Muscat

Muscat (Arabic: مسقط Masqaṭ) is the capital of the Sultanate of Oman and its most important and populous city (1.7 million in the metro area in 2021). It has been inhabited since at least 1000 BCE and for centuries was an important trading port on the Maritime Silk Road. It is home to a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, and receives the largest number of foreign visitors to the country.

Understand
Wedged between the Arabian Sea and the rugged Western Hajar Mountains, the city referred to as Muscat is in fact several smaller towns which have grown together over time. These include old Muscat (also known as the 'walled city'), site of the royal palace; Mutrah (also spelled Matrah or Matruh), once a fishing village and home to the labyrinthine Mutrah Souq; and Ruwi, which is the commercial and diplomatic quarter of the city. The metropolitan area covers 3,500 km2, and this tripartite division can be inconvenient for the visitor especially as much accommodation is a fair distance from sights of interest.

Unlike other cities in the Gulf, notably in the UAE and Qatar, Muscat does not have an ultramodern skyline. Following the preferences of the Sultan, modern construction is required to adhere to traditional Arabic architectural styles, resulting in a more low-key urban landscape.


 * Municipal government website (in Arabic)

By plane




Taxis from and to the airport should cost between RO 6 (Golden Tulip, near the airport) and RO 12 (Al Bustan Palace Hotel, Al Bustan). Taxis can be booked at the Taxi Counter (, taxi@omanairports.com@undefined). Make sure you agree the fare with the driver before commencing your journey. Fares should be agreed before commencing the journey and may be pre-paid at the Muscat International Airport Taxi Counter. There are ATM machines inside the terminal just prior to exiting on the left side of the doors.



By car
You can reach Muscat by road from the United Arab Emirates. The journey takes about 5 hr by crossing the border in Hatta/Al Ain, some border crossings are just for Gulf Cooperation Council citizens.

You can drive from Al Ghaydah in Yemen. The journey is about 6 hr via the border crossing at Sarfeit to Salalah and then another 10 hr to Muscat.

By boat


Cruise ships stop regularly at in Mutrah. Shuttle buses transport visitors from the ship to the port entrance, and taxis are also available. A board at the port exit lists fares to the most common destinations; all other destinations must be negotiated first. However, it is a short distance by foot to the Corniche, with the route passing by the fish market (described below under 'See'). Visitors need to bring only their cruise boarding pass and their Tourist Entry Permit.

By taxi
Maxi taxis (minibuses, known throughout the expat community as baisa buses) ply the highway from Seeb to the Corniche area. The charge is RO 0.100 (100 Bzs) from the Corniche area to the church roundabout and another 100 Bzs from the church round about to Wadi Adai.

On arrival at the airport, situated approximately 40 km from the main Muscat CBD, you can get a baisa bus down the main highway in either direction.

The (mostly orange and white) taxis are a bit pricier, and they hang around the hotels where they get juicy fares from unwary travellers. They will charge RO 8 for an airport trip if you don't haggle, but you should be able to agree RO 5. They always say they will give you "good price", but it's best to figure out what you want to spend then agree before you get in. You don't need to haggle when calling them through the otaxi app. The minimum fare is RO 1.500 and most destinations won't be much more than that.

The Maxi Taxis ply the main routes through town, and they go where they want so you might have to find one going your direction. Once you are on one, they will make sure you get there. The place to wait for them is on the on-ramps of most of the main highway junctions, when you'll usually see a few people waiting around for one. A journey within the Muscat area should not cost more than RO 0.300 each, but if you look like an experienced traveller and hand them RO 0.200 then you can usually get away with that.

By car
For visitors staying in Muscat for longer than a day, renting a car provides the most flexibility and is far more economical than using taxis, as one taxi ride from Ghubrah to Muscat and back will cost about the same as hiring a car for one day. A 2WD is fine to see the sights within and around Muscat, but if you're planning to explore wadis and mountains you'll need a 4WD.

Road signs in Muscat can be confusing, and motorway exits are not always clearly marked. Compared with elsewhere in the Gulf (e.g. Dubai and Doha) Muscat drivers are reasonably disciplined, but visitors from outside the region may find the local driving style erratic. For a gentler introduction into Muscat traffic it may be easier to take a taxi (or hotel-provided shuttle) from the airport, and arrange for a rental car through your accommodation – rates are usually the same as if not better than at the airport.

Most local and international rental agencies have offices at the airport. An international driver's permit is theoretically required to rent a car, but usually agents will request only your national licence. All car hires include mandatory insurance. The cheapest car hire is about RO 15 per day for a 2WD economy car with manual transmission and sometimes no air-conditioning; for a 4WD, expect to pay double that amount.

By public bus
The Mwasalat company runs a few lines of public buses which cover the most important sights and the airport. Buses are infrequent (15 to 20 minutes), but are comfortable and have A/C. Enter at the front door, tell the driver your destination and pay with cash. Women are expected to sit in the front. As of Jan 2023, there were about 7 bus lines in operation, with most starting and ending in Ruwi. The routes can be viewed on Google Maps. Fares depend on distance, ranging from 300 Bzs to RO 1.


 * Route #1: Ruwi-Al Mabelah - Goes to the Royal Opera House, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and the Airport
 * Route #2: Ruwi-Al Wadi Al Kabir
 * Route #3: Ruwi-Wadi Adei
 * Route #4: Ruwi-Mutrah-Al Alam Palace - Goes to Mutrah Souk, Al Alam Palace and National Museum of Oman

Mutrah
Formerly a fishing village, Mutrah is known primarily for its extensive souq and waterfront corniche. Mutrah harbour is also where the Sultan's royal yacht is docked.

Ruwi and Qantab
Ruwi is Muscat's primary commercial district, as well as the gateway to Qantab south of the city.

Al Ghubrah, Al Khuwair, Al Qurm, and Bawshar
As an alternative to the main CBD of Muscat, Mutrah, and Ruwi, there are plenty of places to go to and things to see along the main highway that heads northwest out of the CBD. This main road, the Sultan Qaboos Highway, goes past many areas on its way out to the airport and further still to Seeb, Sohar and eventually the northernmost tip of Oman. Heading along this road you pass the districts of Al Qurm (Qurum), Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos, Al Khuwair, Bausher, Al-Hail and Seeb. Each one has a number of sights and places to stay.

There is also a very long beach road from Al Qurm to Seeb, some 50 km. Situated along this are some of the large international hotel chains but, more importantly, you discover the true beauty of the Oman coast-line: kilometres of beaches, fishermen with drag nets and open space to walk for hours.

Trekking
There is some outstanding trekking in northern Oman, and for a taste there are a couple of easy treks within or very close to Muscat.

Mountain biking
With many excellent trails nearby, Muscat has a fast-growing mountain bike community. Bike Oman organizes weekly mountain bike excursions on Thursday, most of which begin within a 20-45 min. drive from Muscat. During the summer they organize weekly night time rides, usually on Mondays.

Beaches
On private beaches (i.e. those attached to hotels) western swimwear is acceptable. On public beaches, however, visitors should be mindful of Omani conservative norms. Women are advised to stick with one-piece suits, and men should wear longer swimming shorts (not speedos); keep shoulders and knees covered unless you are actually on the beach. Women may find a parasol helpful to hide from prying eyes.

Beaches with a sign 'Family Beach' are closed to single or bachelor men.

Bird watching
There are some good areas for avian enthusiasts, within and around the city.

Tailors
There are numerous Indian-run tailors. An Italian-style suits typically costs RO 5.

Money changers

 * Oman-UAE Exchange Centres - LuLu Hypermarkets, Ghala and Ruwi
 * Global Money Exchange - Ruwi
 * Travelex - Seeb International Airport
 * Purshottam Kanji - Ruwi
 * Mustafa Sultan Exchange - Many outlets throughout Oman

Budget
Food is relatively cheap in Muscat, a meal can cost just a couple of rials. For inexpensive Indian food, there are many restaurants catering to Indian guest workers in Al Khuwayr. In Mutrah you can walk down the waterfront in the Corniche area to catch a cool sea breeze, and treat yourself to some sandwiches and Halib (tea with milk) or Sulaimani (black tea) at one of the wayside restaurants. A cup of tea costs about RO 0.100.

Drink
Every road, street corner or little collection houses, huts or businesses has a 'Coffee-Shop' – basic but worth a go. Fresh fruit juices are delicious and available from a number of stalls and cafes in Muscat. Expect to pay between RO 0.500-1.500 for these juices depending on type and size.

Budget

 * Guest Houses. There are a number of Guest Houses (Isteraha in Arabic) spread around Muscat which are quite affordable and acceptable in general.
 * Corniche Area There are five hotels on the Corniche waterfront in Mutrah that all charge RO 15. Al Fanar Hotel which is very rundown at the end of the waterfront charges RO 10. Naseem Hotel opposite the Corniche charges RO 27 for a twin-bed room (as of Dec 2016).

Splurge
Muscat offers a considerable range of luxury hotels, including those listed below.

Stay healthy
It is advisable to drink bottled water while in Muscat. Oman Oasis, Tanuf, Arwa, Salsabeel and Aquafina are the most recognisable brands of mineral water and is available in most convenience shops. "Masafi" and "Darbat" are also brands at reasonable prices - RO 1 for 12 x 1.5 litre. Tap water is generally not safe, and so use bottled water.

Connect
Omantel offers pre-paid Hayyak SIM cards and top-up cards, which can be purchased at mobile phone shops and hypermarkets. Also available are pre-paid Jibreen Cards, good on both mobile and landlines, in denominations of RO 5 and 1.5. A 5-rial card gets you 11 minutes of talk time.

Skype is blocked in Oman, and can only be accessed through a VPN. While other VoIP services have been blocked in the past, Google Talk, Viber, FaceTime and MSN Messenger are all accessible.

The calling card Global One does not work in Muscat. Although the Global One website lists the rates for calls from Oman there are no numbers listed alongside. The nearest Global One help line is in Dubai.

Free Wi-Fi is available in several public parks, including Qurm National Park, Naseem Garden, Al Amerat Park, and Wadi Kabir. For access, visitors are routed to an Omantel landing page requesting a mobile number, to which a password will be sent; customers are limited to 1.5 hr/day. Costa Coffee also offers free connection in five locations: Qurm City Centre, Muscat City Centre, MQ, Bareeq al Shatti, and Oasis Mall.

Omantel Ibhar hotspots are scattered throughout Muscat, mainly in coffeeshops, restaurants, and shopping malls. Pre-paid Ibhar cards are available at any Omantel counter or at the hotspot location.

Cope
Emergency number (ambulance, fire and police) is 9999.

ATMs
ATMs are very common now, especially in the Embassy district and near most shopping malls, larger hotels, petrol stations and supermarkets. Also, every little neighbourhood has several bank branches.

Bank Muscat is by far the largest bank in Oman and one of the largest in Gulf. It has over 230 ATMs all around Muscat.

Gyms
There are some very good gymnasiums in the 4- to 5-star hotels and some privately run gyms in other places like Millennium Gym, and Horizon Gym. You may pay money for that extra with the number of days you stay in Muscat.

Hospitals

 * KIMS Oman Hospital, Darsait
 * Muscat Private Hospital, Ghubrah
 * Al Nahda Hospital, Ghubrah
 * Sultan Qaboos University Hospital, Al Hamriya
 * Al Shatti Hospital, Shatti al Qurum
 * Atlas Star Medical Centre, Bausher
 * Al Amal Medical Centre-Al Wadi Al Kabir, Al-Khuwair
 * Royal Hospital
 * Badr Al Sama Hospital-Ruwi, Al Khuwair, Al Khoud, Barka, Sohar, Salalah
 * Babylon Medical Centre, Amerat

Laundry
Laundry charges 4-star hotel are high. Prices are much lower at any of the numerous Indian run laundries, although clothes left on a Monday typically won't be ready until Wednesday.

Embassies

 * 🇧🇭 Bahrain
 * 🇨🇳 China
 * 🇪🇬 Egypt
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇬🇷 Greece
 * 🇮🇷 Iran
 * 🇮🇹 Italy
 * 🇯🇴 Jordan
 * 🇷🇴 Romania
 * 🇨🇭 Switzerland
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom
 * 🇺🇸 United States

Go next

 * Drive west to Nizwa, and then go hiking or camping in the magnificent Hajar Mountains. Explore the fortresses in the area, and visit the UNESCO sites of Bat, Al-Khutm and Al-Ayn.
 * Drive south for an hour to explore the spectacular Wadi Shab. Along the way check out the Bimmah Sinkhole, and then continue onwards to Sur.
 * Head north to Sohar for some good diving, visit Ibri and then continue onward to the Musandam Peninsula.