Muscat City Tour
Muscat City Tour is one of the most popular excursions in Oman. This beautiful tour one can do in 4 hours or 8 hours depends on availability of time and interest. But most of the people prefer for short visit of 4 hours because of less time available and cost. This Muscat city tour can be done in private car, from port to port service. The best way is to book a tour in advance and enjoy a half day city tour which includes most of the popular destinations. On this amazing Muscat city tour you will explore the beautiful Grand Mosque, MUTRAH fish and vegetable Market, Photo stop from RIYAM Road, BAIT-AL-ZUBAIR museum, AL-ALAM Palace (photo stop) and MUTRAH SOUQ.
However, there are more places to explore in Oman but because of time limit these are enough to get the idea of this city. If you wish to explore more places then, we advise you to book for a full day (8 hours) tour. In addition we will mention all the places of interest of Muscat which can be visited in a day. Also we will advise where to eat and stay in Muscat for a nice vacation. In conclusion, this tour is perfect for families, friends, couples, groups and for cruise tourists as well. Moreover, this city is very clean and beautiful. Omani people are just wonderful and friendly, they always take care of tourist when they are with them. In Muscat city people speak English, Hindi and Arabic and some foreign languages as well, so it helps tourist to communicate with them. So let’s explore it
Muscat City Tour (Half day)
Dear traveler the tour will start at 8:00 am because Grand mosque opens at this time. As we all know that so many cruises coming to Muscat so all tourists leave the port at 8:30 am and come to mosque at 9:00 am. So to avoid a long queue we need to be there at least 30 minutes before them so we can get in and visit easily and calmly. However, it is an advice from our side, so if you wish you can go any time but need to remember that there are visiting hour 8:00 am to 11:00 am.
There are some guidelines to follow there. 1 No shorts or Capri, 2 ladies and young girls cover your head with scarf and arm with full sleeve T-shirt, 3 No smoking Inside, 4 No kisses or hugging. 5 No pictures of Royal Guards, 6 No shouting, 7 No walking on Grass, 8 No chain or ring or Tattoo, 9 No music inside, 10 No abusive word. 11 Children under-10 not allowed, 12 No use of Mobile inside men prayer hall for calling, only for pictures.
Now you are ready to visit Grand Mosque on Muscat City Tour (Half Day).
1 Grand Mosque ( First stop on Muscat City Tour)
This mosque is truly beautiful and worth visiting at least once in a lifetime. The mosque has the stunning single peace carpet and also there is chandelier. The candlestick is located in the center of the male prayer hall, it measures 14 meters and weighs 8.5 tons. It contains 600,000 sparkling and brilliant Swarovski crystals, plated with 24 karat gold and took more than four years to complete. It is one of the few mosques in Oman that allows non-Muslim visitors. There is a library which has over 20,000 books.
The mosque was completed in 2001 and it took six years to build. It covers a large area of ​​416,000 square meters and can accommodate up to 20,000 worshipers. They have used 300,000 tons of Red sandstone from India. In other words, go big or go home to Muscat. The first section you see when entering the building is a private MUSALLAH or women’s prayer room. It has the capacity to accommodate 750 worshipers. The mosque also has larger prayer rooms for men. At the information center, Omani women offer you dates and coffee. Take the opportunity to ask them about life and culture. After visiting the Mosque, you can leave and continue to the next stop.
2 MUTRAH fish and vegetable Market
After visiting Grand mosque, we will proceed to visit Fish and vegetable market which are close to each other and the second stop during Muscat City Tour. This fish market starts early morning at 5:00 am and finishes till Noon. They always sell fresh fishes, which they catch from Oman Sea. You can take pictures here but don’t take pictures of person. This visit will be only 10 to 15 minutes only and later visit vegetable market. Here you will see what Omani people grow in rural areas of Oman. Every day they come here to sell fresh vegetables. However, Oman is not growing much vegetable but still they have something. Most of the vegetable and fruit imported from India and Europe. They whole visit here will take just 5 minutes. Later proceed to click amazing picture from RIYAM ROAD.
3 Photo stop from Riyam Road
Our next stop will be RIYAM road from where we can click the amazing His majesty palace and two forts MIRANI AND JALALI (Portuguese forts). But just before reaching there you can click the symbol of Oman culture is ‘’ Frankincense Burner’’. Usually, people burn it in all home, offices and mosque as well. People believe that if you burn it at your home, will bring fortune for you. Later arrive at hill and start clicking beautiful pictures. It is a nice place on the top of the hill. We will stop here for few minutes around 3 to 4 and later we proceed to visit BAIT-AL-ZUBAIR museum.
4 BAIT-AL-ZUBAIR Museum
Arrive at Museum and prepare for visit. First, need to buy ticket (if not included) which cost 5 Rial (Oman currency) per person. Please note that till the front desk from where you buy ticket you can take pictures, after that inside part of museum nobody is allowed to click pictures. Once you are in, you will see a nice map of Oman along with dynasty chat of His majesty. This museum in divided in 4 sections ground floor is , 1 For Omani Arms, 2 Omani Jewellery, 3 Omani dresses and 4 utensils. However, you can visit the upper section of Museum where you can see coin history of Oman.
Later you can exit, from the behind of museum and you will see some miniature of Omani houses and watering system. This system was very popular in desert countries because of less water, so they used to make long canal that’s called (FALAJ). In this part of museum everyone is allowed to take pictures. The whole visit of this museum will take around 30 minutes and later you can enjoy a coffee with Omani dates in their restaurant which is just awesome. This museum is very nice but a little bit expensive but to be very honest visit it at least once in life time. Once you finish your coffee then proceed for next stop which is the palace of His Majesty. Without visiting this museum your Muscat City Tour is incomplete.
5 AL-ALAM Palace (photo stop)
Arrive at the palace of His majesty and start clicking beautiful places. Basically it is an official palace for Royal meetings. His majesty has other palaces for stay purpose. This palace was constructed in 1971 and renovated several time. In front of this palace there is Oman National Museum. This palace is surrounded with many ministries. You can take pictures where ever you wish but don’t click Royal Guards which are everywhere around the palace. When you are just in-front of the palace you can easily see two Portuguese forts which were constructed between 1607 till 1648.
Once you are done with pictures then start walking on the left of you and go behind the palace. You will see the beautiful sea and 2 forts MIRANI AND JALALI. You can also click beautiful pictures of a mosque which has blue dome. Once you are behind the palace you will see a mountain on which written there more than 200 names of different cruises which used to come to Oman. They started writing their ship names on the mountain and slowly- slowly it became a tradition here. If you don’t want to walk again then tell your driver to pick you from behind the palace. After visiting Palace, it time to move for next stop of your Muscat City Tour, which is Mutrah souk bazaar.
6 MUTRAH SOUQ ( Last stop on Muscat City Tour)
From palace to souq it will take around 10 minutes. Arrive and carry your stuff which you may need to use in the market because you are going to spend an hour or 45 minutes here. So we advise you to carry your necessary stuff. It is around 400 years old market, Indians were use to come to Oman and used to sell many things. Do you know before 1970 Omani’s were using Indian rupee in Oman? India and Oman has a very vast history and so many Omani people speak Hindi language. Indian and Omani culture is very similar even people faces. So let’s come to the point, as it is the last stop of your half day Muscat city tour so you can do some shopping here.
You can buy many things as in other markets as well but I recommend you to but some local stuff like Omani Frankincense and burner. Next you can buy Omani sweet Halwa and dates which are very popular in middle-east countries. Oman has around 200 types of date qualities. There is only one main entrance of this bazaar, just start from there and go till the end and come back. However, there are some small streets as well there. You may also love to buy Omani perfume as well here. Last but not least once you finish visiting market come outside and cross the road and enjoy walking on cornice. It is just amazing clicking some pictures with friends and families. Now it is the end of our Muscat City Tour, if you wish to know about more places to explore in Muscat then please read below.
Muscat City Tours Ends in (4-5 Hr)
Explore more in Muscat City Tour(full day)
1 Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House Muscat is the main symbol of Omani artistic and cultural organization. This beautiful opera house is in Muscat city, which is the capital of Oman. One of the most beautiful and technically advanced opera houses in the world, this multifaceted theatre can be transformed from an intimate 1,100-seat opera house to an 850-seat shoe-box-style concert hall at the push of a button. A 500-ton orchestral shell follows the stage from the back of the house, guided with the train tracks and fits snugly against the auditorium walls.
The proscenium arch rises, the orchestra pit rises and the first two rows of seats descend to the ground, all guided by automated systems. The venue of Royal Opera House is an elegant blend of traditional and Arabic design. It was the first opera house on the Arabian Peninsula. With the flexibility of execution of the 200,000 square foot facility, it has opened up the region to a new and enriching world of the performing arts. Opera House vision is to play a role as a center of excellence in global cultural engagement.
They strive to enrich life through various artistic, cultural and educational programs. The work of the Royal Opera House Muscat shows diverse artistic and rich creations from Oman and to the world as well. It provides a space for reflection and action on culture and socio-economic development. Moreover, it also inspires audiences and cultivates creativity with innovative programs, promotes cultural vitality and frees talent and promotes cultural tourism. In addition this put a cultural diplomacy into practice with global and multidisciplinary collaborations and exchanges.
2 BAIT-ADAM Museum
If you love history and you want to hear it from an old Omani man who is the owner of this house and museum, then it is the best place for you. Actually Bait-means House and Adam is the name of his son. That’s why we call it Bait-Adam museum. This museum is in the middle of the city. The fee to visit this museum is 5 OMR (Omani Rial). It is a very nice and small museum with so many artefacts which belong to the Oman history.
People says that this guy has the collections which even Oman governments doesn’t have, so if you are planning for a full day tour in Muscat then you can add it to your plan. However, here you can have Omani dates and traditional coffee, which is known as KAWA. If you are a group and you want to eat with this family then we can also organize a lunch or dinner with them, so for that please contact us. Visiting these kind of places need some time, we advise all to choose full day Muscat City Tour.
3 Natural History Museum
The Oman Natural History Museum is a natural history museum, located in the Ministry of Heritage and Culture area Al Khuwair. This museum opened on 20th December 1985. It offers coverage of Oman’s flora and fauna. Moreover, this exhibits on indigenous mammals, insects, birds, and botanical gardens. The mail attraction of the museum is the whale room, where you can see the huge skeleton of a sperm whale. It was washed off the coast of Oman in 1986.
The museum contains marine fossils and ancient animals and mammals such as primitive monkeys and elephants. The Museum showcases the diversity of Oman’s environment through offerings of terrain, geology, plants, insects, wildlife and marine life. Despite the museum’s small size, facts about the biodiversity of the Sultanate of Oman abound. The Museum features stuffed animals that are rarely found in Oman. You will see skeletons of marine organisms, birds and reptiles that lived or leaving in the Oman sea or environment and died naturally. One need at least an hour to visit this museum, so our advise to do 8 hours full day Muscat City Tour.
4 SHATTI-QURAM Beach
This is one of the most expensive areas of Muscat. There many restaurant and bars as well. You can spend a nice evening with your friends here. There are multi-cuisine restaurants where you can enjoy tasty food. As it is located on the beach so you can walk along the beach and click amazing pictures. You can also smoke SHISHA in this area because there are several places where you can enjoy it. The atmosphere is just amazing there. It is not to miss place in Muscat City Tour. Most of the rich kids come here to enjoy the evening. There you can also see Omani women as well. Please do remember taking pictures of people without their permission is strictly prohibited in Oman. So please ask them politely they will definitely allow you. Omani people are very nice, calm and friendly.
5 Shopping Malls visit on Muscat City Tour
If you love shopping and shopping mall then Muscat is the best place for doing it. There are so many shopping Malls, where you can buy branded stuff from Armani to Gucci or Valentino to Prada. There are all what you with just need to have a big pocket. Here is the list of most expensive mall, 1 Sahab, 2 Oman Oasis mall, 2 Muscat Grand Mall, 3 Carrefour. However there are some popular and less expensive as well like, LULU, Khimji and Saffer. If you have time and money and wish then we can organize a perfect shopping tour for you in which you the whole day to visit these malls and enjoy amazing shopping.
But if you have less time then we will recommend you to visit Grand mall or Oman Oasis Mall. If you love only high branded then visit Opera house Gallery where you can buy super beautiful and expensive stuff. The best part of these malls is that most of them are close to each other so you can move easily. There are inside restaurants as well so you can enjoy world class cuisine as well but try some local dishes to get an idea of it.
6 Amouage Perfume factory
Oman’s one of the most expensive perfume is AMOUAGE. When you visit this factory, you have the opportunity to try and buy the world famous fantastic fragrances of Amouage. It is a collaboration of French and Oman firms to this amazing perfume. They use local ingredients for making it. On this tour you will understand that how do they make it and packed. Visiting this factory is free and quite informative, and if you are lucky then they will gift you small testers. You can add this place in your plan if you do full day Muscat City Tour.
This perfume is called the “king of perfume”. It is an international luxury fragrance brand and they have opened the doors of their factory to the public to visit and buy it at a better price.  As we have said it is the most expensive perfume of Oman and the price is around 100 OMR (Omani Rial) per 100 ml bottle. So you can imagine that it’s not for everyone but if you can afford it then we recommend you to but once in a life time. It’s just awesome. However, they are making and selling other products as well which are less cheap then perfumes.
Where to Eat During Muscat City Tour
There are many places to eat in Oman but here we are going to mention only the popular one where food is just awesome. According to our experience of 10 years in Oman we will recommend you first
1 KARGEEN- It is in the center of the city and close to all places. The food quality is just awesome here. Very nice ambience, nice decoration, nice service, Shisha (smoke) available and cuisine are really tasty especially Arabic bread with hummus, green Salad. Lamb is one of their signature dishes. It is an un-alcoholic restaurant. Please note book your seat in advance because there is 99% chances of no availability. So avid bad experience and book at least a day before or two.
2 Turkish Diwan – This is also a nice restaurant but you will get here only Arabic food. Whatever they cook here is just amazing and testy.
3 Wood Lands- It is also nice and popular restaurant, here you can enjoy different cuisines like Indian, Arabic, Chinese, Turkish etc.
4 BAIT-AL-LUBAN, This is one of the best restaurants for different kind of cuisine. The best part of it is that it is located at Mutrah cornice from there you can enjoy a nice view.
5 Royal House – This is also at the cornice of MUTRAH MARKET. It is a very nice place to spend some nice time to see beautiful view of sea and enjoying delicious food.
Where to stay in Muscat City Tour
There are many beautiful hotels in Muscat city, however depends on your budget but today we will tell you exactly where to stay in Muscat according to your pocket.
1 Pocket friendly hotels- Al-Falaj, Ruwi hotel, Muscat hotel, Best western, city seasons, IBIS, These are the average hotel for pocket friendly travelers. However, these are still bit expensive but to be very honest Oman is an expensive country, so prepare you mind to spend some reasonable amount on hotel and food.
2 Luxury Hotels – SHANGRILA, AL-BUSTAN, THE CHEDI, Grand HAYATT, INTER-CONTINANTAL etc, these are the best and most expensive hotel. Some of them are in the city but some of them are bit fat but location is just awesome.
So, I hope now you have idea that where you can stay according to you budget and what to visit during Muscat City Tour. If you have any doubt that please contact us in 5 seconds. We are here to help you to organize your tour with reasonable price. Our team is just superb and committed to provide best solution.
