Nizwa
If you’re not put off by the smell of heaving bulls and irritable goats, the livestock souq is well worth a look. The livestock market occupies a small…
Must-see attractions in Oman
Hajar Mountains
Said to have been designed by a woman 600 years ago, Bahla's remarkable battlements are noticeable at every turn of the main road through town. The walls…
Hajar Mountains
This tiny hamlet was bombed in 1954 during a military campaign to suppress the imamate rebellion against the sultan. Abandoned old Tanuf now lies in…
Oman
This traditional market is a fascinating place to stand on the sidelines and watch. Giant tuna are lugged across the fish slabs of the open-air premises,…
Hajar Mountains
Buraimi has a large and interesting fort, with decorations that give it a Saharan flourish in comparison with the austere exteriors of Omani interior…
Oman
Between 8am and 1.30pm it's possible to enjoy the magical bay (the OR1 fee is payable at the Ras Al Jinz Reserve visitors centre) without an escort…
Oman
A wild and beautiful beach stretches southwards from town. Pounded by high waves for much of the year, the beach is a good vantage point for watching the…
Salalah
This newly completed, single-dome mosque with two minarets is a gift from His Majesty to the people of his mother's hometown, Salalah. It's open to…
Jebel Akhdar
Not to be confused with the main town of Saiq, this small village has a rose-water distillery, making it an interesting place to visit during production…
Oman
Well-preserved multistorey mud houses make this a fascinating place to wander around, and help demonstrate how Sinaw has always been an important trading…
Muscat
Sixteenth-century Al Mirani Fort was built by the Portuguese at the same time as nearby Al Jalali Fort. Although closed to the public, its presence looms…
Muscat
A visit to Mutrah Souq wouldn't be the same without a stroll through the narrow alleys that house the glittering gold shops. The bridal gold, worked into…
Muscat
Open on the whim of the gatekeeper, this fortified residence buried in a plantation in Bawshar is worth visiting for the location. Close to the city's…
Muscat
Despite being the capital's main port, Mutrah feels more like a fishing village. The daily catch is delivered to market, by the Marina Hotel, from sunrise…
Muscat
The Ministry of National Heritage houses the small but quaint Natural History Museum. The museum is illuminating about the local flora and fauna, and…
Muscat
The Planetarium offers exciting free shows approximately once a month, helping to navigate the night sky. Visit here before heading out to the desert if…
Muscat
Petroleum Development Oman (PDO) is responsible for much of the rapid growth of infrastructure throughout the country, as outlined in the interesting…
Muscat
This elegant building, completed in 2013, is home to the two houses of the Majlis Ash Shura, Oman's parliament. It is not open to the public, but it does…
Muscat
Beyond Mutrah Fort, the Corniche leads to the leafy Al Riyam Park, with fine views of the harbour from the giant ornamental incense burner. There is a…
Muscat
With galleries detailing relations between the two countries, this museum provides an interesting snapshot of mostly 19th-century colonial life in Muscat…
Muscat
Children love this small museum (in a well-signposted domed building near Qurm Park) as it has been designed to be specifically intuitive and tactile with…
Oman
If you want to beat the crowds at Wadi Bani Khalid, then Moqal Cave in the upper reaches of the wadi is a curiosity to head towards. There's not much to…
Muscat
This large and attractive park boasts a lake and shade for picnics. A fun park called Marah Land sits alongside, inviting families to make a day of it.
Oman
The ruined tomb of Bibi Miriam is about all that remains of the 2nd-century settlement of Qalhat, one of the most ancient sites in Oman. There’s not much…
Khasab
Buried in the heart of town (brown signs show the way), this small fortified house sports two cannons at the doorway, a renovated well in the courtyard…
Dhofar
Identified in 1997, this 90 million cu metre–sinkhole is one of the largest of its kind in the world. Elliptical in shape, it has a depth of 250m and is…
Oman
This fertile wadi, accessible only by 4WD, offers one of the easiest off-road experiences of the region and an intimate view of life under the date palms…
Masirah Island
Jebel Humr (274m) is the highest point of Masirah’s hilly backbone and a climb up this flat-topped mountain is recommended for the wonderful view of the…
Nizwa
Nizwa was once a major centre for Islamic scholarship, and two aged mosques, among the oldest in the world, have survived since the early 7th century…
Oman
These hot springs attract visitors who believe the water issuing from under the ground at Al Kasfah has therapeutic properties. As a result, the…
Oman
The fish market, built in the shape of a dhow (traditional wooden fishing vessel), punctuates the northern end of the Corniche. It's fun to visit early in…
Hajar Mountains
This traditional mountain village is something of a landmark along the remote off-road route from Wadi Bani Awf to Sharfat Al Alamayn. With the most…
Oman
This aged lighthouse is a prominent landmark in Ayjah, including for the goats who for some reason like to congregate under the three-storey stone tower…
Masirah Island
Little is known about the history of Masirah island, except that it was once inhabited by Bahriya tribespeople, shipwrecked from Salalah. They were wiped…
Dhofar
Botanists may be surprised to find a small stand of baobab trees gracing the thickets just above the Salalah Plain. These magnificent giants, their trunks…
Oman
An integral part of the landscape of Ayjah, and visible from the corniche in Sur, these three small round towers made of sandstone once guided dhows to…
Oman
At the first bend in the road that leads through Wadi Bani Kharus from the village of Al Awabi, there's a great slab of smooth pale-grey rock on the…
Hajar Mountains
While Al Ayn has the best preserved beehive tombs, the largest concentration of these structures is to be found in Wadi Hajir, between Al Ayn and the…
Dhofar
Tiny compared with its more bountiful neighbours, this spring collects in a small well in the middle of a rural road at the northern rim of the plain. Of…
Dhofar
The town’s main fort is now derelict despite being the site of the well-documented Battle of Mirbat. Nine soldiers kept 300 insurgents from taking Mirbat…
