Pre & Post Conference Tours
February is the best month to visit Oman and we have carefully put together for you a range of pre and post conference trips that you can enjoy with your traveling parties or with new formed friends at O4H. We have selected the best tour operators in Oman to offer you the best of what Oman has to offer.
You can select from the range of trips below and contact the email address for booking with your desired dates and number of participants. Please make sure that you include O4H in your subject as a reference.
OPTION 1
Muscat City Tour (Half-Day) -“Magical Muscat”
A unique blend of the ancient & the modern, Muscat is a beautiful clean city, which lies in the middle of a maze of brown pleated mountains, lulled by the Arabian sea. The visit will start with a tour of the Grand Mosque, which is an architectural marvel and is perhaps the new landmark of the city. We would continue our drive through the ministries area where you can see several modern buildings with touches of Islamic architecture. We will visit the Royal Opera House which is the leading arts and culture organization in the Sultanate of Oman. Then, we will drive to the old Muscat, the most charming part of the city. We would then visit the fish market and the Muttrah souq with its narrow-covered alleys where the exotic smells of mounds of spices, coffees, ancient remedies, and enticing perfumes fill the air. We would visit the Bait Al Zubair Museum (or another prominent museum), which has a fine exhibit of Omani history and culture. You would have a photo stop at the magnificent Al Aalam Palace (the official residence of Sultan Qaboos) flanked by the twin forts of Mirani & Jalali.
Tour Costs:
- Minimum 5 pax: OMR 30.00
- Minimum 10 pax: OMR 21.00
- Minimum 15 pax: OMR 16.00
- Minimum 20 pax: OMR 16.00
Timings:
- All days except Fridays from 09.00 Hrs to 13.00 Hrs
Cost Includes:
- Tour by Hiace (12 seater), Coaster (20 seater) or Deluxe Coach (45 seater) depending on the number of pax
- Mineral Water during the tour
- Entrances to Royal Opera House Muscat and Bait Al Zubair Museum.
- Services of an English-speaking guide.
Cost does not Include:
- Expenses of any personal nature
- Any meals
OPTION 2
Full Day Wahiba Sands & Wadi Bani Khalid (DUNES OF WAHIBA)
Running south from the Eastern Hajjar Mountains to Arabian Sea, the Wahiba Sands, described a Sand Sea, stretches almost 200 kms in length and about 100 kms in width. The dunes rise above 100-150 meters in different shades of colour and shifting sands, is the perfect place for both the romantic and the adventurous. There are still Bedouin families living in this vast expanse of sands and our guide would take you to one of the Bedouin houses! A rollercoaster ride over the dunes would be a thrilling fun especially for those who are first time visitors to the desert. Before you continue towards the dunes, you will take the winding road up to the picturesque Wadi Bani Khalid. The Wadi has several beautiful mountain formations and landscapes. The walk to the lush pools of Wadi Bani Khalid is quite interesting, along the falaj (small irrigation canals) and past mango trees and other crops. This is quite a refreshing visit and provides a sharp contrasting experience to the dunes!
Tour Costs:
- OMR 140 per vehicle (maximum 4 pax)
Timings:
- From 09.00 Hrs to 18.00 Hrs
Cost Includes:
- Exclusive 4WD vehicle, water, English-speaking guide driver and packed lunch.
Cost does not Include:
- Expenses of any personal nature
OPTION 3
Nizwa / Al Hoota Cave / Birkit Al Mawz -“Majestic Fort, Cave & Village”
The tour will include Visit the Nizwa fort and the Nizwa souq. The 17th century round fort and the souq famous for silver jewellery are the major attractions of Nizwa. Then, we will visit one of the largest caves in the region! Al Hoota Cave (In case of heavy rains and if water enters the Cave, cave might be closed for few days for maintenance) is a magnificent underground cave & lake system, a 2.7km tunnel, which runs in a north-south direction through the Hajjar Mountains. The main chamber of Al Hoota Cave is around the size of large hotel ballroom and contains some magnificent cave formations, stalactites, stalagmites, and columns, which have evolved over millions of years. In our way back to Muscat we will visit the pretty village of Birkat al Mauz, where you enjoy a walk through the lush green date plantations. The village is quite impressive and will help you in understanding how life in Oman at ancient times was. With the 2 sets of ruins, a large banana plantation and the scenic surroundings, the site is also home to the old Falaj irrigation system listed as UUNESCO World heritage.
Tour Costs:
- Minimum 5 pax: OMR 56.00
- Minimum 10 pax: OMR 46.00
- Minimum 15 pax: OMR 38.00
- Minimum 20 pax: OMR 38.00
Timings:
- All days from 09.00 Hrs to 18.00 Hrs except Fridays. On Fridays few Forts are open only until 11.00 Hrs
Cost Includes:
- Tour by Hiace (12 seater), Coaster (20 seater) or Deluxe Coach (45 seater) depending on the number of pax
- Mineral Water during the tour
- Entrances to Nizwa Fort and Al Hoota Cave.
- Services of an English-speaking guide.
Cost does not Include:
- Expenses of any personal nature.
OPTION 4
Barka / Al Hazm / Bait Al Ghasham/Amouage - “Batinah Beckons”
Drive along the fertile Batinah coast is dotted with beautiful beaches, forts, fishing villages and places famous for camel racing & bull fighting. Enroute take a stop at Barka Fish Market.Drive to Al Hazm Castle, located in the wilayat of Rustaq, which have been on the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Then, we will proceed to Bait Ghasham Museum. It goes as far back as the reign of Sayyid Said Bin Sultan Al Busaidi (1791-1856) and the age of the house is around 200 years. We will have lunch at Bait Ghasham Museum (food is prepared by the local families). After lunch, on our return to Muscat we will visit Amouage Factory. Founded over 25 years ago to reflect the wonderful heritage and tradition of perfumery, Amouage is a niche luxury fragrance house that draws inspiration from its birthplace of the Sultanate of Oman.
Tour Costs:
- Minimum 5 pax: OMR 48.00
- Minimum 10 pax: OMR 35.00
- Minimum 15 pax: OMR 28.00
- Minimum 20 pax: OMR 28.00
Timings:
- All days from 09.00 Hrs to 17.00 Hrs except Fridays & Saturday. On Fridays few Forts are open only until 11.00 Hrs. Amouage closed on Friday and Saturday
Cost Includes:
- Tour by Hiace (12 seater), Coaster (20 seater) or Deluxe Coach (45 seater) depending on the number of pax
- Mineral Water during the tour
- Entrances to Al Hazm Castle.
- Services of an English-speaking guide.
- Lunch at Bait Al Ghasahm.
Cost does not Include:
- Expenses of any personal nature
OPTION 5
Wadi Shab -“Coastal Escapade”
In this tour you will embark on a long thrilling drive from Muscat. With stunning views of the waters of the Arabian Sea on one side and the rocky cliffs on the other, this is an exciting drive along the coast road, and you will have opportunity to swim. Drive to picturesque wadi- Wadi Tiwi. A walk through the narrow roads leads you to lush plantations. Continue to Wadi Shab. Wadi Shab is one of Oman’s most scenic wadis. It is a canyon type valley with flowing water throughout the year. Fresh water cascading from the top of the mountains meets the briny sea water on its banks, creating an environmental diversity, unique to this wadi.
The hidden cave can only be reached by swimming through a small gap in some boulders. There’s plenty of wildlife – birds, fish, crabs, lizards, dragonflies and butterflies – to spot along the way and lots of opportunities to hurl yourself into the refreshing water from various heights (Note: This hike is optional, involves moderate walk through wadi with pebbles and stones, climb over boulders, walk along a slippery and narrow canyon wall as well as swimming in 2 to 3 pools to reach the end of the wadi. Walking time is around 1hour each way. Guests should wear walking shoes and carry swimming clothes in case they wish to do this hike. Guide may not accompany the guests for this hike. On the way back we will stop at the Bimah Sinkhole, a spectacular limestone crater with blue green water at the bottom.
Tour Costs:
- Minimum 5 pax: OMR 46.00
- Minimum 10 pax: OMR 34.00
- Minimum 15 pax: OMR 26.00
- Minimum 20 pax: OMR 26.00
Timings:
- All days from 09.00 Hrs to 17.00 Hrs
Cost Includes:
- Tour by Hiace (12 seater), Coaster (20 seater) or Deluxe Coach (45 seater) depending on the number of pax
- Mineral Water during the tour
- Wadi Shab boat crossing..
- Services of an English-speaking guide.
- Lunch at local restaurant
Cost does not Include:
- Expenses of any personal nature.
OPTION 6
Dolphin Watching Boat Trip (DANCE WITH DOLPHINS (Sharing Trip)
You will enjoy a morning Dolphin Watching trip. The coast of Oman is blessed with a variety of Dolphins & Whales. About 21 different species of Whales & Dolphins have been identified along the coast of Oman, including the Blue Whale which is seldom seen anywhere else in the world. You would be transferred from your hotel to the jetty. While it is not guaranteed that you would spot dolphins on every trip, it would be an enjoyable experience in the sea and captain onboard (well, that really depends on the captain! and your luck!) might enlighten you with a lot of information about these interesting marine mammals.
Note: – Pick up from hotels will be 30 – 60 minutes prior depending on hotel location
Tour Costs:
- 1 Person: OMR 18.00
Timings:
- 0800-1000hrs
Inclusions:
- Transfers (shared transfer) from Muscat Hotels to the Marina and back.
- 2-hour boat trip with soft drinks. This is a shared boat trip and is operational subject to weather conditions.
- Lunch at local restaurant
