Oman

Description

DAY 01: ARRIVAL AT MUSCAT INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT Arrival at Muscat International Airport by your flight. Upon Arrival meet our Prime class staff at the Aerobridge to escort you to the Arrival lounge. Relax at the lounge till your passport is stamped for immigration. After immigration process is complete, our staff will escort you to the luggage belt and assist you with the luggage and then hand over to our waiting driver. Transfer to your selected hotel in Muscat. Arrive and check in at hotel. Overnight at the selected hotel DAY 02: MUSCAT CITY TOUR Morning breakfast at hotel. After breakfast meet our guide at the hotel lobby. 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 metres. The Mosque complex (covering 40,000 square metres) is constructed on a raised podium in keeping with the tradition of Omani mosques that were 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 contains around 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 metres. From design stage it took 4 years to 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 a 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. Visit The National Museum is the most prominent cultural edifice in the Sultanate of Oman, which is dedicated to highlighting Oman’s cultural heritage, since the emergence of human impact in Oman to the present day. The museum display experience is distributed to (14) halls, which include more than (7000) distinctive, carefully selected finds, and (33) digital interactive display systems. It is the first museum in the Sultanate that includes a learning center, equipped according to the highest international standards, and is the first museum in the Middle East to employ the Braille system in the Arabic language. Photo stop at Al Alam Palace, the official residence of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tariq the ruler of Oman. The palace is an architectural 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 drive towards Muttrah Souq – one of the most popular souqs in the Middle East. Take a walk in its labyrinth of alleyways beckoning with a myriad of merchandise, from imported fabrics to exotic Oriental spices, perfumes and richly handcrafted artifacts. A visit to this frenetic, pulsating 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 specialise in famous Omani khanjars (daggers), antiques, traditional silver jewellery, and handicrafts in copper, camel bone, wood, leather and hand-made Omani costumes. Visit to the Royal Opera house Muscat. The Royal Opera House Muscat is the leading arts and culture organization in the Sultanate of Oman. The vision of the Opera House is to serve as a centre of excellence in global cultural engagement and strives to enrich lives through diverse artistic, culture and educational programes. The multidisciplinary work of Royal Opera House Muscat showcases rich and diverse artistic creations from Oman, the region, and the world; provides a space for culture and socioeconomic development reflections and actions; inspires audiences and nurtures creativity with innovative programs; fosters cultural vitality and unleashes talent; promotes cultural tourism; and puts cultural diplomacy into practice by reinvigorating global and multi-disciplinary collaborations and exchanges. Return to hotel. Overnight at the selected hotel DAY 03: JABEL AKHDAR Breakfast at hotel. Later check out from the hotel and drive to Jebel Akhder (2H30M driving time). Visit Jabel Akhder town. In Arabic Jabel Akdhar means green mountains as the area is famous for gardens, farms and terrace plantations. Visit Wadi Bani Habib to see one of the remote villages and plantations. At first glance the village looks in a pretty good shape for an abandoned village, however as you get closer you will notice that nobody is home, rooves have collapsed, walls crumbled and doors completely missing. The village is empty and just waiting to be explored. Follow your guide as they take you through the terrace gardens to view this intriguing location. Later drive to the villages of Saiq, & Al Ain which dot the landscape. The villages overlook a spectacular landscape of dramatic peaks , gorges and wadis. The roses of Jabal Al Akhdar fill the air with fragrance when in full bloom (March / April). Rose water is distilled in the homes of the villagers during this time. Later check in at your selected hotel Overnight at the selected hotel Optional: A 30-minute Helicopter transfer from Muscat to Jebel Akhder hotel can be arranged DAY 04: JEBAL AKHDAR – NIZWA Breakfast at hotel. This morning depart to Nizwa. Visit Nizwa souq and explore the souq. The impressive New Souq complex has been sensitively designed using Omani fort architecture and elegant Islamic arches. The air-conditioned halls of this souq are full of fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, huge stacks of dates and freshly caught fish. This is still the best place to buy traditional silver “Khanjars” (hand- carved Omani daggers) and Bedouin jewellery, where silver is still sold by weight. Then you visit Nizwa Fort with its massive Circular Cannon Tower, making it one of the most impressive forts in Oman Built on a solid base of rock, the huge tower was designed to withstand the vibrations of 24 cannons. From the top, a superb panoramic view gives visitors a bird’s eye view all around Nizwa and the surrounding plains – a sure delight for all avid photographers! Optional: take a 30-minute buggy tour around Nizwa’s old town. Return overnight at the selected hotel DAY 05: JEBAL AKHDAR – WAHAIBA SANDS Breakfast at hotel. After breakfast checkout from the hotel and depart to Sharqiya Sands. First, we visit Wadi Bani Khalid. Arrive at Wadi Bani Khalid, this is considered one of the most beautiful wadis 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 vehicles 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. (Please note it is approx 500-meter walk from the parking area to the pool.) As per the recent guidelines form Ministry of Heritage & Tourism, ladies who wish to swim in the wadi have to wear shorts and t-shirt to cover their body. Swimming in bikinis is not permitted. This is to respect the local culture of the villagers. After spending some time in the Wadi, we drive to Sharqiya Sands. We arrive at the edge of the desert, here the tyres will be deflated before entering into the desert. Drive over the dunes to reach your camp. Arrive and check in at the luxurious Desert Nights Camp. Evening drive over the dunes for a Sunset. Enjoy some dune bashing over the dunes before reaching the sunset point. After Sunset return to your camp. Dinner at Camp Overnight at Desert Nights Camp DAY 06: WAHAIBA SANDS – MUSCAT Breakfast at the Camp. Morning enjoy some activities at the camp. Later drive to Muscat. Arrive in Muscat and check in at your selected hotel Overnight at the selected hotel DAY 07: DEPARTURE Breakfast at hotel. Morning at leisure. Later check out from the hotel and transfer to Muscat International Airport to board your flight back home.

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