Itinerary

Day 1: The Capital of the Sultanate

Full day program

• Arrival
• Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
• The Royal Opera House
• Bait al Zubair Museum
• Photo stop at Al Alam Palace – the Palace of the Sultan
• Visit to the Muttrah Corniche waterside area
• Al Jalali and Al Mirani Forts
• The Muttrah Souq – one of the oldest markets in the Arab world
• Sunset cruise on a dhow – the region’s traditional wooden sailing boat
• Dinner at a traditional Omani restaurant near the Bait al Luban port

Day 2: Perfume & Forts

Full day program

• Visit to the Amouage Perfumery – a luxury perfume house known for its traditional processes and use of Middle Eastern perfume ingredients
• Nakhal Fort – a pre-7th century fortification
• The Ain Al Thawarah oasis and hot water springs
• Lunch at Al Nahda Resort in Barka

Days 3-4: Wahiba Sands & Wadi Bani Khalid Tour

Duration: 2 days

A tie-in experience of dune-bashing, stargazing, sand sports, and spending the night in a desert camp.

Day 5: Ancient City of Nizwa

Full day program

• Nizwa Fort and Souq to sample local sweets, spices, fruit, coffee and browse for souvenirs
• Visit to Bahla Fort – Oman’s only UNESCO-listed fort

Day 6: Trip to the Jebel Akhdar Mountain Range

Full day program

• Trip to the Jebel Akhdar Mountain range, with 2,980-meter peaks, home to panoramic valleys and a number of ancient villages and terrace gardens for rose, pomegranate, apricots and olive trees cultivation
• Lunch at the mountainside Sama Heights Resort
• Travel back to Muscat, to depart early the next day

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Once a greatly influential maritime empire and today a touristic hidden gem on the brink of the Arabian Peninsula, Oman can lay claim both to a rich history (as an imperial force and a strategic trade center), as well as a wellspring of natural wonders (picture-postcard deserts, panoramic mountains, scintillating shorelines of spotless beaches and green-turtle reserves, and inland tropical greenery) that have remained largely unspoiled by human activity.

Oman’s urban areas showcase traditional Islamic architecture that are a stark contrast to its skyscraper-dotted neighbours, and its nationals are renowned for their warm welcomes, amiability and hospitality. Alongside the unmissable excursions to charmingly preserved traditional villages, time-worn fortresses and impressively innovative ancient irrigation practices, visitors can be expected to be enchanted by Oman’s picturesque mountain ranges, scenic wadis (valleys) studded with waterfalls and vast terraced plantations of roses, pomegranates and apricots, and a sprawling system of caves filled with extraordinary rock formations that beckon to be explored.

Whether your interests lie more in the realm of taste-testing delectably spice-abundant Omani cuisine, learning the ins and outs of the country’s long-established production of exquisite perfumes and fragrances, or discovering the Sultanate of Oman’s distinctive heritage of modern-day religion and ancestral mysticism, anyone is sure to find great delight in being regaled enthralling tales of native folklore while sampling local delicacies such as the halwa (a sweet treat consisting of gelled date pudding sprinkled with nuts) and taking in the gorgeously untainted vistas of one of the few places on earth where Frankincense trees still grow organically.