World Journeys Exotic Oman

• Muscat • Wadi Bani Auf • Nzwa • Javal Akhdar • Wahiba Sands • Sur

• Tailor-made journey
• Accommodation (4 star hotel)
• 7 breakfast, 3 dinners
• One night in a desert camp on half board
• One night in an ecolodge on half board
• English speaking driver / guide, transportation by 4WD
• Entrance fees to forts and museums
• Airport transfers
• Taxes and VAT

Day 1 : Muscat

Meet your driver on arrival and transfer to the hotel in Muscat.

Day 2 : Muscat

After breakfast, visit the modern and elegant Grand Mosque, dedicated to Sultan Qaboos. Its beautiful Persian carpet and incredible chandelier are famous. Continue to Bait Al Zubair Ethnological Museum with a precious collection of Swords (Al Saif), Daggers (Kanjar), various weapons and ceramics. Photo stops at the Alam Palace, the official residence of the Sultan and the two Portuguese forts, Mirani and Jalali. End the day in the eclectic Souq of Muttrah.

Day 3 : Muscat > Wadi Bani Auf > Jabal Shams

Drive to the Barka Fish market and watch the fishermen bring in boatloads of glistening fish as they have for years. Later continue to the village of Nakhl and visit the Nakhl fort. This fort once served the Imams of Bani Kharous and the Ya’arubah dynasty. The old village of Nakhl which nestles below the fort gradually leads to the famous warm Springs of Nakhl situated at the end of an attractive Oasis.  The route down Wadi Bani Auf is one of the Arabia’s greatest 4WD adventures and includes a visit to the remote fortress village of Bilad Sait.

The route through Wadi Bani Auf goes through beautiful scenery and connects all the way to Balad Sayat in Al Dakhiliya region by crossing the Hajar Mountains and offers some of the best off-road driving experiences in Oman. Overnight in Jebel Shams, the highest mountain peak in the Gulf.

Day 4 : Misfah > Al Hamra > Bahla > Nizwa

After breakfast, we first visit Misfah, a pretty village with stone houses, precariously clinging to the side of a huge cliff. The village is laden with date, lemon and banana groves. Continue to Al Hamra, famous for their old multi-storied mud houses surrounded by a vast expanse of lush green date plantations. Stop at Hasat Bin Sult where there are a series of petroglyphs carved onto a giant rock. Spot 3,000-year-old carvings of four life-size human figures on its main face. Then visit Bahla Fort before checking into the hotel in Nizwa.

Day 5 :  Nizwa > Birkat Al Mouz > Jabal Akhdar > Nizwa

After your breakfast, visit the historic city of Nizwa, home to an imposing 17th century fort and a bustling souq.  Drive to visit the village of Barkat Al Mauz. Enjoy a walk through the lush green date plantations. We continue to Jabal Akhdar, the jewel of the Al Hajjar mountain ranges, a truly unique spot in the Arabian Peninsula. Return to Nizwa for overnight.

Day 6 :  Nizwa > Sinaw > Ibra > Wahiba Sands

After your breakfast, you will vsit Sinaw Souq with its different areas for women and men, but where the action often spills out on to the streets, with sellers opting to set up shop and display their wares along the pavement. Continue to Ibra, one of the oldest cities in Oman and home to the huge Al-Harthy tribe, one of the biggest and most powerful tribes in Oman. Enjoy the desert and visit of a Bedouin family before watching the sun set over the dunes. Overnight in a desert camp.

Day 7 :  Wahiba Sands > Wadi Bani Khalid > Sur

After breakfast, visit Wadi Bani Khalid, one of the most beautiful wadis in Oman. Take a short trek to the deep blue pools of the wadi for a swim in the cool waters. Drive south to visit the Dhow Factory in Sur. The city has retained its reputation as a major Dhow-building town, the very same vessels that were used for trade two centuries previously. After dinner drive to Ras Al Jinz for guided tour of turtle watching before returning to Sur for overnight.

Day 8 :  Sur > Wadi Shab > Muscat

Drive the coastal route back to Muscat stopping at the ruins of Bibi Miriam’s Tomb and Wadi Shab. Walk through palm groves, and swim through pools to get to the main attraction, a submerged cave with waterfalls. Later visit Bimah Sinkhole, a spectacular limestone crater with blue green water at the bottom. On clear sunny days while driving along the coast one might chance to see sharks in the deep blue water or fleet footed gazelle sprint across the landscape.

Day 9 :  Muscat

Transfer to the airport.

• Supplements apply over peak periods