Muscat Jewels 5 Days

Overview

This five-day tour starts with a short stop in Muscat city, then takes you down the coast to Ras Al Hadd, into the Wahiba Sands, on to Nizwa and up to Jebel Shams, and back through Wadi Bani Awf and Nakhl.

Along the way you swim in Wadi Shab and Wadi Bani Khaled, watch for nesting turtles at Ras Al Jinz, ride camels in the desert and share coffee and dates with a Bedouin family. In the mountains you visit the villages of Misfat Al Abrien and Billad Sayt.

Where you'll go

1. 1Jebel Shams
2. 2Muscat
3. 3Nizwa
4. 4Wadi Bani Awf

Your days

1. Day 1

   Muscat to Ras Al Hadd along the coast

   In the morning, the tour starts with a short stop in Muscat city, then leaves Muscat for Sur along the coastal route.

   You see Quriyat, a small coastal fishing village, and stop for photos at the Bamah Sinkhole.

   Continue along the white beach of Fins, which invites you for a relaxing swim.

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   Take the graded track to Wadi Shab, one of Oman's most spectacular wadis, with fresh water flowing most of the year beside banana plantations and rocky paths. You can swim from pool to pool through its warm water.

   Continue to Sur and Ras Al Hadd, where your night is arranged.

   After dinner, you are driven to the Ras Al Jinz Turtle Sanctuary, a protected green turtle nesting reserve. You can see Oman's great sea turtles nest and lay eggs on the beach, and you may see baby turtles hatching from some nests.

   Overnight in Ras Al Hadd. Lunch and dinner are optional.

2. Day 2

   Wadi Bani Khaled and the Wahiba Sands

   After breakfast, continue to Wadi Bani Khaled, one of the biggest and most beautiful wadis in Oman, and enjoy a refreshing swim in its cool water.

   Then drive towards the Wahiba Sands to experience the magic of a true desert, almost a sea of constantly shifting sands.

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   A drive through the dunes is a must: enjoy 4x4 dune bashing and ride camels.

   Later, visit a local Bedouin family at home for a close-up view of their way of life, and share coffee and dates with them.

   Enjoy the campfire and dinner, and spend the night in the desert. Lunch is optional.

3. Day 3

   Nizwa and Jabrin

   After breakfast, drive to Nizwa, the capital of the interior and the birthplace of Islam in the Sultanate of Oman.

   Nizwa is known for its Round Tower Fort, built in the 17th century, and its souq, famous for its Friday cattle auction, intricately hand-carved khanjars (daggers) and ornamental silver jewellery.

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   Jabrin, the finest of Oman's castles, was built in the late 17th century and became a seat of Omani learning. It shows the highest achievement in Omani ceiling painting and beautifully executed woodcarvings.

   Overnight in Nizwa. Lunch is optional.

4. Day 4

   Misfat Al Abrien and Jebel Shams

   In the morning, after breakfast, drive up a winding road into the hills to the faraway, picturesque mountain village of Misfat Al Abrien, where time has stood still.

   Drive on up the towering mountains of Jebel Shams, the highest mountain in Oman, and the deep ravines of Wadi Ghul, through untamed, rugged country, a pristine world broken here and there by tiny settlements.

   Dinner and overnight at Jebel Shams. Lunch is optional.

5. Day 5

   Billad Sayt, Wadi Bani Awf, Nakhl and back to Muscat

   After breakfast, leave Jebel Shams and drive to Billad Sayt, one of the most charming and picturesque mountain villages, where time seems to have stood still for ages. The village on top of the cliff is a spectacular sight from the terraced farms below, which provide for the people who live there.

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   Continue along the loop to Wadi Bani Awf. The climb through the wadi takes you up the jebel (mountain), and at one point you see the gorge below, which really does look like a snake. If you wish, you can trek into it, and there are several small pools here for bathing.

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

   Return to Muscat in the late afternoon. 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.

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