Meet at the group hotel in Muscat. A single group transfer will be provided from Muscat Airport to the group hotel in the city. This transfer is normally around breakfast time and a representative of our local agent will accompany the group on the 20 minute journey to the hotel. After a few hours of rest and the chance to relax by the pool, or to walk to the nearby palm tree-lined beach (there are many coffee shops to visit overlooking the sea), we will be ready to do some exploring. At around 2.30 we will have a briefing and then take a tour (by vehicle) of Muscat city. We pass the embassies area and the Sultan's Palace, and ending at the giant incense burner in Ryam Park to enjoy the great views over the corniche. We finish the day with a look around the souk's before having dinner at a local restaurant and returning to the hotel.

After an early breakfast, we have an early morning tour of the very impressive Muscat Grand Mosque with its Swarovkis chandelier. We then leave Muscat and set off in our 4-wheel-drive vehicles to the Western Hajar Mountains and enter Wadi Bani Awf. Leaving the tarmac road we quickly engage 4-wheel-drive as we journey through this picturesque wadi, lined with date farms pools of water (the number of which depends on the volume of recent rain). This is a steep and fun offroading experience and after one hour we reach a narrow gorge that is the entrance to the pretty village of Bilad Sait. Here we will have lunch and then a short walk through the gorge and around the village where there will be plenty of opportunities for photos. We then continue our on and off road drive, winding up Jabal Shams. The south summit of Jebel Shams is 2997m and this is the accessible one, the actual true highest point in Oman is the North Summit just a few meters higher at 3006m but the military base on this summit prohibits tourism here. Tonight we set the first of our wild camps within view of Jabal Shams summit on the Sharaf al Alamayan Plateau.

After breakfast and a short 20 mins drive we enjoy breathtaking views of Oman's Grand Canyon and Nakhr Village which is more than a kilometre below us. We should be able to spot the route of today's classic walk along the edge of the canyon. Setting off from Al Kateen Village, we follow the 'balcony trail' along the mountain's edge to an abandoned village, which clings to the rocks and is completely hidden from view, both from above and from below. Just beyond the village, we can see the traditional farm terracing where locals used to produce their food and a short walk further takes us to the small lake that feeds the terracing. We stop and enjoy a few snacks before the walk back along the balcony trail offers more breathtaking views of the canyon. We then set off in our 4WD vehicles down the mountain to Wadi Ghul and Nakhr Village where we will take lunch. This allows us to view the canyon in reverse - from the bottom up, which is equally as dramatic and stunning, as this journey takes us through more than half a billion years of geological time. We then drive to Quiyut, in Jabal Akhdar, and enjoy the second of our wild camps.

After an early start and a hearty breakfast, we embark on the first of our 2-day challenging treks. we walk straight from camp and begin our 7-8-hour trek across Jabal Akhdar, up the Al Hamra Valley and onto the canyon rim. The trek follows an old path which is undulating and rocky underfoot and was once the main route to the village of Ar'Roos and has terrific views down into Wadi Bani Awf, Wadi Mistal and Wadi Bani Kharus. During the walk there is some prolonged sections of scrambling as we pick our way through the challenging terrain of Oman finest trekking region. Taking a picturesque lunch on the cliff tops, we have panoramic views across the settlement of Al Hijir and to our objective for the day, Ar'Roos village. With a final wadi scramble to reach Ar'Roos, we may be lucky enough to meet some of the village elders before transferring by vehicle (approximately 20 mins) to our beautiful wild camp on the fertile lands of the Sayq plateau, where we hope to spot desert wildlife amongst the rich covering of juniper trees.

Another early start, as we break camp from the Sayq Plateau, driving just over 30 minutes to the start of today's walk. This day is said to be the loveliest walks of week. With a well-paced start, we reach the Al Jarir region of the plateau and begin our descent into the fabulous Wadi Muaydeen. With 3 - 4 hours of trekking, it is one of the most spectacular wadi walks in Oman. At times we are on some exposed paths as we head down into hidden gardens and between photo worthy rock formations. As we take a steep descent onto the wadi floor, we can encounter local Omani men tending to their gardens. With a rocky ascent, we follow the rim of the wadi to meet our vehicles and take a short drive to the oasis town of Nizwa (approx 45mins) to our hotel, which has stunning views of low, chocolate-coloured hills behind and jagged white hills in front. This is a perfect place to relax at the end of a long day's walk with a welcome shower and soft bed. In the evening we try some good local food before collapsing in our beds.

Situated alongside two wadis, Nizwa, the former capital city of Oman, is a fertile sea of green with an oasis of date plantations stretching out 8 kilometres (5 miles) from the town. Today, Nizwa is still the largest and most important town in the interior of Oman and is noted for its 17th century fort and atmospheric souks, full of the silversmiths' art, especially ornately engraved khanjars (curved daggers worn on ceremonial occasions by all Omani men). We have a tour of the souks and time to explore the fort. After lunch in a local restaurant, we make the three and a half hour drive into the Eastern Hajar Mountains and set up our camp in Thamer, near to Wadi Bani Khalid, famous for its natural beauty.

This morning we start our second classic 2-day trek that takes us on ancient trading routes up and over the Selma Plateau and down to the sea at the Gulf of Oman. This is not a technical trek, but it is a long traverse and we will start our trek at very first light. Starting at around 650 metres, we walk through the lush coolness of this popular and breathtaking wadi, ascending gradually to a high point at 2157 metres. The rugged landscape of the Selma Plateau provides a stark contrast to the greenness of the wadi and offers panoramic views out over the stunning Ash Shariqiyah Mountains. We trek for 9 to 10 hours on rocky terrain, gradually ascending to the Selma Plateau. On arrival we meet the vehicles and transfer for the 20 minutes to our camp site (around 1500m) for dinner and another night of stargazing.

Another early start, as we set off across the rugged plateau landscape for 4 hours. This is mainly a day of descent that starts off gradually with only losing 400m over the first 7km. The views are spectacular with the rocky mountains descending to the sparkly blue sea. We have lunch in the shade before we start the much steeper descent into the lush coolness of Wadi Tiwi with its dramatic rock faces and palms. We finish the route at the small village of Sooee, where there are some excellent swimming pools, a great place to wash off the trail dust, before walking the final easy stretch to our awaiting vehicles. It is then just a 20 minute drive to our camp at a stunning coastal spot. We line our tents on the beach so that we can witness the sunrise in the morning.

We wake with the sunrise into our tents and breakfast on the beach. We pack up camp for the final time and head to the nearby Wadi Shab, just 15 minutes away by car. A gentle 1-hour stroll up this beautiful wadi brings us to more fresh water swimming pools. Here we can relax and swim in the pools. There is a hidden cave which involves some actual swimming which we can explore if we wish to and feel comfortable with the swim. When we are ready we return to the vehicles and take the road back to Muscat, stopping off for picnic lunch en route. We should be back at the group hotel in Muscat by 3.00 pm which will give us time to rest and pack before going out for a celebratory meal at a local restaurant. We will return to the hotel for a final drink in the bar.

The holiday ends after breakfast. There is a single group transfer to Muscat Airport. If you have time to spare before your flight you can go for a snorkel or maybe even join a dolphin watching boat tour to round off your fabulous week walking in the beautiful country of Oman.