Beauty of the East 2 Days

Overview

This two-day trip takes you into Oman's mountains, up Jebel Shams, the highest mountain in Oman at 3,000 metres, and back through Wadi Bani Awf.

On the way up you visit Nizwa, with its traditional souq and its fortress, now a museum, and the mountain village of Misfat Al Abrien, where time has stood still.

On the way back you see the clifftop village of Billad Sayt above its terraced farms, the snake-shaped gorge of Wadi Bani Awf, and the date palm grove of Nakhl with its natural hot spring and 350-year-old fort.

Where you'll go

1. 1Jebel Shams
2. 2Muscat

Your days

1. Day 1

   Nizwa, Misfat Al Abrien and Jebel Shams

   Your first stop on the way to Jebel Shams is Nizwa. Its souq is built in traditional style, and you find silverware, intricately hand-made khanjars (daggers), copper, weaving and other handicrafts.

   Next to the souq is Nizwa Fort, a museum today, with splendid views of the ancient town and the surrounding mountains.

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   Walk around this impressive fortress and visit its many rooms, passages and towers.

   Then take a winding road up into the hills to the remote, picturesque mountain village of Misfat Al Abrien, where time has stood still.

   Drive up the towering mountains of Jebel Shams, past the deep ravines of Wadi Ghul, through untamed, rugged countryside: a pristine world broken here and there by tiny settlements. At 3,000 metres, Jebel Shams is the highest mountain in Oman.

   Dinner and overnight at Jebel Shams. Lunch is optional.

2. Day 2

   Billad Sayt, Wadi Bani Awf and Nakhl

   After breakfast, leave Jebel Shams and Nizwa behind and drive to Billad Sayt, one of the most charming and picturesque mountain villages, where time seems to have stood still for ages. Seen from the terraced farms below, which provide for the villagers' basic needs, the village on top of the cliff is a spectacular sight.

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   Continue along the loop to Wadi Bani Awf. The climb through the wadi takes you up the jebel (mountain) to a point where you can see the gorge below, which looks like a snake. If you wish, trek into the gorge, where several small pools are suitable for bathing.

   Travel along the Batinah to the date palm grove of Nakhl, where you can see the natural hot spring and the 350-year-old Nakhl Fort.

   Return to Muscat. Lunch is optional.

What's included

Good to know

• A guide speaking a language other than English costs 130 USD more per day, shared by everyone on the tour.

Prices

This trip has no published price yet. Oman City Tours' team gives you a price on request, for your day and your group.

We'll pick you up

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