Oman travel guide
Oman is the Arabian Peninsula at its most traditional and scenic: forts and old mud-brick villages, rugged mountains, deep wadis, desert dunes and a long coastline on the Arabian Sea. It is calm, welcoming and well suited to road trips, and appeals to travellers who want landscapes and heritage rather than skyscrapers.
Places worth the trip
Muscat
A low-rise capital strung along the coast between rocky hills. The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, with its vast hand-woven carpet and chandelier, welcomes non-Muslim visitors at set times, and the Mutrah Souq and corniche are best at dusk.
Nizwa
The historic heart of the interior, with a seventeenth-century fort and its huge round tower, and a busy souq known for silver, pottery and dates. The Friday livestock market is a lively local scene.
Jebel Shams and Wadi Ghul
Oman's highest mountain overlooks a deep canyon often called the Grand Canyon of Arabia. The Balcony Walk follows a ledge along the canyon wall to an abandoned village.
Wadi Shab and Wadi Bani Khalid
Green ravines with turquoise pools you can swim in. Wadi Shab, near Tiwi on the coast road to Sur, involves a short boat crossing, a hike and a swim to a waterfall inside a cave.
Wahiba Sands (Sharqiya Sands)
A sea of orange dunes a few hours from Muscat, where desert camps offer camel rides, dune drives and starry nights. Getting there needs a four-wheel drive and some experience of driving on sand, or a guide.
Ras al Jinz
A protected beach near Sur where green turtles come ashore to nest. Guided night and dawn visits run from the reserve's visitor centre, with strict rules to protect the turtles.
Musandam
An Omani exclave on the Strait of Hormuz, separated from the rest of the country by the UAE. Dhow cruises through its fjord-like inlets often meet dolphins.
Salalah and Dhofar
The far south turns green in the khareef monsoon season, from roughly late June to September. The area has frankincense trees and the ruins of ancient trading ports listed by UNESCO as the Land of Frankincense.
Interesting facts about Oman
- Frankincense from Dhofar was traded across the ancient world, and it is still sold and burned in Omani homes and souqs today.
- Oman's falaj irrigation channels, some of them centuries old, still carry water to villages and date palms; five systems are UNESCO-listed.
- Oman has around 500 forts, castles and watchtowers, a legacy of centuries of trade and defence.
- The Sultanate once ruled Zanzibar and parts of the East African coast, and Muscat was a major seafaring power.
- Many Omani men still wear the dishdasha with a kumma cap or turban, and the khanjar, a curved dagger, appears on the national emblem.
Best time to visit Oman
October to April is the season to visit, with warm days and mild nights; December to February is the most comfortable and the busiest. Summer, from May to September, is extremely hot and humid on the coast and in the interior, though the mountains are cooler. Salalah is the exception: the khareef monsoon makes it green and misty from late June to September, its peak season with visitors from across the Gulf. During Ramadan, eating and drinking in public in daylight should be avoided.
Getting around
A rental car is the best way to see Oman: highways are excellent, signs are in Arabic and English, and most sights are a few hours from Muscat. A four-wheel drive is needed for the dunes and some mountain roads, including the steep track up to Jebel Akhdar, where police may check your vehicle. Intercity buses link Muscat with Nizwa, Sur, Sohar and Salalah, and domestic flights connect Muscat with Salalah and Khasab. In Muscat, metered and app-booked taxis are the easiest option; with unmetered taxis, agree the fare before setting off.
Practical details
- Capital
- Muscat
- Currency
- Omani rial (OMR)
- Languages
- Arabic
- Plug types
- G
- Voltage
- 240 V, 50 Hz
- Emergency
- 9999
- Driving side
- right
- Tipping
- Not obligatory. Some restaurants add a service charge; otherwise around 10% is appreciated, and small tips for drivers, guides and porters are welcome.
Staying online in Oman
Coverage is strong in Muscat, Salalah, Sohar and the other towns, and 4G runs along the main highways, with 5G in urban areas. Signal disappears in deep wadis, high mountain areas and the open desert, so download maps offline before going off-road. Wi-Fi is reliable in hotels and many cafés and malls. Some internet calling services have been restricted in Oman in the past, so check that the apps you rely on work. Install an eSIM before you fly and switch it on when you land.
Useful apps
- Google Maps: Reliable driving directions on Oman's highways; download offline maps for wadis and desert areas.
- Google Translate: Translates Arabic signs and menus, with offline Arabic available to download.
- XE Currency: Converts rial prices quickly; the rial is divided into 1,000 baisa, which can confuse at first.
Oman travel FAQs
Dress modestly in public, with shoulders and knees covered, particularly in villages and souqs. Swimwear is fine at hotel pools and beaches. Women visiting mosques need to cover their hair, arms and legs; the Grand Mosque has its own dress rules.
Yes. Roads are well maintained and quiet outside Muscat, and a loop from Muscat through the mountains, Nizwa, the Wahiba Sands and Sur takes in the main sights in about a week.
Yes, modern phones work well on Omani networks. Roaming on a home plan is often expensive, so a travel eSIM is an easy way to get local data for navigation, while your home number stays on for calls and texts.
Alcohol is served in licensed hotel bars and restaurants, but not in ordinary shops, and drinking in public is not allowed. Rules are stricter during Ramadan.