7-Day Oman Highlights Tour from Muscat with Wahiba Sands

• Hello and welcome to Oman! Meet our representative at the airport, who will assist you with your transfer to the hotel. You are free to unwind and relax for much of the day, but do not forget the 6 pm meeting scheduled to go through all the pre-trip formalities.

• It is going to be a busy first day, so enjoy your breakfast before setting off to the National Museum to get an overview of the country - an ideal way to get your head around Oman.
• Follow this visit with a walk through the gardens of the Great Mosque of Sultan Qaboos, which dominates not only the Muscat skyline but all other architectural wonders of the city. Decipher the intricate mosaic work and the elements that contributed to its construction - especially the chandelier and carpet, both fabled to be the largest of their kind.
• Complete your forenoon with a walk along the boulevard to view Al Alam Palace, one of the six royal residences of the current Sultan.
• Travel back to the 16th century at Al Jalili Fort, which juts out towards the Old Muscat harbour, and fit in lunch at a local restaurant before the next stop. Leave the buildings and history of the past for the contemporary as you wander through the fish market and then saunter down Mutrah Souk with its dazzling display of handicrafts, textiles and beads, as well as the swell and tide of its local inhabitants who navigate its tricky bargains with panache.

• Drive an hour and a half to Nizwa this morning and arrive at the entrance of Oman's most famous fort, distinguished by its round tower. Peek into the 12th-century Omani defence systems, artefacts, and stories written literally on its walls.
• Leave the fort grounds and weave your way to the souk, whose corners and lanes are adorned with spices, silver jewellery, carpets, rose water and essences to lure the bargain hunter. Then make your way to Jabreen Castle to discover its quirky rooms that hide painted ceilings.
• Close out the day by knocking at the gates of the 13th-century Bahla Fort, whose ramparts offer panoramic views of the settlement below.

• Today is a long day of travel, interspersed with regional delights and local flavours that ease the time spent on the road. Heading southwards this morning, make a stop after approximately 1.5 hours at the village of Sinaw, where local women and men gather in their traditional attire to do business in the souk. Catch the bartering that goes on here - especially if you are lucky enough to pass through on a Thursday - with goats, camels and other domestic animals changing hands. Spices, local food and vibrant local colours complete the scene as ventures of profit and loss unfold impartially.
• Leave this scene of old-style commerce and stop at Bidiyah before making your way to Wahiba Sands.
• In the afternoon, as the sun begins its retreat westward, hop into your 4x4 and chase it over the chocolate-coloured dunes. Kick up some sand as you drive through this barren expanse, then slow down and watch a copper sun lick the dunes with a reddish glow.
• Return to your lodgings after sunset and relax beneath a desert sky sprinkled with stars.

• Journey eastwards this morning, leaving the barren yet spectacular Sands for the coastal town of Sur, with its delightful traditional settlements, twisting lanes, and old houses with distinctive carved doors. Once one of Oman's most important trading ports, its significance has diminished with the rise of Muscat. Nevertheless, piece together the remnants of its glorious past as you step into its dhow yard and watch traditional dhow makers busy at their craft.
• Finish your wanderings with lunch at a local restaurant, and later at night transfer to Ras Al Jinz to watch sea turtles emerge from the waters and head onto land to nest.

• Make your way back to the capital city today with leisurely side visits to waterholes that offer a laid-back, carefree atmosphere. Take your pick from the limpid waters of Mibam Oasis at Tiwi, or walk through a gorge and enter a turquoise pool hidden within the recess of a cave at Wadi Shab.
• Sink your toes into the sandy white beaches off the coast of Oman next, only to wash them clean in the blue-green water of the Bimmah Sinkhole, which invites you for a refreshing swim. Settle into this languid mood and let it last until you gather to say farewell to the tour over a final dinner.

Note: The Mibam Oasis, the pool at Wadi Shab, and Bimmah Sinkhole are all rain-dependent; therefore, visits here will be planned accordingly. In the event that swimming at these places is not possible, a picnic lunch and swimming at White Sands Beach will be arranged.

• It is now time to bid farewell to your group leader and new friends, but not without a backpack full of memories. Departure transfers are included today. Check-out time in most hotels is 12 pm. Please confirm with your tour leader or the hotel reception.