I recently experienced an exciting cruise through the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman on Costa Toscana, Costa Cruises’ newest flagship. Our 8-day journey began in Dubai with our first stop in Doha, then Muscat and, finally, Abu Dhabi, before returning to Dubai. In addition to all the wonderful activities onboard and the excellent Italian hospitality that characterizes this cruise line, Costa Toscana’s Arabian shore excursions were the perfect complement to an epic voyage. Thanks to MyTours team, all of their tours are tailor-made for you to thoroughly experience each and every port. I enjoyed every minute of my interesting and exotic land excursions, which gave me the opportunity to immerse myself in the fascinating Arabian culture.
If you’d like to read more about the editing new Costa Toscana ship, check out my latest article here!
Sand Dune Adventure in Dubai Desert
Our cruise officially started on January 13th, 2023, but we didn’t leave Dubai Port until the next evening, so we luckily had time to take a Sand Dune Adventure in a 4×4 vehicle. Our experience was perfectly organized by Costa Cruises together with Arabian Adventures.
From Dubai Harbor Cruise Terminal, it takes about 45 min to arrive to the meeting point at Dubai Desert Preservation Reserve located in Margham Desert. During the drive we were lucky to see interesting places along the road such as the Dubai Camel Racing Club and the Dubai Camel Market, while our desert safari expert guide told us everything about camels and desert traditions.
After deflating the tires to prevent the 4x4s from sinking into the sand, which did not take more than 10 minutes, and while playing some Arabic music on the radio, we then jumped right into the most adventurous part of our excursion: a thrilling drive climbing up and down the peaks and troughs of Dubai sand dunes. What an exhilarating experience!
Afterwards, we stopped at a Bedouin camp in the middle of the desert to sip on some Arab coffee paired with delicious dates, dried fruit and fruit juices, while watching a falcon flying show. But my favorite part was the stunning sunset view! Finally, we went to Al Waha Oasis to enjoy a tasting of Arabic-style barbecue along with camel rides, henna tattoos and a belly dancing show under the stars. This was the perfect way to wrap up a memorable excursion in the Dubai desert.
Admiring Architectural Gems in Doha
I was very excited to revisit Doha, the capital city of Qatar, so I decided to choose their “Sightseeing Tour of Doha”. The excursion started with a walk along the Corniche promenade and West Bay Area to admire Doha’s stunning, modern biuldings. Our first stop was The Pearl-Qatar, an artificial island, only 15-drive away from the city center, with a mix of luxurious residential villas with prestigious stores, supercar dealerships and fine restaurants. We visit Port Arabia, which is the most popular neighborhood for luxury shopping.
In contrast, we then went to one of the oldest parts of the city: Souq Waqif. This is the place to come for souvenir shopping and to soak up the bustling old-world market atmosphere. There we visited the Falcon Souq which is home to a Falcon Hospital, where these sacred birds can even get feather plastic surgeries. Right next to the souq is the Amiri Diwan Royal Palace, where we were very lucky to witness the Royal Guard and their camels passing by!
Finally, between the modern and the ancient, we visited the Museum of Islamic Art (MIA), which is an ethnographic museum where we learned in depth about Arab history, culture, traditions and way of life. This building is an architectural landmark of the city, the work of famous architect, I. M. Pei, who also designed the glass pyramids at the Louvre in Paris. From the museum’s courtyard, we enjoyed exceptional views of Doha Skyline and Farnar Masjid, Doha’s famous spiral mosque.
Exploring the Ancient City of Muscat
While we were docked at the port of Muscat, we decided to enjoy “Muscat: A Stroll Through Arabia at its Most Authentic” excursion to discover the highlights of the wonderful capital of Oman. We started off at the Bait Al Zubair Museum to learn about the history and culture of Oman. This beautiful palace used to be a private museum that belonged to the Zubair family, one of the richest and well-known families in the country. Luckily, since 1998, the museum is open to the public! Its ethnographic collection of customes, jewelry, tableware, paintings, reflect Oman’s society so it’s an excellent place to learn more about their heritage.
Then we stopped at one of the oldest markets in the Arab world, Mutrah Souq, with so many narrow and winding alleys to explore! Here it is possible to buy gold, silver, traditional costumes, and especially fresh local spices and Frankincense oil.
Lastly, we visited the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the scale and beauty of this place was truly a sight to behold! The minaret is almost 300 feet tall, wich makes it the tallest structure in the country, and there’s 4 more similar towers at the mosque to symbolize the 5 pillars of the Islam. I was so impressed by the chandelier inside the men’s hall. It is the second biggest in the world, weighs around 9 tons and it’s decorated with 600,000 pieces of crystal trimmed with gold.
It was very interesting to listen to our guide explain how they prepare for prayer in the “mida’a” by cleaning different parts of their body with clear water. For your visit to the mosque, make sure to wear modest clothes, long sleeves and long pants or skirt, also a scarf to cover your hair if you’re a woman.
Visiting Jaw-dropping Palaces in Abu Dhabi
Our last harbor was Abu Dhabi, capital city and richest state of the UEA, even ahead of Dubai. Here we chose Costa’s excursion “Abu Dhabi Palaces Between History and Modernity”.
The Qasr Al Watan Palace is a must-see when you are in Abu Dhabi. We started off at this 21st century presidential palace, built in the traditional style of Arabic architecture. The large squares, imposing columns and white marble domes are truly impressive! The golden interiors of the palace blew me away, especially the Great Hall with its sparkling chandeliers and the wonderful sense of balance which symbolizes the stability of the UAE. We also visited the Library, the Presidential Banquet Hall and the Arab League Hall. This last assembly hall has an impressive dome lined with 23-karat gold leaf that will leave you breathless!
Before heading to our second palace, we did a photostop at the Corniche promenade to get the best view of Abu Dhabi skyline. I highly recommend stopping here to take in some of the best views of the city.
In contrast, we then visited the oldest standing structure in the city, the Qasr Al Hosn Palace. Recently, it was fully renovated and turned into a museum where you can learn about Arab culture. The palace also hosts different festivals and exhibitions like AlHosn Festival every January to celebrate the Emirate’s heritage and to teach children about these traditions which we were fortunate enough to see.
While we decided to choose an excursion with Costa Cruises in each of the Arab ports we visited, it is also possible to use their hop-on hop-off service or even discover the cities at your own pace. For me, it was extremely convenient to be able to book the shore excursions in advance and rely on an expert team to organize them so that I had nothing to worry about and made the most of my cruise. If you’re interested in knowing more about my experience onboard Costa Toscana, you can read my review here!
Disclosure: I was a guest of Costa Cruises, but all opinions here are my own.
