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.
