THE CROWN TOUR Code: TED – 01
10 Days/ 9 Nights
Day 1: Arrival
Meet and transfer to your hotel
Night in a hotel in Muscat
Day 2: Muscat City Tour ½ day
The tour begins with a visit to the magical Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (except on Fridays), a splendor of unique Islamic architecture. From here you will drive through the Ministries and stop for photo or souvenir shop in Shatti District, the most prestigious district in Muscat. Continue and pass by the brand new Royal Opera house (outside only), this building reflects contemporary Omani architecture, and has a capacity to accommodate maximum of 1,100 people. Sultan Qaboos Bin Said has always been a fan of classical music and arts. Pass by Qurum Corniche where Omanis from Muscat like to take a walk at night with their families. Stop at the traditional Mutrah Souk for some souvenir shopping. Get a glance at Oman’s culture, tradition and history at the Museum. You then stroll along for a view of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos’s Palace, the Al Alam Palace, guarded by the two forts, Fort Jalali and Fort Mirani.
Please, note that women have to be fully covered from head to ankles and men should wear long trousers in order to be allowed inside the Grand Mosque.
Afternoon at leisure
Night in a hotel in Muscat
Day 3: Coast – Wadi Shab and Turtles
Your guide will pick you up at your hotel at 9 AM and take you for an incredible journey. Start the tour by going towards Bimah sinkhole, a spectacular limestone crater with inviting blue-green water. Continue to Wadi Shab (optional) which means a “wadi between the cliffs”, enjoy a walk through the wadi, walking shoes are strongly recommended. Going up the wadi you will soon see pools appearing before you and you may also enjoy a refreshing swim in those pools. If you feel brave enough there is a cave that you can reach by swimming underwater or through a very narrow gorge where your head can nearly fit into. Come back to the car and enter Wadi Tiwi with its green pools and lush plantations. We head onto Qalhat famous for its history of exports to and imports of spices from India. Looking over at Qalhat is the Bibi Mariam Tomb (closed for archeological searches).
Your next stop will be in Sur, another town famous for its trading and still now famous for its Dhow Building Yard. The sheltered lagoon is a perfect picture with all the white houses of Sur in the background and old Dhows floating …or not…in the lagoon.
Arrive at Ras Al Jinz in the afternoon where you can relax before dinner and after go for turtle watching. The turtles come to lay their eggs at night and this experience is a memorable one.
Night at Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve – 1 DBL room
Dinner at hotel
Entry fees to Turtle reserve included.
Day 4: Wadi Bani Khalid – Wahiba sands desert
Early birds will have a second chance if they wish to go before sunrise and see the turtles, sometimes you can even see the babies coming out of the sand and start a race to the ocean. (To be booked in advance)
After breakfast, you will start by a drive to the Wadi Bani Khalid, one of the most picturesque wadis in Oman where water flows all year round. You can cool down in the green pools or walk up the wadi and see more pools with waterfalls. Your journey continues to Wahiba sands, with its golden sand dunes. Meet a Bedouin family, do some dune bashing which consists in going up and down the dunes like a roller coaster with your 4×4. Enjoy the tranquility of the desert at the desert camp before going back up the dune to watch the sunset over the dunes. The night in the desert will be a memorable one.
Night in a desert camp
Day 5: Ibra – Nizwa
After a nice breakfast, leave the golden sand dunes behind you and after a stop in Ibra for a closer look at the watchtowers proudly looking over villages from the top of the hills.
Head towards Nizwa, which was once the capital of Oman, go through the traditional and craft Souk where you can buy some souvenirs before visiting the Fort of Nizwa with its large circular tower and imagine life inside the Fort in the 17th century. The breathtaking view from the tower will show you how big the plantation is.
Night in a hotel in Nizwa
Day 6: Birkat Al Mauz – Jebel Akhdar
Take a walk in the middle of this palm plantation in Birkat Al Mauz that will take you to the old village where you can see the mud houses. The view point will give you the opportunity to take a great picture of Oman’s natural beauty.
Continue your journey to Jebel Akhdar or “Green Mountain” it use to be accessible only by donkey, at present only 4×4 can go there. This mountain offers discovery and adventure. Experience a sense of awe as you witness nature’s primordial beauty as seen in the soaring peeks and plunging canyons. The rise of terraces on extremely steep mountain slopes is particularly impressive. There is a trek that goes from one village to another through the terraces and along the falaj system.
Take a picture at the splendid view of the hanging terraces and continue to the remote village of Wadi Bani Habib, which would not look out of place in a cover of the “National Geographic Magazine”.
Night in a hotel in Nizwa/ Jebel Akhdar
Day 7: Tanuf – Bahla – Jabrin – Al Hamra – Misfat Al Abreen
First encounter the ruins of Old Tanuf, a relic from bombings during the Jabal War. Continue your journey to Bahla, a charming little town surrounded by an old 12 km long wall; visit the place where they make pottery and also the old Fort of Bahla, one of the oldest in Oman at present under renovation. Continue to Jabrin, for a visit of the Fort which was once the home of the Imam and was built to be a Palace at first, before being used for military purposes. The tomb of the Imam is still located in the Fort. The Jabrin Fort is also believed to be one of the first schools in Oman.
Visit Al Hamra, where you can find some of the oldest preserved houses in Oman.
Your journey ends in Misfat Al Abreen, set in a stunning landscape above terraced plantations of date palms. This is a rare sight in Oman as most palms are grown on the plains. The ancient houses and ruined watchtower perched on the mountain complete the scene.
Night in Misfah Old House, an authentic Omani home nestled in a plantation.
Day 8: Wadi Nakhr – Jebel Shams – trek (optional)
Meet your guide after breakfast to travel to Jebel Shams. Before going up the mountain there is an interesting wadi, Wadi Nakhr, a narrow canyon. It is a stunning beautiful place, and is geologically spectacular, being one of the deepest canyons on the planet. Going inside by car is not easy but you can do a small and easy trek in this wadi where there used to be a village where the main activity was weaving because of the permanent floods, this village disappeared. Your journey then continues to the top of Jebel Shams, “Sun Mountain”, Oman’s highest peak, 3009 m. The cooler temperatures will surprise you as you reach the top to get a spectacular view of the “Grand Canyon”. The stunning landscape will enchant you.
If you are up to it and have enough time, you may do the trek to the Abandoned village. The view of the Grand Canyon all along the trek is just magnificent. It’s a 2h30 return trek and not too difficult. the abandoned village is literally on the cliff face of Wadi an Nakhr; there is no less than about a 900m drop from the village down to the wadi floor. The route follows a narrow donkey track along the edge of the canyon side at an altitude of 1,900m affording amazing views across the wadi and up to Jebel Shams.
Sleeping in high altitude will get you closer to the stars.
Night in Jebel Shams Resort
Day 9: Wadi Bani Awf – Bilad Sayt – Nakhal – Muscat
A nice breakfast will prepare you for this big journey in the mountains and villages. The track to Wadi Bani Awf is a stunning, exhilarating trip over the mountains. Deep in Oman’s countryside are many villages that still retain their traditional charm and sense of rural solitude. Perhaps the most appealing of these is Bilad Sayt, a tranquil mountain hamlet tucked away in the mountains. The road or should I say track is steep to go on the other side but worth the trip. The journey continues to Nakhal and its 17th Century Fort built on the peak of a mountain. Nakhal Fort is one of the most spectacular forts, dramatically located at the edge of the Jebel Akhdar Mountains in northwest Oman. It is surrounded by a beautiful oasis. There is an area with healing warm springs, the most notable being Ayn A’ Thowarah. Its waters run at 45°C and are regarded as a cure for rheumatism and skin diseases due to its sulfur content.
Return to Muscat.
Night in a hotel in Muscat
Day 10: Departure
Transfer from your hotel to the airport.
For an exact price quote, please contact, Myriam.
Price includes:
- Arrival and departure transfers
- 4×4 with English speaking Omani guide
- 10 days/ 9 nights package as described
- Entry fees to museum
- Entry fees to Forts
- Meals as described in program (B) breakfast – (L) lunch – (D) diner
Total price for this package for 2 persons: OMR
