Day 01: Arrive Kuwait City, Kuwait          B-D
Arrive Kuwait meet and assist at the airport and transfer to Hotel we may begin our sightseeing upon arrival.

The economic, cultural, and political capital of Kuwait, Kuwait City sits on the shores of the Persian Gulf, and is a mixture of exclusive Western-style hotels, designer shopping malls, traditional Islamic architecture, and street markets. Oil revenues have helped Kuwait City rebound from the Gulf War and the building boom shows no signs of slowing down.

Overnight in Kuwait City.

Day 02: Kuwait City: City Tour                 B-D
Today we have a guided tour of Kuwait City.

We will begin with one of Kuwait’s most famous landmarks, the Kuwait Towers, an iconic landmark on Kuwait’s skyline.

We also visit the Tareq Rajab Museum, a private collection of the Rajab family. The museum deals with calligraphy, pottery, metalwork, glass, wood, ivory and jade carvings of the Islamic world. Early calligraphy is presented in a separate small room, showing pages from the Holy Qur’an, dating back to the first three centuries of the Islamic period. There are also displays of costumes, textiles, embroideries and jewelry of the Islamic world.

We also visit the Bayt Al Othman Museum, with a vast display of popular Kuwaiti culture and history in a large traditional complex of inter-connected ancient houses and courtyards.

We will also have a chance to photograph and admire the very photogenic dhow harbour and fish market.

Overnight in Kuwait City.

Day 03: Kuwait City, Kuwait – Manama, Bahrain                     B-D
After breakfast trasfer to airport to catch the flight to Manama on arrival meet and assist at the airport ad transfer to hotel.

Frequently called the Pearl of the Arabian Gulf, Bahrain is an archipelago of 33 low-lying islands located in the heart of the Gulf, and offering a blend of ancient and modern. This is a place where modern skyscrapers share the landscape with majestic mosques, embodiments of Islamic art, culture and architecture. Rich in history, Bahrain was once part of the ancient civilization of Dilmun and served as an important link in trade routes between Sumeria and the Indus Valley as long as 5,000 years ago.

Manama is Bahrain’s modern capital, and is dominated by a Manhattan-style skyline. Today much land, including the diplomatic area, has been reclaimed from the sea.

Overnight in Manama.

Day 04 Bahrain: area tour                         B-D
Today will be spent exploring this tiny island state. We begin with a visit to the Bahrain National Museum where we will trace the archaeological development of the region. Through sculpture and ceramics, reconstructed burial mounds, Arabic calligraphy and illuminated Korans, the different periods of Bahrain’s history are presented.

We will also visit the Bahrain Fort. The first dwellings on the site are believed to have been constructed around 2800 BC, and have subsequently been overlaid by numerous fortified settlements. The last was built in the early 16th century to defend Portugal’s recent acquisition of the islands; for this reason, it is also known locally as the Portuguese Fort.

We will also pay a visit to the Al Fatih Grand Mosque, Bahrain’s largest mosque and a magnificent piece of architecture. On the Island of Muharraq we visit Shaikh Isa House, in the old town of Muharraq. This was once the home of the Amir’s great-grandfather, Shaikh Isa Bin Ali Al Khalifa. It provides a fine example of local architecture, complete with wall carving and latticework, and representative of traditional 19th century life. The house is complete with a ‘wind tower’; constructed 5-6m (16-20ft) above the house and open on all four sides. One of the early forms of air conditioning, this acts as a funnel, catching the breeze and drawing it down into the cavities below, as well as allowing the release of hot air like a chimney.

No visit to Bahrain would be complete without a tour of the Old Souk, with its profusion of colours, sounds, and aromas. The souk lies in the centre of the old town, near the archway of Bab al-Bahrain and, although much of the surrounding area is modern, the street layout and division of occupations still follow traditional lines. All wares are sold, from cloth of different colours and textures to gold and jewely as well as the traditional array of spices and local produce.

Time permitting, in order to sample some of Bahrain’s past, we will make a visit to the A’ali Burial Mounds.

Overnight in Manama.

Day 05 Manama, Bahrain – Abu Dhabi, Uae                             B-D
In order to sample some of Bahrain’s past, we will make a visit to the A’ali Burial Mounds. This is the site of what may be the largest prehistoric cemetery in the world, with approximately 170,000 burial mounds dating from between 3000 BC and AD 600.

We will also visit the pottery makers at A’ali village. This time-honoured industry has been handed down from generation to generation. The clay used for pottery, which is the centre of the industry in Bahrain today, is made from a blend of two types of clay. These are combined to create the optimum blend for their products, which range from traditional bread ovens to water pipes, plant pots, and moneyboxes. Kilns are frequently located inside the surrounding burial mounds, and the smoke given off can sometimes be seen from a distance as you approach the village.

We will also visit Jasra House, built by Sheik Hamad in 1907 and the birthplace of the present Amir in 1933. We will drive out along the Bahrain — Saudi Causeway, the symbolic and actual link between Bahrain and Saudi Arabia.

This evening transfer to airport to catch the flight to Abu Dhabi on arrival meet and assist and transfer to Hotel.

Overnight in Abu Dhabi.

Day 06 Abu Dhabi: City Touring – Al-Ain                           B-D
This morning we do some touring in and around Abu Dhabi.

Although the city was founded in the late 18th century, the city exploded with oil wealth in the 1960s and the city was entirely rebuilt. There are almost no buildings in the city more than 30 years old. However, Abu Dhabi’s citizens are very proud of their fabulously rich city with its broad avenues and futuristic buildings. The city’s architecture is an intriguing interpretation of Islamic designs crafted in modern materials.

We will see the magnificent waterfront corniche and visit the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Abu Dhabi’s most iconic landmark, which features eighty-two white domes. Built between 1996 and 2007, it was designed to be an architectural wonder that incorporated both modern and classic Islamic artistic styles. Greek and Italian white marble covers the exterior, while Islamic calligraphy decorates the inside.

We’ll also visit the new Louvre Abu Dhabi, which is the result of an unprecedented initiative that laid the groundwork for a new type of cultural collaboration of unparalleled scope between two countries. The museum brings the Louvre name to Abu Dhabi and presents both ancient and contemporary works of historic, cultural, and sociological interest from around the world.

Later we continue to Al-Ain, the “Garden City.” We cross the desert to this attractive and relaxed city, cradled by the jagged Hajar Mountains on the Omani border.

Overnight in Al-Ain.

Day 08: Depart Abu Dhabi
After breakfast departure transfer to airport to catch the Flight for onward journey