8 fun activities in Muscat, Oman
To be honest, I couldn’t have had a better start to the day by going for a sunrise ride at Al Fares Equestrian. A sunrise ride (or sunrise anything really) really sets you up for a brilliant day ahead. My mum had met me at the stables for a lesson after mine, and of course she had gotten up a little bit later than me - we still had a full day of activities planned and I did start to feel a bit tired in the afternoon, but nothing a lovely strong Omani coffee (thick as) couldn’t fix.
So these are the other things that I enjoyed in Muscat, which you could consider after your ride, or if you are travelling with someone, can suggest they do while you are away.
Obviously this is not an exhaustive list, there are many more things listed on TripAdvisor for example, that I haven’t done, but these are the things I did get to do and what I enjoyed the most.
Visit the popular modern markets at Al Mouj.
This was not far from our hotel, Mysk al Mouj. They had a range of items for sale, including Thai and Malaysian street food, karak chai, cakes, clothing, artwork and traditional Omani halva. I refer to them as modern because they were in these little marquees / tents and everything was very civilised, with set prices. If you are more into a classic market experience, you may enjoy Mutrah Souq more, in #3.
2. Enjoy some family (or me) time at the beach.
Omanis have this resplendent culture of chilling on the beach with their whole family, running around and chasing after the kids. We met this family at the mosque, and then ended up spending the day with them, and I now also have a lifelong friend in Oman :)
It’s really commonplace to bring a picnic, some tea and snacks and sit and enjoy it there.
Popular beaches are Qurum beach and Yitti beach.
3. Visit Mutrah corniche
I loved walking along the promenade at Mutrah Corniche, which stretches for a couple of kilometres along the harbour. This is beautiful at any time of the day, but I have heard it is particularly special at sunset time.
4. Visit Mutrah Souq
If you prefer the charm of one of the more traditional markets, you will not be disappointed by Mutrah Souq.
Behind Mutrah souq is a Shi’a settlement of Al-Lawataya, where we visited a small local mosque to pray the midday prayers.
5. Be your bougiest self walking the marina at night
The Al Mouj Marina has almost 3000 google reviews giving it nearly 5 stars, and is very popular for good reason.
Boats and tours also operate from the marina harbour in the daytime where you can go snorkelling and dolphin watching, and at night you walk around admiring fancy yachts while drinking bubble tea and eating cheesy chips.
There was also some live music by some of the local Omani youth which made the whole place have a really nice vibe.
6. Feel like a wise man with frankincense and myrrh
Oman is famous for fragrances. Enjoy the range of perfumes available for men, women and for your home. You can purchase perfume and incense in one of the many very highly rated malls, including Muscat Grand Mall and Oman Avenues Mall.
7. Attend a show at the opera house in your finery.
And pretend to be very wealthy for one evening while you listen to the traditional harmonious sounds of the oud. Or simply go to admire the architecture. The late Sultan Qaboos was a big music lover and enjoyed the opera so much that he had this place built.
Check out what’s on and book your tickets in advance. Performances Upcoming Performances (rohmuscat.org.om)
Sit outside the opera house at the fantastic Fauchon cafe to finish off your evening in style, with delicious handcrafted French patisserie. - OperaGalleria DiningDetail (rohmuscat.org.om)
8. Visit Al Bustan palace
-and go to their ladies spa - they have a private ladies only beach which was an absolute highlight, and entry is quite reasonable for the day. You get access to the small indoor pool, small gym, and a little section of beach which was pretty empty when we were there, so basically all yours (hopefully). Plus extra fun when you get to sit in the lobby to wait for a little buggy to take you round.
https://www.ritzcarlton.com/en/hotels/oman/al-bustan/spa
9. Go dolphin watching
At Marina Bandar al Rowdha which is where the majority of dolphin and whale watching tours depart from. Try Sidab Seatours or any of the other popular companies that run tours from here.
This area is also quite close to Mutrah, where the corniche and the souq are, so you could always combine a trip.
The first time I visited Oman, we saw tonnes of glistening dolphins jumping and dancing out of the water. However, unfortunately, when we went on our second trip in December 2020, we must have come during the wrong season, as we didn’t see any dolphins. or they were having a day off, which is totally allowed for them, obviously.
I would love to hear about your trip!