Muscat Governorate · Oman
Where to stay in Muscat
Muscat is a city in Muscat Governorate, Oman, home to about 1,421,000 people.
- Best months
- December to February
- Nearest airport
- MCT31 km · Muscat International Airport
- Currency
- OMROmani rial
- Time zone
- Asia/Muscat
- Language
- Arabic
About
About Muscat
Muscat is the capital and most populous city of Oman. It is the seat of the Governorate of Muscat.
Wedged between the Arabian Sea and the rugged Western Hajar Mountains, the city referred to as Muscat is in fact several smaller towns which have grown together over time. These include old Muscat (also known as the 'walled city'), site of the royal palace; Mutrah (also spelled Matrah or Matruh), once a fishing village and home to the labyrinthine Mutrah Souq; and Ruwi, which is the commercial and diplomatic quarter of the city.
Wikipedia and Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Things to do
What to see and do in Muscat
See
- Al Jalali Fort
- Al Mirani Fort
- Qasr Al Alam Royal Palace
- Bait Al Zubair Museum
- Omani French Museum
- Muscat Gate Museum
- Bait Muzna Gallery
- National Museum
- Corniche
- Fish market
- Bait al-Baranda Museum
- Mutrah Fort
Do
- Royal Opera House Muscat
- Muscat Festival
- Trekking path C38
- Trekking paths C52 and C53
- BlueZone Diving
- Oman Dive Center
- Omanta Scuba
- Oman Bicycle Shop
- Qurum Public Beach
- Marjan Public Beach
- Al Ghubrah Public Beach
- Seeb Public Beach
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Where to stay
Hotels in Muscat
6 hotels within 25 km of the centre, as recorded in Wikidata. Each name links to its encyclopedia article where there is one.
| Hotel | Opened | From centre |
|---|---|---|
| Shangri-La's Barr Al Jissah Resort & Spa | 2005 | 9.9 km |
| Al Bustan Palace, A Ritz-Carlton Hotel | 5.8 km | |
| Al Husn Hotel Muscat | 2026 | 9.7 km |
| DoubleTree by Hilton Muscat Al Waha | 10.3 km | |
| Hilton Muscat Al Bandar | 2026 | 9.8 km |
| Shangri-La Al Husn, Muscat | 9.8 km |
When to go
The best time to visit Muscat
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Muscat are December to February. June is the warmest month, with average highs of 40 °C; January is the wettest, with about 18 mm of rain.
Comfortable means average daytime high between 18 °C and 29 °C and under 80 mm of rain in the month. Averages for 1991–2020 over the surrounding area, a grid square about 50 km across, so a coast or a nearby mountain can make the town itself warmer or cooler. Data: CRU TS v4.10, Climatic Research Unit, University of East Anglia (Open Database License).
Getting there
Getting to Muscat: airports and arrival
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Muscat International Airport (MCT), about 31 km from the city centre in a straight line.
Getting around
The app O Taxi is available for Muscat so you don't need to haggle for a standard taxi. There are maxi taxis, which are also known throughout the expat community as baisa buses. They are white minibuses with an orange taxi sign on the top. They operate between Seeb in the west and the Corniche area in the east. They only go on the highways. The best place on a highway to wait for them is at the on-ramps of a junction, near a local bus stop and/or where you see a few people waiting for one. Flag down a maxi taxi and tell the driver to which destination at a highway you want to go to.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
MCT · Muscat International Airport
Local knowledge
Eating, drinking and staying safe in Muscat
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. A cup of tea costs about RO 0.100.
Drink
Every road, street corner or little collection houses, huts or businesses has a 'Coffee-Shop' – basic but worth a go. Fresh fruit juices are delicious and available from a number of stalls and cafes in Muscat. Expect to pay between RO 0.500-1.500 for these juices depending on type and size.
Wikivoyage contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; excerpted.
Questions
Muscat: questions travellers ask
When is the best time to visit Muscat?
The most comfortable months for a city stay in Muscat are December to February. June is the warmest month, with average highs of 40 °C; January is the wettest, with about 18 mm of rain.
Which airport is closest to Muscat?
The nearest airport with scheduled flights is Muscat International Airport (MCT), about 31 km from the city centre in a straight line.
What currency is used in Muscat?
Omani rial (OMR).
Nearby
Destinations near Muscat
Sources: city facts from Wikidata and Wikipedia; airports from OurAirports; climate from CRU TS v4.10 (University of East Anglia Climatic Research Unit), 1991–2020 monthly means, 0.5° grid; places to stay, guest scores and amenities from each operator's own public pages. How this guide is made.