Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Oasis of Arabia 11 Days

Welcome to Emirates! Arrival at the airport and transfer to the hotel. 

At the end of the afternoon, we will be transferred to visit the impressive city of DUBAI that shines in the night. We will go to witness the show of "Dubai Fountain", where the water dances to the rhythm of music and light; we are at the foot of Burj Khalifa which with its 828 meters is the tallest tower in the world; free time to walk and dine (dinner not included) in the immense Dubai Mall. Return to the hotel.

Today we have a spectacular day getting to know Dubai. 

We include going up the spectacular tower "Dubai Frame" with its spectacular bridge shape and its view at 150 meters high. Afterwards we go to the old part of Dubai, a walk through the souk of Bur Dubai and the spice souk. We will take an Abra (traditional boat of the Emirates) to move to the historic neighborhood of Al Fahidi and the center for cultural understanding (with its motto "open minds, open doors"), in this area we will include in a traditional building, a typical meal of the country; if the group is more than 15 travelers they will give us an explanation to get to know better the gastronomy of the Emirates. 

In the afternoon we will have time in Madinat Jumeirah, which offers us a contemporary version of a traditional Arab village with its souk, its canals, and its colorful villas.

We still have all morning to get to know Dubai. We will have a panoramic tour in which we will pass in front of the great mosque of Jumeirah, afterwards we continue passing by Burj Al Arab, a spectacular hotel in the form of a sail; the island of "Palm Jumeirah" in the shape of a palm tree. We will take the very modern monorail. A walk through the area of The Marina. We then have free time next to the most popular and active beach in Dubai: JBR beach. If you wish you can bathe in the warm waters of the Persian Gulf, or if you prefer you can stroll through its many luxury shops. Time to bathe or rest and have lunch (not included). 

After lunch we will continue our route to ABU DHABI, the most important Emirate and capital of the country. Before entering the city, we will stop at Ferrari World, a theme park dedicated to Ferrari racing cars (stop to see outdoor areas). After that we visit the Sheikh Zayed Mosque, a beautiful white mosque, the largest in the Emirates, with an area of more than 12 hectares, a point that seeks the encounter with other cultures and people of other religions. We will pass in front of Capital Gate, a 160-meter-high building known for being the steepest skyscraper in the world. From the beautiful "Corniche", by the sea, we will get a great panoramic view of the city. Already, after dark we will go to The Founders Memorial, built in memory of Zayed, the first sultan of the Emirates; The Constellation stands out, with its magnificent night lighting.

In the morning we continue our visit of the city. We will visit (entrance included) the Heritage Village, this place allows us to understand the traditional life in the Emirates, we enjoy its views, we can buy in its craft shops and visit its small museums that illustrate us about the history of the Emirates. After that we include a visit and entry into Qasr Al Watan, the presidential palace of the Emirates, magnificent construction of white granite profusely decorated, highlights its dome of 37 meters and its chandelier lamp of 350,000 pieces of glass. After that we go to the "cultural district" where there are several museums, highlights the Louvre, with its spectacular architecture by the sea and an incredible collection. You have the opportunity if you wish to visit one of the museums or enjoy your free time in the area. Lunch included.

In the afternoon, transfer to the airport, we include the flight to DOHA, the capital of QATAR. Arrival and transfer to the hotel.

We discover an exciting city. In this city’s city tour we will visit the Corniche, with its line of skyscrapers and its beaches; we will get to see the very modern football stadium of Al Thumama, host of the 2022 World Cup; we will pass by the National Museum with its impressive architecture and include an entrance and visit of the Museum of Islamic Art, that houses the largest collection of Islamic art in the world. Uniting modernity and tradition we visit the Souk of the Falcons where we will understand the importance of falconry in this country; a time to walk in the Waqif Souk, built on the site of the old market remodeled to have the appearance of a nineteenth-century souk, nearby we will pass by the stables where the neighbors house Arabian horses. At lunchtime we will go to "The Pearl of Qatar" an artificial archipelago, here we will see Porto Arabia and we will have free time in Qanat, a shopping area inspired by Venice. Lunch included. 

At the end of the day, we move to KATARA, a cultural village that has architectural replicas from all over the world, with several places to eat, its opera and its amphitheater.

Important note: Until 2019 there was a ferry linking Qatar with Bahrain significantly reducing travel time between the two points and avoiding transit through Saudi Arabia. It is possible that that ferry line will be restored, in which case the trip would be made by ferry. If the route is not restored, it passes through Saudi Arabia; please check that you have the visa for this country (in case your trip from Bahrain continues to Saudi Arabia please apply for the double or multiple entry visa).

We will travel through the road, 120 km of modern highway through the desert separates us from the border of Saudi Arabia. Transit through Saudi Arabia, we travel to BAHRAIN, a small country located on an island in the Persian Gulf, we pass by the 25 km friendship bridge that connects Arabia with Bahrain. Border procedures. Bahrain is a small country of 765 Km2 inhabited by just under two million inhabitants that always had great historical importance. 

MANAMA, arrival in the middle of the afternoon. Upon arrival we will know the historic neighborhood of Muharraq, in its pedestrian alleys are some of the most beautiful historical buildings in the country: royal residences and houses of rich pearl merchants very well restored.At the end of the day, we will walk through the souk of Manama, with its active life and through Little India, over 300 000 inhabitants of Bahrain were born in India, this neighborhood preserves its life, the temple of Krishna and numerous small Indian restaurants.

We will get to know thoroughly this small country; by coach we follow the coast, we include the entrance to Beit Al Qur´An, museum on the Qur´an, the Muslims’ holy book. We also visit the fantastic Bahrain National Museum that allows us to see the art, ethnography and traditions of this country and understand the importance it had throughout history. We will visit with a guide the impressive Al Fatih Mosque the most important in the country. Lunch included.

In the afternoon we will leave Manama, on the outskirts is located QALAT AL BARHEIN, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, an impressive fortress by the sea inhabited for 4000 years (the current castle was built by the Portuguese). We enter one of the most important oil production areas in the world, between refineries and pipelines we will stop next to the first oil extraction well opened in the country. We will also stop at the "tree of life", which with its more than 500 years being alive in the desert is a symbol of this country.Return to Manama, free time.

We leave in the morning from Manama, take the long bridge of 25 km that separates this country from SAUDI ARABIA. Border procedures. 

We enter a country that until very recently has been closed to tourism.We will be surprised by the city of DAMMAM, provincial capital with almost a million inhabitants. By the sea we get the chance to take a photo of the water tower of Khobar. Following its modern maritime strip we follow the Heritage Village, next to the sea, in the form of a fortress we´ll visit its small museum of ancient objects (including its collection of historical cars); Lunch included. 

We continue towards the impressive Ithra site and its very modern King Abdulaziz center for world Culture - an architecturally very striking place (being rock shaped), with its leisure areas, its museums, its library. Mid-afternoon continuation to the oasis of AL-AHSA, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. 

Arrival at AL-HOFUF, the main city of the oasis. We will take a night walk through the King Abdullah Park, a pleasant park where its artificial lake and the fountains that dance to the rhythm of the music are a stand out.

We visit the Oasis of AL AHSA, with its gardens, canals, wells. Inhabited since the Neolithic; it is considered the largest oasis in the world with its almost 3 million date palms. In the center of Al-Hofuf we visit the Ibrahim Palace, historical fortress (World Heritage Site) dominated by its white mosque, built in 1556 by the Ottomans. After that we visit the "House of Allegiance" that shows us a small palace characteristic of the oasis. Later we travel through the oasis, we go to AL QARA , a spectacular landscape area, labyrinth of mini-gorges-caves in the mountain, and a historical site; it will seem that "you penetrate the mountain", all year round the temperature is around 25 degrees. We also visit its museum "land of civilizations" that describes the history of the area. Lunch included. 

Note: At the time of writing this itinerary, the Ibrahim Palace was closed for restoration. During the period when it is closed, the palace will be visited from the outside and time will be given to the Qaisariah souk.

In the afternoon we take a modern high-speed train, in two hours and 20 minutes we travel almost 350 kilometers of desert that separate us from Riyadh.- RIYADH, arrival. To end the day, we will include transfer and entrance to the Boulevard Riyadh, you will be surprised by its life and activity, the attractions, the numerous restaurants with specialties from numerous countries, its live shows, and -above all- the spectacle of colorful fountains. Time to stroll, dine (dinner not included) and enjoy this place. Return to the hotel.

Today (the order of activities may vary depending on the time of year) we will visit the impressive capital of Saudi Arabia. We will include the climb to the tower of just over 300 m high, the "Kingdom Centre", with its beautiful design and its "bridge-shaped" viewpoint that offers spectacular views over the city. We will also visit, surrounded by a beautiful park, the National Museum, the largest museum in the country, where we will learn about the history, culture, and art of the Kingdom. After that we will visit the Masmak Fortress, the ancient fortress of the city, whose interior allows us to understand the incredible change that took place in this city during the last century. Afterwards, we will have time to stroll through the neighborhood, with its souks and commercial life. Lunch included. 

In the afternoon we will move to the district of Al Turaif DIRIYA, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This place - on the outskirts of Riyadh - was formerly the first capital of the Saudi dynasty, which we will be able to discover thanks to the vestiges of its numerous palaces and the urban complex at the edge of the oasis of Ad-Diriya. At the end of the day, we will visit the Al Rajhi Mosque, the largest mosque in Riyadh with its Andalusian style architecture, where we will witness a prayer and have an introduction to Islam that will surely make us learn something about this religion. Return to hotel.

After breakfast, end of our services.