The Kingdom of Oman

You’ll be warmly greeted upon arrival and escorted to the Prime Class Lounge where you can relax and refresh with a complimentary beverage as our professional staff attends to all of the required arrival formalities, including the processing of your visa. You’ll then be escorted through the fast-track lane of immigration before we collect your luggage on your behalf. Continue with your escort through customs and exit the terminal where your chauffeured car awaits to take you to our luxury urban resort on the city’s waterfront.

Distinguished by its fascinating blend of 21st-century vibrancy and ancient cultural traditions, there is much to discover in Muscat and Oman. Your guided sightseeing begins this morning with a visit to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Built of gleaming Rajasthani sandstone, its impressive interior features a chandelier of Swarovski crystal and an enormous rug hand-woven with the finest Persian silk. Learn more about the region’s history at the Bait Al Zubair Museum and then join your private guide to explore the labyrinthine alleys of the centuries-old Mutrah souk; this is a great place to shop for Omani incense, silver, spices, traditional sweets, and other gifts and souvenirs. Your sightseeing ends with a stop to admire the lovely Al Alam Palace and to see the two Portuguese forts that were built in the 16th century to protect the harbor after Muscat had been twice sacked by Ottoman forces. This evening, we’ve arranged for you to dine with the curator of the Bait Adam Museum, highly regarded for its fine collection of rare coins, stamps, maps, historical documents and other valuable Omani artifacts.   Meals B+L+D

Depart Muscat this morning to visit Jabrin. Rising from the surrounding plains, this imposing fortified castle was built in the late 1600’s and later developed into an important center of learning in fields from medicine to Islamic law. Then see the impressive remains of Bahla Fort, recognized as UNESCO World Heritage Site #WHS# as an outstanding example of a fortified oasis settlement of the medieval Islamic period. In a nearby village, you’ll spend time with local ceramic artisans and even have a chance to create your own pottery using their traditional methods.   Continue to Misfah, a pretty mountain village with traditional stone dwellings, and then journey into the Jebel Akhdar Mountains. Spend an unforgettable overnight at our luxury mountain resort where your spacious guestroom offers dramatic balcony views of the canyon.  Meals B+L+D

After breakfast, descend from the Jebel Akhdar Mountains to Nizwa, and ancient city set on a broad plain surrounded by palm oasis and rugged peaks. Visit the historic Nizwa Fort, built in the 17th century with a soaring central tower, and then explore the Nizwa Souk. Visitors come for the fine antiques, silver jewelry and finely-wrought Omani khanjars, but this bustling market is also a central part of daily life for local residents who come to shop for produce, meat and other daily needs.   Then journey into the Wahibi Sands wilderness where vast red and white sand dunes soar to more than 600 feet amidst an ever-changing tableau. Learn about the unique flora and fauna that endure in this arid landscape and continue to a small village to visit with a Bedouin family in their modest home. After checking into our evocative desert encampment, embark on an unforgettable sunset camel safari. Spend an unforgettable night in your air-conditioned under-canvas suite at our evocative desert encampment.

Departing our desert encampment, you’ll discover the beauty of Wadi Bani Khalid where small farming villages, date palm groves and clear flowing waters offer a startling contrast to the desert scenery you’ve left behind. At a dhow factory, you’ll see and learn how these traditional Arabian sailing vessels are made. Visit Sanseela Fort and then see the impressive ruins of Bibi Maryam’s tomb. Powerful in form and robust in structure, this impressive mausoleum is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that bears witness to the vanished glory of Qalhat, an ancient city that captivated long-ago travelers like Marco Polo.   On the return journey to Muscat, you’ll stop to see a spectacular limestone crater lake and, if you wish, go for a swim at in the calm turquoise waters of Fins Beach. Arriving back in Muscat, you’ll check in once again to our luxury waterfront hotel.  Meals B+L+D

After breakfast, you’ll be chauffeured to the airport. Once you’ve cleared immigration and customs formalities, you can relax in the Prime Class Lounge until it’s time to board your flight.  Meals B