Oman on a Budget: What I Learned Around Muscat (and My Plan for Next Time)

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I spent about four days in Oman on a longer trip, between a stopover in Istanbul and a night in Dubai, and it left a big impression: the mountains, the forts and, more than anything, the people. I’m hoping to go back early next year (a rough plan, nothing booked yet), so this is my first post for the Middle East page: what I learned last time, and how I’d do Oman on a budget.

How I got there

Oman was the second stop of that trip. When I searched for flights to Muscat, the connection went via Turkey, so I turned it into a few days in Istanbul. When I wanted to head back to Asia, a flight connecting through Dubai gave me a free night there too. I’ve written the whole route up in Turn the Layover into a Second Country.

If you’re searching yourself, put in your nearest airport and look at the connections as well as the direct flights. I use Google Flights for the overview, and Aviasales and Kiwi.com for a second opinion on one-way hops. My full method is in How I Find Cheap Flights.

I landed in Muscat at seven in the morning to sunshine, mountains and a spotless airport.

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Visas for UK travellers (checked October 2026)

This is the first thing to sort, and the rules are simpler than I expected:

• Up to 14 days: no visa needed. GOV.UK says British citizens can visit Oman for up to 14 days without a visa. Oman’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that 14-day stay can’t be extended or converted to another type of visa.
• Longer than 14 days: get a visa first. GOV.UK recommends applying online before you travel to avoid the risk of refusal, using the “unsponsored visit visa” option for tourists. You can apply through the Royal Oman Police eVisa website, which suggests applying at least four days ahead. The Royal Oman Police lists the tourist visit visa as valid for 30 days, with a fee of 20 Omani rials.
• Have your paperwork ready. At the border you need to be able to show a return or onward ticket, proof of accommodation such as a hotel booking, and proof of travel health insurance. Your passport needs at least six months left from the day you arrive.
• Don’t overstay. GOV.UK warns of fines of up to 10 rials a day.

Rules change, so check the official sites yourself before you go. I explain why I never use third-party visa agencies in Visas: Always Use the Official Site. And because you need proof of health insurance, my travel insurance guide is worth a look too.

Full details: Oman entry requirements for UK travellers.

Getting around: there’s no metro

Muscat doesn’t have a metro, so on my first morning I looked at what taxis would cost for the places I wanted to see and decided to hire a car for three days instead. That gave me the freedom to drive over the mountains, stop wherever looked interesting and find the little places you’d never reach on a tour.

It wasn’t all smooth. A warning light came on about fifteen minutes after I picked the car up, and on the second morning it was completely dead. Hotel security jump-started it and I swapped it at the airport for a slight upgrade. My advice: hire from a well-known company, check the car properly before you drive off, and keep their number handy. There’s more on that in my getting-around guide.

On my last day I also spotted a hop-on bus route in Muscat with numbered stops and a live-tracking app, a useful option if you don’t want to drive.

Before you land, get data sorted so maps work straight away. Airalo has eSIMs for Oman.

What I loved around Muscat

The mountains and the little finds. Driving out of Muscat, I found mountain goats, houses built into the rock, wild donkeys and a little mosque with a few shops at the foot of the mountains. Those “gems you find by chance” were the best bits.

Mutrah and the souk. The Mutrah district has watchtowers perched on the rocks above it, and the souk is full of perfumes and what I can only describe as smellies. I walked the corniche and then the side streets at night. Everyone was friendly, and I felt very safe, even in the darker alleyways.

Nakhal Fort. On day two I drove out to Nakhal Fort at the foot of the mountains. When I went, entry was 3 rial, about five or six pounds at the time, and it came with a map. There are steps to climb, great views and an old jail. Forts are everywhere in Oman, so you’ll pass plenty more.

The villages. My best advice for Oman: always stop at places in the middle of nowhere. In one small village a group of local men invited me in for coffee and food, and dressed me up in Omani clothes. In another, the owners of a village shop looked after me when I’d eaten nothing but a banana since breakfast. Hospitality like that is the thing I remember most.

Old Muscat. On my last day I visited the National Museum, with its shiny marble floors and hardly any crowds, and the grand entrance of Al Alam Palace.

Eating on a budget

You don’t have to spend much. In an area of Muscat with a big Indian community, I had biryani, water, salad, cake, coffee and ice cream for about £2.50 all in. Earlier, in a village shop, an ice cream cost me about 20p. Those are my prices from that trip, not current ones, but they show how cheap it can be away from the tourist spots.

Things that surprised me

• Timing. Many shops opened again around 4pm, when it’s cooler, so plan your day around the heat.
• Gyms. Some have separate sessions for men and women. I found that out by walking in during women-only hours.
• The hiking. On my last day I did a short hiking trail that included a ladder. I’m scared of heights and my legs were shaking, but I made it to the top. Wear proper shoes, take water, and be careful on the way down.

My plan for next time

Next time I’m hoping to see more of the country beyond Muscat. I’ve got a rough plan, not a booking, for a loop through the interior, the mountains, the desert and the coast, and I may travel by road with some local contacts. I haven’t booked anywhere to stay yet. When I do, I’ll follow my usual habits from Where I Stay.

As always, I’ll write it up properly afterwards, with what it actually cost.

Prices were correct at the time of writing and can change.