The Best Things to Do in Muscat, Oman
If you are wondering whether a trip to Muscat is worth it, my answer is 100% yes it is worth it! Muscat is such a nice city, very comfortable, and easy to get around. During our February visit, the weather was warm without being uncomfortably hot and there were beautiful flowers all over-including lining the highways. We really enjoyed being in a warm beach destination in the thick of winter.
Visiting Muscat, Oman was a wonderful experience.The whole family loved it. We felt like we got a good blend of relaxing time, adventure, and culture. If you are new to traveling in the Middle East, this is a good starting point. It will be an easy transition to a new culture and new part of the world. I hope reading about these things to do in Muscat, Oman will help you feel excited and confident in planning your own Oman trips!
Table of Contents
Mutrah Souq
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Snorkeling in the Ad Dimaniyat Islands
Day Pass at a Luxury Resort
Wadi Shab & Bimmah Sinkhole
Day trip to Nizwa
What to do with more time in your Oman Itinearary
Muscat, Oman FAQ
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Mutrah Souq & Promenade
The Mutrah Souq is around 200 years old and one of the oldest in Oman. The original name translates to “Market of Darkness”. The souq is situated on the harbor which gave it a strategic location to be near the shipping port where goods would arrive from various places.
Mutrah Souq is a feast for the senses. You’ll hear sellers approaching you trying to convince you to come into their shops and look. There’s interesting and colorful items everywhere. You’ll see and smell frankincense and spices. This should be on everyone’s list of things to do in Muscat, Oman!
If you’re not used to shopping in a souq or bazaar, you might be overwhelmed with the vendors approaching you trying to get you to buy things. Don’t feel bad saying “no” or “no thank you.” I would also recommend haggling your price here. The first price you get is likely high, I would try to negotiate it down a bit.
I loved seeing the traditional Omani hats, the metal ware, and the architecture of the market itself.
The market is usually open each day from 9-1 and from 4-10
On Fridays it’s only open 4-10
Saturdays open 9-10
It’s closed in the afternoon because it is the hottest part of the day.
When you’re done browsing inside the souq, head out to the waterfront promenade where there are even more shops, Masjid Al Rasool Al A'dham (a beautiful mosque), Mutrah fort, and an art shop. I would highly recommend stopping in Muradha A.K. Trading for really beautiful prints representing elements of life in Oman made by an Omani artist.
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
This mosque is the largest in Oman. Construction on the mosque began in 1994 and took a little over 6 years to complete. Between all the different prayer areas, it can accommodate around 20,000 worshippers. The structure of the mosque is quite impressive and beautiful. Visitors of any faith will enjoy walking through it.
You can visit the mosque everyday from 8:30-11:00, except on Fridays.
Visitors should dress modestly, men and women should be covered to their wrists and ankles. This means pants and long sleeves for men. Women should wear loose fitting clothes and must cover their hair. I recommend bringing your own scarf and coming in appropriate clothing if possible because it will save you from needing to rent an abaya on site. Girls from the age of 7 are expected to cover their hair. You’ll also remove your shoes to enter the prayer halls, so consider that in your shoe choice.
Entry is free, you can pay for an audio guide or a live guide to explain things more in detail.
The mosque is open for tourists to visit and it is worth your time to add it to your Oman itinerary.
Snorkeling with Sea Turtles
When I was researching our own trip, this was the thing that was top of my list of things to do in Muscat, Oman. We booked a half day snorkeling tour to the Ad Dimaniyat islands, a protected nature preserve. The boats leave from the Seeb Marina, about a 40 minute drive from the center of Muscat.
The boat ride to the islands takes about 40 minutes from the port. Our boat stopped at two snorkel spots. The sea life in this area is very impressive, the fish are big and colorful, and this is a hotspot for sea turtles! At the second snorkel spot we saw so many sea turtles. They were gathered around one rock and would swim up to get air and get very close to you. It was amazing to see them so up-close.
I’ve never seen so many sea turtles before and never had the very special experience of swimming with them. If you like to snorkel and like marine life, this is an unmissable experience!
Our boat tour included water and juice, and some sandwiches were provided. The boat had all the necessary snorkeling equipment: life jackets, masks, snorkels, and fins. We like to bring our own full face snorkel masks for the kids because that’s what they prefer.
You can expect to pay 25-35 OMR per person to go on a tour to the islands.
Dolphin Cruise
Another way to see marine life is to take a dolphin cruise. This is a great way to enjoy the water and see some dolphins while staying dry on the boat.
Day Pass at the Shangri-la or Ritz Al Bustan
One of the most fun ways to relax and enjoy a day in Muscat is to get a day pass at one of the luxurious beachside resorts with plenty of amenities. You don’t have to necessarily stay here for your whole visit, getting a day pass is a lower cost way to enjoy the same amenities for a day.
There are two that were recommended to us: the Shangri-la and the Ritz Carlton al Bustan Palace. We chose the Shangri-la.
There were two options for day passes:
Without food (10 OMR)
With food (25 OMR)
Half price for children ages 6 and up
We picked the option that included the lunch buffet. If you wanted to do this with lower cost, you could pack in your own water, snacks, and lunch. You could also choose to order a la carte from the other poolside restaurants. The lunch buffet was very nice. It included a wide variety of high quality food. There was a fruit bar, cheeses, salads, pasta bar, Indian food, other hot food items, and a lovely dessert bar. We were happy with choosing the lunch buffet option.
Camel rides on the beach at the Shangri-la.
The Shangri-la has a stretch of private beach where you can swim, snorkel, and do some water sports. There are multiple pools, a couple waterslides for kids, a splash area playground, and a lazy river (my favorite).
There were various activities happening throughout the day, including camel rides on the beach (5 OMR).
We stayed here from 10AM-5:30 PM and really enjoyed our day. Staying at the resort would be even more amazing if that’s something that fits your budget. A little relaxing and beach time should be part of your Oman trip!
Wadi Shab & Bimmah Sinkhole Day Trip
We LOVED our day trip to Wadi Shab. I was a little skeptical because I saw it referred to as the most well-known or popular wadi from Muscat. I thought it might be a little overrun and not as enjoyable because of its popularity. But it was truly an amazing place, it was a great thing to do on our trip to Oman.
First, what is a wadi? A wadi refers to a dried up river bed. Imagine it like a gorge. But this wadi does still have water. I would consider this a hybrid hiking/swimming adventure.
You hike alongside a river through a gorgeous desert canyon and along the way you’ll find various spots for swimming and cliff jumping. For the strong swimmers, you can eventually swim through the river and into a cave with a waterfall.
If you have young children who are not strong swimmers, I would advise you to rent a life jacket at the start of the hike for 1 OMR. The swim was a little too much for our 6 year old and we had to take turns going in the cave so one of us could stay with him.
Pack in your own food and water (there’s not many food options around), a dry bag, and you’ll have a great time adventuring here. You also may want to bring some water shoes or active sandals. It’s up to you but just know you have to both hike on loose rocks and dirt and also swim.
When I was researching this, a few people who said it’s recommended for women to swim with shoulders covered and in either leggings or bike shorts. So I swam in leggings and a t-shirt. At Wadi Shab I saw women in all kinds of dress, everything from fully covered to bikinis. I don’t think I would’ve felt uncomfortable in my regular bathing suit swimming, but still it may be more respectful to the local population to be a bit more conservative.
Near Wadi Shab is the Bimmah Sinkhole. The Bimmah Sinkhole is inside a park and doesn't require a hike to get to. You can walk down a staircase and then enjoy swimming in this beautiful spot. Again, you’ll need to bring in your own food and drinks. This is a much less intense swimming location, so if you’re not sure about the hike in Wadi Shab, this is an easier place to access.
The park also has a nice playground for kids to get their energy out. While you’re in the park, you’re expected to dress modestly and not be in a bathing suit. You can be in your bathing suit of course at the sinkhole itself but should be dressed when you climb up the stairs.
Muscat Day trip to Nizwa
Nizwa is about a 90 minute drive from Muscat. It is an ancient city most famous for its picturesque fort and lively souq. On Friday mornings they also hold a livestock souq that sounds really interesting and fun to see.
This was on our list of things to do, but we just didn’t have enough time to fit it in on this Oman trip. I look forward to visiting another time.
Want to stay overnight in Nizwa? Search for a hotel here.
With more time, add these to your Oman Itinerary…
Wahiba Sands
If you’re looking for camel rides and endless desert landscapes, Wahiba Sands is where you need to go. It is over a 2 hour drive from Muscat, a little too far for a day trip from Muscat in my opinion. It would be wonderful to stay a couple nights out here doing some desert glamping if you have the time in your Oman itinerary.
There are a range of activities and excursions to do as well as several desert camps to stay at. Browse for desert camping in Wahiba Sands here.
Near Wahiba Sands, you can also visit another beautiful place to hike and swim-Wadi Bani Khalid.
Oman’s Mountains
You may picture only desert when you think of Oman, but it is actually a mountainous and rugged country. If you have more time in your Oman itinerary, consider going out to the mountains for a few days of hiking and exploring nature.
Jebel Shams is Oman’s highest mountain and sits next to Al Nakhur Canyon-”the Grand Canyon of Oman.” This is a must visit area for any mountain lover or hiking enthusiast.
Muscat, Oman FAQ
Where to Stay in Muscat, Oman
There are several name brand and nice hotels to choose from in Muscat. I also saw a variety of apartment style hotels. We stayed at the Sheraton and thought it was perfect for our family. We were able to get connecting rooms for a very affordable price, and it included breakfast. The pool was also a highlight for our kids!
Here are some other recommendations:
Is 2 days in Muscat enough?
It depends on where you are traveling from. If you are coming from some place close, like UAE, you could have a good time in Muscat for a few days.
Most of us would be traveling from further away, and in that case, I would say you should have more than two days. Our journey to Muscat wasn’t quick or easy. We had 2 flights that went overnight, so if we only had two days, I think that would have been tough. Four days would be the minimum to balance out those flights in my opinion.
Is Muscat walkable?
Parts of it are walkable, but really the sights you want to see are pretty spread out and there are many highways connecting them. You should plan to have a car or hire taxis to get around because it is too much ground to cover on foot.
What is the best time to visit Muscat?
To avoid the worst of the heat, visit between late October and early April. Pay attention to when Ramadan is, it would be wise to know if you’re traveling at that time so you can check on a few things and so you can be sensitive to everyone who is fasting. There could also be additional closures or hours modifications at that time.
