• A meeting point between Asia and Africa, Oman is made of mountains, sea, wadis and deserts.
• The sultanate can be explored from the capital Muscat, with its grand mosque, all the way to small villages surrounded by date palm plantations.
• And when the sun sets over the sand dunes, one discovers the beauty of silence and the starlit sky.

The dazzling white marble of the grand mosque, the penetrating scent of incense and sandalwood, the adventure through a wadi amid rocks and emerald waterways, coffee with dates in a Bedouin tent before the night falls — a night made of sand, stars and silence. Oman is seductive and enchanting in the way only the Middle East can be; it is the sultan's land where mountains divide the desert from the sea.

To discover this fascinating country — suspended in time amid the allure of landscapes and traditions, yet simultaneously open to modernity — Turisanda offers a group tour of nine days along an original itinerary that stretches from the capital to small villages in search of Oman's most authentic side.

Muscat, Oman's capital with its grand mosque and souk

The journey's starting point is a classic yet unmissable stop: the capital Muscat, home to the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque — an imposing structure built with tonnes of sandstone and white marble, where an enormous hand-woven Persian carpet and a chandelier adorned with thousands of crystals grace the main prayer hall. The city is a contrast of old and new, winding through the Ministries district, the sultan's palace, ancient forts and the Mutrah souk.

After Muscat, the itinerary unfolds through a succession of remote and picturesque villages with terraced gardens, ancient houses and date palm plantations, ancient cities, Persian ruins, wadis (canyons) to cross by 4×4, culminating at Jabrin Castle — a perfectly preserved fort with five floors and 55 rooms in which to lose oneself among inscriptions and frescoes.

The next stop is Bahla Fort, a Unesco World Heritage Site recognised as an exceptional example of a fortified oasis settlement from the medieval Islamic period and a testament to the skill of its early inhabitants in hydraulic engineering for agricultural and domestic purposes. The route then leads to the town of Nizwa, with its historic centre and the traditional Friday livestock market.

Adventure and silence between wadis and desert

Wadi Bani Khalid, one of Oman's most beautiful wadis with its natural pools perfect for swimming, is the stop that precedes the Wahiba Desert — the eastern sands that take their name from a Bedouin tribe. Here, upon reaching the crest of a dune, travellers settle in to admire the spectacle of sunset before retiring to a tent beneath the stars, a refuge in the silent night.

"Those who have never known the silence of the desert do not know silence."

Bedouin proverb

Also along the itinerary, visitors will explore the Hammouda mosque with its 52 domes, the panoramic cliffs of Ras Al-Khabbah, where the Gulf of Oman meets the Indian Ocean, the Ras Al Jinz turtle reserve, where green turtles nest and where an overnight stay allows for a nocturnal sighting of egg-laying, and then the coastal town of Sur with its dhow-building yard, home to the traditional Arab sailing vessels.

The wadis will be a constant feature of the route, including Wadi Tiwi, a narrow gorge cutting through the mountains, Wadi Shab where fresh water and brackish water meet, and Wadi Al Arbeieen, one of the most captivating natural landscapes in Oman.

Useful information and curiosities

• The Sultanate of Oman is located in the south-eastern portion of the Arabian Peninsula, faces the Indian Ocean and the Arabian Sea, and is characterised by three distinct climates: temperate, desert and tropical.
• Oman can be reached from Italy in under 8 hours by flight, with a time difference of +3 hours (+2 when daylight saving time is in effect in Italy).
• Turisanda offers accommodation in small hotels — simple yet full of character and ideally located for exploring the country.
• "Celestial Bodies" by Jokha al-Harthi is a novel that immerses readers in the atmosphere of Omani villages. It was the first book written in Arabic to win the International Booker Prize.