Self-driving tour

Arrival in Muscat. Arrive at Muscat International airport. Transfer and check-in at the hotel. Day at leisure. 


Hotel: Grand Millennium or same standard

Meals: Dinner

Muscat– Wadi Bani Auf - Jebel Akhdar (250 km). After breakfast, we will depart from Muscat to our journey through Wadi Bani Auf - one of the largest among the dry rivers of the Wilayat Al-Rustaq valley. The Arabs call such places Wadi which means “the bed of a dry river”. Wadi Bani Auf covers a vast area of several villages. We are planning to visit them. We will also drive through a narrow gorge called the Serpent Canyon, and it is located just in the middle of Wadi Bani Auf.

The route through Wadi Bani Auf is so picturesque that we will be surprised by its beauty every minute. One of the villages that we will drive through is Bilad Sait - a fabulous village reminding of the Arab settlements of the past. It is included in the top beautiful villages in Oman. We will have lunch at a local restaurant. And after lunch we will continue our route. Arrival at the hotel close to the evening.

Hotel: Sama Hotel Jabal Akhdar or same standard

Jebel Akhdar (80 km). After a good breakfast, enjoy the day at leisure to enjoy resort activities and you may also enjoy a walk around villages in the vicinity. The lush greenery and the cool climes on the drive here shows us why it is called the green jewel of the Al Hajjar mountain ranges. Jebel Al Akhdar is famous for its fruit orchards, laid out in step or terrace plantation style along the slopes of mountains. These plantations are watered by the abundant natural springs and Aflaj system consisting of multiple Falaj sets. A large variety of fruit trees can be seen growing here including peaches, apricots, figs, grapes, apples, pears, plums, almonds, and walnuts. The region is particularly renowned for the superb quality of pomegranate it produces.

You can visit the villages of Saiq, Wadi Bani Habib (the village of the old houses) & Al Ain on our journey. The villages overlook spectacular landscape of dramatic peaks and gorges.
Have lunch at local restaurant / hotel. The afternoon will be at leisure to enjoy pool facilities.

Hotel: Sama Hotel Jabal Akhdar or same standard

Jebel Akhdar- Wahiba Sands (300 km). After breakfast, you check-out and drive to Nizwa. From here, we take some time to explore the Nizwa souk, one of the few souks in Oman featuring exclusive traditional Omani goods, including pottery, intricately hand-carved "khanjars" and ornamental silver jewellery. We also explore the Round Tower Fort, built in the 17th century. Then drive to Wahiba Sands. We’ll visit Birkat Al Mouz on the way where we will spend about 30 min and before going to our desert camp we will visit some more interesting places for example the house of a local carpenter to see fantastically beautiful wood carvings.

Arrive at Wahiba and check in to a camp. The guests can have a short break before going for sunset dune walk. The ever-changing patterns of the dunes are a photographer’s delight. In the evening we will enjoy the meal under the stars.

Hotel: Arabian Nights Resort or similar

Wahiba Sands - Wadi Bani Khalid – Wahiba. We will depart from our campsite after breakfast at 08:30 and go for a day trip to Wadi Bani Khalid - a beautiful oasis in the middle of barren sandy mountains. We will stop here for a little walk and swim in the beautiful turquoise natural pools. We will spend the whole day in the desert, and have lunch in one of the camps located in the desert. Return to our camp. We will spend the rest of the day enjoying the desert views from our camp.

Hotel: Arabian Nights Resort or similar

Wahiba - Ras Al Hadd (300 km). After breakfast, we depart for Ras Al Hadd via the coastal road. Drive on the beach at low tide. Check into the hotel.

Enjoy early dinner at hotel and then we drive to the Ras Al Jinz Scientific Centre where we are escorted to the beach by trained guides to watch the turtles coming into their nesting site on sand. One of the most popular eco-tourism activities in Oman is turtle viewing. Oman is home to several important nesting sites for four different species of turtle: the endangered Green Turtle, the Olive Ridley Turtle, the Loggerhead Turtle, and the critically endangered Hawksbill Turtle.

Hotel: Turtle Beach Resort

Ras Al Hadd- Muscat (250 km). After breakfast at hotel, we proceed to Muscat via coastal road by 8.30 AM and we will we will have a short stop at the Dhow shipyard before we head to Muscat along the coast road. We will also stop at Finns with its gorgeous views. Our next stop is the Bimah Sinkhole, a spectacular limestone crater with blue green water at the bottom. On clear sunny days while driving along the coast one might get a chance to see sharks in the deep blue water. And at the end of our journey, we will have an adventure route through the mountains. At the end of the road, an oasis awaits us in Wadi Arbayin with its deep lakes among date palms. After that, the group will return to Muscat via the village of Mazar.

Hotel: Grand Millennium or same standard

Muscat. After breakfast, the group departs at 8 AM for a city tour of Muscat. The first stop is a visit to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in Oman. Completed in 2001, the Grand Mosque is an iconic structure in the Islamic world. The handmade carpets, the chandeliers, the ceiling of the great dome in the main prayer room are absolute 'must sees'. Indian sandstone from Rajasthan has been extensively used in its construction.

Notes: The Grand Mosque is open from Saturday to Thursday only from 08:00 to 11:00 (last entry at 10:30). Ladies visiting the mosque must cover their heads with a headscarf and do not wear shorts, beachwear or sleeveless clothing, as these must be completely covered. You also need to have a hat. Men are also required to be completely covered, although short sleeved shirts are allowed for men. You must take off your shoes when entering the mosque.

If you enjoy visiting public markets, you must see Mutrah Souq! It is one of the oldest markets in Oman, dating back about two hundred years. Its antiquity has increased the extent of its appeal and allure. Known for its handicrafts like silverware, daggers, traditional cloth, new apparel and shoes, in addition to the famous Omani sweets (Halwa), spices and braziers (receptacles in which incense is burned).

Then proceed for a photo stop to the magnificent Al Alam Palace, official palace of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos flanked by the 16th century Portuguese forts Mirani & Jalali. You will have lunch at the local restaurant Green Café or similar before heading back to your hotel.

At 15:30 from the hotel we will go to the port for a cruise on traditional Arabic dhows. Dhows are traditional wooden boats that have been used in Oman, the UAE, India, Iran and other neighboring countries. We will see the coast of Muscat through the eyes of ancient navigators who have plowed the route since ancient times. We will make a short stop at the bay. We will take a photo of the impressive view of the Al Bustan Palace Hotel before we return back to the pier for transfer to the hotel.

Hotel: Grand Millennium or same standard

Muscat- Departure . Breakfast and check out Transfer to Airport for the departure flight.