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Discover Cities, Wadis and Desert of Oman

4.5 (23 Reviews)
Muscat, Turtle Reserve, Wahiba Sands, Nizwa
€2.330 €2.130
4.5
(23 reviews)
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Duration

7 Days

Tour Type

Tailor-made

Group Size

1 - 6 people

Languages

English

About this tour

The Sultanate of Oman perfectly combines nature, history, and culture together. During this tour, you have them all by visiting the most famous sites of Oman. This journey takes you to Wahiba Sands’ dunes, the peak of Oman’s Grand Canyon, Muscat’s traditional souk alleys, and many other must-see places.

Free Cancellation:
You can easily cancel this tour based on the policies mentioned in the following sections down below. 
Tailor-Made:

You can fully customize your tour and change its duration, route, and included services, all tailored to your needs.

Book with Flexibility:

You can change the date of your trip free of charge, for up to two weeks prior to your original arrival date.

Private Tour:

This tour is private and is only for you and your own travel companions.

Need a piece of professional advice?

Contact Violet, our Oman travel designer, for planning your personalized trip.

Highlights

Itinerary

Day 1: Muscat in depth

Upon arrival in Muscat, you will meet your driver guide at the Seeb International Airport, and you'll have a private transfer to your hotel to unwind. Once refreshed, It's time to start a wonderful tour to explore Muscat in depth! The first stop is Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, a masterpiece built by Oman's late ruler as a gift to its people. Anyone can enter as long as they are dressed modestly, and the visit will take about 30 minutes. After a short drive, you'll get to the colorful Muttrah Souk, the heart of ancient Muscat. 

Be ready to use your bargaining skills. Stroll in Mutrah Souk's alleys and enjoy the fresh air on the Corniche. The next stop leads you to the old neighborhoods of Muscat and discover its culture at the Bait al Zubair Museum.
Taste the authentic Omani cuisine at Bait al Luban for dinner, but the visit is not over yet! En-route to the hotel, stop by Al Alam Palace for a photo with this splendid monument.

**Note: Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and Bait al Zubair Museum are closed on Fridays. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is only open in the mornings. Depending on your arrival day and time, you can visit other attractions instead and arrange a visit to these places on another day.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Hormuz Grand Muscat or similar

Day 2: Bimmah Sinkhole and the Turtle Reserve

Start an unforgettable road trip by the coast from Muscat to Ras al-Jinz. Leaving early, drive to the natural wonder of Bimmah Sinkhole, a large and deep cave with a natural pool. Legend says that it was formed by the fall of a star. You can swim there or you can relax on the white sands of the beach of Fins. For lunch, have a break in one of the picturesque villages of Wadi Shab. The best way to explore this wadi is with an easy 45 minutes hike. Walk through its hidden caves and enjoy the freshwater of its natural pools. By the end of the day, you'll reach Ras al Jinz and the Turtle Reserve. At night, endangered green turtles find a refuge to come and lay their eggs.

Every year, they lay more than 50.000 eggs on this beach, a show you might be lucky enough to attend.

**Note: The high season for turtle watching is between May and August. Accordingly, this activity is not always available.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Turtle Beach Resort or similar

Day 3: Wahiba Sands

In the morning, drive for three hours to reach Wadi Bani Khalid, one of Oman’s most famous wadis. You can swim in its large natural pools and relax under the palm trees. Explore the valley for a couple of hours before driving towards a completely different environment, Wahiba Sands. This pristine desert is home to the Bedouins, an Arab nomad tribe. Tonight, you will be their guest in their camp. Upon request, you can ride camels or have fun with other activities in the sands. In the evening, share a traditional barbecue and enjoy the twinkling of stars in the sky.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Nomadic Desert Camp or similar

Day 4: Ibra and Jabreen

Start your day after a homemade breakfast in the desert. Ibra, one of Oman’s oldest cities, is just an hour away from the Bedouin camp. Walk into the historical center and explore its traditional market, dating back to when Ibra was an important trading center. Then, hit the road again to enter the Al Dakhiliyah Region. After two hours of driving into the mountains, stop at Birkat Al-Mauz for lunch. This village is nestled on a hill and offers plenty of opportunities for a quiet walk before heading towards Jabreen and visiting its Castle dating back to the 17th-century.

Finally, as the day ends, you can take a rest at Nizwa, where you will be spending the night.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Golden Tulip Hotel or similar

Day 5: Nizwa and Jebel Shams

If your journey to Nizwa takes place on a Friday, you can't miss visiting the Cattle Market to see traders and buyers negotiating. While you're there, you can also shop for some local delicacies at Nizwa Souk before climbing up its ancient Fort. Then, leave the city and go deep into the Hajar Mountains. The old town of Al Hamra, with its mudbrick houses, makes a perfect lunch break environment. You may want to go for a walk or head directly towards Misfat Al Abriyeen, another mountain village. Walk and meet its inhabitants to learn more about their lifestyle and after that it will be time to go off-road to explore the impressive Wadi An Nakhr. Finally, reach the pinnacle of your day by driving to the top of Jebel Shams, the highest peak of Oman. The view over there is breathtaking, and to appreciate it fully, you can spend the night in a mountain resort nearby.

Meals: Breakfast
Accommodation: Alhamra Horizons Hotel or Similar

Day 6: Wadi Bani Awf and Nakhal Hot Spring

Start your day with a to dive into Wadi Bani Awf. This large wadi has mesmerizing landscapes, from lush greenery to mineral cliffs and it can only be discovered with an experienced driver! Stop for a peaceful picnic in the remote village of Bilad Sayt, one of the many towns of the wadi, and walk around to experience the atmosphere of the place before heading back to Muscat. On your way back, stop by Nakhal to relax at its natural hot spring. After that head to the hotel for your last night in Oman.

Meals: Breakfast

Accommodation: Hormuz Grand Muscat or similar

Day 7: Muscat - Departure Day

Depending on your departure time, enjoy some free time by yourself. Shop handmade souvenirs and have your last Omani coffee with dates! When it’s time to leave, a driver drops you off at Muscat International Airport to catch your flight. Meal: Breakfast

Included/Excluded

  • 6 Breakfasts
  • 2 Airport transfers
  • 5 days round trip with a sedan (4WD is available with extra charge)
  • 5 nights economy 2 & 3 star hotels
  • Visa
  • Insurance
  • International Flights
  • Lunch & Dinner
  • Extra visits not mentioned in the itinerary
  • Entrance Fees

Payment & Cancellation Policy

  • To secure your booking, 30% of the amount needs to be paid as a deposit.
  • The remaining balance needs to be totally paid two weeks prior to your arrival date.
  • If your arrival date is within the next 14 days, the total amount needs to be paid in advance in order to secure the package.
  • Free cancellation for up to two weeks before your arrival date.
  • 30% cancellation penalty if you cancel within 14-5 days before your arrival date.
  • Non-refundable if you cancel when it's less than five days left until your arrival date.

Frequently asked questions

During your tour, you will stay at the hotels mentioned in the itinerary. In case any of the mentioned hotels were not available, we'll book you another similar hotel after confirming it with you. If you would like to change any of the accommodations, send us an email at [email protected]

The mentioned price is based on a twin or double room. If you do not want to share your room with your travel companions and prefer to stay in a single room, please contact us.

All our tour guides are licensed by the Ministry of Tourism and have between 18 to 20 years of experience. By default, the price includes the service of an English-speaking Omani guide, but we also support French, German, Italian, Spanish, Arabic, and many other languages. Please, contact us for more information.

Yes! All our tours are private and tailor-made. We can fully customize them based on your preferences. Contact us at [email protected] to design your plan.

You don't need to have a visa before booking your services. However, depending on your nationality and the duration of your stay, you might need a visa for entering Oman. You can check out our blog post about Oman's visa for more information.

As all our tours are private, they can be organized for only one traveler to up to 8 travelers. To arrange a tour for larger groups, please contact us at [email protected].

As of March 21st, 2018, e-Visa has been the only available option to enter the Sultanate of Oman for tourism purposes. The embassies no longer issue the “classic” visa in order to reduce waiting times at the embassies and airports. Since December 2020, around 100 nationalities have been exempt from visa requirements for stays of up to 14 days.

As of December 2020, 102 nationalities don't need to have a visa for stays of up to 14 days: Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bhutan, Belarus, Bolivia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Cyprus, South Africa, South Korea, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Spain, United States, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macao, Macedonia, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico, Moldova, Monaco, Morocco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Poland, Uzbekistan, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, El Salvador, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, Suriname, Tajikistan, Taiwan, Czech Republic, Thailand, Tunisia, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Ukraine, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela and Vietnam.

The Omani e-Visa requires entry into the country within six months of issue date.

With a valid visa to Dubai, you can enter the Sultanate of Oman without needing any additional visas and you can stay for up to three weeks. Eligible countries: Portugal, Spain, France, Switzerland, Italy, UK, Sweden, Greece, Austria, Ireland, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Belgium, Norway, Netherlands, Denmark, South Korea, Japan, Brunei, Malaysia, New Zealand, USA, Canada, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Luxembourg, Vatican, Monaco, Andorra, San Marino.

The e-Visa allows one or more entries with up to 30 days of stay in Oman. In some cases, the duration of stay can be extended. Once your e-Visa is issued, you'll have six months to arrive in Oman.

Generally, e-Visas for Oman are issued within 72 hours from the time you submit your documents. This time frame is only an estimation and not something we can guarantee, as the process depends on the Sultanate’s administrative services.

Bulk discount (by percent)

Bulk discount adult
# Discount group From adult To adult Value
1 1 Pax 1 1 0
2 2 Pax 2 2 47.5%
3 3 Pax 3 3 54.41%
4 4 Pax 4 4 64.10%
5 5 Pax 5 5 63.55%
6 6 Pax 6 6 68.10%

Reviews

4.5/5
Excellent
(23 reviews)
Excellent
13
Very Good
8
Average
0
Poor
1
Terrible
1
23 reviews on this Tour - Showing 1 to 3
Travel & Tours to Emerging Destinations

Heather jones

Wonderful trip

Wonderful trip. Great, well-thought-out itinerary and Khalid was a brilliant guide - knowledgeable, funny, passionate about his country and his job, and keen to make sure our days were full of great experiences.
Travel & Tours to Emerging Destinations

vanessa

It could be more enjoyable, but...

I’m not satisfied enough due to the issues with our driver. Although 1stquest staff just informed us about the lack of fluency of the driver’s English level, we couldn't communicate with him during the Wadi Shab tour :(.
Travel & Tours to Emerging Destinations

Maya parks

Everything was good 👍

1stquest is an online company that can organize the whole trip. They can help you with the planning at the first step, then the reservation of accommodation and transport. They are professional, skilled, reliable, and cheerful. Trust them and you will have a great experience traveling in Oman.

Write a review

4.5 (23 Reviews)
Total
€2.330 €2.130
Per Person
€3.512

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