Things to do in Oman
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D'Arcy's Kitchen
Next to the Omani Heritage Gallery, this friendly and award-winning establishment serves Western favourites at reasonable prices and is open when most other cafés are taking a siesta. An English breakfast will set you up well for a 'constitutional' along the nearby beach.
reviewed
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Khargeen Café
With a choice of open-air, majlis-style dining or a cosy, indoor coffee-and-a-chat, this café-cum-coffeehouse has spilt into a courtyard of lighted trees to make a wonderfully relaxed, atmospheric and Arabian experience. With hubbly-bubblies croaking, fountains splashing, kebabs sizzling and people propped on a variety of cushions and throws, this could almost be part of a Bedouin caravan. Try the hibiscus or cacao drinks or the avocado milkshake.
reviewed
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Grand Mosque
This glorious piece of modern Islamic architecture was a gift to the nation from Sultan Qaboos to mark the 30th year of his reign. Quietly imposing from the outside, the main prayer hall is breathtakingly rich. The Persian carpet alone is 70m x 60m wide, making it the largest carpet in the world; it took 600 women four years to weave.
When visiting the mosque, long sleeves and trousers (not jeans) or long skirts should be worn, and women should cover their hair.
reviewed
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Automatic Restaurant
There is nothing automatic about the Lebanese fare from this chain of Lebanese restaurants: they serve uniformly good-quality food with friendly service in cheap and cheerful surroundings. Whatever you order, a dish of leaves (lettuce, radish and mint) is provided free and makes a good garnish for the kebabs, felafel and hummus staples.
reviewed
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Day Tour to the Enchanting Forts of Nizwa
9 hours (Departs Muscat, Oman)
by Viator
The tour starts with a spectacular drive through the Hajar mountains via the oases of Fanjah and Birkat Al Mauz, to reach Nizwa and the impressive 17th century…Not LP reviewed
from USD$67.15 -
Muscat City Sightseeing Tour - A Fascinating Capital
4 hours (Departs Muscat, Oman)
by Viator
The tour begins by driving through the beautiful embassy quarter of Muscat en route to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Visit the mosque, a religious landmark of…Not LP reviewed
from USD$35.13 -
Private 4x4 Safari - Mountain Fascination - Eastern Hajar Mountains
10 hours 30 minutes (Departs Muscat, Oman)
by Viator
Your private 4x4 tour starts on the road from Muscat to the coastal town of Quriyat, then moves off-road to continue on a mountain track through the Eastern…Not LP reviewed
from USD$142.90 -
Private 4x4 Safari of Wadi Shab - The Coastal Caravan
11 hours (Departs Muscat, Oman)
by Viator
Head out from Muscat on your own private tour to the coastal town of Quriyat, famous for its beautiful beaches. Then onto a photo-stop at the "Sinkhole" which…Not LP reviewed
from USD$161.85 -
Markaz al-Bahja Shopping Mall Play Area
A fair way out of town, this covered play area with themed rides is in the new shopping mall, 5km northwest of Seeb Airport on the highway towards Seeb.
reviewed
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Private Day Tour of Rustaq - Voyage into the Past
9 hours (Departs Muscat, Oman)
by Viator
Your private tour starts with a visit to the fish market and souk in Barka and a visit of Bait Na'am, a fortified house where the Imams used to overnight during…Not LP reviewed
from USD$89.53 Advertisement
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Ghala & Al-Ghubrah
Also known as the Grand mosque, Ghala & Al-Ghubrah is a glorious piece of modern Islamic architecture. It was a gift to the nation from Sultan Qaboos to mark the 30th year of his reign. Quietly imposing from the outside, the main prayer hall is breathtakingly rich. The Persian carpet alone is 70m x 60m wide, making it the largest carpet in the world; it took 600 women four years to weave.
When visiting the mosque, long sleeves and trousers (not jeans) or long skirts should be worn, and women should cover their hair. As when entering all mosques, you should remove your shoes and take care not to touch the Quran. If you sit on the carpet, make sure your feet are tucked…
reviewed
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Mutrah Souq
Many people come to Mutrah Corniche just to visit the Mutrah Souq, which retains the chaotic interest of a traditional Arab market albeit housed under modern timber roofing. There are some good antique shops selling a mixture of Indian and Omani artefacts among the usual textile, hardware and gold shops. Bargaining is expected but the rewards are not great, any discount will be small. Entrance to the souq is via the corniche, opposite the pedestrian traffic lights.
Take care not to wander into the historic, Shiite district of Al-Lawataya by mistake, as the settlement is walled for a good purpose. A sign under the archway politely requests visitors to keep out. Turn right…
reviewed
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Sultan's Palace
If you stand by the harbour wall on Mirani St, the building to the right with the delightful mushroom pillars in blue and gold is the Sultan's Palace. It was recently extended over the site of the former British embassy. In the grounds, there used to be the stump of a flagpole: the story goes that any slave (Oman was infamous for its slave trade from East Africa) who touched the flagpole was granted freedom.
There's a fine view of the palace from the roundabout on the inland side: some streets of houses have recently been cleared (to the chagrin of some) to make a new colonnade befitting of a royal residence and more appropriate to officially 'meet and greet' -…
reviewed
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Al-Jalali Fort
Guarding the entrance to the harbour to the east, Al-Jalali Fort was built during the Portuguese occupation in the 1580s on Arab foundations.
The fort is accessible only via a steep flight of steps. As such, it made the perfect prison for a number of years, but now it is a museum of Omani heritage, open only to visiting dignitaries and heads of state.
Neither this fort nor Al-Mirani is open to the public, but photographs are permitted. During palace military occasions, bands of bagpipers perform from the fort battlements, and the royal dhow and yacht are sailed in full regalia into the harbour. With fireworks reflected in the water, it makes a spectacular sight.
reviewed
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Al-Mirani Fort
To the west, Al-Mirani Fort was built at the same time as Al-Jalali Fort. It contributed to the fall of the Portuguese through a curious affair of the heart: legend has it that the Portuguese commander fell for the daughter of a Hindu supplier, who refused the match on religious grounds. On being threatened with ruin, he spent a year apparently preparing for the wedding, but in fact convincing the commander that the fort's supplies needed a complete overhaul.
Instead of replacing the removed gunpowder and grain, he gave the nod to Imam Sultan bin Saif, who succeeded in retaking the defenceless fort in 1649. The Portuguese were ousted from Muscat soon after.
reviewed
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Sultan's Armed Forces Museum
Despite the less than appealing name, this excellent Sultan's Armed Forces Museum is far more than just a display of military hardware. The museum is housed in Bayt al-Falaj, built in 1845 as a royal summer home but used mostly as the headquarters of the sultan's armed forces. The lower rooms give a comprehensive outline of Oman's history, and the upper rooms explore Oman's international relations and military prowess.
The museum is on the itinerary of visiting dignitaries and you'll be given a mandatory military escort. There's a falaj (irrigation channel) in the grounds outside.
reviewed
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Sohar
Just outside the Al-Bustan Palace Hotel, a small roundabout is home to the Sohar , a boat named after the hometown of the famou Omani seafarer, Ahmed bin Majid. The boat is a replica of one sailed by Abdullah bin Gasm in the mid-8th century to Guangzhou in China. It was built in the dhow yards of Sur from the bark of over 75,000 palm trees and four tonnes of rope. Not a single nail was used in the construction.
Tim Severin and a crew of Omani sailors undertook a famous voyage to Guangzhou in this boat in 1980 - a journey of 6000 nautical miles that took eight months to complete.
reviewed
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Restaurant
Repeated winner of awards for the best ambient dining in Muscat, this restaurant, with Arabian chandeliers and modern open kitchens, serves delicate international fare but includes melt-in-the-mouth hamour (a succulent local white fish), and some truly wonderful regional dishes such as harira (a thick soup with beef, lentils and chickpeas spiked with coriander). The French pastry chef makes wicked confections, including handmade chocolates.
A walk under the stars in the hotel's gorgeous grounds is a good way to conclude an evening.
reviewed
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Bait al-Baranda
The new museum, Bait al-Baranda in a renovated 1930s house, traces the history - and prehistory - of Muscat through imaginative, interactive displays and exhibits. A 'cut-and-paste' dinosaur, using bones found in the Al-Khoud area of Muscat and topped up with borrowed bones from international collections, is one of many striking exhibits in this excellent museum. The ethnographical displays help set not just Muscat but the whole of Oman in a regional, commercial and cultural context.
reviewed
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Mumtaz Mahal
The Mumtaz Mahal is more than just the best Indian restaurant in town, it is part of the landscape of Muscat. Perched on a hill overlooking Qurm Nature Reserve, and with an intimate atmosphere created by live sitar performances, traditional seating at low tables, and lantern-light, it is little surprise that this restaurant, specialising in Northern Indian Mughlai cuisine, is a local legend. Try the snake coffee, which the head waiter performs by setting fire to an orange peel.
reviewed
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Polyglot
Muscat isn't a great place to learn Arabic, as many people speak English proficiently and relish the chance to practice. For the determined, however, Polyglot is one of the few that runs regular courses. Polyglot runs 10-week courses in six different levels of Arabic proficiency, from beginners to advanced. The teachers are usually from Sudan and the courses concentrate on classical Arabic rather than the Omani dialect.
reviewed
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Muscat Gate Museum
Straddling the road between the corniche and the old walled city, the Muscat Gate Museum, with the original gates used until the 1970s to keep land-bound marauders out, marks the position of the old city wall and introduces Muscat proper. It is also a vantage point for the Sultan's Palace. A quick climb up to the aerial mast on the neighbouring hill gives an even better view of Mutrah and Muscat.
reviewed
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Bin Atique
This is one of the few places in town to serve a variety of local Omani dishes. As the restaurant caters mainly for homesick Omani traders, you'll be seated on an old carpet in a private room. If you can put up with the unglamorous surroundings, however, the food is generally good quality and authentic. Try harees, a glutenous, Omani dish often mixed with chicken.
reviewed
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Al-Kiran Terrace
For Muscat's best Friday brunch, in gorgeous surroundings and with a bar licence after 14:00, this is more of a day out than just an excellent dining experience. Walk off that extra slither of smoked salmon under the coconut palms, or snooze away the rest of the afternoon on the beach lounge chairs - if the management sees sense and allows its customers out after lunch!
reviewed
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Wadi Shab
This wadi is arguably one of the most gorgeous destinations in Oman. Beyond the breathtaking entrance, the wadi rewards you with views of aquamarine pools, waterfalls and terraced plantations; kingfishers add glorious splashes of colour. For the adventurous, there are plenty of opportunities for (discreet) swimming and a visit to a partially submerged cave.
reviewed