Motorbike Tour: Oman and UAE
Starring in order of appearance:
The capital
Wadi Shab & Tiwi
Sur
Ras Al Jinz
Wadi Bani Khaled
Wahiba Sands
Ibra
Birkat Al Mauz
Jabal Akhdar
Nizwa
Bahla & Jabreen
Hamra
Misfat Al Abriyeen
Jabal Shams
Wadi Bani Awf
We don’t believe in ‘one-size- fits-all’.
The below is an itinerary sample – nothing here is set in stone.
The pictures of the hotels in the samples are of different hotels in the same area. We purposely show you several types of accommodation and will choose the perfect accommodation for you and the people you will be traveling with.
When you get in touch with us and like this itinerary, you may refer to it so that we may use it as a springboard.
Your trip will be completely tailor-made to suit you and the people you’re travelling with, based on Mikutu’s questionnaire, through which we will get to know you and your preferences better.
DAY 1: Arrival Muscat
We will meet you at the airport and start our exploration of Muscat.
In Muscat, a beautiful coastal city, modern life meets ancient traditions. Arab architecture mixes with vibrant African influences (from Zanzibar, among others).
Today’s program includes:
– The Grand Mosque, built in honor of Sultan Qaboos (men must wear long pants for this visit; women should be fully covered, including a head scarf)
– The Royal Opera House Muscat (House Tour)
– Local lunch
– The National Museum and the Bait Al Zubair Museum, where we can admire Omani antiquities
– The 16th century Portuguese forts of Jalali and Mirani
– The Al Alam Palace (photo stop)
– A walk through the narrow, covered alleys of the Muttrah Souk, where you can haggle with locals for bargains and where the exotic scents of perfumes and the aromas of ground coffee and other spices fill the air
– The local fish market
DAY 2: Muscat - Wadi Shab or Tiwi - Sur - Ras Al Jinz
This morning we drive southeast to Sur,
Passing Bimmah Sink Hole, filled with crystal clear turquoise water which locals believe was formed by a meteor.
We then visit one of the beautiful wadis (river beds/valleys) along the way:
– Wadi Tiwi (narrow, paved roads)or Wadi Al Arbaeen (offroad), which we drive all the way through by 4×4 while admiring the beautiful nature and villages, or
– Wadi Shab (hiking and swimming), taking us over boulders and through streams and where we can cool off in the pools of the refreshing oasis.
Next stop? The historic old port town of Sur.
This interesting town, once an important port that traded mainly with East Africa, is a perfect example of Oman’s seafaring traditions. Sur is best known for its Dhow construction, so a visit to the shipyard will hopefully give us a glimpse of the craftsmen at work.
After visiting the shipyard, we go to Ras Al Jinz, where we will enjoy the magical experience of green sea turtles nesting and hatching in the evening.
DAY 3: Ras Al Jinz – Wadi Bani Khalid - Wahiba Sands
After breakfast, we leave Ras Al Jinz and its turtles behind.
On our way to the Wahiba Desert, we stop briefly in the towns of Jalan Bani Bu Ali and Jalan Bani Bu Hassan, where ruins of forts and mosques are silent witnesses to the region’s rich past.
We also visit the beautiful Wadi Bani Khalid, where we may stop for a picknick, walk or swim in a picture-perfect oasis with palm trees laying next to crystal clear water.
In the later afternoon we reach Wahiba Sands, the desert home to semi-nomadic Bedouins, with its rolling dunes up to 200 meters high and its ever-shifting sands where, after a bit of dune bashing through an ever-changing landscape of colors and contours, we enjoy the sunset and a desert dinner!
We finally settle down for a peaceful night in the desert.
Don’t forget to enjoy the beautiful starry sky!
DAY 4: Wahiba Sands - Ibra - Birkat Al Mauz - Jabal Akhdar
Today’s adventure heads west to the Hajjar Mountains and the limestone slopes of Jabal Akhdar (the Green Mountain).
Along the way we will pass by the ruins of ancient Ibra and the town of Ibra, where we will have a chance to visit the local ‘women’s’ market, a colorful display of fabrics, beautiful embroidery and handicrafts, before spending the rest of the journey taking in the rich natural and cultural diversity of village life.
On the way to and from Birkat al Mauz, there is plenty of beautiful scenery, picturesque villages, ancient labyrinthine water systems (falaj) and orchards of walnuts, junipers, pomegranates and roses.
We pass mud houses and date plantations before reaching our hotel, high in the Al Hajjar Mountains and overlooking the rugged landscape.
DAY 5: Jabal Akhdar - Nizwa
This morning, we set out on the wonderful Four Village Walk, a delightful 2-hour walk through – you guessed it – 4 abandoned villages, overlooking picturesque orchards, craggy peaks, dramatic gorges, falaj filling the area with the sound of running water, and lush green terraced fields.
We then continue to the village of Wadi Bani Habib, after having visited a rose distillery and plantation.
Our final destination today is the old city of Nizwa, the historical and heritage capital of Oman, home to an imposing 17th century round tower fortress, a lively Friday livestock market and a bustling souk, and once ruled by an imam.
We visit the famous fortress, built in the 17th century in order to guard the Sumail Gap (a strategic spot between the Eastern and Western Hajjar mountains) during the battle between the sultan and the radical imams. The fort is one of the best examples of defensive architecture in the country and it is worth climbing to the top of the tower for a great view of the city and the surrounding date plantations.
We also visit the lively Nizwa Souq where we may see the old crafts in the workshops amid old antiques and handicrafts and we stroll around in the old center before heading to our hotel.
DAY 6: Nizwa - Bahla & Jabreen - Hamra - Misfat Al Abriyeen - Jabal Shams
After breakfast we visit the impressive fortress of Jabrin, perhaps Oman’s finest 17th century fortress. The beautifully painted wooden ceilings are a testament to the skills of the fort’s original builders. After a brief photo stop to admire the Bahla Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, we move on to the spectacular mountain scenery of Jebel Shams.
We stop at the stunning old hillside towns of Misfat Al Abriyeen and Al Hamra and its incredibly atmospheric old town, where 400-year-old mud houses are still inhabited, and then meander along terraces of crops, leading up to Wadi Nakhr, the country’s deepest ravine, before driving up to the highest peak of Jebel Shams (‘mountain of the sun’), home to the Grand Canyon of Oman.
DAY 7: Balcony Hike - Bilad Sayt - Wadi Bani Awf - Muscat
This morning we will take a walk along the rim of the canyon (‘Balcony’ hike), enjoying the views out across Wadi Ghul and its fertile expanse of fig, apricot and pomegranate trees. , before driving down Jabal Shams.
The drive back to Muscat takes us through Wadi Bani Awf and Bilad Sayt, an idyllic mountain village with a wealth of picturesque terraces.
We enjoy one of the most scenic and challenging road trips in the country (only driveable by 4×4) and drive past the beautifully restored fortress of Nakhal.
The view from the roof is particularly impressive, while Nakhal’s famous springs provide a wonderfully sheltered spot to take in the lush plantations and mountain peaks, before we continue the journey back to the capital.
DAY 8: Dolphins, relaxing and departure Muscat
In the morning, we will pick you up from the hotel for a boat ride to spot dolphins, followed by a snorkeling session.
Around noon, we will take you back to the hotel so that you enjoy a well deserved ‘dolce far niente’ session: you relax and enjoy the facilities of the hotel.
Or are you heading back to the city center?
In the late evening, we will pick you up from the hotel and bring you to the airport for your return flight.
Watch the wadis drop out of sight as you fly home, or extend your stay in the Middle East with a few more nights in Muscat or a trip to the big city and bright lights of Dubai.
