Muscat is a gorgeous capital of Oman, a fantastic destination in the Middle east with lots of heritage and history. I spent over a week there and would love to stay longer without a second thought!
I highly recommend you to explore Muscat in the evening if you’re visiting in hot season because the temperature is much lower, many shops have a day break, and the architecture looks more impressive with all the illumination lit up!
1. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
To mark the 30th anniversary of his reign, Sultan Qaboos (the previous sultan) decided to give his people this magnificent Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the largest in the country. It was completed in 2001.
The main highlight of it is the Persian carpet with dimensions of 70m*60m, the second-largest hand-woven Iranian carpet in the world (after the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi).
The huge chandelier 14 metre long here also was the largest in the world before being outperformed by Abu Dhabi again!
Please make sure you wear modest clothing, and women can rent an abaya for a small fee and an ID guarantee. The mosque is open for visitors from 8 to 11, except Friday.
There are also other beautiful mosques in Muscat.
2. Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House Muscat completed in 2011 is an absolute architectural masterpiece. Sultan Qaboos, a previous ruler of Oman, was said to have been a big art (and music in particular) lover, so he decided that his country needs an opera house.
And he commissioned this stunning building! Obviously, you can visit the Royal Opera House when listening to a performance but you can also visit a guided tour as we did.
The whole interior is decorated with marble and teak wood panels with traditional patterns, and the pipe organ there is one of the largest in the world! Moreover, it’s movable (you can put it forward or to the back depending on an event), and so are the panels around the stage! There’s also a small collection of musical instruments from all over the world.
Finally, the Royal opera house looks fantastic at night too!
Don’t miss the shopping galleria adjacent to the opera house too! There’s a bunch of restaurants including Richoux Café and Fauchon and a number of luxury shops. Our destination there was Tamrah cafe: Iced karkade tea, signature date coffee and date cheesecake were amazing!
3. Mutrah souq
Mutrah souq is a must when you’re in Muscat. Although Mutrah souq today is a touristy place, it’s still a buzzing place with some interesting selection of shops!
The good thing about it is that it’s a covered market so you have a chance to explore its narrow alleyways without a need to hide from sunlight and heat! Spot various patterns and decorations of the ceiling too while wandering around it. The history of Mutrah souq stretches to about 2 centuries when the goods were transported here from India, China and Europe.
Look for kuma, traditional Omani men cap, and traditional shoes, numerous metalware items such as locks and figurines, incense – especially frankincense, Oman is famous for it! – spices, fabrics, and small replicas of meticulously crafted Omani doors!
4. Mutrah fort and Corniche
Mutrah fort was constructed in the 16th century and reinforced by the Portuguese – it helped to defend the harbour and to store the arms. Now it’s a small but nice attraction to visit. Buy a ticket, climb all the steps and enjoy the view over the old city of Muscat. You can easily get here by walking from the souq.
It sits close to the Corniche, a seashore promenade with a view over the old dhow boats.
5. Al Alam Palace
The Sultan’s Palace, or Al Alam Palace was completed in 1972. A palace stood here before for almost two centuries but it was rebuilt as a Royal residence for Sultan Kaboos.
Obviously, only diplomats and invited guests can enter it because it’s used for ceremonies and official visits but you can still admire it from the outside. This complex of buildings with blue and gold decorations looks amazing!
The nearby buildings belong to the royal court, ministries such as the Ministry of Finance and the National Museum. Al Jalali and Mirani forts close to the palace were constructed in the 16th century during the Portuguese invasion.
6. National Museum
The National Museum of Oman opened in 2016 in a stylish building close to the Sultan’s palace. You can explore here the heritage of this land since the earliest humans, exploring the traditional burials, water systems, maritime achievements and trade connections.
Of course the story of Islam is covered here too – did you know that prophet Muhammad wrote a letter to joint Omani rulers back then asking them to convert to Islam? You can see the copy of it here!
7. Amouage visitor centre and factory
Amouage founded in 1983 is a luxury perfume brand famous all over the world. As Oman has been known for centuries for its incense, the brand was born from an idea of cherishing and preserving the country’s heritage.
You can come to the Amouage visitor centre and factory in Muscat to learn about the main ingredients, the stories behind the bottle shapes (female perfumes are shaped as mosques and male scents represent the dagger!) and the most exclusive bottles produced for special occasions. Besides that, you can learn about the process of perfume production held here in Muscat: some stages of perfume production take place in France and the major stages and packaging are held here, in front of your eyes.
Finally, you can visit the factory shop and try some of those luxury perfumes yourself! Of course, I couldn’t not resist myself too. To book a tour in English which lasts 20-45 min, you can drop an email or call the factory.
8. Al Mouj Marina
Al Mouj Marina is a pretty area where residences and hotels sit around the Marina with numerous boats and yachts.
There’s also a nice selection of restaurants and cafes (including Starbucks and LaDuree) and a small shopping mall.
We went for Zahr el Laymoun: they have very generous portions and a very good selection of Arabian dishes. Check the activities taking place here: you might want to buy tickets for an open air cinema, for instance!
But the main attraction here is the Marina itself! There are a dozen stalls selling various water activities, from tours to Al-Daymaniyat Islands where you can snorkel with turtles, to dolphin tours and sunset tours.
We opted for a boat ride, and it was absolutely amazing, and included the view over Sayyidah Fatima Bint Ali Al Said Mosque.
9. Censer monument
When travelling back and forth around Muscat, you might spot a large white incense burner: it’s Riyam Censer! It’s located in Al Riyam Park near Mutrah souq and it symbolises the importance of frankincense in Omani culture.
10. Oman aquarium
Oman aquarium is located inside the Mall of Muscat (not to be confused with the Mall of Oman!). As far as I’m aware, this is the only aquarium in the country.
The concept of aquarium is based upon Aḥmad ibn Majid, famous Arab navigator of the 15th century who was also nicknamed the ‘Lion of the Sea’. There were some rumours that he helped Vasco da Gama in his journey to India but modern research disproves this. There are over 30000 animals living in the aquarium including turtles, sharks, stingrays and penguins. You can also book animal encounters in advance.
If you’ve been to Singapore or Dubai aquariums, you won’t be overwhelmingly impressed, however it’s still a nice place to visit. In front of the Aquarium there’s a nice cafe with a glass wall overlooking one of the aquarium’s tanks. Have a Saffron coffee here with a view over a real aquarium!
11. Guerlain spa
Guerlain spa is located in our St. Regis Al Mouj Muscat. It has 11 atmospheric clay-coloured treatment rooms, saunas and hammam, a changing area and a shop with Guerlain products. The SPA uses Guerlain products, obviously, and you can choose a scent for your treatment. Treatment selection has been specifically designed for this spa, honouring the Omani perfume heritage.
I went for a facial and body massage package there as well as for the relaxing massage trealtemnt of several occasions.. Before treatment, you fill in your beauty card while sipping some water and juice, and then change into the fluffiest bathrobe with Guerlain bee logo and then proceed to one of the treatment rooms. After the treatment, you can have some tea in the relaxation area.
12. Shopping malls
Muscat is full of shopping malls, and choose any of them! Mall of Oman is the largest and the most luxurious shopping mall in Muscat. There are a few floors of luxury shopping with international and local brands, and there’s even a Snow Oman! It’s a centre with artificial show, where you can skate, play hockey, have a ride or even encounter penguins!
The Oman Avenues Mall is worth a visit too! It’s less posh than the Mall of Oman but still has a good range of shopping opportunities.
The Mall of Muscat is not the main mall here but there are still some shops and cafes you can visit. If you also consider supermarkets as a part of introduction to local culture, visit one of the Lulu hypermarkets across the city.
Where to Stay in Muscat
We stayed at St Regis Muscat which officially opened just a day before our arrival.
It’s a luxury hotel and our beautifully made suite featured two floors overlooking one of the pool areas. Sea is located close to the hotel facilities too, and you can swim anywhere you like.
Have a look at the seashore too: not only there’s a stunning range of seashells, but there are also hermit crabs!
As for the eating options, there are quite a few – right inside the St Regis hotel.
You can eat your breakfast at Karuba or Zorba, or for an extra fee come to Novikov cafe. Try some delicious Peruvian food at Coya, Greek food at Zobra, Chinese cuisine at the Hakkasan – just to name a few!
You can also check my guides about:
Hope you liked my blog,
Yours,
Anna xxx