Get your bearings in Muscat and check out its highlights on this 4-hour city tour. Explore the best of this charming city, one of Arabia’s prettiest capitals, and soak in its setting wedged between the Al Hajar Mountains and Gulf of Oman. Visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, shop at Muttrah Souk, explore the Bait Al Zubair Museum, see the Sultan’s Palace, and more. Hotel pickup and drop-off, and entrance fees included.

4-hour tour of Muscat
Visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and admire its marble courtyards and prayer halls
Stroll through Muttrah Fish Market and the maze-line lanes of Muttrah Souk
Chart Oman’s history at the Bait Al Zubair Museum
Stop for photos of the Sultan’s Al Alam Palace, and the Mirani and Jalali forts
Transport, hotel pickup and drop-off, and entrance fees included

What's Included

Transportation round trip in an Air-conditioned vehicle
Audio guiding in Multiple languages
Headphones for the Audio listening
Free Wifi on our vehicles
Entry Fees to Bait Al Zubair

Food and drinks
Personal Expenses
Gratuities

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

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Start time

09:00 AM

Pickup details

Pickup: We pickup the guest between 30 - 60 minutes before the tour departure, We pickup from all hotels in Muscat and Port. Drop Off: Hotels in Muscat

What To Expect

Start your tour with hotel pickup in Muscat, and settle inside your air-conditioned vehicle with your guide. Then, explore the pristine streets of the city, beautifully set between the Al Hajar Mountains and Gulf of Oman.

On route, learn how the city has successfully retained its rich Arabian heritage and culture, despite having undergone rapid development over the last few decades.

Head first for Muscat’s undoubted showpiece: the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Opened in 2001, this stunning marble mosque is one of the largest in the Gulf, with room to accommodate 20,000 worshipers.

After touring the glittering courtyards and prayer halls, continue to the Ministries quarter, home to many of Muscat’s foreign embassies and consulates.

Admire the bougainvillea-laced avenues and immaculate white buildings with their Islamic arches and latticework, and then travel to Muttrah, the commercial heart of Muscat lining a spectacular, mountain-backed bay.

Stroll through the seafront fish market where the locals trade their catches, and admire the sweeping Corniche, lined with latticed and balconied buildings. Then, delve into Muttrah Souk, a maze of covered alleys filled with stalls peddling spices, perfumes, coffee, antiques, and homewares. Breathe in the exotic aromas, and perhaps haggle for goods with tips from your guide.

Having explored here, pay a visit to the Bait Al Zubair Museum, a charming museum that charts Oman’s fascinating past from ancient through to modern times. Learn about the country’s rich culture and early roots, and then continue deeper into old Muscat.

Pose for photos outside the blue-and-gold Al Alam Palace, the official residence of Sultan Qaboos, and take pictures of Muscat’s twin Portuguese-built forts, Mirani and Jalali, perched on rocky outcrops above the bay.

Your tour then finishes with a hotel drop-off.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is one of those attractions that you have to visit if you are coming to Muscat. It is one of the most beautiful and extravagant modern mosques in the world.

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Mutrah Fish Market

Situated at the heart of Muttrah, on Oman’s largest harbor, the new fish market is a tribute to both the past and the future of Oman. The city of Muttrah is known for its long history of commercial trade, its characteristic port, and its long-standing fishery tradition

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps

Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Operated by Gray Line - Kurban Tours

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

about cancellations.

Frequently Asked Questions

The answers provided below are based on answers previously given by the tour provider to customers’ questions.

Q:What is the policy on face masks and attendee health during Muscat Half Day City Tour?

A:The policies on face masks and attendee health are:

Face masks required for travelers in public areas
Face masks required for guides in public areas

Q:What is the policy on sanitization during Muscat Half Day City Tour?

A:The policies on sanitization are:

Hand sanitizer available to travelers and staff
Regularly sanitized high-traffic areas
Gear/equipment sanitized between use
Transportation vehicles regularly sanitized

Q:What is the social distancing policy during Muscat Half Day City Tour?

A:The policy on social distancing is:

Social distancing enforced throughout experience

Q:What measures are being taken to ensure staff health & safety during Muscat Half Day City Tour?

A:The policies on staff health & safety are:

Guides required to regularly wash hands
Regular temperature checks for staff

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

This is an excellent way to get a taste of Muscat when you only have a day in port.

The tour company should not pick up people for group tours who are that far away.

There is a fair bit of waiting in the vehicle, initially, for reasons that are unclear but once the actual tour begins, it is very interesting.

Reviews

4.0

88 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

Showing 1-10 of 88 reviews

Nasim was a brilliant,...

Yeow_M, Aug 2022

Nasim was a brilliant, knowledgeable guide. He takes time to tell me the history of different places that we went to and then give me some time to explore on my own. The tour was really good all due to Nasim's knowledge and enthusiasm of the city. On the other hand the online booking was easy to book but then if you need any clarification as to time and place of collection then that's where the customer service is lacking. Hence I'm only giving them 4 stars but Nasim deserves 5 stars.

Basic

Renee_B, Jun 2022

The WiFi did not work and neither did the audio. This was basically just transportation. Nothing more.

Response from Host, Aug 2022

Dear Guest Thank you for sharing your valuable feedback about our product that you have recently joined with us. We apologize for not having met your expectation. We appreciate and value your time for posting these comments about the visit. We hope to see you again for a better experience. Looking forward to that.

Very good half day tour

mayaelizabethmann, May 2022

A very good tour - covers the most important bits you need to see in Muscat and the driver was on time and very kind.

Great half day option

Megan_L, Apr 2022

Lovely way to see the city highlights as an introduction. It hits all the high points and its nice to be picked up at the hotel.

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Dear Guest Greetings to you from all of us at GrayLine emirates! Thank you so much for sharing such a review with us, Our team is thrilled to hear your wonderful words. Your review is highly appreciated, it will be our pleasure to serve your travel needs in the future and welcoming you again anytime.

Great overview of Muscat

Kevin_P, Apr 2022

This was a great little tour, a good way to get an overview of Muscat. It is a bus tour (more minibus in my case) with earphones and the recorded guide that you get on many Grayline type tours. You meet at a central location, the price is very good for Oman and everything went pretty smoothly. You stop at the main sites, like the fish market, bazaar, etc. There is some free time, you meet up an an appointed time. The driver/guide was informative and friendly, but mostly just drove the bus. Kind of a McTour but I would recommend.

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Dear Guest Thank you for sharing your valuable comment with us! We are delighted to know that you liked this trip with us. Thank you for choosing Gray Line! Hope to see you again with us!

My half day city tour of MUscat

SineadHeidi_W, Apr 2022

First of all, the tour guide arrived 10 minutes late. Also, there were 3 other German tourists on the tour, one who had Covid symptoms and the tour guide never checked for the covid PCR tests. This made me feel very nervous as we had to share the bus with this passenger. Furthermore, the tour guide did not set his boundaries regarding the time of when the passengers should arrive back after visiting each monument as there were 4 other Italian tourists who were 10 minutes late and kept the other passengers waiting after visiting the first monument. This was very inconsiderate for us as we had to follow a schedule and wait in a bus that was very hot due to no air-conditioning. The tour guide was dismissive of my complaints about the Italian passengers delaying us and one of the other German passengers became aggressive while we complained to the tour guide. Personally, I feel to make this trip more enjoyable and comfortable the tour guide needs to be more assertive with the passengers regarding the Covid hygiene measures and punctuality.

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Dear Guest, I apologize for your experience with us and we are very keen in building up the best service. our quality team will look into this and act? Hope to see you again and we will work the best to serve you better..!!!

Great experience in half a day

Peter_R, Mar 2022

Very nice and helpful driver - can definitely recommend. Particularly the mosque is stunning and a must-see.

Response from Host, Mar 2022

Great experience

Ins_G, Mar 2022

The guide was very attentive and knowledgeable of the city’s history. Made an effort to meet all our needs.

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Thank you for sharing your positive feedback with us! We are glad you enjoyed your sightseeing experience with us on board Gray LineTours. We have forwarded your kind comments to our Customer Service team. At Gray LineTours, we thrive to offer an excellent Customer Service and nothing makes us happier than when our customers are happy! We look forward to welcoming you again soon on board Gray LineTours,

Fabulous tour and insightful stories from the locals

Kathrin_S, Feb 2022

Great overall experience and friendly guide. It was perfect to get a good taste of Muscat in just a few hours.

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Wayne’s Wanderings in Muscat

Wayne_J, Jan 2022

Great tour. Half day well spent. Sites visited were a great reflection on Omani culture. Top class. Excellent tour for a quick review of Muscat

Response from Host, Apr 2022

Great way to see Muscat in half a day

Antony_N, Jan 2022

Very friendly and helpful tour guide. Great to see so much of Muscat in a short time. Useful audio guide and feel we learnt a lot about the local culture. Museum and Mosque were fab!

Response from Host, Apr 2022

1/2 Day Tour of Muscat

David_L, Dec 2021

The Grand Mosque was incredibly beautiful!. The museum was very interesting for history & cultural aficionados as well.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Omani Heritage in 3 hours

Keno_A, Nov 2021

Excellent, would recommend. Our guide came on time. Was very courteous and would enjoy speaking to us as we went on the trip. The tour was interactive and the guide would answer most of our questions about the trip.

Good tour.

Jean_B, Nov 2021

Khalid was kind and helpful. It was a bit awkward for 5 adults in a Toyota Camry - with one woman. But we all made the best of it. He was conversational and interested in exchanging information. He was willing to answer questions posed to the best of his ability. His English was good. We would have enjoyed a more enhanced conversation of the history of Oman and the Arabian peninsula. He seemed to be informed regarding the current economic situation and lifestyle of the Omanis. It was helpful to have brief tour of the major highlights during our first visit.

1 traveler found this review helpful

Missing tour operator.

Bill, Feb 2020

We could not locate tour operator. The information from Viator did not include tour operator name or phone number. We finally hired a local gut to give us a tour.

Great tour!

Kerry_N, Feb 2020

Ali was prompt, very knowledgeable, and spoke English well. We learned a lot about Muscat and it was the perfect introduction to the city.

Splendid Muscat

Gary_T, Feb 2020

This is an excellent way to get a taste of Muscat when you only have a day in port. We did the tour on 30 January 2020 and it met our needs. The mosque and museum we visited with cost included were standouts as far as our expectations were concerned The positives were the guide who was knowledgeable, the driver was very accommodating and the pick up at the port. Unfortunately we were delayed at the start by late passengers and the wi - fi did not work on the bus. We will continue to use Viator

Muscat 1/2 day tour

cindyhornung, Feb 2020

The tour was well organized and the guide was very nice. I would have liked to have entrance fees included into the Opera House (which was stunning from the outside) but we did not have enough time to go in nor were the entrance fees part of the tour. Could have skipped the Fish Market (my personal opinion - others may have enjoyed it). Time at the Souk was good and as long as you asked the vendors for what you wanted, as opposed to what they were hoisting on you, you could do well with your purchases. Overall, a good over view of the city of Muscat.

Nice tour badly organised

NelliA_12, Jan 2020

We ve seen a lot of nice spots with a well aircon bus The pickup was a disaster , too late so that we ve missed with 5 other people the tour and were brought directly to the first point, the mosque, , to catch the bus up , the guide could only few english words, the driver locked himself out of the bus and we had to walk in the heat well thst was too much for a 4 hour tour

A Little Caotic

Barbara_P, Dec 2019

The meet location was a little vague and the driver not there when we arrived at big rock. We ended up as group of 12 who thought they were on private tours. Some of them were quite grumpy over the arrangement. We had headset commentaries rather than a guide. The driver shared some information at the mosque if you asked or stayed close enough to hear him. We chose to go back to the ship by shuttle from the market because the tour bus would have dropped us at the terminal entrance and we would have to take the shuttle back to the ship anyways.

Questions?

Product code: 8264P43

Attractions in Muscat, Oman

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Muscat Half Day City Tour

From $30.00

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Overview

What's Included

Meeting And Pickup

Pickup points

Start time

Pickup details

What To Expect

Additional Info

Cancellation Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

Traveler Photos

Traveler Tips

Questions?

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