Travel Guide: Muscat, Oman

Yet for all the talk of yesterdays, Oman has its sights set on the future. Oman Vision 2040 aims to build the tourism industry to attract 11.7 million visitors annually, more than double current numbers, and six million by 2030.

 

To achieve that, the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism announced plans to invest US$31 billion in tourism by 2040 and, in 2025, launched its first tourism association to promote Oman in key markets, including Europe and East Asia, which is already bearing fruit with 3.8 million tourists in 2024, more than 68% of which were overnight visitors. 

 

Showcasing its history and culture will be key to Oman’s success, and the sultanate is already delivering across many of its accommodation offerings, from the 173-key Hotel Indigo Jabal Akhdar Resort & Spa, a luxury mountain resort with a focus on wellness tapping native ingredients and culture-rich experiences, to the Shangri-La Al Husn, Muscat, where Omani culture is celebrated at every turn, albeit with a healthy dose of Arabian luxury. 

 

Here’s Connecting Travel’s essential guide to making the most of a trip to Muscat. 

Stay at Shangri-La Al Husn, Muscat 

The only adults-only property in Oman, Al Husn, meaning “castle” is the five-star crown jewel of Shangri-La’s three-property 124-acre resort, offering 180 generously sized rooms and suites, all with butler service and spectacular views. 

 

Its fortress-inspired architecture, palatial interiors with soaring arches and carved wooden doors, and curated Omani art immerses guests in the sultanate’s rich heritage, while authentic Omani experiences are woven throughout the stay.

 

Doormen in traditional attire greet guests with ‘kahwa’ (Omani coffee), while the resort’s Frankincense Sommelier leads tours of the Frankincense gardens. 

 

The spa offers signature treatments using local ingredients and dining highlights include Omani flavours, with at least 70% of ingredients sourced locally, including fish handpicked by guests right on the beach and dishes infused with frankincense.

Get up close to turtles and dolphins

Omani architecture is renowned for its arches, including more than 1,000 at Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, but few are as well known as the naturally formed ‘Muscat Arch’ carved through a finger of rock that stretches into the sea from the Shangri-La’s beach.

 

Also called, misleadingly, the Shangri-La Cave, guests can snorkel from the Shangri-La Al Husn’s private cove and beach out to and through the arch, spotting brightly coloured fish, coral reefs and turtles along the way. 

 

Natural Muscat arch next to the Shangri-La Al Husn

 

The beach itself is one of the top turtle nesting sites in Oman and the hotel ensures safe zones for the eggs to hatch and even has a dedicated turtle ranger. Hatchings from early April until September are a special event, with guests gathering to watch the baby hawksbill and green turtles making their first journeys to the sea.

 

Take a 15-minute drive through the Hajar mountains and head out on the sparkling sea for a cruise along the rugged coast to Bandar Khairan, a collection of coral-encrusted rocky inlets, to spot dolphins, or even the occasional blue whale, as well as discover the best snorkelling spots and even more turtle sightings. 

 

Choose a cruise that suits your mood, with a speedboat morning thrill ride or more sedate sunset sailing on a traditional wooden dhow, perfect for golden hour and spotting ancient forts and palaces perched on the cliffs.

 

Bandar Khairan for dolphin and whale spotting

 

Dine on Frankincense-inspired dishes

Oman is known for its seafood, including signature lobster, and Bait Al Bahr at Shangri-La Muscat is one of the country’s oldest seafood restaurants. 

 

Watch as chefs descend on the beach three times a week to pick the freshest catch straight from the fishermen’s boats on Shangri-La’s beach. Even better, guests can join them and handpick the fish they would like to eat that night, which is then prepared to their liking. 

 

Because the menu is dictated by the catch, every dinner is different, from grouper to yellowfin tuna, but one thing remains consistent, at least 70% of every dish is sourced from local ingredients.

 

Beach at Shangri-La Muscat where local fishermen bring the freshest catch

 

One of those ingredients and flavour profiles may be new to even the most global gourmand, as many dishes on the menu at Shangri-La’s 13 dining venues are infused with frankincense (or Luban), an aromatic resin that is revered in Oman for its medicinal and beauty properties.

 

The resin is harvested from the resort garden’s very own Boswellia trees by Oman’s first Frankincense Sommelier, with chefs expertly weaving it into dishes such as hummus, seafood soup, chicken and cocktails. 

 

Beyond dining, frankincense is known for its healing properties, so expect to find it used in Shangri-La Al Husn’s Luban spa, or take a trip to Muttrah Souk to buy the precious resin in its many forms. 

 

Shangri-la Al Husn’s frankincense sommelier in the dedicated gardens

 

Wander the Muttrah Corniche and stop for halwa 

Back in Muscat, a stroll (or cycle, with bikes for hire) along the crescent-shaped corniche will unleash the senses, with its array of street food stalls selling aromatic coffee, or sticky halwa – a local pudding-like dessert infused with saffron, cardamom and rose best enjoyed at Al Diwaniya.

 

For lunch, the 140-year-old restored former guest house Bait Al Luban at the northern end of the sweeping corniche, showcases authentic Omani culture in spades, from the warm hospitality and locally sourced ingredients to the water infused with frankincense. 

 

Bait Al Luban terrace

 

Highlights include ‘harees’, rice and chicken topped with a date and cardamom sauce, ‘shuwa’, a marinated lamb slowly cooked underground and the daily catch, fresh from the fish market right across the street and flavoured with Omani spices. Bag a seat on the balcony for spectacular views across the twinkling harbour or sit inside live oud music.

 

For post-lunch action, head to the far end of the harbour to climb the stairs (less than 100 of them) to Muttrah Fort, with its unbeatable views of Muscat’s old quarter with its series of forts and watchtowers strung along the hillside. The fort is thought to have been built in 1507 and upgraded by the Portuguese during their occupation of Oman in the 1560s.

 

View of the Corniche from Muttrah Fort

 

Get lost in the ancient Muttrah Souq

Along the corniche sits the iconic Muttrah Souk, which has been the meeting place for merchants for centuries, bartering over spices, fabrics and the ubiquitous frankincense. Haggling is still a quintessential part of the souk experience, and expected by sellers, and cards are widely accepted once buyers agree a price.

 

Getting lost in the souq is part of the experience, with the labyrinthine alleyways punctuated with light streaming through stained glass domes and the ever-present, heady aroma of incense and spices. 

 

Muttrah Souk in Muscat, Oman

 

Stalls sell everything from gold to souvenirs, including the eclectic Ali Baba Gift Town, an Aladdin’s cave of treasures frequented by visiting royalty and celebrities immortalised in photographs. It is easy for travellers to get lost in the souk, and that is all part of its appeal, but a top tip is head downhill to find the exit.

 

Visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Paying homage to traditional architectural styles but on a supersized scale, Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque took six years to complete and welcomes all visitors every day except Friday. This marvel is best appreciated after dark, when the sandstone facade, dome and minarets are rightly in the spotlight.

 

The numbers speak for themselves. The central dome has a height of 50 metres while the main minaret (there are five representing the five pillars of Islam) is 91.5 metres tall. 

 

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

 

The main prayer hall features a rose-coloured carpet from Scotland, covering a vast 12,300 square metres, and the second largest chandelier in the world with a 14-metre drop and 1,122 lightbulbs. Mosaics covering the floor, walls and ceilings are made up of eight billion pieces.

 

It’s worth spending a few hours here, as the mosque is surrounded by gardens for visitors to dwell a while, or take in the library and outer corridor which explains the different design styles.

 

See inside a traditional Omani House

The Bait Al Zubair museum offers a glimpse into everyday life in Oman going back several centuries. Inside, clients will find Bait Al Dalaleel, a house that has been carefully restored and renovated to see how Omanis lived a century ago.

 

The house has a traditional majlis (guest lounge), a bedroom and date store to discover, plus there is a cafe and arts space at the museum packed with books and artefacts.

 

Gardens of Bait Al Zubair museum

 

It’s a fascinating insight into a simpler time and a reminder of how far Muscat, and Oman, has come, but also how this country is forging a bright tourism future by respecting its past and recognising its authentic strengths. 

 

Time is the greatest luxury in our lives, and Muscat has a habit of reminding you that slow and steady is by far the best approach.

 

For more information, visit visitoman.om