Muscat
Muscat is the capital and most populous city of Oman.
It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat. According to the National Centre for Statistics and Information (NCSI), the population of the Muscat Governorate in 2022 was 1.72 million. The metropolitan area includes six provinces, called wilayat, and spans approximately 6,500 km2 (2,500 sq mi). The Hajar Mountains dominate the view from Muscat. The city lies on the Gulf of Oman, near the strategically important Strait of Hormuz. Low-lying white buildings are a typical feature of its architecture. The city's port district of Muttrah, with its corniche and harbour, are at the north-eastern edge of the city. Muscat's economy is dominated by trade, petroleum, liquified natural gas and porting.
Getting to Muscat
- 01Muscat International Airport
- 02Al-Khanjry Transport
Runs three daily buses to Muscat from Dubai.
- 03National Ferry Company
Call Center & Passenger Boarding Office (Sultan Qaboos Port, Mutrah), office), toll-free: +968 800 72 000 (reservations), fax: +968 2449 3910, reservation@nfc.om.
Worth seeing
- 01Al Jalali Fort
Built as a prison in the rocky mountains in the 1580s during the Portuguese occupation, now converted into a museum devoted to Omani heritage.
- 02Al Mirani Fort
Built at the same time as Al Jalali Fort which it faces across the harbour.
- 03Qasr Al Alam Royal Palace
This is the office of Sultan Qaboos, ruler of Oman.
- 04Bait Al Zubair Museum
The museum features displays on Omani social history, while tours are frequently run of the neighbouring reconstructed townhouse.
- 05Omani French Museum
Qasr al-Alam St (in Bait Fransa near the police station).
- 06Muscat Gate Museum
This museum marks the location of the old city wall, and has the original city gates which were used until the 1970s.
Things to do
- 01Royal Opera House Muscat
Al Kharjiyah St, fax: +968 24 403322, info@rohmuscat.org.om.
- 02Trekking path C38
This short hike takes the walker away from the modern world of Muscat and also offers fantastic views of the rugged mountains surrounding the capital city.
- 03Trekking paths C52 and C53
These two easy treks offer beautiful views over the coastline.
- 04BlueZone Diving
Bander al Rhowda Marina, Bluzone@omantel.net.om.
- 05Oman Dive Center
- 06Omanta Scuba
Al Mouj - Marina, 18th November Street, The Wave, info@omantascuba.com.
Where to eat
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.
- 01Al Haikal Restaurant
2996 Way (near bus stand, Ruwi).
- 02Oman Express
4359 Way,.
- 03Saravana Bhavan Restaurant
Ruwi Street (Ruwi, opposite OC Centre),.
- 04KERA
An Noor Street.
- 05Al Haikal Bakery
2969 Way.
Getting around Muscat the local way
- Get aroundThey are white minibuses with an orange taxi sign on the top.
- Get aroundThe driver will tell you either to get in the minibus or that he goes to another direction; in this case wait for the next one.
- Get aroundA 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.
- Get aroundThe 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.
From Wikivoyage: Muscat, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Domenico Convertini (CC BY-SA 2.0), Wikimedia Commons.
