The Omani capital is unique to many other Middle Eastern cities. Wedged between the Gulf of Oman and the Hajar Mountains, the first thing that you will notice, there are no high rises. The city looks trapped in an era gone by, yet is is a modern hub for culture and innovation in the Middle East.
In this guide to visiting Muscat with kids, we’ll cover:
Things to know before visiting Muscat
Muscat is a very spread-out city. The main areas tourists will likely get familiar with are Muttrah and Old Muscat to the southern end of the city, and Qurum, closer to the airport, but there are many areas in between.
- See below our tips on how to get around and where to stay.
If you’ve ever been to other parts of the Middle East, one thing that will immediately strike you about Muscat is the lack of sleek, shiny high rises. This is by order of the country’s (now former) ruler, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos Bin Said, who wanted the city to retain its original heritage feel, which is well achieved!
At times you feel like you’re in a bit of a time warp, but it’s all part of the city’s charm and what makes it a unique base for your Oman adventures.
You may want to take careful note of opening hours. Many attractions are only open in the mornings or may shut in the afternoons and open again later in the day. Friday’s are the Holy Day, and many places are closed. We have listed all opening times and costs that we can find. Many places shut altogether during Ramadan – see Ramadan dates here.
Make sure you have applied for the correct Oman visa before you travel. Rules have changed frequently in the last few years, so keep abreast of the latest requirements.
Don’t forget to check out our full family guide to Oman before you go
Our Top 5 Things to do with kids in Muscat
I will say upfront, we did not find Muscat to be an overtly kid-friendly city.
Absolutely not to say you shouldn’t bring the kids, and there aren’t fun things for them to do; there was just nothing that really stood out as being a reason to visit with the kids alone.
Avid self-guided travellers will, of course, find the fun and enjoy these highlights and many more adventures around Oman! It’s an easy country to navigate and packed full of adventure.
We would suggest using Muscat as your base for getting out and exploring the rest Oman has to offer, as its real attraction lies in the mountains and beyond the capital.
1. Admire the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
This was our personal favourite part of visiting Muscat. This building is absolutely stunning both inside and out, and the gardens provide a beautiful oasis; even the kids stood in awe several times and were keen to explore all the different areas inside.
The signage outside the main prayer halls quite distinctly forbids children under 10, but the staff on duty told us this is just during prayer time and, of course, we can take our children inside. (I’ve heard others turned away though).
It is truly one of the most stunning interiors we’ve ever seen (yes, even compared to the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi) and well worth making the journey alone.
If you are turned away with the kids, the grounds are still quite extensive, and kids are bound to love the colourful mosaics. Don’t miss this one off your itinerary, but be mindful of limited public opening times.
Cost: Free (2.5OR to hire an abaya or dishdasha if you’re not appropriately dressed)
Opening Times: Daily 8am to 11am, closed Fridays.
Handy Tip: The visitor car parking is actually in the east wing. If you make the mistake of parking in the main worshipper’s car park, it’s well worth moving around to the visitor entrance as little legs are bound to be tired after this one.
See our complete guide on how to get from Dubai to Muscat
2. Go shopping at Muttrah Souk
Kids will love the colour and excitement of the Muttrah Souk (market) – If you’ve ever wondered what frankincense and myrrh were, here’s your chance to find out!!! There are plenty of perfume traders, but you will also find a great array of tourist nick-nacks, wooden chests, handicrafts, shawls, and clothing. It’s not huge, but big enough that you can get yourself a little lost in the maze of laneways.
If I’m completely honest, though, compared to many markets we have visited around the world, it lacked some character. There weren’t the bustling crowds and noise you’d expect from a Middle East marketplace.
This was good in some respects as it meant we could keep an eye on our wayward three – but also meant we were easy pickings to be accosted.
Do take the time to look up! Some of the ceilings are just beautiful.
Opening Times: 8am to 1pm, reopens 4pm to 10pm
Handy tips: The Muttrah Souk is stroller accessible in most parts, and some alleys are a little narrow. The restaurants outside the Souk had passable meals and juices but not an extensive range of choices – this place is crying out for a fish and chip shop by the harbour!!!
For more ideas of free things to do in Muscat and beyond catch this budget guide to Oman
3. Walk the Corniche & Al Riyam Park
A popular activity for tourists and locals alike is to walk – or run! the Corniche. You can follow the breakwater from the fish market as far as Al Riyam Park – the giant incense burner statue on the hilltop gives away the spot; it’s pretty hard to miss!
Underneath, you will find a beautiful green landscaped park which includes a kid’s playpark (free) as well as a small amusement park (nominal fees per ride).
Handy Tips: Take a walk at sunset to catch the harbour lighting up and beat the heat of the day.
Check out these historical day trips to take from Muscat
4. Take a Boat Tour
What better way to see a city surrounded by water than to get out there on a boat!!! Several tour providers offer everything ranging from dolphin spotting to island snorkelling trips to sunset cruises.
We opted for a traditional sunset dhow cruise with Sidab Sea Tours (though we actually booked over the phone with Nomad Tours), these leave from a port slightly further south of Old Muscat called Marina Bandar al Rowdha.
A pleasant couple of hours out on the water, the kids absolutely loved playing pirates and entertaining the rest of the boat with their fun!
Cost (sunset dhow): 15OR adults; Kids 6-11 7.5OR; Under 6 free
Handy Tip: Not all boats leave daily. Best to check the schedule and book this part of your trip early.
Some more dolphin cruise options
5. Visit a Museum
Something that Oman does very well is Museums! There is a load to choose from, and always a great entertainment choice with kids, especially on hot or rainy days. Depending on your kids’ ages and interests and how much you want to learn about the country, here are some of the best that may engage the kids:
Bait Al Zubair – Best for getting a taste of Omani life, includes a replica houses. Located between Muttrah and Old Muscat. Learn more here
Hours: 9.30am-6pm (Sat-Thu) – Closed Fridays
Cost: Tourist Adults 2OR; Kids free (no age was given)
The National Museum of Oman – in Old Muscat, from here you can also take a short walk to take in the highlights of Muttrah, see the Alam Palace from the outside and view the Jalali and Mirani Forts. It is very new and extensive, with a small colouring and activity area on the ground floor for kids.
A great historical tour, but otherwise not much hands-on stuff for the kids. Learn more here
Hours: 10am to 5pm (Sat-Thu); 2pm-6pm Fridays
Cost: Tourist adults 5OR; kids and students free
Bait Al Baranda – to learn about the city of Muscat from its geological formation to the present day. It’s also called the House of Naseeb.
Hours: 9am to 1pm and 4pm-6pm
Cost: OMR1; Kids 500bz (no age given)
Oman Children’s Museum looks to have been permanently closed since COVID, so been removed from our list.
You can see the city is passionate about the preservation of history and making this accessible to the public. There are countless more museums we didn’t get to review, including the Omani French Museum, Muscat Gate Museum, Maritime Museum, Armed Forces Museum – even a frankincense museum!
Opening hours and timings have been updated for 2022 but are subject to change without notice.
Other kid-friendly ideas in Muscat
If you are looking for an indoor retreat from the heat, the city has several relatively new malls complete with play areas and cinemas. Oman Avenues Mall is probably one of the biggest, but the immediately adjacent Grand Mall has kiddy play options with Happy Land, as does Muscat City Center with a smaller but more manageable Magic Planet.
Another popular park though we didn’t get to visit, is Qurum Natural Park in the centre of town and Shatti Qurum Beach, the city’s most popular outdoor space. Attached is also another amusement park Marahland. Locals have also recommended Azaiba Beach Park as an outdoor escape.
The other thing kids will probably get a kick out of is spotting all the forts in Oman! There are apparently over 500 in the country, many of them in Muscat. Most, you cannot go inside, or they are in the process of restoring, but they are certainly spectacular to look at, as well as the city’s many gate towers.
You can read more on Muscat and beyond with kids in these posts
- 4 day trips from Muscat for culture and diversity
- A complete road trip of eastern Oman with kids
- Where to find the best Wadi’s in Oman
- Most beautiful beaches in Muscat & Oman
Got a Muscat or Oman travel idea to share? Get in touch with us familytravelme@gmail.com
How to get around Muscat
As mentioned above, it’s a very spread out city. If you are in Oman for more than a few days, it may be advisable to hire a car and self-drive (which means you can take yourself off on fantastic day trips outside of the city, too!).
Hiring a car in Musca does come with the downside of finding somewhere to park it! Along the Corniche in Muttrah, we found this hard and ended up parking in front of the fish market, where there were no meters.
Taxis in Muscat
Relying on taxis is likely your best option if you are only in Muscat for a short stop.
According to one of our lovely taxi drivers, there are two different kinds of taxis in Oman – metered (blue) and pre-arranged (orange) – that run on set rates.
These set rates seemed exceptionally high, but when you need to get A to B, there was little room to negotiate, unfortunately, and the rates seem better for short trips as the flag falls on the blue “Marhaba” taxi’s is 3.5OR. We found a short trip across town was offered at 5/6OR.
They will tell you it’s a set rate, but ALWAYS ASK up front and agree your rate!
Download the app for Marhaba Taxi Oman or use Mswalat, the government transport app
Note there is also now OTaxi for ordering online, but these taxis are not permitted to pick up from the airport, hotels or commercial centres.
Another great way to see the city if you only have a few days and want to spare expensive taxi costs getting between locations is with the Big Bus Hop On Hop Off service.
Try these other tour options with transfers while you’re in Muscat:
Where to Stay in Muscat with Kids
The tricky part about Muscat being so spread out is there is nowhere really central to base yourself!
I’d normally suggest staying near the main tourist sites, but from what we could see, there was only one hotel actually in Muttrah! (Check it out here, but it wouldn’t be our top pick).
You can see our complete guide to Muscat Accommodation Options for families here
If you are coming primarily for a relaxing family getaway, you could try the renowned Shangri La Barr al Jissah; it’s slightly further around the coast from the old city but acclaimed for its extensive family-friendly facilities.
Another beautiful option on the coast is Al Bustan Palace, which recently reopened after extensive renovations. And if I had my favourite kid-free luxury option (they are welcome, but why spoil the mood!) The Chedi Muscat
Closer to town in the Shatti Al Qurum area, we suggest you try the Intercontinental, with great views and several bars and restaurants attached as well as a beach club. (If you like a drink with dinner, note there are very few licenced places other than in hotels). The Crowne Plaza also comes highly commended with some stunning views, as does the Grand Hyatt.
We found an excellent option in Oman for families is staying in serviced apartments. We could get a two-bed apartment much cheaper than two hotel rooms but still with a swimming pool and easy access to shops. We chose Muscat Oasis Residence, adjacent to Panorama Mall.
Other convenient options include the Millenium Executive Apartments (above the Grand Mall and adjacent to Oman Avenues Mall) or the very newly opened Coral Muscat Hotel & Apartments.
Please let us know if you have any further activities to add for Muscat or family hotels to recommend. We will keep adding to this list as new discoveries are made, so bookmark this page, or you can save it to Pinterest for future reference planning your family trip to Oman.
Further Oman resources and inspiration:
Check out these guides for more great ideas for visiting Oman
- A highlights tour of Oman with Kids
- When is the best time to visit Oman
- How to get from Muscat to Musandam
- How to get from Muscat to Salalah
- Best resorts and hotels in Musandam
Take me back to the Oman Family Guide
This post was originally published in November 2017 by our founder Keri Hedrick on her blog, Our Globetrotters. Republished with permission in November 2018, and updated in September 2022. This article is not sponsored or endorsed by any of the businesses mentioned but does contain affiliate links which may earn us a small commission if a qualifying booking or purchase is made. Find our disclosures, policies, and website terms of use here.
Hi, I would add My Gym Muscat as a very fun and stimulating activity as well. They also do events like Halloween and National Day etc. Located on the lower level of Panorama Mall.
I hope you check it out!
Thetaxi driver is right.. 2 taxis orange with no meter and blue with meter
Recently a big step has been taken by Gov public transportation is operational and nubmer of busses are increased and routes too
Author
Thanks very much for the clarification, sounds like a lot of things are really improving for public transport.