OMAN & DUBAI 10 Days/9 Nights

DAY 1
MUSCAT

Arrival to Muscat airport, meet and assist and transfer to hotel.

Dinner and overnight.

DAY 2
MUSCAT

Buffet breakfast.

We started the city tour with a visit to Muscat's Grand Mosque, one of the largest mosques in Oman and a fine example of contemporary architecture in the country.

It is also considered its most prominent symbol.

We continue towards the Old Town of Muscat to visit “Bait Al Zubair” founded in 1914. It became a museum in 1998 where we can see weapons, jewellery, traditional clothing and tools used in urban and rural environment at the time.

Continue the tour of the city on the Corniche. Along the way, we make a brief stop at the “Al Alam Palace”, residence of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos as well as the forts of “Jalali Miran”; excellent spot for a memorable snapshot.

The tour concludes with a visit of “Muttrah Souk” shops where we can find traditional items like “Khanjars Omani” (typical Omani knives), Dallah (Bronze coffee), exotic spices, and so on.

Return to the hotel. Free afternoon and overnight at the hotel. 

DAY 3
MUSCAT / NIZWA / AL HAMRA

Buffet breakfast.

At 08.30 hours departure for a full day excursion to Nizwa and Al Hamra.

On the way, we will border the spectacular Hajar mountains to reach Nizwa, the ancient capital of Oman's historical legacy and the city of gold and silver craftsmanship that is located 175kms from Muscat. After Nizwa, we will drive over 60kms to reach Bahla, a mystical mountains people that protect one of the most beautiful strengths of Oman.

The Arabian tales come alive when we walk through the typical souk shops selling traditional pottery, silver and more. From Bahla we will continue our route to reach Fort Jabrin, built in the 17th century which is now considered in the list of World Heritages.

None of the other forts in Oman have the same magnitude or splendour as the Jabrin fort. The plaster-work as well as the carved wood and the painted ceilings make it a unique and astounding fort. After the visit, return to Nizwa to visit its Fort as well as its souks and their fabulous exhibition of gold and silver in the various shops.

Lunch included. On our way back to Muscat we will visit the oases and the plantations of “Birkat al Mauz”, a village at the foot of the hills of Jebel Akhdar.

Finally we will stop at one of the most emblematic villages of Oman, "Al Hamra", where some homes are aged 400 years old.

Return to Muscat. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

DAY 4
MUSCAT

Breakfast and free day at leisure.

Possibility of organizing an optional morning or afternoon tour to watch the dolphins.

Watching wild dolphins is a thrilling way to start the day.

Occasionally you can see also some types of whales around the coast of Muscat; however it is not guaranteed as it depends on seasonality and ocean currents.

Soft drinks, coffee, tea or a light breakfast or snack is included in the boat (morning or afternoon). Duration: 4 hours. 

DAY 5
MUSCAT / DUBAI

Breakfast and morning at leisure to explore the city of Muscat.

At the appointed time, transfer to airport to board the flight to Dubai, the pearl of the Emirates.

Arrival, meet and assist and transfer to Hotel and overnight.

According to arrival time, you can take an optional dinner aboard the Dhow Cruise – traditional boat that was used until the late 70s to transport goods from neighbouring countries to the Emirates – navigating through the famous Dubai Creek where you can enjoy the spectacular views of the night skyline of the concrete jungle.

Overnight.

DAY 6
DUBAI

Buffet breakfast.

Full day excursion to historic Dubai is a modern vision to the ancient city of Dubai.

Start the visit with a panoramic snapshot of photographs at Burj Al Arab, one of the most emblematic hotels in the world followed by a quick view of the Jumeirah Mosque – another very attractive place. Later on, we see the impressive "Emirates Towers", two of the tallest buildings in the Middle East and Europe, passing by the palace of Sheikh Mohammed (Founder of today’s Dubai).

The tour continues to the historic and romantic Dubai Creek. We will also visit the Dubai Museum, in which we will get a broad understanding of where the Emirati people really come from.

Finally we will experience the "Abra" (water taxi) where we will view the other bank of the creek and ending our tour at the exotic scents and flavours of the Spices souk and the biggest Gold Souk in the world. In the afternoon, continue the visit of Dubai where we witness the astonishing projects that are in progress such as the island of the palm "Palm Island" – which will be the eighth wonder of the world, the Dubai Marina (which was built from nothing) and last but not least, Burj Khalifa: the highest tower in the world reaching approximately 850 meters.

DAY 7
DUBAI / SAFARI

Buffet breakfast.

Morning at leisure in Dubai which the traveller can dedicate to shopping; as the city has been recently been known as the city of shopping thanks to the DSF (Dubai Shopping Festival) celebrated every year for a whole month in January and February.

The city hosts some of the world’s most renowned designer names and shops. However, the beauty of Dubai resides in that it merges extremely unattainable shopping areas with magnificent souks where haggling is on the day-to-day agenda. In these souks, you can find all kinds of products such as electronics, gold, fabric and many more.

The safari begins in the afternoon between 15.30 and 16.00 hours in order to witness the beautiful Emirati sunset. Pick up at the hotel in luxurious state-of-the-art 4 X 4 safari vehicles (up to 6 persons per vehicle) and experience a different way to surf through the desert dunes.

The route goes though a natural oasis and camel farms. The spectacular and unique scenery provides an excellent opportunity to immortalise the moment in a snapshot; the magic and glory of the Arabian sunset and the eternal beauty of the desert. After sunset, we will finally arrive at the camp where we will sit in a traditional Arabic ambience.

Camel rides and sand-surfing are available upon request right outside of the camp. Inside; however, indulge yourself with the aromatic Shisha (water pipe), henna tattoos or simply enjoy the feast. Illuminated by the bright moon of Arabia, pamper yourself in a typically grilled meal with fresh salads and fruits under a sea of stars followed by an Arabic folkloric show including the famous belly dance.

DAY 8
DUBAI / ABU DHABI

Buffet breakfast.

Full day excursion to Abu Dhabi... the capital of the Emirates, the Manhattan of the Middle East and the administrative centre of the country.

On our way we will see the Jebel Ali Free Zone – the largest manmade port in the world. Upon arrival to Abu Dhabi we will first visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque; it is the third largest in the world with capacity for up to 40 thousand people – many people call it the 21st century Tajj Mahal.

Next is a promenade across the infamous "Corniche" where you can view the artificial island of "Lulu" as well as many of the new projects that are currently in progress in the capital. Followed by a visit to the "Breakwater" where one can take panoramic photos of Abu Dhabi and its contemporary skyline. Next we will visit “Heritage Village” – which is a brief reproduction of what the country used to be prior to the discovery of black gold.

Later on we will visit the "Emirates Palace" which is the world's most luxurious 7-star Hotel originally designed to accommodate heads of state, monarchs and prime ministers that visited the region.

Finally we will pass through the Palace Residence of Sheikh Zayed. Lunch at a typical restaurant. After lunch and on our way back to Dubai, we will see the monuments considered symbols of Arab culture in Union Square and the Bin Zayed’s Sports City which has hosted 2009’s FIFA Club World Cup and will be hosting it in 2010 as well.

It is still in progress but will have the largest football stadium in the Middle East.

DAY 9
DUBAI

Buffet breakfast and free day at leisure, which we suggest to devote to shopping and souvenirs.

We can also organize optional afternoon visits to the Emirates of Sharjah and Ajman.

This tour provides a broader knowledge of the Emirates as they are completely different from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

The tour includes a visit of the following landmarks: the blue souk is best known for the sale of handicrafts, the Faisal mosque – which was a gift from the late King Faisal in the emirate of Sharjah – the traditional souk "Al Arsah" with an intricate decor and where bargaining is permitted, the museum of civilization where there is a unique display of Islamic Works and finally the Museum of Ajman where we see very nice snapshots of life in Ajman before the discovery of black gold.

After lunch and on the way back to Dubai, view of the monument dedicated to "the UAE Federation.

DAY 10
DUBAI

Breakfast and the scheduled time, transfer to Dubai airport to leave for their next destination.