Travelling to Muscat?

Our routes, not a list of everything. Places that have been there for centuries: no opening times or prices, which go stale.

1. 01

   Muscat in a day

   8 hIn 1970 this country had some ten kilometres of paved road and three schools. Sunglasses were banned. Everything you see came after.The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque · The Muttrah Souq · The corniche and the forts · The opera houseRead the full guide
2. 02

   A weekend in Muscat

   20 hHere the law limits building height and requires them to be white. It’s the opposite decision to every neighbour’s, and it shows in everything.Friday: the city, early · Friday night: the food and the coffee · Saturday: the mosque and the wadi · Saturday night: the turtlesRead the full guide
3. 03

   What to see in Muscat

   7 hThe frankincense from here was worth more than gold for centuries. That smoke is why this stretch of coast is on the ancient maps.Frankincense, and where it comes from · The carpet and the chandelier · The dhows and the port · The real MuscatRead the full guide
4. 04

   Where to eat in Muscat

   3 hThe meat gets buried. Wrapped in palm leaves, put in an underground oven and covered for a couple of days. That’s a celebration here.Omani coffee, and the rite · Halwa · The fish and the majboos · The food the ocean broughtRead the full guide
5. 05

   Muscat’s neighbourhoods

   5 hMuscat isn’t a city: it’s several towns in a row along fifty kilometres of coast, separated by rock mountains.Muttrah · Old Muscat · Ruwi · The new coastRead the full guide
6. 06

   Day trips from Muscat

   10 hA sultan of this country moved the capital to Africa and ruled from Zanzibar. It isn’t an anecdote: it explains the country you’re about to cross.Nizwa and the forts · The green mountain · The canyon · The south, where summer is the seasonRead the full guide
7. 07

   From Muscat airport to the city

   1 hThe fare is on a board, you say it, you pay it and you get a voucher. No meter to watch and no night surcharge. It’s that simple.The fixed-fare desk · The bus, which is 24 hours · The car, and why here yes · And if you’re coming from DubaiRead the full guide
8. 08

   Muscat: practical tips

   1 hThe Islam here is neither Sunni nor Shia. It’s Ibadi, a majority only in this country, and it explains a lot about how you’ll be treated.How to dress and behave · The rial, which deceives · The heat and the calendar · Safety, and one real warningRead the full guide

The real options, with what actually decides it: which terminal it leaves from and where it drops you. Fares and timetables live with the operator, who keeps them current.

• BusA1RuwiThe trunk line calls at the airport and runs the length of the city.·Fares and timesMwasalat
• TaxiMutrah (~25 km)Fixed-fare desk at arrivals. The city is long and thin: the old quarter is at the far end.·Fares and timesAeropuerto de Mascate

Before you fly, or on the layover. Pay per visit, whatever airline.

• Primeclass Loungefrom €62.00