SULTAN QABOOS GRAND MOSQUE

This is the number one thing to see in Muscat. This stunning example of a mosque is seen as one of the most beautiful in the world. You should not miss a visit here because of its culture, history, architecture and pure elegance.

There is no entrance fee and the mosque is open to tourists from 8 am till 11 am however it is closed on Fridays. 

MUTRAH SOUQ 

Mutrah Souq is a traditional market with stalls selling various items such as cashmere scarfs, gold, souvenirs and also the traditional Omani hats like the locals wear.

It’s popular with tourists so make sure to barter the price to make sure you do not over pay. The people are also nice and wont hassle you to much.

Al ALAM PALACE

One of the royal residencies located in Muscat that is well worth a little wander to appreciate the Islamic architecture.

Although you can’t go inside the palace you can go right up to the iron gates and look around the surrounding gardens and buildings which are beauitful.

MUTRAH FOR / OLD WATCH TOWER

This is an old fort that offers great views of the bay from the top of the tower. It is free to visit and is well worth making the small hike up the many stairs to experience the history and views. 

THE OLD CORNICH

A beautiful place for a walk along the stunning coastline offering scenic views that starts from where the Souq market is all the way to the Al Alam palace.

RIYAM PARK MONUMENT

This is located on a hill overlooking the Mutrah Corniche and set amongst a beautiful green park. There is also a short hike you can do that starts from the parking area and takes about an hour and a half round trip which offers some lovely views at the top.

ROYAL OPERA HOUSE

This majestic place showcases a number of performing arts and musical performances. You can purchase tickets to see a show for as little as 3 OMR. It’s a cool place for a drink but the drinks here are a little pricey, cocktails 4 OMR and beers 3 OMR each.

Even if you don’t go inside, it is still worth visiting to see the incredible structure of the building, especially at night when it’s lit up!

BOAT TRIP

There are plenty of boat trips from Muscat, boat trips are around 22 OMR each for dolphin watching and some snorkelling. But be aware that you can only watch the dolphins from the boat they don’t allow you to snorkel near them. We were lucky enough that our couchsurfer took us out on his own boat to do some snorkelling and saw some turtles.  

SEEB BEACH

For fitness or relaxation head to Seeb beach. There is a 3km walkway lined with palm trees and also some fitness equipment free for use. Or just spend the afternoon chilling on the beautiful sandy beach.

We also came across a local fishing area and some camels which was pretty cool.

AL MOUJ MUSCAT MARINA

Check out the beautiful (and expensive!) yachts down at the marina. This place boasts modern elegance and is filled with chic cafes and restaurants and is worth a little coffee stop to admire.

THINGS TO DO OUTSIDE MUSCAT

BANDAR AL KHAIRAN VIEWPOINT

This is one of the best viewpoints overlooking the sea. Located 50 minutes (50km) outside of Muscat the viewpoint is at the top of the cliff.

You can drive right up to the top and appreciate the spectacular views below of the enclosed beach surrounded by the beautiful blue waters. 

WADI DAYQAK DAM

This beautiful place has some incredible views and is well worth the visit. It’s the biggest dam in Oman but is also very quiet and serene, we visited in the morning and were the only ones there. Free to visit and open daily from 8am to 10pm.

BIMMAH SINKHOLE

A must visit for Oman. Incredibly beautiful crystal turquoise waters surrounded by white cliff edges. This amazing place was said to have been created from a meteor falling to earth.

We recommend arriving as early as possible as tour groups start arriving by 9/10am. There are little fish that will nibble at your feet and if you swim to the back of the water there is a rope to climb up and jump off the little ledge into waters.

WADI SHAB

A quick boat trip across (1 OMR round trip per person) and a lovely walk through plantations and over small rocks to beautiful pools enclosed by the rock cliffs.

Swim through to the end of the pools and through the small cave to find the secret waterfall.

WADI TIWI

A steep drive up through villages, we only managed 3 quarters of the drive up in a 2WD. So you can either park at the bottom where the toilets are and walk or hitch a lift a lift up (it’s only 5km) or try your luck to go as far as you can in the car, there is plenty of spaces to park the car at the side of the road if the car cant make it up, then walk the rest of the way to the village.

From the village it’s a short walk (a local boy showed us the way) to the crystal clear emerald pools with small waterfalls. You can also hike to the very top where the waterfall is and takes about 2 hours each way. 

AL AYJAH WATCHTOWER 

Located in Sur this watch tower is free to go up and offers amazing views over the city, sea and suspension bridge below.  

RAS AL JINZ TURTLE RESERVE

There is a turtle museum upstairs which costs 2 OMR each, if you love turtles then it’s well worth the visit. For the turtle reserve, you can pay 7 OMR each and visit in the morning at 5.30am or in the evening at 9 pm. You can buy tickets for the evening one from 7.30pm onwards and the morning one the day before.

You will then be given a group number that is written on your ticket and groups are called through at 8.30pm expect to wait around for an hour or so as they seem to call the big group tours first. It was great seeing the female turtles lay her eggs and also release a baby turtle into the sea.

WADI BANI KHALID

A short walk to some beautiful large clear blue pools. The large entrance pools where the restaurant and bridge is located requires women to wear a t-shirt and shorts. Further along, where the rocks pools get narrower past the waterfall, bikinis are ok.

Follow along the rocks and cliffs to find the cave which you can enter and go down into. It’s very dark and hot down in the cave and also low so watch your head. 

NIZWA FORT

An old and well-preserved fort which costs 5 OMR each for entrance.  We enjoyed the history of this place as well as the views of the city from above. You will also find a market selling all kinds of souvenirs. 

AL WASIL DESERT

2WD doesn’t mean you can’t go into the desert. On Google maps find Al Wasil and you will see two roads that go off with a dead end. Follow the road along, there are some houses along the way once you go round the corner on the left hand side you will a little road that you can pull into and park near the tree.

From here take your camping stuff towards the sand dunes and you can easily set up camp with no one else around. In the morning, go explore the sand dunes!

VISA

Before you can visit the best spots in Oman you will need a visa and you can find our guide to getting your E-Visa here.

Hotels

We found accommodation very expensive in Oman but there are several hotel options on route if you are not the type for camping. In Muscat we used www.couchsurfing.com to find a host to stay with and show us the local area.

Getting here

You have the option to fly or take a bus from Dubai which may be the cheapest option. This blog covers all you need to know.