Multi-day Tours Archives - Blue Skies of Oman Tours and Car Rental

Hiking in Jebel Shams

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and you will drive to Nizwa, the ancient capital of Oman with its fascinating souk and impressive 17th-century fort. If your visit is on a Friday you will also be able to experience the weekly cattle market. You will then continue to Bahla where you can see the UNESCO World Heritage walled fort. The final stop before heading to Jebel Shams will be Jabreen Castle which is unique for the fact that it was built during a time of peace and prosperity by a ruler who was fascinated by science and the arts.

You can spend the evening exploring the viewpoints on the rim of the Grand Canyon of Oman and watching the changing colours of the rock as the sun sets.

You have the option to overnight at one of the resorts at Jebel Shams or you can camp on the rim of the canyon under the vast canopy stars.

After breakfast you will have free time to spend the morning hiking into the canyon of Jebel Shams along the balcony walk to the abandoned village of Al Sab which is nestled into the cliffside, if you choose. You can also climb up the terraces, that were once farmed by the residents of Al Sab, to a pool and cave in the cliff face where you can have a cooling swim before the return hike.

On the return to Muscat you will visit the village of Misfat Al Abryeen, Al Hamra and then take an exhilirating off road drive through Wadi Bani Awf before returning to your hotel.

Musandam

The Musandam Governorate is a mountainous Omani peninsula projecting into the Strait of Hormuz, separated from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates. Often described as the ‘Norway of Arabia’ the peninsula boasts a magical combination of mountain and maritime landscapes with the towering red-rock Hajar mountains falling precipitously into the blue waters of the Arabian Gulf. The labyrinthine system of steep sided fjords, known as khors, cliffs and islands are mostly inaccessible except by boat.

Khasab is the main town in Musandam and is the perfect base for arranging boat and diving trips to Khor ash Sham which is the largest khor as well as for mountain safaris up the mighty Jebel Harim, the highest peak.

Musandam can be reached by plane or ferry from Muscat or by road from Dubai.

Dhow cruise from Musandam

Salalah

To the south of Oman lies Salalah which is the capital of the southern Zufar and Dhofar region. Salalah means ‘The Shining One’ in the local Jebali language and it is hemmed between the spectacular crescent of the Dhofar Mountains on one side and the blue waters of the Arabian sea on the other.

Salalah is often considered to be the “second city” of the Sultanate, although some of this designation is probably due to its distinction as Sultan Qaboos’ birthplace. Outside of the functional city centre it’s still possible to sense old-time Salalah’s alluringly languid, sub-tropical magic with its lush banana plantations, lopsided coconut palms and superb white sand beaches. The region is famous for its khareef (monsoon), and the Khareef Festival is an annual event here.

There are several flights daily between Muscat and Salalah with a flight time of approximately 1hr 45mins. It is also possible to drive between the two and the 1000km road trip will take about 12 hours.

Half day City tour

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and proceed to the Museum of the Frankincense Land. The museum was opened in July 2007 at Al Balid Archaeological Park and is a UNESCO heritage site. You will then have a photo stop at the impressive Sultan Qaboos Mosque and the sprawling beachfront Al Husn palace. You will then be able to stroll through the old Haffah souk, famous for the sale of high quality Frankincense and numerous other Dhofari traditional souvenirs. Haffah souk is very attractive with its small shops lined up with piles of incense boxes, clay incense burners colorfully decorated with traditional patterns and bags of incense crystals. Finally you will visit the gold/silver souk in New Salalah before returning to your hotel.

Full day East & West tour

The excursion begins in the morning with a visit to the old fishing village of Taqah, famous for the manufacture of dried sardines. Visit the century old Taqah Castle. We continue our journey to Khor Rori, which was an important port on the coast of Dhofar, and one of the major trading cities for frankincense. Khor Rori is believed to have been the hub and harbour for shipping of frankincense. On the way to west Salalah, explore the natural spring of Ayn Razat, beautifully laid out amidst the tranquil lush mountains and nourished every day of the year by natural underground spring water. Visit the ancient tomb of Prophet Job situated in the scenic green mountains of the Salalah plains. Proceed to the beach of Mughsail where waves burst through natural blow holes. You will then continue along the hairpin bend road with its breathtaking cliffs on either side to see the historical frankincense trees growing in their natural habitat at Wadi Dawkah.

United Arab Emirates – Dubai and Abu Dhabi

Why not fly home from Dubai or Abu Dhabi? From Musandam, your guide can drive you to Dubai to experience the modern face of Arabia. The luxury shopping, ultra modern architecture and lively nightlife scene. From there you can move on to the capital of UAE, Abu Dhabi, which is quieter and more understated than Dubai or fly home from Dubai.

Dubai

Dubai is the largest and most densely populated city in the United Arab Emirates. It is located on the southeast coast of the Persian Gulf and is the capital of the Emirate of Dubai, one of the seven emirates that make up the country. The city has become iconic for its skyscrapers and high-rise buildings, in particular the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa and the Burj Al Arab which is the third tallest. However beside the modern commercialism of the huge malls and chain restaurants you can still experience a taste of old Arabia in Deira and Dubai Creek. The golden beaches in Dubai and Sharjah offer welcome respite from the bustle of the cities. Sharjah boasts over 600 mosques the most impressive of which is Al Noor Mosque which is built in the Turkish Ottoman style and is situated on Khaled lagoon at the Buhaira Corniche. It is open to the public and tours can be arranged.

Abu Dhabi

For those looking to engage with Gulf culture, Abu Dhabi offers opportunities to understand the UAE’s history through museums, exhibitions, tours and food. Abu Dhabi is the capital of the United Arab Emirates but is less frantic than Dubai. Sheikh Zayed Mosque is home to the world’s largest hand woven carpet, you can still stroll around the dhow harbour, haggle in the markets, absorb the atmosphere at shisha cafes, stroll the lengthy and cinematic Corniche or experience camel racing at Al Wathba race track. Alternatively, you can ride the world’s fastest roller coaster at Ferrari World, take a tour of Yas Marina Circuit where the Formula 1 Grand Prix takes place and even run, walk or cycle around the track yourself every Tuesday evening and Sunday evening.

Island camping odyssey

Your guide will meet you at your hotel and drive you to the marina for a 45 minute boat trip to the Daymaniyat Islands. The waters around the islands boast excellent visibility, abundant soft and hard corals, shoals of colourful tropical fish as well as larger marine life including leopard sharks, barracuda, moray eels, rays, turtles and huge sea horses.

The islands have been protected by a nature reserve since 1996 as they provide an important nesting site for hawksbill and green turtles as well as a wide range of migratory birds. Access to the islands is restricted between May and October due to nesting birds.

On arrival your guide will set up camp on the beach, ensuring not to disturb any turtle nests while you swim and snorkel. You will then have time to explore the island before dinner which will be a BBQ on the beach. Fishing around the islands is prohibited.

As the day comes to a close you can watch sunset from the beach before sleeping under the stars.

The next day after more swimming and snorkelling you will return to Muscat.

This trip is only a available between November and April.