Caractère

On this tour of Oman you will discover the Gulf region, from bustling cities and historic souqs to serene wadis, imposing mountain ranges and the vast sand dunes of the Wahiba Sands. You'll travel past cultural highlights such as the impressive Sultan Qaboos Mosque and the Nizwa Fort, while enjoying the peace and beauty of unspoiled nature along the way. With carefully selected accommodations and special activities such as a traditional dhow cruise at sunset and hikes along dizzying cliffs, this trip strikes the perfect balance between adventure and relaxation .

Day 1: Arrival in Muscat

Upon arrival at Muscat airport, you will enjoy a VIP meet & greet service. A private transfer will take you to your hotel overlooking the Gulf of Oman. You will stay three nights at a Caractère hotel in Muscat.

Day 2: Free morning + Dhow cruise at sunset

In the morning, enjoy a delicious breakfast and then relax at the swimming abd. In the afternoon, a transfer takes you to Marina Bandar where you board a traditional dhow for a cruise along the coastline of Muscat. You will enjoy the sunset behind the spectacular golden ridge of Muscat City from the sea.

Day 3 Muscat city tour

Today you will visit the impressive Sultan Qaboos Mosque, the most magnificent mosque in Oman and one of the largest in the world. This is followed by a visit to the Bait Zubair Museum, which exhibits Oman's rich cultural history, introducing you to the country's wonderful culture and traditions. Later, you drive along the picturesque Corniche to the once walled district of Old Muscat. You'll make photo stops at the official residence of His Majesty Sultan Haitham Bin Tarik Al Said, the Al Alam Palace, which is flanked by the 16th-century Portuguese forts Mirani and Jalali. You close the day with a walk through the Muttrah Souq, where you can "bargain" for handicrafts, silverware, perfume or typical spices. In the afternoon you are free to rest on the beach if you wish.

Day 4: Muscat Nizwa, Birkat Al Mawz, - Jabal Akhdar

After breakfast, cross the Hajar Mountains to Nizwa, the cultural capital of Oman. Upon arrival, wander through the traditional souqs and visit Nizwa's imposing fortress. Then continue to the nearby oasis of Birkat Al Mawz to admire the picturesque crumbling mud village and tens of thousands of date palms. A winding road then takes you to the Jabal Akhdar and your stay in the mountains overlooking a spectacular canyon. You will spend two nights at the hotel Anantara Jabal Akhdar

Day 5: Jabal Akhdar

Today you admire the spectacular mountain views from Diana's Point. That is the most hyped viewpoint in Oman which was visited by Princess Diana in 1986 and took iconic photos there. You will set out on foot with a local guide along the Three Villages trail and enjoy the beautiful scenery of the Jabal Akhdar with its steep peaks, gorges, ancient villages, picturesque terraced slopes and orchards. It is an easy trail and hikes about an hour and a half. You then drive across the undulating Sayq Plateau some 2,000 meters above sea level, with its forests of gnarled juniper trees, to visit the ancient hamlet of Sawghera clinging to an impossibly steep cliff above a beautifully irrigated wadi. In the afternoon, return to the hotel and relax by the heated pool overlooking the canyon.

Day 6: Jabal Akhdar - Misfah - Al Hamra

After check-out, stop in Manah for the first time to visit the Oman Across Ages Museum. It outlines the story of Oman from the first settlers in prehistoric times to the present, with different eras, dynasties and civilizations passing by. During the drive, enjoy the spectacular views of the Jebel Shams Mountains, the "Grand Canyon of Oman. Next, head to Al Hamra and Misfah, to see one of the region's oldest villages. Here, traditional mud houses more than 400 years old are still inhabited. For the next two nights, you will stay at The View Camp.

Day 7: Al Hamra - Jabal Shams - Al Hamra

After breakfast near the highest mountain peak in the Gulf States with an altitude of 3,000 meters, continue to the small village of Al Khitaym, the starting point of The Balcony Walk. This is an easy trek with limited altitude, but it offers spectacular views of An Nakhur. The walk leads to an abandoned village and a natural pool and several caves. You hike along a ledge at the edge of the mountain to the abandoned village of As Sab. Then you will visit Jabreen Castle, designed to imitate the finest grand European palaces of the 1600s.

Day 8 : Jabal Shams - Wadi Bani Khalid - Wahiba Sands

After a stop at Wadi Bani Khalid - one of the most beautiful oases and wadis in the middle of the arid and dry mountains with ponds of clear deep blue water that give you the opportunity to take a refreshing dip - the journey continues to the Wahiba Sands, a huge mass of undulating sea of red and white sand. The ever-changing patterns of the dunes are a true delight to photograph. After a thrilling drive over the sand dunes, we reach the desert camp, Desert Nights Camp, where you spend the night. After check-in you will enjoy a spectacular sunset from the nearby dunes.

Day 9: Wahiba Sands - Sur - Wadi Arbeen - Muscat

After breakfast, continue on to Sur. Once upon a time, this coastal town was famous for building dhows. Dhow's are the famous wooden Arabian sea ships. You will visit the shipyard where wooden dhow's are still being built today. Continue and visit the dhow open-air museum dedicated to the shipbuilding tradition of the city of Sur in Oman. Further north you will reach the so-called Biman Sinkhole, an unusual geological formation consisting of a deep crater in the ground created by the sinking of the vault due to the interaction of brackish water with the components of the rocks and at the bottom of which there is a kind of emerald lake. Therea you will depart towards Muscat to Wadi Arbeen, one of the most evocative wadis in Oman, crossed by perennial water that forms waterfalls and ponds. This wadi lies in a landscape of extraordinary beauty, a true oasis of tranquility in unspoiled nature. In the late afternoon you will return to your hotel in Muscat where you will stay for three nights.

Day 10: Free day

Today you will enjoy a free day. Choose a day by the pool or an optional activity such as a visit to the Royal Opera House, shopping in the new Mall of Oman or Oman Avenues Mall, a walk in the Qurum Natural Park or a visit to the Oman Oil and Gas Exhibition Center, a very didactic museum about different types of energy and physics.