What To See in Muscat in One Day

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How To Get To Muscat

Many people fly into Muscat airport which is located to the west of the city. Depending on where you are staying, it could take between ten minutes to half an hour to reach your accommodation.

It is possible to drive to Muscat from Dubai if you are coming from the UAE. The journey takes around four and a half to five hours.

How To Get Around Muscat

Muscat is a huuuuuge city and you need transportation to get around. We recommend hiring a car because that gives you flexibility to see the various sites at your leisure. Petrol is almost certainly much cheaper than your home country. There is usually plenty of parking, and a lot of it is free, although some locations have started to charge.

Taxis are available but they aren’t particularly cheap. They can be recognised by their orange and white livery. They aren’t usually metered, so agree a price for your trip beforehand.

Muscat does have a bus network if you want to use public transport and you can hop between all the tourist attractions as well as the airport. This is the cheapest way to get around – you shouldn’t pay much more than 1 OMR and that would be travelling from the airport to the far side of the city. Pay the driver in cash for the distance travelled, defined by zones.

Where to Stay in Muscat

We recommend staying in Mutrah. It’s a lovely district set by the sea and has a charming Corniche to wander along. There is a large souk (market) and plenty of restaurants in the area. We stayed at the Hotel Nasseem, which was located near the fish market. Some of the rooms have a sea view.

What To See in Muscat in One Day

Muscat has loads of sights to explore. It probably won’t be possible to see everything in one day, but here we list the essential places and you can pick which most appeal to you. Although some of the attractions are several kilometres apart, if you have transportation it won’t take more than 20 minutes to half an hour to get from one place to another.

Morning in Muscat

Mutrah Fish Market

If you are staying in Mutrah it’s worth popping into the fish market, located in a modern wavey building at the port end of the Corniche.

The traders are lovely and very happy for you to visit and check out the catch of the day.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

We recommend visiting the Grand Mosque for your next activity. It’s located around a 20 minute drive from Mutrah and is only open to non-Muslim visitors from 8am to 11am, Saturday to Thursday. It is closed on Fridays. If you are driving, it has a huge car park.

The Grand Mosque was built by Qaboos bin Said Al Said, the father of the nation, who ruled Oman for 50 years. He was hugely respected and is credited with modernising the country. It is the largest mosque in the country and can accommodate 20,000 worshipers.

It lives up to its ‘grand’ moniker – it is a remarkable complex. The men’s prayer hall is vast, with a carpet that weighs 21 tonnes and which took four years to make. The main chandelier is 14m high, set within a 90m dome, and contains 600,000 crystals.

At the time of writing, entry is free. However this may change soon and entrance fees may cost around 8 OMR. Attire is extremely important. Visitors are expected to dress modestly. For men, this means wearing long trousers and a shirt to cover your shoulders. Women should wear long trousers or a long skirt, down to the ankles, and a long-sleeved top. Hair must be covered. There are guards at the entrance who will not let you in if your attire isn’t appropriate. You will also need to remove your shoes to enter some of the buildings and prayer halls, so bear that in mind when selecting footwear.

Return to Mutrah

If you wish, you could make your way back to Mutrah via the Natural History Museum or the Royal Opera House. Or you could spend the rest of the morning exploring Mutrah.

Mutrah Fort

This is a small fort on top of the hill overlooking the harbour and Corniche. It is thought that it was built in 1507  but was apparently fortified by the Portuguese during their occupation of Oman in the 1560s.

The fort was built for observation and defense but has a great view of the shore. It also has a small café where you can get coffee or juice on a hot day. The fort is open all day, from 8 am–11 pm. Entry costs 3 OMR. There’s a bit of a climb up the steps but there are fans mid-way to help you cool down on a hot day!

Place and People Museum

At the foot of the hill where the fort is located, this museum offers an exhibition of rooms showcasing traditional life in Oman from the 1950s. It is open from 9am to 6pm and costs 2 OMR to visit.

It also has a small art gallery where you can view the works of local artists.

If you are seeking some lunch, you can enjoy snacks at Mutrah fort or, if you want something more substantial, take your pick from the many cafes and restaurants lining the Corniche.

An Afternoon in Old Muscat

Old Muscat is located around 5km beyond the corner of Mutrah’s Corniche. It’s perfectly walkable but the weather is hot, even in winter, so we’d recommend driving unless you really like walking in the heat.

Old Muscat is a lovely area to visit. It is the administrative section of the city and many governmental departments are located here. It’s clean and gleaming and everything is neat. There is plenty of parking available and a number of attractions to visit here.

Al Mirani Fort

The Al Mirani fort is located on the coastline. There was an ancient fort prior to the invasion of the Portuguese but was rebuilt in 1587. It was the first in Oman to use cannons. Throughout our trip around Oman we noted many cannons at fortresses – which were from all over the world.

If you’re interested in forts, the Al Jalili fort on the headland was also built by the Portuguese.

Spend the Evening in Mutrah

Mutrah is a great place to hang out in the evening. As the heat of the day wanes to a balmy night, people will come out to stroll along the Corniche.

We recommend visiting the souk – just off the Corniche – in the evening. It is open from 9 am–1 pm but if you are sightseeing in the morning, you won’t have much of a chance to browse until it closes for the afternoon.

It’s open again from 4–10 pm, giving you plenty of opportunity to shop until you drop. You can buy all sorts of goods here – frankincense and spices were of particular interest for us.

Oman is a Muslim country and therefore residents do not drink alcohol. It is not illegal for tourists to drink but alcohol is difficult to source and is expensive. So we decided that when in Oman, we’d do as the locals do, and had a dry week. Finding lovely drinks is never a problem. Oman is famous for its coffee culture, a symbol of hospitality. And on a hot day, there are always a plethora of juices, smoothies and mocktails to enjoy. We weren’t so keen on the mocktails, where flavours were combined with a can of fizzy pop. But we really loved the fresh fruit juices and smoothies.

Resources To Help You Plan Your Trip

Accommodation in Mutrah

Rental cars to hire a car.