Muscat-Nakhal Fort & Hot Spring-Wadi Bani Awf-Snake Canyon-Balad Sayt-Jabal Shams (Grand Canyon)

Nakhal Fort - In the morning, we’ll depart from Muscat and head towards Nakhal, where you can explore the stunning Nakhal Fortress. Situated at the base of the mountains in a charming town known for its extensive date palm plantations, this impressive 1500-year-old fortress emerges from the mountain rock, towering above the ancient village as if still warning potential attackers of its formidable strength. It has witnessed numerous battles and is filled with hidden escape routes and secret passages.

You can wander inside this restored fortress and visit all the rooms, which have been beautifully decorated in the original old style. The view from the top of the fortress over the mountains and green date plantations is breathtaking.

Ain Al Thawarah - From the Fort, we will visit the hot spring, which is nestled among date farms a couple of kilometers from Nakhal Fort. It flows year-round with warm mineral water collected in the site pools. Several chairs and shades are provided in the “picnic area” near the pool.

Bald Sayt - From Nakhal, we continue our journey to Wadi Bani Awf. The road takes us through the Wadi, passing by impressive Wadi Canyons (Snake Canyon) and several villages. The most beautiful village there is Balad Sayt, surrounded by mountains from all directions.

Jabal Shams - Then we drive up the mountain road to Jebel Shams (Grand Canyon), which stands at 3009 meters. This mountain is one of the most adventurous in Oman, offering an exciting off-road experience and fantastic views. You reach the canyon view at 2000 meters, where you can stop to enjoy the view and take photos. From there, it’s just a short drive to our resort, where we will spend the night.

Jabal Shams-Wadi Ghul (Wadi Nakhar)-Al Hamra-Misfat Al Aberyeen-Nizwa

Misfat al Abreyeen - From Wadi Nakhar, we visit the ancient town of Al Hamra, then take a short drive to Misfat Al Abreyeen. This picturesque village lies on a steep slope at the foot of Jebel Shams and consists of old homes and narrow streets. It has a falaj system for many orchards, date palms, and vegetables. It’s worth spending some time walking around the village.

From there, we drive to Nizwa.

Nizwa Market (Souq) & Fort-Jabreen Castle-Nizwa

Nizwa Souk - Today, we’ll visit the famous Nizwa Market (Souq), where a wide variety of vendors offer their goods in the streets of the souk. Here, you can find vegetables, pottery, jewelry, handicrafts, Omani sweets (Halwa), dates, spices, and souvenirs sold in authentic old market halls that few places can boast. Especially interesting is the Friday cattle market, when locals from nearby villages come to sell their goats, cattle, sheep, and chickens in a circus-style open marketplace.

Nizwa Fort Oman - Next to the Souq is Nizwa Fortress, which is now a museum offering splendid views of this ancient town and the surrounding mountains. You can walk around this impressive fortress and visit its many rooms, passages, and towers. The fort is an architectural testimony to the economic and military achievements of the early Yaruba dynasty from the mid-17th century. It was a military stronghold designed to withstand even the strongest of attacks at the time, with many traps laid along the corridors to deter intruders who might have penetrated the defenses.

Jibreen Castle - Then we drive to visit Jibreen Castle, originally designed as a presidential palace in 1670 by the Balarab bin Sultan Bins Saif Al Ya’arubi Dynasty. An extensive renovation was carried out in 1984, and the interior includes various furniture and traditional utensils to provide visitors with a taste of the period castle lifestyle. The building itself is decorated with elaborate wood carvings, ceiling paintings, and stucco work.

Nizwa-Jabal Akhdar (Green Mountain)-Birkat Al Moz-Nizwa

Jebel Akhdar - Today, we’ll take you to Jabal Akhdar, known as the Green Mountain. It’s considered one of the most scenic areas in Oman and is part of the Al Hajar Mountain Range. Jebel Akhdar is so-called because of the green terraced gardens surrounding the villages. A variety of fruits like pomegranates, apricots, apples, olives, grapes, roses, peaches, and walnuts are grown here. There are interesting walks in Wadi Bani Habib, Shrejah, Al Ain, and Al Aqur.

Birkat Al Mouz Ruins - After Green Mountain, we’ll visit Birkat Al Moz, which has a large falaj system that supplies water to date palms and vegetables for many orchards. It’s listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It’s worth spending some time walking around the old part of the village.

Nizwa-Zukait Tower Tombs-Ibra-Al Mudhaireb-Wahiba Sands

Zukait Tombs - Today, on the way to the desert, we’ll stop in the village of Zukait. The cylindrical tombs date back to the third millennium BC and are located on a hilltop in the Al Dakhiliyah region. They are made of mountain rock stacked to create a distinctive beehive shape.

Ibra - From Zukait, we’ll visit the ancient village of Ibra, which has been around for over 1000 years. It’s built from mud and limestone, and you can walk around the village. The village is not completely abandoned; some people still live there.

Wahiba Sands - From Al Mudhaireb, we continue our journey to our camp in the Wahiba Sands desert. This spectacular desert covers an area of 12,500 square kilometers and is also known as Al Sharqiya Sands. Formerly called “The Wahiba Sands,” it is a region of desert in Oman named after the Bani Wahiba tribe. The area is defined by a boundary of 180 kilometers (110 miles) north to south and 80 kilometers (50 miles) east to west. You can relax in the camp or take part in an adventurous 4x4 drive in the sand dunes. Then we’ll watch the stunning sunset from one of the big sand dunes and finish the day with a buffet dinner at the camp.

Wahiba Sands-Wadi Bani Khalid-Wahiba Sands

Wadi Bani Khalid - Today, after a buffet breakfast, we’ll take you to Wadi Bani Khalid, one of the biggest and most beautiful wadis in Oman. After reaching the magnificent wadi, just a short walk of approximately 10 minutes (walking shoes are required), you’ll see sparkling clear water pools 9 meters in depth, perfect for a long swim, relaxing, and sunbathing in the beautiful scenic wadi canyon.

Cross Wahiba Sands-Qahid-Al Ashkharah–Ras al Hadd

Al Hadd - From Al Ashkharah, we continue our tour to Ras Al Hadd, where we check into our hotel/resort. In the evening, after dinner, we take you to the Turtle Sanctuary at Ras Al Jinz. Here, we’ll go on a guided walking tour on the beach at night under the stars, where we have a high chance of seeing Oman’s great sea turtles coming ashore to build nests and lay eggs. If you’re lucky, you might even see baby turtles hatching from some nests.

Ras Al Hadd-Sur-Wadi Shab-Fins Beach-Sinkhole-Muscat

Sur - Today, we continue our trip to Sur, where we’ll take you on a city tour. In Sur, we’ll show you the Dhow Factory and old ships. We’ll also take you to the old part of Sur, where you can see most of the houses designed with wooden doors and windows.

Wadi Shab - From Sur, we drive towards Wadi Shab. This wadi is an enormous canyon gorge lined with palm trees and impressive indications of the power of water coming down from the mountains. With a 35 to 40-minute hike through the canyon wadi (walking shoes or trainers and swimming shoes are required), we arrive at one of the crystal-clear water pools. Tourists can swim through the warm waters from pool to pool, eventually reaching the last pool, where an opening among the enormous rocks allows us to swim into an incredible crevice cave with a small waterfall. Inside, the sunlight filters in from the outside, turning the water into a beautiful turquoise blue while water showers down one side of the cave from the wadi beyond.

Fins Beach - From Wadi Shab, we’ll make a stop at Fins Beach, also known as White Sands Beach. It opens up a panorama of strikingly white sands and intriguingly pebbly beach, with sparkling turquoise waters and a soft cool breeze.

Bimmah Sinkhole - After Fins Beach, we’ll make a stop at Bimmah Sinkhole (swimming in the sinkhole lake is possible). Bimmah Sinkhole is a water-filled depression, structurally a sinkhole, in the limestone of eastern Muscat Governorate in Oman. It features a lake of turquoise waters, measuring 50 meters by 70 meters wide and approximately 20 meters deep. It’s only 600 meters away from the sea, between the coastal towns of Dibab and Bimmah Village. The sinkhole was formed by the collapse of the surface layer due to the dissolution of the underlying limestone. To preserve the sinkhole, the local municipality developed a park there.

After visiting the sinkhole, we drive back to Muscat.

• All fees and taxes
• Hotels, Port, Airport, Residence pick up and drop off
• Private tour
• English speaking guide
• Dinner
• Bottled water
• Breakfast
• Transportation by Air-Conditioned vehicle 4WD
• 7 Nights accommodation

• Lunch

An 8-day round trip offers you the chance to explore the top highlights in northern Oman. Dive into the pristine blue water pools of Wadi Bani Khalid and Wadi Shab, spend two nights in the tranquil Wahiba Sands desert, traverse the Al Hajar mountain range, one of the world’s premier geological sites, and visit the Grand Canyon and Green Mountain. Discover Nizwa, the ancient capital of Oman, explore 5000-year-old tower tombs, abandoned villages, and many more fascinating sites.

Places & Sites you’ll visit:

Nakhal Fort & hot spring, Wadi Bani Awf, Snake Canyon, Balad Sayt, Jabal Shams (The Grand Canyon of Oman), Wadi Ghul, Wadi Nakhar, Misfat Al Abreyyen, Al Hamra, Nizwa Fort & Market, Jabreen Castle, Jabal Akhdar (Green Mountain), Birkat Al Moz, Tower Tomb, Ibra, Al Mudhairb, Wahiba Sands, Wadi Bani Khalid, cross Wahiba Sands, Al Ashkharah, Ras Al Hadd, Ras Al Jinz (turtle watching), Sur, Wadi Shab, Fins Beach, Bimmah Sinkhole

• Not stroller accessible
• Infants must not sit on laps

If you cancel at least 6 full day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a full refund.
If you cancel between 2 and 6 day(s) before the scheduled departure time, you will receive a 50% refund.
If you cancel within 2 day(s) of the scheduled departure, you will receive a 0% refund.