Oman Odyssey

Arrive at Muscat International Airport by your flight in the morning. Upon arrival pass through the immigration and customs. Meet our driver in main arrival hall. Transfer to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning we will start our tour with the 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 handmade 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 Bait Al Zubair Museum. It consists of a concise collection reflecting the splendid Omani Heritage. The collection includes traditional Omani Weapons such as swords, daggers, rifles and their accessories, along with jewellery, cosmetics & costumes from various regions of Oman. 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.

Breakfast at hotel. Check out from the hotel.
Drive via coastal road to Ras AL Jinz. Stop at Bimah Sink hole a spectacular limestone crater with inviting cool blue green waters. Created by erosion, or perhaps even a meteorite, this sinkhole is thought to be one of the most beautiful sinkholes on the planet. This natural landmark is surely a place to see on the long coastal road of Oman. We stop at Wadi Tiwi, spectacularly deep and narrow gorge carved out of the mountains, running between towering cliffs right down to the sea. It compensates with its old traditional villages, surrounded by lush plantations of date and banana, and crisscrossed with a network of gurgling aflaj.
The group can have lunch at Sunrise Motel (not included in the package). Here they can change their swimming costumes and continue to Fins beach where they can swim. Arrive at Fins Beach, one of the beautiful beach in Oman with white Sand and blue water, the perfect place to swim. Spend your day on the beach (Please carry towels for swimming). Changing rooms are not available. Continue to Sur renowned in former times for its shipyard, where the dhows, the traditional wooden Omani boats were built.
Check-in at the hotel. Dinner at hotel.
After dinner drive to Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve to visit the turtle sanctuary, where at night green turtles, after a journey of thousands of kilometres will come ashore to lay their eggs.
Please note: Turtle watching starts at 2100 hrs. It is 45 minutes’ drive from Sur Plaza hotel to Turtle sanctuary. Preference is given to in-house guests. Outsiders will have to wait for their turn. Prior reservation is required.
After Turtle watching return to hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. Check out from the resort and drive to Wadi Bani Khalid. We will change from the coach to Jeeps enroute to Wadi Bani Khalid. We arrive at Wadi Bani Khalid – an oasis spot in the middle of barren and dry mountains. It is one of the most beautiful wadis in Oman and its pools with clear deep blue water give you an opportunity to take a refreshing dip.
(Please note it is approx. 500 meter walk from the parking
area to the pool. As per the recent guidelines form Ministry of 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). From here we drive to Wahiba Sands. Drive over the dunes to reach your camp. Arrive and check in at Desert Rose Camp. Evening dune bashing and sun set on the dunes. BBQ dinner at the Camp. Overnight on site.

Breakfast at the camp. After breakfast, check out from your hotel. This morning drive to Nizwa. Arrive Nizwa and visit Nizwa 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! Visit Birkat Ul Mauz on the way a magical place, is surrounded by date plantations and aflaj, the ancient irrigation system developed during the Iron Age (ca. 1300–300 B.C.) The water canals in this area are a UNESCO world heritage site. Visit Wadi Tanuf. It is one of the most important and beautiful natural sites that attract tourists. The flow of the valleys, the flow of the waters of the canals and the water springs form an aesthetic painting that one rarely see at this time of the year. The Tanuf Falaj is one of the oldest falaj in the region, its name is associated with long history as it passes through the middle of Tanuf Fortress and the Imam Salim Bin Rashid Al Kharousi Mosque. The Falaj was previously known as Falaj Al Haiqi and was built before Ya’ariba era.
Later check-in at the hotel and dinner on site.

Breakfast at hotel. This morning visit Jabreen Castle. built in 17th century and 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. Photostop of Bahla Fort. Later we drive to Al Hamra, a 400 year old village which is still home to some of the villagers. We then drive to Al Hamra, to see one of the oldest villages of this region. The traditional mud houses dating back from 400 years are still occupied. Continue to Misafat Al Arbayeen. Explore the cultural tradition of the Misfah village during your stay. A walk through the village takes you back in time and you’ll be glad to witness the culture which is alive and followed in these modern times. Explore the agricultural, irrigation and the water distribution system in the village wherein you’ll also come in contact with the locals who wouldn’t mind giving you an interesting insight into their traditional daily works. The guide will provide you with detailed information to make this tour an enriching cultural experience. Return to your hotel.

Breakfast at the hotel. Morning at leisure, perhaps spend some more time in the lively Nizwa Souq or enjoy a tranquil stroll through the date palm groves in this Omani gem.
Check out from the hotel and drive to Muscat. Arrive in Muscat and check in at the hotel. Afternoon at leisure.

Breakfast at hotel. Morning at leisure.
Later, check out from the hotel and transfer to Muscat International Airport to board your flight back home.