EXPLORE DUBAI & OMAN

Pick up from hotel at 09:00 am and drive for half day Dubai city tour. Tour begins with a drive which passes through Dubai creek (Natural saltwater inlet in a historical part of the city which cuts through Bur Dubai and Deira), Gold & Spice Souks (Traditional market 'souk' with hundreds of trade retailers for wide varieties of shopping), Dubai museum at Bastakia area (Interactive museum located at Fahidi Fort established in 1971), Burj Khalifa (Inaugurated in 2010, currently the world’s tallest structure, boasting 828m protruding the skyline of Down Town Dubai with more than 160 floors including the Armani residences & hotel resort), Jumeirah mosque (Trib-ute to modern Islamic architecture, a stone structure built in the medieval Fatimid tradition), Burj Al Arab (Famous sail shaped building, fourth tallest hotel in the world standing on an artifi-cial island), The Jumeirah Palm Island (Group of artificial islands constructed in the shape of a palm tree containing luxury hotels (such as the Atlantis resort), beach side villas & apartments, marinas, water parks, restaurants, shopping malls, sports facilities & health spas, after complet-ing the tour drop to the hotel.

Dinner Dhow Cruise Pickup : 7:00 PM Drop Off: up to 11:00 PM

Discover the true beauty of Dubai while aboard a traditionally decorated wooden dhow (cabin cruise), as it sails along the Dubai creek under the moonlight. The major Dubai landmarks shine through the moonlit sky as the wooden vessel slips silently across the creek. The past and pre-sent architecture of the area is brought to its full beauty during this time, including the National Bank of Dubai, Dubai Chamber of Commerce, Sheikh Saeed's house, and the Heritage Village. This unforgettable romantic evening cruise includes a buffet dinner of either continental or ori-ental cuisine, along with soft drinks, traditional coffee, and mineral water. The tour also normal-ly contains various sorts of entertainment and traditional Arabic background music, Soft Drinks & Mineral Water, International Buffet Dinner, Tanura Show.

Morning, Check out hotel then transfer to Dubai Airport for departure. (Standard Check out time is 12:00hrs). You will arrive at the Muscat International Airport. Upon your arrival you proceed straight to the Immigration. Immigration & customs are quick & simple. Upon arrival at the General arrival lounge you will be met by our MTA representative who will assist you to the comforts of our vehicle to drive for Half day City Tour. The tour begins with a visit to the beauti-ful Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque one of the largest mosques in the Middle East. Later you visit Bait Al Zubair Museum. You will have photo stops at the residence of his Majesty Sultan Qa-boos, the Al Alam Palace, which is flanked by the 16th century Portuguese forts Mirani and Jalali. Evening you will be strolling through Muttrah Souq, where you will be bargaining for handicrafts and silver items. Overnight in Muscat hotel.

Note: The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat can be visited between 0800 – 1100 hrs on working days from Saturdays to Thursdays and it remains closed on Friday and public holi-days

This tour provides a good insight on Omani history and glorious heritage. Preciously restored, each Fort has its own story. They were first built for military defense but were also used for so-cial and community gatherings. Before reaching Nizwa, you will stop to see the old village of Birkat Al Mawz, walking through the plantation and small streets with old crumbling houses. You will then continue to Nizwa, who 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. Continue your journey to Bahla, a charming little town surrounded by an old 12 km long wall; visit the place where they make pot-tery and also the old fort of Bahla, one of the oldest in Oman (under renovation, visit is from the outside only). 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. Overnight in Nizwa hotel.

Morning after Breakfast at 8:00 am We will proceed to see Oman Old mud houses. Al Hamra and Misfah to see one of the oldest villages of this region. The traditional mud houses dated back from 400 years are still occupied. The falaj system used in this village one of the oldest of this kind (UNESCO site). Thereafter drive to visit Wadi Gul & Wadi Nakhar the remote villages ex-actly at the drop point of great canyon. Then proceed tour to Jebel Shams. Along the road, Wadi Nakhar, a narrow canyon. It is a stunning beautiful place, and is geologically spectacular, being one of the deepest canyons on the planet. Go deep inside to visit the village where the main ac-tivity is weaving, especially Omani rugs …… Your journey continues to the top of Jebel Shams, “Sun Mountain”, Oman’s highest peak, 3009 m get a spectacular view of the “Grand Canyon”. Overnight in Jebel Shams High Resort.

Around 8.30 am you will be met by your tour guide and driver who will escort you to the com-forts of our 4 wheel drive to embark on a soft adventurous trip Your first stop at the quaint mountain village of Bilad Sayt framed by the dramatic mountains. We then drive through the spectacular Wadi Bani Auf . This stretch of graded road is very adventurous & for the physically fit only as it involves steep bends and bumpy roads. 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. The stunning landscape will enchant you before heading down the mountain to return to Muscat. Overnight in Muscat Hotel

Check out hotel then transfer to Muscat Airport for departure. (Standard Check out time is 12:00hrs). You will arrive at the Salalah international airport. Upon your arrival you proceed straight to the immigration. Immigration & customs are quick & simple. Upon arrival at the gen-eral arrival lounge you will be met by our MTA representative who will assist you to the com-forts of our vehicle. Visit the Al Baleed museum of the Frankincense land. Opened in July 2007 at Al Balid Archaeological Park it is a large archaeological site that you can stoll through among Salalah Tours when you visit Oman, and the museum hosts an impressive collection about the archaeological and maritime history of Oman. (Open Sat - Wed 8:00 -14:00 & 16:00 - 20:00, Thu - Fri 16:00 - 20:00). In the Heritage Souk, you can find different types of Omani crafts and incense burners. You will have an exact view of the Arabian market after visiting the new souk. Drive to the Gold souk offers modern and olden style Dhofari ornaments. Haffah souk is very attractive with its small shops lined up with straight piles of incense boxes, clay incense burners colourful-ly decorated with traditional patterns and bags of incense crystals. Also on your way to haffah Souk you can see some typical Dhofari houses with caravan windows and doors. Walking past the Sultan Residential palace Al Husn, reaches to the Old Souk where Frankincense, Dhofari traditional clothes and cosmetics are available. Before returning to the hotel, visit the ancient city of Zufar, the ruins of Al Balid, which was visited by Ibn Batuta and Marco Polo, describing it as a beautiful, large and noble city. Overnight in Salalah Hotel.

The excursion begins in the morning with a visit to the old fishing village of ‘Taqah’, famous for the manufacture of ‘Dried Sardines’ & its traditional & old ‘Dhofari Houses’. Visit the century old ‘Taqah Castle’, the former official residence of the ‘Wali’ (Governor) of the region & obtain a glimpse into the rich history of the region. Continue onto the ancient ruins of the once famous city of Sumharam (Khor Rohri). The city was the easternmost outpost of the Hadramawt King-dom on the ancient incense route between the Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf and India. Khor Rori was an important port on the coast of Dhofar, and one of the major trading cities with frankincense, believed to have been the hub & harbour for the shipping of Frankincense (UNESCO World Heritage site). On the way back to western Salalah, explore the ‘ever green Wadi Darbat’ for a relaxing stroll along the Wadi bed, surrounded by herds of Camels, Goats & Cattle. In the Khareef season (monsoon period), one could also witness an almost 100m natural Waterfall, spreading its ‘tentacles’ into numerous lakes & lush green Vegetation. Thereafter pro-ceed to ‘Qara’ mountains to explore the western part of Salalah. On a road steadily winding up a steep incline, herds of Camels & Cattle are a common sight which gives a scenic view of a tradi-tional Dhofari rural beauty. Visit the ancient tomb of ‘Prophet Job’ situated in the scenic green mountains of the Salalah Plains. Proceed to the beach of Mughsail where the white sand touch-es the deep blue of the ocean & at high tide, where waves burst through the natural titanic ‘Blow Holes’, at the far end of the ‘Rocky beach’ with a cave-like entrance. Continue along the ‘Hair-pin-bend’ road towards Western Border of Oman, with its breathtaking cliffs on either side, to see the historical ‘Frankincense trees’ growing in their natural habitat, deep down in the val-leys, dotting the dry & craggy countryside. Take a short walk into the valleys to smell the ‘Holy Incense’ amidst the scenic view of the region. Return to the Salalah hotel. Overnight stay at the hotel.

Departure transfers to Airport to connect the flight back home as per flight timing.