Muscat
Discover Muscat
Muscat (Arabic: مسقط Masqaṭ) is the capital of the Sultanate of Oman and its most important and populous city (1.7 million in the metro area in 2021). It has been inhabited since at least 1000 BCE and for centuries was an important trading port on the Maritime Silk Road. It is home to a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural society, and receives the largest number of foreign visitors to the country. 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. The metropolitan area covers 3,500 km, and this tripartite division can be inconvenient for the visitor especially as much accommodation is a fair distance from sights of interest.
Famous Beaches
Taste of Muscat...
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. 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. Muscat offers a considerable range of luxury hotels, including those listed below. It is advisable to drink bottled water while in Muscat. Tap water is generally not safe. In some very simple restaurants the water in the plastic jug on the table tastes like tap water. It's better not to drink it and to order bottled water instead. Friendi offers 1 GB for 1 week for 1 rial (2026) with the sim card for free. The provider has coverage throughout Muscat, in the other towns and along the main roads of Oman. Ooredoo and Omantel have better coverage in the remote areas of the country. Omantel offers pre-paid Hayyak SIM cards and top-up cards, which can be purchased at mobile phone shops and hypermarkets.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options23.6009658.286921 Muscat International Airport (MCT , formerly Seeb International Airport) (37 km west of Mutrah), ☏ +968 24 519223, +968 24 519456. Flights from many cities in the Middle East and southern Asia, and from several European cities. Taxis from and to the airport should cost between RO 6 (Golden Tulip, near the airport) and RO 12 (Al Bustan Palace Hotel, Al Bustan). Taxis can be booked at the Taxi Counter (☏ +968 24518780, +968 24518781, taxi@omanairports.com). Make sure you agree the fare with the driver before commencing your journey. Fares should be agreed before commencing the journey and may be pre-paid at the Muscat International Airport Taxi Counter. There are ATM machines inside the terminal just prior to exiting on the left side of the doors. For more information have a look into the article of Oman. You can reach Muscat by road from the United Arab Emirates....
Getting Around & Staying
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. The 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. A journey within the Muscat area costs about 0.2–0.4 rials (Jan 2026). The (mostly orange and white) taxis are a bit pricier, and they hang around the hotels where they get juicy fares from unwary travellers.
Where to Stay
Muscat offers a considerable range of luxury hotels, including those listed below. It is advisable to drink bottled water while in Muscat. Tap water is generally not safe. In some very simple restaurants the water in the plastic jug on the table tastes like tap water. It's better not to drink it and to order bottled water instead. Friendi offers 1 GB for 1 week for 1 rial (2026) with the sim card for free. The provider has coverage throughout Muscat, in the other towns and along the main roads of Oman. Ooredoo and Omantel have better coverage in the remote areas of the country. Omantel offers pre-paid Hayyak SIM cards and top-up cards, which can be purchased at mobile phone shops and hypermarkets. Also available are pre-paid Jibreen Cards, good on both mobile and landlines, in denominations of RO 5 and 1.5. A 5-rial card gets you 11 minutes of talk time.
Money & Budget
There are numerous Indian-run tailors. An Italian-style suit typically costs RO 5. 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. 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.