The secret of Aladdin's lamp

Participants meet at airport, baggage check-in.

Flight ……. / Muscat.

On arrival at Muscat Seeb airport, welcome by your English -speaking guide.

The smallest capital in the world appears like a true oasis in the desert, in the middle of a fertile plain surrounded by steep mountains. Elected capital of the Arab world in 2006 by UNESCO, Muscat offers many sites to discover.

Transfer and check-in at the hotel in Muscat for 2 nights.

Day 2 - 2024​Muscat

Breakfast at the hotel.

This morning, departure to explore the capital.

We will start with the discovery of the Sultan Qaboos mosque, undoubtedly the most majestic in the entire region.

Inaugurated in 2001, this splendid building covers several thousand square meters. Its successions of arcades, its multiple domes and the ornamental sculptures of the prayer rooms wonderfully combine contemporary influences and traditional decoration. A jewel of Omani architecture, it is remarkable with the largest hand-woven carpet in the world and its Swarovski chandelier more than 14m long.

N.B.: for the visit, ladies must wear an outfit that fully covers their arms and legs, as well as a scarf on their heads. Men will wear shirt and pants (arms and legs covered). Visits are not possible on Fridays.

A walk will then lead us to the fortified royal city in Old Muscat, dating from the 16th century, and which still bears traces of the Portuguese presence. We will see Sultan Al Alam Palace (exterior view), the residence of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos, flanked by the twin forts Jalali and Mirani (exterior view), a splendid setting that echoes the beauty of the neighboring Arabian Sea. Passage in front of the Royal Opera House of Muscat, a magnificent architectural work combining modernity and heritage, designed according to the Arab-Islamic architectural style (the exterior shape is inspired by the style of Omani castles).

You will have lunch at the famous Kargeen restaurant (or similar), a true oasis designed in an Omani decor.

Continue through the embassy district before going to the Bait Al Zubair Museum, which represents the largest collection devoted to crafts in the country (traditional costumes, jewelry, weapons, etc.). The history of the Sultanate is also represented there, notably with the reconstruction of Omani houses or a “fajal”, an irrigation system typical of the country.

You will reach the port of Muttrah and its corniche, very lively with its fish market, its souk and its numerous bazaars which make it a main and unmissable place.

Free time in the old district of Muttrah, which is home to beautiful 18th century Indian merchant houses and lively souks, then return to the hotel at the end of the afternoon.

Late afternoon (around 4:00 p.m.), transfer to the Marina and board a 2-hour Sunset cruise along the coast of Muscat (with guide – Mineral water, soft drinks, coffee/tea included on board).

You will enjoy a moment of relaxation while admiring the sunset. Return to the Marina and transfer back to the hotel.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 3 – 2024 Muscat / Quriyat / Bimmah / Wadi Shab / Raz Al Jinz / Sour (230 km – ~3h00)

Breakfast at the hotel.

You will leave the capital towards Sour via the coastal road.

Stop at Quriyat, a small typical fishing village where you will discover the hamlet of Sahel.

First stop at the Bimmah chasm, a natural curiosity whose origin remains unknown...

According to the ancients, these 40 m wide wells where water from the mountains and the sea mix in a crystalline color, were dug by the fall of a meteorite. Possibility of swimming.

Continuation of your path towards Wadi Shab, for a walk in the heart of the canyon with transparent waters.

Its numerous natural emerald green swimming pools offer numerous swimming possibilities in a unique environment, notably the last swimming pool which leads to a cave where the light shines through spectacularly...

Picnic lunch in the shade of the date palm trees.

Resumption of your route towards Sour.

This port was the center of trade with East Africa until the beginning of the 20th century and is still the largest traditional port in the Sultanate of Oman today. A city built on the edge of the ocean, the old town of Sur appears not to have changed for several centuries. As such, it is one of the most picturesque towns in the sultanate. But Sur also owes its reputation to its dhow factory, traditional boats, which you will visit.

At the end of the afternoon, check-in at the hotel in Sour for 1 night.

After dinner, you will join the turtle research and protection center to observe turtles.

On Raz Al Jinz beach, many green turtles come out of the sea to lay their eggs. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this natural reserve allows you, accompanied by a certified guide, to discover this breathtaking natural phenomenon: the laying of turtles in the sand and the race of babies to reach the ocean...

return and night at the hotel.

Day 4 - 2024​Sour / Wadi Bani Khalid / Wahiba Desert

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Breakfast at the hotel.

You will leave for Wadi Bani Khalid, one of the most beautiful oases in the country with its pools of turquoise water winding through the white rocks. Deeply buried in the mountains, you just have to walk a little to find yourself in a real chaos of stones and walls where clear water flows...

Possibility of swimming and lunch in the heart of this green oasis.

Continuation to Al Mintrib the natural habitat of the Bedouins for 7000 years.

A magnificent setting of gigantic dunes, some of which exceed 100m high and whose colors vary over the hours, declining a thousand shades of ochre, purple or violet, thus contrasting with the dazzling blue of the sky. You will discover grandiose landscapes while crossing one of the most beautiful sand deserts in the world. You plunge into the heart of the desert to reach your camp for the night.

During the excursion, you will see typical villages, some of which will give you the impression that time has stood still (photo stops).

Arriving at the camp, the Bedouins welcome you with tea or kawa (Omani coffee).

Installation at the tent camp for 1 night.

The tents are very comfortably furnished. There is even something to charge your devices. They nevertheless retain, in their proximity to the desert and their openness to the sky, a true Bedouin romanticism. Meals prolong the happiness of the change of scenery. And the night in the sands is always one of the most moving experiences there is.

Departure to watch the sunset over the dunes.

These immense ocher-colored dunes offer you an unforgettable spectacle.

Return to camp.

Dinner and overnight at camp.

N.B: We advise you to prepare a small bag with the things you will need for this night in the desert.

Day 5 – 2024 Wahiba Desert / Ibra / Jabrin / Bahla / Nizwa (280 km – 3h30 in )

Early in the morning, participants who wish can watch the sunrise over the dunes.

Breakfast at the camp.

Departure to reach Al Mintrib and take the coach to leave for Ibra, a city with a strong historical past.

Visit the market as well as Al Manzifat, the old town, whose ruins are still visible.

You will then continue with a visit to the Jabrin fortified castle.

Raised by the Yaroubids at the end of the 17th century, it will surprise us with the harmony of its proportions and its refined decoration. Former residence of the Imans and school of medicine, astrology and Islamic law: it represents a true masterpiece of Omani architecture with splendid painted ceilings, decorated with delicate floral motifs, and walls decorated with arabesques.

Lunch at the restaurant.

Photo stop at Bahla Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, before heading to the town of Nizwa.

Capital in the 6th and 7th centuries, this still flourishing city has always been a cultural, intellectual and spiritual center, as signified by its nickname "pearl of Islam". Almost unchanged with its dried earth enclosure, the city will reveal its souk, renowned for being one of the oldest and most picturesque in Oman. Stalls of sweets (halwa), jewelry and weapons, including the famous khanjar, a traditional curved dagger from Oman, mingle with the small artisan stalls crowded around the mosque. It benefits from a strategic location between the Dofhar region and Muscat, but is also the ideal meeting and negotiation point for the Bedouins of the surrounding area.

Check-in at the hotel in Nizwa for 2 nights.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 6 – 2024​Nizwa / Al Hamra / Jebel Shams / Misfah / Wadi Ghul / Nizwa (180 km – ~3h45)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Discovery of Nizwa.

It was the capital of many imams and experienced a prosperous period under the reign of the Ya'ruba dynasty, in power in the country from 1624 to 1744. It has one of the oldest mosques in the world (cannot be visited). ).

Departure for the fort, the largest fortress in the entire Arabian Peninsula, which offers breathtaking views of the oasis.

Then, walk through the heart of the old town, including its immense souk, divided into several districts: artisans, vegetable market, fish and meat market...

Then, departure through the mountains of the Sultanate of Oman.

Your adventure takes you to Al Hamra, otherwise known as “the red city”, which owes its name to its beautiful mud houses which are over 200 years old. One of them has also been rehabilitated into a small museum that you visit.

Then, departure towards Jebel Shams, “the mountain of the sun”.

Culminating at 3000 meters above sea level, it is also the highest mountain in the country. During the ascent, you alternate between high plateaus and summits overlooking the gigantic wadis, green gorges, which cut into the massif. This 4X4 route gives you an overview of the different aspects of Omani mountain life: traditional villages, populations, livestock, crops and palm groves with their terraced plantations.

Lunch in a restaurant with a view of the Grand Canyon.

You then stop at the Misfah oasis.

Perched at an altitude of 1000m, the village is exceptional: built on the mountainside with its houses carved out of stone. You take the time to visit its falaj, a traditional irrigation system, supplying in its upper part the "public showers" and, further down, the date palm crops" and classified as a world heritage site by Unesco. (Access to the oasis itself, via a steep and slippery staircase, is not recommended for people without good mobility. It is also imperative to wear shoes suitable for walking with non-slip soles).

You pass through Wadi Ghul, the second deepest canyon in Oman, to reach the village of Nakhar, where artisans display their traditional weaving work.

Return to your hotel in Nizwa late in the afternoon.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Day 7 - 2024​Nizwa /IBRI /SOHAR

​(285 km – ~3 hours drive approx)

Breakfast at the hotel.

Departure towards the MOUNTAINS and visit the tombs of al Ain after visit sohar

Day 8- 2024 Sohar Al Sawadi Muscat

Visit Al sawadi , barka , muscat

End of the program ,

English speaking guide INCLUDED

( other language + 90 € extra per day)

4*4 car included for up to 4 pax

NO entry fees included

NO lunch included

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