Echoes of Arabia: KSA and Oman

Breakfast at the hotel. We will start our tour of mystic Riyadh by visiting the National museum which is the primary custodian of the Saudi national heritage and culture. The Museum is a place of learning and discovery, it offers an overview of the history of Arabian civilization from Prehistory to our modern era. We continue thereafter to the nearby Murabba Palace (outside visit as in renovation), which is one of the historic buildings of the city. The palace was named after its square, with a form of 400 by 400 meters. We will stop then for lunch in a typical local Saudi restaurant. Afternoon we will continue our tour of mystic Riyadh by visiting the Masmak Fort and its museum that depicts the history of the conquest of Arabia by the Al-Saud family. The palace was built during the reign of Abdullah bin Rashid in the year 1895 A.D.  to serve as a military garrison for the Abdullah bin Rashid army. His Majesty King Abdulaziz, the father of the nation today, captured the fort in 1902, making this fort the birthplace of the 3rd Saudi Kingdom, the modern one we live in. At the end of the afternoon, we will pass the Kingdom Tower & the Faisaliah back to your hotel. Dinner & overnight in Riyadh. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, we depart for Riyadh’s railway station and board the fast train for Ha’il. The railway link was constructed very recently and allows us to reach Ha’il in just under 5 hours. The city of Ha’il lies at the foot of the imposing Shammar mountain range, whose name is also that of a large northern Arabian tribe. Renowned for its hospitable people, Ha’il is traditionally the home of Saudi Arabia’s poets and writers. An interesting fact about Ha’il is that most of the early European explorers passed by this city during the 19th century (Charles Doughty, Lady Blunt, Charles Huber, Julius Euting…). Lunch en route. Upon arrival, we will transfer to our hotel. As it will be early in Ha’il in the early afternoon, we will visit the A’Arif Fort and the nearby heritage museum. Then we will have a walk at the traditional market where we will find the local delicacies. We will also pass by the Ha’il Regional Museum, and if it is open, we 
will stop there to admire its collections.  Dinner & overnight in Ha’il. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, we will start our journey to Jubbah, which lies on an ancient lake. Several archaeological sites of human settlement from the Middle Palaeolithic period were found around the margin of the paleolake. Jubbah is surrounded by large sandstone outcrops that are filled with ancient petroglyphs and inscriptions. Jubbah benefited from past humid phases that turned the arid Arabian Peninsula into a savannah similar to what is found today in Africa. During the last humid period that took place from the 10th to the 6th millennium BCE, the African monsoon rains filled rivers and lakes where wildlife thrived. If the animals that used to live there became distinct because of the desertification that started during the 6th millennium BCE, some men fixed their presence in Jubbah thanks to carvings of aurochs, cheetahs, lions…Those drawings are still visible today on several sandstone outcrops like the Jebel Umm Sanman. Jubbah and Shuwaymis, the other major carving sites of Hail Province, were listed as UNESCO World Heritage in 2015 for their numerous petroglyph panels and rich inscriptions. The region between Ha’il and Al-Ula offers some of the best desert experiences in the world …On our way, we will pass through the famous desert of Nefud Al Kabir, which literally means the “great extent of dunes”. It is 290 kilometres long and 225 kilometres wide, with an area of 103,600 square kilometres. Lunch en route.  We continue our route to the famous Al Ula area. Upon arriving, 
we will visit Jebel Al-Fil, also known as the “Elephant rock”. Early evening, we arrive and check in at our beautifully located hotel, our base for the night. Dinner & overnight in Al-Ula. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner

Breakfast at the hotel. Al-Ula is an ancient oasis that has been inhabited for the last 7000 years, as testify ancient carvings in and around the oasis. During the 1st millennium BCE, the city of Dedan developed thanks to its strategic location on the frankincense trade road to become one of the oldest Arabian kingdoms that ruled over most of what is today Tabuk and Madinah provinces. During the 1st century BCE, the Nabatean people, coming from Petra, settled 30 kilometres north of Dedan in Al-Hijr, where they built 94 monumental tombs similar to the ones they dug in Petra. Today, we will start our journey with a visit to the famous Hegra (Madain Saleh), which is the first site of Saudi Arabia that was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. Madain Saleh, whose original name was Al-Hijr or Hegra in Greek, is the southernmost important city of the Nabatean Kingdom that flourished thanks to the caravan trade between the 2nd century BCE until the Roman conquest in 106 CE. It is the second richest Nabatean city in terms of monumental tombs with 94 decorated funeral monuments, including some of the most vibrant and well-conserved architectural prowess of the Nabatean builders. We will lead you through this fascinating site and reveal to you the secrets of its tombs, ancient inscriptions, stone structures, and many others. Our visit will be followed by a lunch in the city.  Then we get a glimpse into AlUla’s not-so-distant past on the AlUla Old Town Tour. We will go through AlUla Old Town, where pilgrims, travellers and permanent settlers congregated through the ages. Inhabited from before the 12th century up until the early 1980s, AlUla Old Town offers researchers unique oral histories and living memory that the area’s other heritage sites cannot. Return to the hotel. Dinner & overnight in Al-Ula. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner

Breakfast at the hotel & check out. Today we depart for the Dedan/ Ikmah tour. AlUla is an ancient oasis that has been inhabited for the last 7000 years, as testify ancient carvings in and around the oasis. During the 1st millennium BCE, the city of Dedan developed thanks to its strategic location on the frankincense trade road to become one of the oldest Arabian kingdoms that ruled over most of what is today the Tabuk and Madinah provinces. Visit Jebel Ikmah with its amazing rock inscriptions that make it look like an open-air library. Then will pass by the ancient city of Dedan that was an important oasis on the frankincense trade route between Southern Arabia and the Mediterranean World. Lunch in the city. Then we continue to the Old City of Al-Ula that became at the beginning of the Islamic era an important staging post along the pilgrimage route to Mecca. We will drive towards the city of MEDINA, passing the old Hijaz railway. On arrival, check in. 
Dinner & overnight in MEDINA. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner

Breakfast at the hotel. This morning, we will visit the holy city of Medina. In the city centre, the vast Al-Masjid an-Nabawi (Prophet's Mosque) is a major Islamic pilgrimage site. Its striking Green Dome rises above the tombs of the Prophet Muhammad and early Islamic leaders Abu Bakr and Umar. The Masjid al-Qiblatain (Qiblatain Mosque) is known as the site where the Prophet Muhammad received the command to change the direction of prayer to Mecca. We will visit the outskirts of the city ONLY, except the holy pilgrimage areas, and we conclude the day with a short walk near Mount Uhud. We will also visit the DAR AL MADINA museum, which will relate the story of Islam and the prophet biography. Then we depart towards Jeddah that we will reach after a 5-hour ride. After arrive to Jeddah will visit Abdul Raouf Khalil Museum, which presents the local and Arabian heritage, A unique site. Check in hotel. Dinner & overnight in Jeddah. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner

Breakfast at your hotel. We will hit old Jeddah. We will enjoy a wonderful walk in Al-Balad, the old part of the city. This walking tour of the old Town will take you along all the lesser-known must-see local spots: Old Market hidden gems, Old Jeddah hidden galleries, local Jeddah food only for locals… While visiting Al-Balad, visitors will be taken to see Beit Nassif (from outside), one of the prominent renovated structures in the old city, which dates back to the mid 1800's. The five-story building provides a rare opportunity for visitors to experience the blend of traditional architecture with modernity. Lunch at leisure. We will pass by the Al Rahmah Mosque, also known as (The Floating Mosque), this single-domed architectural marvel that sits literally on the sea, symbolises Jeddah’s bold storm into the modern age. Sitting in an enviable location, the mosque’s courtyard offers unencumbered views of the Red Sea. Our tour will end in Jeddah Corniche, which is a 30 km coastal resort area of the city of Jeddah. Located along the Red Sea, the corniche features a coastal road, recreation areas, pavilions and large-scale civic sculptures as well as King Fahd's Fountain, the highest fountain in the world. We will then head to a traditional Saudi restaurant to enjoy our Dinner & overnight in Jeddah. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner

Breakfast at your hotel. This day, depending on your departure time, you will be transferred to JEDDAH airport to catch your flight to Muscat. Arrival at MUSCAT International Airport, after visa and immigration formalities, our representative will meet and escort the guests to their air-conditioned vehicle for their transfer to the hotel. Dinner & overnight in MUSCAT. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner

Breakfast at your hotel. We will start with a briefing meeting to introduce the group and the guide and explain the trip. Afterwards, we start the tour of Muscat. Drive through the beautiful embassy quarter to reach the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, which is a remarkable architectural achievement. As a contemporary place of worship, it serves as a spiritual landmark for modern Oman, projecting the values and aspirations of the Omani people. As an edifice, it maintains a perfect balance between aesthetics, culture and deeply rooted Islamic tradition. After the visit to the mosque, we continue to the OPERA house to visit this marvellous edifice specially built by the late Sultan Qaboos. Lunch will be served in a typical fish restaurant with the locals. After lunch, we will visit Old Muscat, surrounded by steep mountains and flanked by twin 16thcentury forts ‘Jalali’ & ‘Mirani’, and also see the Al Alam Palace, the late His Majesty Sultan Qaboos. residence. We will then proceed to the Bait Al Zubair Museum. Bait Al Zubair is itself a part of Muscat's heritage. Sheikh Al Zubair, who served three former Sultans, founded the house in 1914, and his son Mohammad Al Zubair opened it as a museum in 1998. Its carved doors open into a fortress-style reception. The museum includes traditional Omani weaponry, jewellery, costumes, domestic utensils and recreated urban and rural environments. Then drive through the scenic beauty of the corniche, stop at Muttrah - the main port & commercial centre, and explore the colourful historic souk. This is a real souk with winding alleys and backstreets and stalls selling all manner of textiles, jewellery, traditional Omani perfumes (bukhoor - made of frankincense), souvenirs and antiques… After that long tour, we will drive back to the hotel. Dinner & overnight in Muscat.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, depart for a great adventure trip. We will drive through one of the most thrilling sections of Oman's 1,700 KM coastline. Visit the famous Sinkhole, a part of a collapsed mountain filled with seawater, then continue driving on the graded road via Fins. Continue your journey to Wadi Shab, where we will stop to admire the marvellous nature and maybe walk a bit in the WADI. Lunch enroute. We will then continue to Sur, a sea-faring town and a trading port bustling with activity throughout the year. Famed for the fascinating architecture of its old town and shipyards, where traditional dhows have been built for centuries at the edge of the bay. After a short tour of Sur, we will continue the coastal road passing through high cliffs and small fishing villages. We will reach the desert of Wahiba Sands – one of the most fascinating and mysterious regions of Oman. We will board 4x4 vehicles and start the adventure in the desert. The vast, ever-shifting dunes support an astonishing variety of wildlife and host different kinds of flora and fauna. The quick-changing patterns of the dunes are a photographer’s delight. The Wahiba is also home to a few thousand Bedouins, who are known to have inhabited this inhospitable region for at least 7000 years. We will do some dune bashing as our experienced drivers show their skill on the dune drive, which is a thrilling experience. Dinner in the camp with a real desert atmosphere & Overnight in a comfortable tent well equipped with beds & bathrooms in Wahiba Sands.

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Dinner

After breakfast, we will enjoy the desert and its secrets, before we board our 4x4 to return to normal civilisation. We will then depart for Wadi Bani Khalid – a lush green valley surrounded by rugged mountains. We will enjoy an incredible view and a chance to capture the scenic beauty with our cameras. We will walk in the wadi to investigate the surrounding area on foot. Departure to NIZWA around noon, we will stop on our way for lunch. After lunch, we will continue to Nizwa, a great city with a great history. On arrival in NIZWA after approximately 2-3 hours, we will do a quick orientation of the city. The ancient capital of Oman, Nizwa, was a seat of learning and the birthplace of Islam in Oman. The 17th century souq, famous for its silver jewelry are the major attraction of Nizwa, not to mention the popular & interesting cattle auction, which takes place every Friday. Built on a solid base of rock, the huge tower was designed to withstand the vibration of 24 cannons. We will visit the SOUK and walk around, discovering the old city. Check in the hotel. Dinner & overnight in NIZWA. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch

After breakfast, we will continue the visit to Nizwa. Our first stop will be the charming ancestral village of BIRKAT AL MAWZ at the bottom of the GREEN mountain, JEBEL AKHDAR. Then we will proceed to the Jabreen Fort. The Jabreen Castle, built in 17th century, is one of the finest of its kind. Its magnificent plasterwork, the carved doors and the painted wooden beams of the ceilings make this castle amazingly different. After we visit the Jabreen castle, we will drive back towards Nizwa, passing the JEBEL SHAMS part of the most famous Hajar mountains chain in OMAN. We will pass by the oldest small towns of Oman, Bahla, with its fort (outside visit). We will stop at the palm groves at Al Hamra to see its Falaj system. We will stop on our way for lunch. After the visit, we will proceed to MUSCAT, the Capital. Evening transfer to Muscat Airport for the departure flight. 

Meal Plan: Breakfast and Lunch