In Brief:
| Flight - 1 night. Muscat - 2 nights. Salalah - 2 nights. Nizwa - 1 night. Muscat - 1 night. |
Day 1 Fly overnight from London Heathrow to Muscat.
Day 2 Transfer to the 4-star Park Inn Hotel for two nights. Evening orientation tour of the city. Drive to the Corniche, known locally as Muttrah, which fringes the old part of the city. Free time at the Muttrah Souk, before proceeding to Bait Al Zubair Museum. Later, view the Sultan’s palace and ancient Portuguese-built forts.
Day 3 Full-day excursion including picnic lunch. Visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, before proceeding to historical Rustaq, Oman’s capital in the Middle Ages and famed for its hot springs. Visit Al Hazm fort (under restoration) for a photo stop. Pass along picturesque wadis to Nakhl, which boasts the highest fort in Oman. Return via the natural springs at Ain Thowarah.
Day 4 Morning flight to Salalah. Stay two nights at the 5-star Hilton Salalah. Optional tour of Salalah Museum and souks.
Day 5 Full-day tour of East and West Salalah including Taqa, Job’s Tomb, the old frankincense port of Samhuram and the ruins of Queen Sheba’s castle and Khor Mughsail. See firsthand how frankincense is extracted at source.
Day 6 Morning at leisure. Early afternoon flight to Muscat for the scenic drive to Nizwa through the Hajar Mountains via the oases of Fanjah and Birkat al-Muz. Overnight at the 4-star Golden Tulip Nizwa.
Day 7 This morning visit Nizwa’s 17thcentury fort and souk and the 17th-century Jabreen Fort which affords a commanding view over the surrounding plain to the mountains of the Jabal Ahkdar range beyond. Return to Muscat by road. Overnight at the 4-star Park Inn Hotel.
Day 8 Transfer to the airport for the early afternoon flight, arriving Heathrow later the same day.
