Muscat Museums, Forts and Opera House Tours

Travel advisory. Visitors should know that Oman is caught up in the 2026 conflict between the United States and Iran. The UK Foreign Office currently does not advise against travel to Oman, although it reports that Iran has carried out strikes and retaliatory attacks in several locations across the region, Oman among them, since 8 July, and it says terrorist attacks cannot be ruled out. The US State Department gives Oman a Level 3 rating, Reconsider Travel, with the Yemen border area marked Do Not Travel. Muscat’s museums, fort and opera house are open, no strike on the capital is reported, and flight disruption remains possible. Keep away from military and security sites. The current wording is on gov.uk and travel.state.gov , and it is worth rereading just before you fly.

Muscat’s indoor attractions are scattered along a coast more than 60 km long, so the efficient way to visit them is by cluster rather than by interest. This page groups them that way and lists the entry costs in Omani rials (OMR; one rial is about US$2.60). Opening hours are mostly published for Saturday to Thursday, with Friday closed or shortened, and mornings are cooler and quieter in every season.

Old Muscat cluster

Three museums and a fort sit within a short taxi ride of each other near the waterfront palace.

National Museum of Oman. Opened in 2016 opposite Al Alam Palace, it holds more than 7,000 artefacts in 14 galleries. It opens Saturday to Thursday from 10 am to 5 pm, with the last entry at 4:30 pm, and Friday hours are listed differently in different places, so check first. Tourists pay OMR 5, foreign residents OMR 2, and Omani and GCC citizens OMR 1 with ID. Children under 6, students and school groups up to age 25, disabled visitors with a companion, and licensed guides enter free. Only Visa and Mastercard are accepted at the desk, with no American Express, cash dollars or other currencies. You can reach it by taxi, by bus 4, or on foot from Port Sultan Qaboos.

Bait Al Zubair. This private museum on Al Saidiya Street, established in 1998, shows khanjars, weapons, jewellery and costume across Bait Al Bagh, Bait Al Oud and Bait Al Dalaleel, with a garden and cafe. A foreign adult pays OMR 3.200 including VAT, and children are free. Plan on roughly 9 am to 5 pm, closed Friday. Book through the museum’s ticket page .

Al Mirani Fort. The fort admits ticketed visitors every day, with a reported 8 am to midnight schedule, and tickets come from the on-site reception. Inside are a weapons museum, an open-air theatre and views over the bay, and guides can be arranged on request. Foreign visitors have been quoted about OMR 10, so confirm at the desk. Its neighbour Al Jalali Fort has no public interior and is best viewed from the harbour.

Central Muscat cluster

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The mosque is in Bawshar, around 20 km or more by road from Old Muscat and Muttrah, so give it a morning of its own. Non-Muslims may enter every day except Friday between about 8:30 and 11:00 am, and arriving at the start of the window is wise. The Ministry of Tourism lists an admission fee of OMR 8, and a charge was reported as introduced in January 2025, yet some guides still describe entry as free, so check the position before you go. Cover shoulders, arms and knees, and women should also cover their hair. Wear shoes that come off easily for the prayer halls. The mosque website gives visiting details.

Royal Opera House Muscat. Daytime tours run Saturday to Thursday from 8:30 am to 5:30 pm, subject to auditorium availability. The building opened in 2011.

  • One building (the opera house or the House of Musical Arts): adult OMR 3.15, child OMR 1.05
  • Both buildings: adult OMR 4.20, child OMR 2.10
  • Groups of ten or more: OMR 2.10 per person for one building, OMR 3.68 for both
  • Private tour in working hours: OMR 7.35 per person including VAT
  • Private visit after hours or on Friday, minimum ten people: OMR 21 per person

Reserve on +968 24403300 or tours@rohmuscat.org.om , and see the tours page .

Western Muscat

The Amouage perfume factory and visitor centre in Rusayl, Seeb, reportedly receives visitors from Sunday to Thursday, roughly 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. Reviewers describe the centre visit as free, while hotel-packaged tours are priced separately, so ask when you reserve. A car or taxi is needed.

For a guided city circuit, look at Muscat city tours .

Read more: sightseeing in Muscat and the 2 day Muscat itinerary .