Muscat & Surrounds

Muscat is an adventure in itself. Fronting the Arabian Sea and set against a backdrop of the Al Hajar Mountains, it’s home to friendly locals, world-class hotels, royal and Islamic wonders, labyrinthine souks and a slew of attractions both ancient and modern.

Muscat was a merchant port as early as 5000 BC and retains a lingering medieval charm. The skyline is dominated by the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, a dazzling affair home to one of the world’s largest chandeliers. The nearby Sultan’s Palace forms the heart of Old Muscat and is guarded on both sides by a pair of 16th-century forts. While the historic Muttrah Souk is a tangle of backstreets offering gold, silver, fragrances and textiles.

Muscat may be free of soaring skyscrapers but it’s by no means stuck in the past. Its modern marvels are as impressive as its old, including the spectacular Royal Opera House, the Stal Gallery of modern art and high-end hotels offering every modern comfort imaginable.

Outside of the city you can dive and snorkel off the pristine Daymaniyat Islands, swim in the blue-green waters of the Bimmah Sinkhole along the coast road to Sur, shower under waterfalls at Wadi Al Arbeieen, enjoy a range of watersports by the white sands of Qurum or test your head for heights at Majlis Al Jinn, one of the largest underground caves in the world.