Your Guide, Author at Blue Skies of Oman Tours and Car Rental

Nizwa and Jebel Akhdar

Your guide will meet you at your hotel in Muscat and you will drive to Nizwa, one of the oldest cities in Oman. Here you will visit the fort which was completed in the 1650s and is one of the oldest and largest in the country; characterised by it’s height, solid fortification and unique position in the middle of the town. You will also visit Nizwa’s traditional souq where you can shop for silver, antiques and leather goods. Another highlight is the cattle market which is held here every Friday morning.

Your tour will then continue to Fanjah and the abandoned village of Birkat al Mouz for photo stops before taking the winding road to Jebel Akhdar, the green jewel of the Al Hajaar Mountains. Jebel Akhdar is situated 2000m above sea level and experiences a pleasantly cool climate with approximately 300mm of rainfall annually which supports the famous terraced gardens of roses, pomegranates, walnuts, apricots and peaches. You will have the opportunity to walk among the hanging gardens along the original falaj system.

Your return journey to Muscat will take you through the villages of Saiq, Wadi Bani Habib and Al Ain.

Muscat City Tour

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and take you to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque (except Fridays when it is closed to non-Muslims). Construction of the mosque took six years and it was inaugurated by Oman’s beloved father, Sultan Qaboos on 4th May 2001. After your tour of the mosque you will drive along the waterfront Corniche to firstly visit the Fish Market, then Muttrah Souk where you can shop for silver, jewellery, spices and pashminas and finally one of Muscat’s fine museums for an overview of Omani history.

When you’ve had your fill of Muttrah you will proceed to Old Muscat where you will see Al Alam Palace which is the most flamboyant of the six royal residences of Oman’s ruling monarch, Sultan Haitham bin Tarik. The palace is not open to visitors but you can go up to the gates and take photos. Immediately behind the palace lies Old Muscat’s harbour flanked by a pair of rocky headlands on which sit the twin Portuguese forts of Jalali and Mirani.

Coastal road experience

Your guide will meet you at your hotel in Muscat and you will drive along the coast firstly to Wadi Shab.

Here you will take a short boat ride before walking through the verdant wadi towards the crystal, clear pools where you can swim.

The highlight of a visit to Wadi Shab is swimming into a cave and discovering a waterfall hidden within. After exploring Wadi Shab you will continue to the entrance of neighbouring Wadi Tiwi which is another spectacularly deep and narrow gorge full of lush plantations of dates and bananas.

Your return journey to Muscat will take you past Fins Beach which is one of the most beautiful beaches in Oman. You will have time to swim, snorkel and relax here before ending your day with a stop at Bimmah Sinkhole which is a natural limestone depression filled with a pool of turquoise water which reaches a depth of 20m.

Welcome to Oman!

اهلين وسهلين في سلطنة عمان

Oman is located at the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula and unlike the United Arab Emirates, it’s brasher neighbour, it’s a refreshing reminder of a bygone age. Although Oman can offer all the modern amenities you could wish for it’s cultural traditions remain remarkably unchanged and it’s landscape unspoilt by overdevelopment.

You can visit empty, white sand beaches and see traditional, mudbrick villages hidden amidst sprawling date plantations or clinging to the sides of craggy mountains. The towering mountain chains are scattered with canyons and wadis that beg to be explored and then there’s the vast expanse of desert with windswept dunes disappearing into the distance.

Last year Oman was voted the 4th safest country in the world for tourists in the Travel and Tourism Competitiveness Report published by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

The Omani people will welcome you with unparalled hospitality and warmth and you will find yourself seduced by the beauty and diversity of the country.

Arrive as a client and leave as our friend!

Abdullah and the team