The capital of Oman, Muscat is a sprawling city engulfed by mountains. Whilst also being situated alongside the beautiful Gulf of Oman. It is the perfect road trip from Dubai. There’s plenty to do and see, read on for how to spend a weekend in Muscat.
How to get to Muscat
Flights from Dubai to Muscat are fairly inexpensive and regular however we chose to drive from Dubai to save costs. It is also handy to have a car to be able to explore during a weekend in Muscat. Also to see more of the country further afield.
The drive from Dubai can be done in around 5 hours with no stops. Hatta is the most direct and easiest border from Dubai. Border control can get busy on weekends – bring a pen! Once over the border it takes around 3.5hours on a very straight, boring road down to Muscat.
Note that you cannot cross the border in a rental car from the UAE at the moment (Nov 24). This may change in future but as it stands you need to legally own your car to cross the UAE to Oman border.
*Top up petrol in Hatta as there aren’t many on the main road once you are in Oman.*
Where to stay during a weekend in Muscat
Muscat has a huge range of amazing hotels from ultra luxurious to budget and everything in between. We have stayed in a few different hotels during our many trips to Muscat. These are our top picks:
Top Luxury Muscat Hotels
If you are looking for a true luxurious escape whilst in Muscat, check out the relatively new Jumeirah Muscat Bay. A stunning hotel from the Jumeirah group. There is also the renowned Chedi Muscat and The Ritz Al Bustan Palace for incredible 5* properties.
The newly opened St Regis Al Mouj Muscat Resort is a stunning property overlooking the ocean adjacent to the golf course. A beautiful, luxurious 5 star hotel in Muscat.
Luxury Muscat Hotel
We stayed at the gorgeous, luxurious 5 star beach resort at InterContinental Muscat for our most recent trip to Muscat. They have beautiful, sea-view family rooms, amazing facilities and lots of restaurants and bars to choose from. This is a licensed hotel as well so it was lovely to enjoy a cocktail at sunset.
Read our review of the InterContinental Hotel Muscat here.
Mid Range Hotel
We also spent two nights at the stunning 5* Grand Millennium Hotel Muscat. This hotel is perfect for large families with villas, apartments and interconnecting rooms. Rooftop pool, mall access and city centre location with affordable prices are things we loved about this hotel.
Read our review of the Grand Millennium Hotel Muscat here.
Budget Hotel
We have also stayed at the Ramada Encore Muscat Hotel which is a budget hotel without compromising on quality. Good sized family rooms with great Italian restaurant and rooftop pool in a city centre location with budget prices.
What to do during a weekend in Muscat…..
There are lots of options in Muscat, keep reading to find out about how to spend a weekend in Muscat.
Dolphin Boat Tour
Drive to Marina Bandar (about 20mins from hotel) and get a boat with Coral Boat Tours out into the Gulf of Oman to go dolphin spotting – wow! We saw about 4 different pods of dolphins swimming alongside the boat which was truly magical. Seeing the boys excited faces and their screams of wonder was something we will never forget. We were blown away at how many dolphins we actually saw, the captain said he even saw whales the day before although we didn’t see any.
After sailing around the ocean for a while spotting dolphins the boat goes further south down the coast towards the Yenkit mountains. The boat anchors in a small bay with a few other boats and you are able to go snorkelling.
We have snorkeled in many places around the world and this was genuinely one of the best. Get ready to see many colourful fish of all shapes and sizes amongst the coral and look out for the big turtles. An unforgettable experience not to be missed during a weekend in Muscat.
You can check Get Your Guide here for many different dolphin tour options. From full day to half day. It is definitely something that should be included on your weekend in Muscat.
Dimaniyat Islands Tour
Another boat tour that is definitely worth doing when you are in Muscat is the Daymaniyat islands tour. They are a group of islands just off the coast of Muscat. Omani locals call them the ‘Maldives of the Middle East’ and it is easy to see why. Stunningly beautiful beaches in the clearest, blue sea.
An incredible experience where you are able to go swimming with turtles in Oman. Snorkel amongst the coral with a rainbow of different fish and more turtles than we have ever seen in one place. Simply breathtaking! We booked with Dimaniyat Adventures and would thoroughly recommend them.
Check out our Instagram Reel here and a full post on our experience, Why You Must Visit Dimaniyat Islands here.
Get your Guide has a range of different tours available for Diymaniyat Islands. With different prices and lengths. Some even have the option of camping overnight. Check out Get your Guide here for lots of different options to suit your budget.
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is a simply stunning, huge mosque. It is Oman’s largest mosque and can hold up to 20,000 worshippers. The mosque is also on beautiful, green grounds with lots of flowers and trees with paths to wander around.
The mosque is open from 8am-11am to non-Muslims from Saturday-Thursday (closed Friday for tourists). It gets busy with buses from 10am so try and go early if possible. Women should be covered from ankle to wrist and a headscarf.
I forgot to bring an abaya or suitably covered clothes/scarf so went to hire an abaya but due to COVID they don’t rent them anymore, the cheapest to buy is 5 OMR (50dhs).
The mosque is free to enter but there is the option to hire an audio guide for 2.5 OMR (25dhs). It was worth it as there are numbered signs around the mosque which explain where you are and give some further information. Our boys had one too and they enjoyed it. It gives extra interest to the kids by finding the right numbers and being in charge of the technology.
There are many different areas to wander and admire the architecture and lanterns which are hung everywhere. The most spectacular part of the tour was the main prayer room which holds the biggest chandelier in the world, according to Guinness World Records. As well as the second largest carpet in the world. It was simply breathtaking, even the boys were awed by it. Make sure to include a trip to the mosque during a weekend in Muscat.
Mutrah Souq
It is easy to park on the main street in Mutrah and wander through the souq towards the corniche. It is your typical Arab souq full of spices, jewellry, lanterns and crockery although a lot smaller than the souqs of Dubai. Muscat is famed for silver daggers and there are plenty for sale here. Get ready for the stall owners who will try and tempt you to buy pashminas, thobes and kumas (traditional Omani hats worn by men). They will call out and try and chat to the kids in the standard market hustle. We bought some beautiful hand made bowls which are a great reminder of a weekend in Muscat.
Mutrah Fort
Mutrah Fort is just further along the corniche than Mutrah Souk. Wandering the corniche is beautiful. Take a visit to Mutrah Fort which is built into a cliff looking out over the water. It is pretty inexpensive, only around 5 OMR for a family of 4 to enter. It is a fairly small fort with lots of steps but the climb up is worth the views over the area of Mutrah and the harbour and even further over to Qurum. With the Portugese influence in the city it felt like we could be overlooking a Mediterranean town. The kids will love discovering the traps and prisons in the fort. Try and be there as the sun is going down for more impressive views. Wandering around Mutrah is not to be missed when deciding how to spend a weekend in Muscat.
Al Mouj Golf Course
Al Mouj Golf Course is situated alongside the coast with the mountains in the distance. It is also close to Muscat International Airport so you are treated to views of planes landing whilst taking a shot. Al Mouj has hosted the Oman Open and is ranked Number 2 course in the Middle East by Golf Digest (Majlis at Emirates Golf Club is Number 1). A quiet clubhouse, with very welcoming staff and a casual atmosphere. The cost is 50 OMR to play 18 holes, not cheap, but the views, course and hospitality made it. A great course for a golfer during a weekend in Muscat.
Where to eat during a weekend in Muscat
Muscat, like other Middle Eastern countries, only has alcohol at hotels so dinner and drinks can turn out to be expensive.
We had a recommendation to go to Dukes at Crowne Plaza Hotel which is a typical Middle Eastern British Pub but offers spectacular sunset views and a good Aperol Spritz! It is also not cheap if coming from Europe, even quite expensive compared to Dubai prices these days – 12 OMR for a main, 6 OMR for a wine but no happy hours which we get very used to in Dubai! Dukes at Crown Plaza is a great option for a family bar in Muscat that we always return to.
With the newly opened St Regis Muscat in 2024 there is now a Coya Muscat, Robertos Muscat and Hakkasan. All gladly welcomed to the Muscat dining scene.
There is a Trader Vics and a Tomato Italian Restaurant both at the Intercontinental Muscat. We ate at both and would recommend them.
Olive at Ramada Encore was lovely with simple Italian food – pizza and pasta. It is not licenced for alcohol.
There are also many chain restaurants dotted around Muscat such as Nandos, Chow King, Pizza Express.
We admired how Muscat still retains it’s traditions, there are hardly any high rise towers which we loved. The buildings are stark white and still have a lot of Portuguese influence with the unique location nestled between mountains and sea. Driving around it is noticeably pretty, calm and relaxed. A great escape from the busy city, Dubai vibes. There is plenty to do and see over a weekend in Muscat, a perfect weekend escape.
If you enjoyed this post about how to spend a weekend in Muscat, read about a truly unique traditional hotel in Jebel Akhdar. Check out everything you need to know about Bimmah Sinkhole , Wadi Shab and a family adventure in Wadi Bani Khalid. Our Oman page 7 Stunning Places to Visit in Oman has other information.
If you are looking for other family travel inspiration then check out our Destinations Page.
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