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Best Attractions in Muscat (2026)

Muscat's sights are spread out along a long stretch of coast, so it pays to group them by area and travel between them by taxi or car. In the west, the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque opens to non-Muslim visitors on Saturday to Thursday mornings only, from 8am to 11am, so make it your first stop of the day and dress with shoulders, knees and, for women, hair covered. The Royal Opera House Muscat in Shatti Al Qurum runs daytime building tours and evening performances, and Qurum Beach is close by for a late-afternoon walk. Oman Aquarium at Mall of Muscat is the best rainy-day or hot-afternoon choice, especially with children.

In the east, Old Muscat packs the National Museum of Oman, Bait Al Zubair, Al Alam Palace and the newly opened Al Mirani Fort into a compact walled area that can be covered in a morning. Mutrah, a few minutes along the coast, has Muttrah Fort on the hillside above the corniche; climb it in the late afternoon for the view. Al Mirani and Muttrah forts both open into the evening, which helps in the hotter months. Bimmah Sinkhole is around an hour and a half south-east and pairs well with Wadi Shab. Most museums charge an entry fee, and several close or shorten their hours on Friday, so check times before you set out.

10 places · Updated October 27, 2026

Our top 3 attractions in Muscat

  1. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque Mosque, BausherOman's largest mosque, opened in 2001 at Bausher, with a 90-metre minaret, a vast hand-woven carpet and set morning visiting hours for non-Muslims.
  2. Royal Opera House Muscat Opera house and arts centre, Shatti Al QurumOpened in 2011 as the Gulf's first opera house, this Shatti Al Qurum landmark offers daytime building tours and an evening programme of opera, ballet and Arabic music.
  3. National Museum of Oman National history museum, Old MuscatOman's national museum, opened in 2016 facing Al Alam Palace, tells the country's story from prehistoric metalwork to maritime trade across 14 permanent galleries.

Attraction

4. Al Alam Palace

Royal palace (exterior only)Old Muscat

The Sultan's ceremonial palace in Old Muscat, rebuilt in 1972 with gold and blue columns, viewed from its gates at the end of a long arcaded plaza.

View details — Al Alam Palace

Attraction

6. Al Mirani Fort

Portuguese fort and museumOld Muscat

A 16th-century Portuguese fort on the rocks beside Al Alam Palace, now open as a cultural site with a weapons museum, digital displays and sea views.

View details — Al Mirani Fort

Attraction

7. Muttrah Fort

Historic fort and viewpointMutrah

A hilltop fort first built by the Portuguese in the 1580s, with three round towers and wide views over Mutrah Corniche, the souq and the harbour.

View details — Muttrah Fort

Attraction

8. Bimmah Sinkhole

Natural sinkhole and parkQuriyat (Hawiyat Najm Park)

A turquoise, water-filled limestone sinkhole inside Hawiyat Najm Park, a short way inland from the coast road between Dibab and Bimmah, south-east of Muscat.

View details — Bimmah Sinkhole

Attraction

9. Oman Aquarium

AquariumAl Mabelah

A large indoor aquarium at Mall of Muscat, opened in 2019, with more than 100 exhibits, a tunnel through the main tank and supervised dive and snorkel sessions.

View details — Oman Aquarium

Attraction

10. Qurum Beach

Beach and promenadeQurum

Muscat's best-known city beach, a long sandy stretch with a seafront promenade in Qurum, close to the mangroves of the Qurm Nature Reserve.

View details — Qurum Beach