The site of one of the oldest souqs in the country, this extensive marketplace is dedicated mostly to fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, all of which are housed in separate blocks behind the great, crenellated piece of city wall that overlooks the wadi. Part of the souq (nearest the fort) is dedicated to handicrafts and caters specifically to the passing tourist trade.
Nizwa Fort — the most attended monument of Oman. The fort was built almost 370 years ago and it’s based on the stream of water underneath. Surely, it’s one of the best castles of that period worth seeing. Then we’ll make a visit to Nizwa Souq. At the market you can buy traditional knives, pots and other unique items.
Explore Al Hamra, one of Oman's oldest villages, famous for its traditional mud-brick houses and narrow streets. Stroll through the historic village, admire its unique architecture, and discover the charm of Oman's rich cultural heritage.
Oman’s highest mountain, Jebel Shams (Mountain of the Sun; 3009m), is best known not for its peak but for the view into the spectacularly deep Wadi Ghul lying alongside it. The straight-sided Wadi Ghul is known locally as the Grand Canyon of Arabia, as it fissures abruptly between the flat canyon rims, exposing vertical cliffs of 1000m and more.
It was great! I enjoyed the trip and the views. Abdullah was very informative and respectful. I enjoyed the markets and the fort. He helped me tremendously with arranging a taxi to my next destination after the tour was over.
Had a great time with new found friends. Ali the guide was well versed and very accommodating. Highly recommended!
What a day! Mohammad Al-Riyami you were the man from the hood! You welcomed us like family and treated us like princesses. We had the best day exchanging cultural differences. The Wiggles Rock. Hot Potatoes and squashed banana won the national music challenge. We haven't laughed so much in ages. Thank you for a fabulous day! Keep up the great work! Hopefully we might see you again one day!
Mohammed Al Riyami took us to the mountains (Jabal Shams), Nizwa and beyond 💖It was truly the most amazing day - Oman is genuinely so beautiful and so surprising and there is still so much to discover. Our day with Mohammed could not have been more perfect - we had so much fun and many laughs, lunch was delicious and we felt like a little family by the end of the day. It will be a day to remember for a long time to come. If you get the opportunity to experience Oman with Mohammed you will be in the most excellent company.
Nizwa was good with souq and fort being the main highlights. Jabal Shams was okay if you have already been to high view points. Guide was very helpful and overall trip was comfortable.
Great experience & Ahmed is a wonderful tour guide! He's very friendly, told us all about Oman and answered any and all questions we had. Was a pleasure to spend time with him, and also we had a great group of travelers. The fort is amazing, and so is the souk. The best souk I've ever been to! The top of the mountain offers breathtaking views. Thank you again!
A long day in the car. Castle and markets were interesting. View from the canyon is quite spectacular and the drive up to it is also an experience. Good full day out.
Rashid was knowledgeable, funny, and an all around great guide. I loved the tour of Nizwa and Jebel Shams and would love to return again soon!
Amazing group!! Our tour guide was very knowledgeable and took us to the best places in the city. Lunch was also super nice
We had the pleasure of visiting Nizwa fort and souk along with Jebel Shams with tour guide Abdullah A. He was warm, knowledgeable and a lot of fun to be with. He informed us about local customs and history which made our experience more meaningful. Nizwa fort was a place to explore Omani culture. The view from Jebel Shams was breath taking. Lunch was a sumptuous shared meal which allowed us to taste various dishes, in keeping with the local tradition. Overall, would highly recommend this tour.
A long day… but worth it. Nizwa is a cool experience. A bit commercial in places, but the old souq and fort are great. The real gem is the canyon. Truly spectacular!
I had a wonderful experience on this tour. As a solo female traveller I was quite nervous but Khalil and the group were wonderful. I was picked up and dropped off to my hotel in a 4x4. There were three other people in the car and they were wonderful. There were plenty of rest breaks given, water was supplied along with refreshments and lunch. Khalil the tour guide kept the group entertained and I really felt the omani hospitality. Nizwa was amazing and I enjoyed jebel shams as well.
This is a great trip, a long day but well worth it. It was estimated to be 10 hours but was actually 12 hours. This was a small group tour, only 12 people, but we travelled in 3 4x4s. Our driver and guide, Abdul Hamid, was lovely and very knowledgeable. Nizwa Fort is amazing, one could spend a lot longer there than we had. Travelling to the mountains and "grand canyon" was amazing. A very good lunch was included in the price. I thoroughly recommend this trip.
This is an amazing experience for one day trip outside Muscat. Our guide Khalil is very professional and kind taking care of our comfort and safety. We could visit animal market in Nizwa because of Friday. Fort is worthy to visit as well as mountains scenery.
It was a great way to see a bit of Omani life outside Muscat and see the amazing Canyon at Jebel Shams. My guide/driver Salim was very good and made the day most enjoyable.
Great experience! To see history and nature and the guides were very professional! Saves alot of time with a driver-guide really
Ahmed was a wonderful tour guide, he was knowledgeable, kind and really took the time to explain the history behind every place we explored together. Ahmed is a natural at what he does. We had ample time to explore the Grand Canyon - it's such a breathtaking place. Lunch was amazing and I absolutely loved the tour of the souk. Ahmed showed me how to pick the right type of Frankincense (who knew there were male and female), we sampled dates, coffee..I felt completely immersed in this experience and would absolutely do it again!
Really nice day. The hour at Nizwa souq at the start was too long and it wasn’t really anything special. I would have rather started the day later, ended a bit earlier or visited another nearby historical site instead. But otherwise the tour of the fort, lunch and the trip up to Jebel Shams was very worthwhile. It’s a long day but I enjoyed it.
Our driver/tour guide didn't manage our schedule during the trip well. Our schedule got dragged bits by bits under each stop which we ended up back in hotel more than an hour's late. However the driver blamed one of the traveler in our group. I wasn't sure if he is supposed to be a tour guide. If he is, then he failed the job to provide detailed story to us for each spot. Other than this, everything went ok and we love the places we went to.
This was an exceptional experience. Thank you so much Mohammed for being an extraordinary guide. You get everything listed in this tour and more. Nziwa is absolutely beautiful, but when you get to Jebel Shams, you will be in awe. Don't hesitate to book this trip.
Tour was perfect. Tour guide Oun was perfect. Long trip but It's worth the money. I also enjoyed the spectacular view from the Jabal Shams mountains!
Great tour. Seen beautiful places. Grand Canyon vieuw was wonderdul. Thanks to Saad, who was an excellent driver. Sweet memories i will keep!
There is a lot of driving but travellers get to see more traditional living of Omanis, the countryside and the Al Hajar Mountains. A drive up Jebel Shams to over look the canyon is well worth the long day to look down into the canyon. The journey would have been more comfortable if the vehicle had been larger. There was not enough leg room
Muadh was our tour guide and he was absolutely fantastic. He was well versed with the history of Oman. He took us to the best places whilst providing us cultural information about Nizwa, Nizwa fort and Jebel Shams. All in all, I wouldn’t have enjoyed this without such a great tour guide! I would highly recommend!
I went on the Nizwa Fort and Jebel Shams tour today with GidOman Tours. Ali was our tour guide and right from the initial contact confirming the time the evening before until drop off he was brilliant. I think it's probably the best organised tour I've ever been on. Ali was professional but friendly, nothing was too much trouble for him, and he went out of his way to make everyone feel included. He was fantastic at providing background knowledge at Nizwa and Jebel Shams, he was a willing photographer, he was mindful of the heat and ensured we stayed hydrated at all times, and he worked in bathroom breaks for us all. It is clear that Ali takes great pride in his work as a tour guide and right from the start he put us at ease. I have been on driving tours in many countries and have at times worried about road safety but Ali's driving was perfect. He read the road, and driving conditions and I definitely felt like I was in safe hands. My only complaint is that I'm flying home Monday and I don't have time to fit another tour in with Ali and GidOman Tours. I 100% recommend this tour and if you're lucky enough to get Ali as your guide then you can be assured you'll have a wonderful experience
Our driver/guide Yaqoob was great. He's knowledgeable, friendly and did his best to make sure "everyone is happy" as he would always say. We saw the items in the itinerary but he also stopped at the water irrigation system as a bonus for the day. Highly recommend.
We had the best tour of Nizwa and jebel akhtar green mountains with our private 4x4 tour guide fawzi. We explored the jebel akhtar mountains,ancient irrigation systems , villages , culture, rose perfumery’s, coffees brewing, pomegranate and olive plantations. Hike through the green mountains to explore the best view which was guided us by our guide Mr. Fawzi. We visited nizwa fort, all the souqs located in nizwa . Our guide gave us so great tour of the entire fort and souqs which really told the story of oman. It was truly an amazing experience to explore oman with Mr. Fawzi and had a private 4x4 tour from sunshine tours
Yaqoob was a great guide. He was knowledgable, kind, and respectful. He gave great recommendations. 10/10 If you are on the fence book now
Great driving through picturesque landscape. The stop at the Yemeni restaurant was very delicious. The halwa and the date tasting experience was also great.
The tour guide came to pick us from our hotel, the car was spacious and comfortable. We had a good experience.
Interesting tour, but long drive. Visiting Nizwa fort mid day, very hot. Canyon very steep sides, so difficult to take good photos. Just enjoy the peace & quietness. Good driver & guide.
Fais was the guide on the trip and he made an extraordinary effort to make the trip exceptional. He showed flexibility regarding the schedule to accommodate to our needs and told about the history and current conditions of the different stops/ sites with passion. He gave me a lot of tips on what to do in Muscat and Salalah and how to bargain when buying souvenirs. I'd recommend everyone to take the trip to Jabal Shams and Niwza with Faris !
Fantastic tour of Nizwa Fort and traditional shops. We also enjoyed the spectacular view from the Jabal Shams mountains! Absolutely recommended.
This was absolutely amazing tour, checked out the market, fort, and their version of the Grand Canyon. It was a long day, but extremely worth it. The guide was extremely professional and kind, and even took a few pictures. Highly highly recommend this tour.
Had a wholesome experience. Optimum time spent on both the attractions! Our Guide - Hood was very helpful throughout the tour
Really good trip, amazing sights especially of the Grand Canyon! Well planned route for sure and Abdullah was fantastic! Very friendly, helpful, insightful and really funny! A great guide!
I had a terrific trip with Abdallah to Nizwa Fort and the Oman Grand Canyon. Both are stunning, and the scenery along the drive is gorgeous. Abdallah, our guide, was fabulous: he speaks terrific English, is very knowledgeable and willing to answer questions, and made our trip comfortable and enjoyable. Highly recommend!
We had a great time visiting Nizwa, the fort and Jebel Sham. Our guide Abdullah was a good driver and very knowledgeable and flexible to adaptiv the tour to our wishes. Since it was the start of Ramadan we could not go for lunch (restaurants closed) but instead had a nice picknick on the mountain. I recommend this tour.
This tour is an excellent way to experience a lot of what Oman has to offer in 1 day. You are immersed in centuries of history and culture and get to see one of the most remarkable canyons while exploring the mountains. Our tour guide, Said, was FANTASTIC and I couldn't recommend him more. He was so kind and welcoming and even invited us to have tea and coffee with his family. I highly recommend this amazing experience!!!
Nizwa souq and fort are really interesting to visit. The market offers the chance to see and taste authentic Omani produce. Nizwa fort is an education in Omani history. Lunch was tasty and exciting. I tried camel stew for the first time. A Yemeni specialty I understand. And Jebel Shams is breathtaking. An exciting drive up and then the most amazing views at sundown. Our guide was most kind and informative and made sure we were comfortable and well looked after. Highly recommend this trip.
Faisal was an exceptional guide. The tour delivered everything promised and more. It’s a long journey but definitely worth it. Again, the guide could not have been kinder or more knowledgeable.
The experience was fantastic! My tour guide, Faisal, was extremely friendly and professional, with an impressive depth of knowledge. He also drove very smoothly, which made the trip even more enjoyable. The entire itinerary was well-organized, allowing me to explore Nizwa Market, Nizwa Fort, and the "Grand Canyon of the Middle East" at a comfortable pace. On the way back, I had the chance to enjoy some delicious mutton rice and chicken. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience and a wonderful way to see another part of the world.
A lot of driving but the views are worth it. We had an excellent guide who helped us make the most of it. Nizwa Fort is smaller than Bahla, but is well preserved. The Souk was interesting and varied , and we bought some souvineers! The mountains are amazing. The drive up is tough and bumpy, but well worth it. No difficult walking. You can get right to the edge as there are no railings. Be careful if you get dizzy in heights!
Incredible experience! We drove to Nizwa fort and jebel shams. Our driver was amazing! He was a very safe driver and even took us to his house for tea and dates. Very kind man!
Good trip, but be advised it's a long day with lots of driving. Nizwa is cool. Guides/drivers were all super nice.
Mr. Abdallah was very knowledgeable and was guiding us through everything, met some amazing people around the world. My heart is full.
We would highly recommend the tour with Huseein! The tour was absolutely fantastic and Huseein was a great tour guide. The Nizwa souk was very interesting and it was so helpful to walk around and learn about the souk (and do some shopping) with Huseein. The Nizwa fort and castle were beautiful with amazing views. We also had a great mini bus tour around the old town. Finally, the grand Canyon was absolutely spectacular with exceptional scenery and a wonderful sunset once we had driven out of the mountains. The car and the driving were very comfortable and we really enjoyed talking to Huseein. He was very knowledgeable about the sites we visited and also Oman's history in general so we learnt a lot from our conversations with him. We would definitely recommend!
Very nice trip. We saw many nice places and really enjoyed it. Our guide Ali was very nice, smiled, relaxed, he cared about us and we shared many nice jokes but also stories from life and our experience. He told us a lot about Oman and culture. The canyon was amazing like landed on Mars. What can be better then day full of laugh, joy and new places discovered.
I went to a trip to Nizwa (Souq and Fort) with a stop at Jebel Shams. The trip was excellent, Mr Yaqoob was very kind and friendly with my family, safety driving and nice chat about history and culture of Oman. Highly recommend
Its qutie a long ride, but in fact i was enjoying. It was great guiding during the whole day and we had a great time.
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