Evening: International flight to Dubai

Evening: Transfers from Dubai International Airport to the hotel.

Lodging: Arabian Courtyard

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: After a morning orientation, enjoy a walk through Bastakiya neighborhood and a visit to the Bastakiya Mosque and Textile Souq. Afterwards, board an abra boat and journey across Dubai Creek to Deira to explore the Gold Souk and Spice Souk. Later return to Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding for a cultural discovery Q&A session. You will be treated to Arabic tea, coffee and dates.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: Visit Dubai Museum, which is the main museum in Dubai. It was built in 1787 and it is the oldest existing building in Dubai. The museum was opened by the ruler of Dubai in 1971, with the aim of presenting the traditional way of life in the Emirate of Dubai. It includes local antiquities as well as artefacts from African and Asian countries that traded with Dubai. It also includes several dioramas showing life in the emirate before the advent of oil in addition to artefacts from recent discoveries as old as 3000 B.C.

Dinner: Onboard the dhow

Evening: Ride the traditional Dhow (boat) along the Dubai Creek in moonlight. It offers an intriguingly different view of the beautiful city-Dubai and its splendid modern and old architecture. Along the ride you will see Dubai Creek Golf Club, Yacht Club & the spectacular Chamber of Commerce, parks, the famous modern skyscrapers of the city as well as Sheikh Saeed's birth place of Heritage village. This is the best way to see Dubai at night.

Lodging: Arabian Courtyard

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Explore some of the most amazing modern architectural landmarks of Dubai. This is an opportunity for you to explore the city on your own. Your group leader will give you suggestions and directions how to navigate on your own or in small groups.

Lunch: Lunch on your own at a restaurant of your choice.

Afternoon: After attending a lecture by an expert about modern architecture and construction in Dubai, Visit Burj Khalifa, the tallest building in the world. It is named after UAE President Khalifa Bin Zayed and it broke many world records. This tower has the highest outdoor observation deck in the world. The group will have a chance to enjoy a unique view of Dubai from this deck (124th floor). In the evening, watch the awesome Dubai fountains. This is a record-setting choreographed fountain system set on the 30-acre manmade Burj Khalifa Lake at the centre of the Downtown Dubai. Illuminated by 6,600 lights and 25 colored projectors, it is 902 ft long and shoots water 490 ft into the air (equivalent to a 50-story building), accompanied by a range of classical to contemporary Arabic and world music.

Dinner: At a local restaurant

Lodging: Arabian Courtyard

Meals Included: Breakfast, Dinner

Breakfast: At the hotel

Morning: Learn about the UAE national bird; the falcon through a field trip to the worldwide-known Abu Dhabi Falcon Hospital which opened its doors in 2007 to visitors to experience the fascinating world of falcons and falconry. This is a once in a lifetime experience that you will never forget. It will give you a deep insight into the world of the majestic bird, the history of falconry as well as the life of falcons in modern times.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant.

Afternoon: A guided exploration of the magnificent Sheikh Zayed Mosque in Abu Dhabi will give you a different perspective about the culture and architecture of the UAE. This mosque is the largest in the country. The mosque's design and construction unites the world, using artisans and materials from over 12 countries. The 60,570 sq ft carpet in the main prayer hall is considered to be the world's largest carpet. The Mosque is large enough to accommodate over 40,000 worshippers.

Dinner: At a local restaurant

Lodging: Arabian Courtyard

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Discover UAE coastal cities of Sharjah & Ras Al Khaimah on the way to Oman

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Sharjah is considered the centre of Islamic civilization in the UAE. You will explore the one-of-a-kind Islamic civilization museum in Sharjah. The museum opened in 2008, and it covers Islamic culture, with more than 5,000 artefacts from many Muslim countries. Displayed objects include calligraphy, carvings, ceramics, coins, glass, manuscripts, metalwork, and scientific instruments. Afterwards, explore Souq al-Arsah in Sharjah, the oldest souq (market) in the country. Later, stop at the traditional coffeehouse for a mint tea and a plate of dates.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: Explore the National Museum of Ras Al Khaimah. The museum is housed in the residence of the sheikh of Ras al Khaimah and is a very ancient building with rooms preserved with their immaculate architecture. The museum displays archaeological collections excavated twenty years back, silver collections, natural history samples such as rocks, shells and fossils and ethnographic material showcasing the traditional life of the people who lived here before. Cross the Omani border on the way to Khasab where you will spend the night. You will have some time to relax before dinner.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Golden Tulip Khasab

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Ride the Omani Dhow and sail through the spectacular fjords of Musandam

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Morning transfer the group to Khasab harbour and board the traditional Omani dhow and start cruising into the spectacular fjords of Musandam, passing small fishing villages, famous telegraphic island. There is the possibility of swimming and snorkeling in clear waters if you are interested. It is also possible to see Humpback dolphins. This type of dolphins is listed by the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (CMS) as endangered.

Lunch: Lunch on board Dhow

Afternoon: Depart for city exploration of Khasab, the capital city of Musandam with a field trip to the Khasab Fort, the neighbouring village Qadah and the pre-historic cave paintings in Wadi Tawi.

Dinner: Dinner at hotel

Lodging: Golden Tulip Khasab

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: After breakfast check out from the hotel and transfer to Khasab Airport to board your flight to Muscat.

Lunch: Light lunch during flight

Afternoon: This afternoon you will attend an expert-led lecture by a local expert about the culture and history of Oman. This is an opportunity for you to ask questions and share your thoughts about your findings and explorations. After the lecture, take the rest of the afternoon to relax and reflect on your learning.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Golden Tulip Nizwa

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at hotel

Morning: This morning you will first explore Nizwa Souq ( traditional weekly market). The paved area in front of the souq is a bustle with people and activity. Enjoy the open-air goat market under the palm trees with farmers selling and buying goats and sheep. New Nizwa souq complex has been sensitively designed using Omani fort architecture and elegant Islamic arches. The air-conditioned halls of this souq are full of fresh fruit and vegetables, herbs and spices, huge stacks of dates and freshly caught fish. This is still the best place to see traditional Omani Artefacts and jewlery, especially silver “Khanjars” (hand-carved Omani daggers) and Bedouin jewellery, where silver is still sold by weight. After the Souq, you will go on a guided field trip to the 17th century round tower fort nearby, which is Oman’s most impressive tower. Built on a solid base of rock, the huge tower was designed to withstand the vibrations of 24 cannons. From the top, a superb panoramic view gives visitors a bird’s eye view all around Nizwa and the surrounding plains – a sure delight for all avid photographers. From here you will go to Wadi Ghul, the land of the traditional weavers of Oman and Wadi Nakher which is considered to be Oman’s deepest canyon. We continue from here to discover traditional Omani villages with stone houses. The villages are surounded by date, lemon and banana groves.

Lunch: Enjoy a picnic lunch with the group.

Afternoon: After lunch you will depart for Al Hamra village date plantations. Walk through the narrow streets where little has changed over the last hundred years. Visit Bait Al Safah Museum. Bait Al Safa opens with folklore and traditional Omani dances followed by an exhibition of Omani traditional handicrafts reflecting the cultural variation of the Sultanate through out its rich history. Discover the ancient Omani daily life including Qahwa (coffee) making, the making of Omani traditional bread, percolating of rose water, grain grinding, extraction of Alshoa medical, making of perfumes and frankincense, hand tailoring the making of Omani Kumma (Man head cover), palm lives industries, the making of hand-made fans, butter extraction and the making of dates and lemon drinks. Expereince Al Barazah, a name that refers to the Omani gathering where people sit to exchange views and news. Al Barazah sitting is conducted in a traditional environment where Arabian coffee (Qahwa), Omani Halwa (sweets) , Omani bread , dates Malook and other Omani traditional dishes are served and frankincense is released.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Golden Tulip Nizwa

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: This morning we explore a traditional Omani village. Enjoy a walk through the lush green date plantations. From here proceed to Wadi Al Madeen through a winding road, which will take you to Jebel Al Akhdar, the green jewel of the Al Hajjar mountain ranges and a unique spot in the Arabian Peninsula. Enjoy the cool climate up in the mountains. Al Jebel Al Akhdar is famed for its fruit orchards typically laid out terrace style along the slopes of mountains, which are endowed with natural springs. Explore local villages and lifestyles.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: After lunch we drive to Al Hoota Cave. Al Hoota Cave is located at the foot of Jabal Shams, in the vicinity of the Tanuf Valley in Al Hamra district. It is more than 5km long traversed by underground River. Al Hoota Cave is not far from the ancient silversmith town Nizwa and the world heritage site Bahla. It is one of the largest cave systems in the world and was opened to the public in 2006 for the first time.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Golden Tulip Nizwa

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Navigate through the captivating Wahiba Dunes and explore the beauty of the desert

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel

Morning: Check out from the hotel and depart to Wahiba Sands via Sinaw & Al Mudaybi where you will see old mud houses (some still occupied) with a deserted souq in the centre. Continue to Sinaw, passing numerous small enclosures made of palm fronds that nowadays house goats and sheep. Behind the wall is the Sinaw souq. Later you will arrive at Sharqiya Sands Resort.

Lunch: Buffet lunch will be served.

Afternoon: You continue from here and you come face to face with the enormous desert. The Wahiba Sand is a long, narrow strip of high dunes and stretched woodland about 110 miles from north to south and about 50 miles from east to west along the unspoiled coastline of eastern Oman. In the north of Wahiba Sands are the most incredible sand dunes, some reaching a colossal 300 feet high and separated by enormous depressions. These beautiful dunes stretch as far as the eye can see, and it is a spectacular sight especially in the evening and the morning. If you have a sense of adventure, drive over the dunes to experience the roller coaster like feeling with our experienced drivers. After dune bashing visit a Bedouin house in this wilderness. The Wahiba Sands is also home to the Bedouins who are used to this harsh climate. There are over 3000 Bedouins of varying tribal origins who live here amongst the woodland on the fringes of the sands. After visiting a Bedouin house we check in at Oryx camp.

Dinner: Dinner at the camp.

Lodging: Oryx Safari Camp

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Enjoy the drive and landscapes along Wadi Bani Khalid and Eastern Hajar Mountains

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Check out from the Camp and depart to Wadi Bani Khalid. This is considered one of the most beautiful wadi’s (valley) in Oman. The drive to Wadi Bani Khalid is through the Eastern Hajar Mountains, which offers a panoramic view of the landscape below. We pass many pretty villages embedded in the mountains. Here the road winds down to the wadi along side a large, shallow pool fringed with vegetation and ends at a village. Continue on a short trek to the deep blue pools of the wadi. If you wish you can swim in these pure natural pools.

Lunch: Picnic lunch.

Afternoon: After this exciting exploration of Wadi Bani Khalid, proceed to Sur. Arrive Sur and check in at Sur Plaza hotel. Relax at the hotel before dinner.

Dinner: Dinner at the hotel

Evening: After dinner assemble at the hotel lobby and depart to Ras Al Jinz Scientific Centre to watch Turtles nestling on the sands.

Lodging: Sur Plaza Hotel

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

Breakfast: Brekfast at the hotel.

Morning: Check out from the hotel and depart to Muscat. You will first visit Sur Town. Sur is one of the most famous cities in the Gulf of Oman in building wooden ships. Many Dhows ( Omani traditional boats) were built in this city and went to China, India, Zanzibar, Iraq and many countries. This will be a unique opportunity for you to witness the making of traditional Dhow by the experienced craftsman.

Lunch: Picnic lunch will be served on the way to Muscat.

Afternoon: After Dhow factory, discover Sur Market and then Sinseela Fort. On the way to Muscat we stop by the ruins of Bibi Mariam’s Tomb which can be seen at the village of Qalhat. We will stop at Fins beach and then Bimah Sinkhole, a spectacular lime stone crater with blue green water at the bottom. From here go to Quriyat, which occupies a narrow strip of coastline along the Arabian Gulf. Its name comes from qariyat meaning 'village.' The first settlers arrived in Quriyat before the emergence of Islam in Oman. Many of its inhabitants retain traditional customs, and pursue ancient crafts such as blacksmithing, saddle work, boat building, camel rearing and repairing firearms. It is well known for its stocks of kingfish and tuna. A large number of its inhabitants still earn their livelihood from fishing. There are three strongholds in the area: Quriyat Fort built around 200 years ago; Al Sahel fort on the coast; and Dagh Fort built during the Portuguese occupation.

Dinner: Dinner at leisure

Lodging: Park Inn Muscat

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch

Breakfast: Breakfast at the hotel.

Morning: Assemble at hotel lobby and depart for an exploartion of Muscat. Muscat offers a unique opportunity to witness a modern commercial centre existing in harmony with its traditional culture. We will start our excursion with Grand Mosque the most exquisite Mosque in Oman. The developed part of the site, including the fully consolidated areas and landscaping, covers 416,000 square metres. The Mosque complex (covering 40,000 square metres) is constructed on a raised podium in keeping with the tradition of Omani mosques that were built elevated from street level. It can accommodate up to 20,000 worshippers and consists of a main prayer hall, ladies prayer hall, covered passageways, a meeting hall, and library which will eventually contain up to 20,000 books. After Grand Mosque drive to Bait Al Zubair Museum to experience the splendid Omani Heritage. The collection at the museum includes traditional Omani weapons jewellery, costumes, traditional weapons...etc. After the museum, explore Al Alam Palace, the official residence of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said the ruler of Oman. The palace is an architectural marvel for both its design and its location between the twin Portuguese forts Mirani and Jalali.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: We depart to Muttrah Souq (traditional market)– one of the most popular souqs in the Middle East. Take a walk in its labyrinthine alleyways beckoning with a myriad of merchandise, from imported fabrics to exotic Oriental spices, perfumes and richly handcrafted artefacts. Here, scents of exotic Arabian perfumes and spices float through the air. Other shops specialise in famous Omani khanjars (daggers), antiques, traditional silver jewellery, and handicrafts in copper, camel bone, wood, leather and hand-made Omani costumes. Then continue in a journey that will give you an insight into Muscat’s charming culture and family life. The people of Oman are surprisingly cosmopolitan: a mixture of Arab clans swept together by the cross currents of migration, ancient and modern, and spiced with descendants of quite different people from across the seas. Today, they are all Omanis, and very hospitable and friendly towards visitors. Join us on a wonderful journey to meet the “locals” of Muscat. In the late afternoon, you will be welcomed by an Omani family to their home.. As it is in the local tradition, men will be hosted in the Majlis by the father of the house. Here you will get to know more about the family, Omani traditions and other anecdotes about the local community. The ladies will be welcomed by the mother of the house and guided to the kitchen, where they will learn hands-on about the traditional Omani culinary delights, enjoy a cooking lesson, as well as have a wonderful chat about the family and the communities, culture and traditions. The evening will be completed by the unique opportunity of sharing a traditional meal and wonderful conversations with your new friends.

Dinner: Farewell dinner at the hotel

Lodging: Park Inn Muscat

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner

visit Sidab Women’s Sewing Association and Bait Adam Museum. Relax at the hotel in the afternoon before flying home that evening.

Breakfast: At the hotel

Morning: This morning we will visit Sidab Women’s Sewing Association and Bait Adam Museum. The Sidab Women's Sewing Group offers over 35 Omani women from Sidab, a fishing hamlet near Muscat, a substantial monthly income. These women also play an active role in protecting the environment by creating calico carry-bags as a substitute to plastic carry-bags and also promote the traditional 'wizar' art of Oman.

Lunch: Lunch at a local restaurant

Afternoon: The program officially ends after lunch. You will have a free afternoon to relax, pack and reflect on your adventures before your international flight that evening.

Meals Included: Breakfast, Lunch