Classic Family Oman Holiday

Arrive in Muscat and meet your local guide, your dedicated host for your trip. Most of the first day is free to relax after the flight before you board a traditional dhow boat for a two-hour cruise as the sun sets over the Arabian Sea. A dolphin-watching cruise can also be arranged.

Explore the different aspects of this capital city stretched out along the coast, from well-known sights such as the impressive Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque – a marvellous feat of modern Islamic architecture – to the souqs and seaside promenade of Mutrah. Your guide is your key to discovering the tastiest food, experiencing the warm hospitality of the locals over Arabic coffee and dates and learning about the area’s fascinating blend of modernity and tradition.

Today you start your 4WD journey into the mountains with your guide. Stop for a swim at a spring or take a walk in the shadow of the imposing mud-brick walls of the highest fort in Oman.

After lunch, continue following the road as it climbs towards the beautiful Jabal Al Akhdar mountain range. You have the opportunity to explore Wadi Bani Auf en route, a dramatic gorge that spans 26km. It weaves through several villages and boasts plenty of striking sights such as the Snake Canyon. For families with older children who like a challenge, there are great hiking trails that take you splashing through streams, climbing up slopes and clambering over large boulders. Arrive in Nizwa late afternoon and check in to your hotel.

On your journey down to the desert, there will be a chance to visit the old city of Ibra before heading onwards to Wadi Bani Khalid for a swim through this narrow river valley. If water levels permit, you might choose to explore further into the wadi beyond the main pool and seek out Moqal Cave. Later in the journey, your guide will stop to deflate the tyres ready to head off-road into the dunes of the mesmerising Wahiba Sands. Get the pulses racing as you do a spot of exhilarating dune-bashing with your experienced driver before you check in to your desert camp.  Settle into your home for the night in this atmospheric location, watch the sunset over the sands, and marvel at the star-filled sky as you dine Bedouin-style.

Spend day 9 enjoying the coastal journey from Ras Al Hadd back towards Muscat. There are several interesting places to stop and explore with your guide en route. Sur was once a strategic point of trade with East Africa and India and today it’s one of the few places where you can see local craftsmen still building ships in the old Dhow Yard. Explore the deep gorges of Wadi Tiwi or the similarly rocky landscape and pools of Wadi Shab before heading on to Bimmah Sinkhole. Believed by locals to have been formed by a meteorite, it now has an emerald pool at its base, a mix of fresh and saltwater. If you need to cool off, descend the stairway into the sinkhole for a swim (but watch out for the tiny fish that try to nibble your toes..).  If you’d prefer to take a dip in the sea, the beautifully scenic White Beach is also not far from the Sinkhole.  You’ll know by now that a journey in Oman is always so much more than a transfer from A to B!

After lunch, finish the drive onwards to your Muscat beach hotel W for a 4-night stay (or longer if you prefer!)  The Shangri La is really a must for families – it has the best beach and great facilities including a lazy river which will surely be a winner with kids and parents alike.