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Oman - A Desert Adventure

BONUS DISCOUNT OFFER - SAVE £100 PER PERSON - USE CODE: BONUS100

A genteel, friendly city fringed by blue waters, sweeping desert sands and rugged peaks under star-filled skies – the perfumed wonders of Arabia. Bookended by stays in welcoming, white-painted Muscat, with its breath-taking Grand Mosque, seafront Corniche and colourful souks, this fascinating tour also heads into the desert landscape beyond, to experience startling natural wonders and Bedouin traditions. Visit one of the world’s most prestigious perfume factories, discover former capital Nizwa, spend a night in a desert camp and enjoy an exhilarating drive through the towering dunes before returning to Muscat for a final day of rest and relaxation.

Holiday Highlights

Explore Muscat, Oman’s low-rise, low-key capital
Visit the extraordinary Grand Mosque, one of Arabia’s most priceless jewels
See the Royal Opera House and wander the colourful souks
The fascinating Bait Al Zubair Museum
Visit the famed Amouage perfumery
Enjoy lunch with an Omani family
Explore former capital Nizwa and Bahla’s UNESCO-listed fort
Experience the beauty and green waters of Wadi Bani Khalid
Stay overnight under desert skies at a desert camp hotel
Enjoy an exciting 4x4 desert dunes adventure
Maritime Sur was an important trading port
Go in search of nesting turtles at night
Drive the scenic coast, with its wadis and sinkholes
Spend a day at leisure in Muscat

What's Included

Seven nights' bed and breakfast accommodation in Muscat (4 nights), Nizwa (1), the Arabian Desert (1) and Sur (1)
One dinner and one lunch
Return flights to Muscat
Comfortable, air-conditioned coach travel and transfers throughout
Fully escorted by a friendly, experienced tour manager

Itinerary

Day 1

Fly from the UK to the Omani capital, meet your tour manager when you arrive, and transfer to your welcoming hotel. Rest and relax after the journey, and perhaps enjoy a first al fresco dinner.

Day 2

Get to know the Omani capital on today’s guided introductory tour. Set between the Sea of Oman and rugged mountains framed by an ever-blue sky, this determinedly low-rise, friendly city combines old and glittering new in harmony. Its most precious jewel is the extraordinary Grand Mosque, a gift to the nation from ruler Sultan Qaboos. With space for over 20,000 worshippers in its vast prayer hall, a chandelier featuring over 600,000 crystals, and the world’s second-largest Persian carpet, the building is a modern glory, as are the equally impressive Royal Opera House and adjacent Opera Galleria shopping mall. More traditional trading takes place at the historic waterfront Al Muttrah souk and fish market, which will be other highlights of your tour. A visit to the Bait Al Zubair museum, which chronicles Omani history and traditions, and the chance to see the sultan’s monumental palace, flanked by two ancient forts in the heart of Old Muscat, complete a fascinating day.

Day 3

This morning, you'll board the coach to journey inland to Oman's old capital, Nizwa, pausing first at the Amouage Perfume Visitor Centre, where luxury fragrances are created prior to distribution across the world. From here, you'll continue to Nizwa, home to a colourful souk and a weekly cattle market, and gateway to beautiful Jabreen Castle and the monumental, UNESCO-listed Bahla Fort. The palace at Jabreen, surrounded by date palms, seems straight out of a tale from the Arabian Nights, while the fortress at Bahla, with its vast walls, is one of the world’s most impressive strongholds. This wonderful day also includes a memorable traditional lunch with a local family, and ends with an overnight stay in Nizwa.

Day 4

Today you’ll journey into the expanse of the Arabian Desert. This sun-baked landscape of barren rocky outcrops and vast dunes is dotted with ancient settlements, like Ibra, that once marked the trading route between India and East Africa. You'll stop in beautiful Wadi Bani Khalid, an oasis of palm-fringed waters that provide a welcome, cooling respite from the desert sun (and the chance for a dip) before heading into the Wahiba Sands. Here, the dunes stretch endlessly into the distance and are home to nomadic Bedouin whose long, slow-moving camel trains are a quintessential desert scene. Enjoy an exhilarating four-wheel-drive through the dunes before spending the night at the well-appointed Arabian Oryx Desert Camp, where the highlight will be the chance to spend time around the camp fire under the star-washed skies.

Day 5

Head back through the desert landscape, and through the mountains, towards the coast and the ancient boat-building city of Sur. Here, a sweeping promenade, some fine shops and a fascinating Maritime Museum add to the pleasure of an overnight stay in this sun-kissed location. Visit the dhow-building yard, where the traditional craft are still made and, as night falls, head to the Turtle Reserve at nearby Raz Al Jinz, to join a ranger for a memorable nature walk to a nesting site, and to learn about the conservation of these wonderful creatures.

Day 6

Today you'll journey back to the capital along a breath-taking stretch of coastline split by deep gorges walled by towering cliffs, and home to pristine white-sand beaches, the strange phenomenon of the Bimmah Sinkhole and several ancient villages watched over by crumbling forts. You'll reach Muscat by the late afternoon, and have time to spend the evening in the city.

Day 7

Today you're free to rest and relax after the tour, enjoying the comfort and amenities of your hotel, or perhaps choosing one of the many optional activities on offer out on the blue waters of the Sea of Oman. Why not head out in search of playful dolphins, try your hand at fishing or snorkelling, or enjoy a sunset cruise on a traditional dhow, before spending your last warm evening in delightful Muscat?

Day 8

After a leisurely start, transfer to the airport for your afternoon flight home, arriving back in the UK this evening after a wonderful Arabian adventure.

Hotel transfer times

The transfer time from the airport to your hotel is approximately one hour.

Special requirements

If you have notified us of any special requirements, please check that they have been noted and acknowledged. This is especially important with any dietary needs you may have.

Combining hotel transfers

We sometimes need to combine transfers to and from your hotel. We always try to keep any wait to a minimum, but you may be asked to wait at the airport for up to an hour, while other incoming flights arrive, before the transfer to your hotel. Similarly, we may need to transfer you back to the airport up to three hours before your flight home departs.

Disabled access

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arrangements can be made.

The majority of our tours involve a certain amount of walking, including a short walk from the coach stop to the town, attraction or venue you're visiting. If you are bringing a wheelchair, please let us know at the time of booking so that appropriate arr

Occasionally, for operational reasons, we may have to change the order of the excursions on your holiday. The final day-by-day itinerary will be confirmed on your Final Travel Documents, which you will receive approximately three weeks prior to your departure.

Foreign Office Travel Advice

Visit www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice to find out the latest Foreign And Commonwealth Office travel advice for your holiday destination, as well as information about passports and visas.

Terms and conditions

BONUS100 TERMS: This offer applies to new bookings only on air holidays to destinations outside the UK and Europe made between 18th February and 11th March 2020 (inclusive) only. Offer excludes all departures with late-availability pricing. Prices shown when booking do not include the discount. The discount will be applied to your booking once the promo code BONUS100 has been entered, and will be confirmed before purchase. The discount applies to your final holiday price (excluding insurance if selected) at the time of booking. The offer is subject to availability and may be withdrawn at any time.

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