Morning check out from the Hotel and you will drive to Wahiba Sands, a vast mass of undulat-ing sea of red and white sand dunes. It is also host to a variety of flora and fauna. Here, we will have sand dune ride in our Land cruiser (4 WD), more so, as we go deeper and deeper into the sands of Wahiba. The whole area is breath taking, and has scattered habitations of the Bedouin and their camels moving about. Evening dune bashing followed by sunset watching and will be dropped back at the camp. Overnight at a desert camp with dinner [B, D]

Breakfast at the hotel After breakfast we will drive to Sur and on the way we will visit Wadi Bani Khalid which is con-sidered as one of the most beautiful wadi’s in Oman. The drive to Wadi Bani Khalid is through the Eastern Hajar Mountains, which offers a panoramic view of landscape below. We pass many pretty villages embedded in the mountains. Here the road winds down to the wadi alongside a large, shallow pool fringed with vegetation and ends at a village. We park our ve-hicles at this point and continue on a short trek to the deep blue pools of the wadi. Enjoy a swim in this glorious grace of nature.. Once, this coastal town was famous for dhow building. Dhow is the famous Arabian sea-going ships. You will visit the dhow building shipyard. Leisure in the afternoon and after an early dinner(own cost) you will visit the turtle sanctuary at Ras Al Jinz 60Kms away from Sur, where at night the Green Turtles, after a journey of thousands of kilometers will come ashore to lay their eggs. You then return to the hotel. Overnight at a hotel with dinner [B, D]

Morning we start driving back to Muscat along the scenic coastal route. The road winds along the rugged coast, through beautiful valleys, and past white sandy beaches with breathtaking views. Further, you drive to Wadi Shab, Reroute you will see lush villages surrounded with dates, lemon & mango plantations. It is one of the most beautiful wadis, and their pool with clear deep blue water gives you an opportunity to take a refreshing dip. On the coastal road you will stop at the limestone Sinkhole in Bimah, and then continue to Fins Beach. Drop back to Muscat by late evening. Overnight stay at a hotel in Muscat [B]

You will have breakfast at the hotel before being transferred to the airport to catch your return flight.