Muscat

By air

Muscat International Airport (MCT)

MCT to Muttrah: one taxi or ride-hailing car, 35–60 minutes for about 40 km; taxis often have no meter, so agree the fare before you get in.

Passes

No pass. Agree the fare for street taxis; ride-hailing apps show the fare upfront.

Late at night

No rail; ride-hailing and taxis run all night, with fewer cars after midnight.

Muttrah Fish Market

Go at first light to see the catch and eat grilled fish nearby; by late morning the trade is over.

Muttrah

First-timers: a staffed 24h hotel near the Corniche; souq and fish market are a walk, and a car reaches the door.

Shatti Al Qurum

Beach-front resort area with larger hotels and a 24h desk; quieter, but every sight is a 15–25 minute car ride.

Etiquette

• Greeting: 'As-salaam alaykum' and a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Initiating handshakes or hugs across genders
• Hospitality: Accept coffee and a date; sit where you are shown; avoid: Refusing all hospitality or offering money to a host
• Dress: Long trousers or skirts and covered shoulders in towns and villages; avoid: Beachwear in souqs, villages and malls
• Right hand: Eat, give and receive with the right hand; avoid: Passing things with the left
• Photography: Ask first; photograph buildings and landscapes freely; avoid: Photographing women, military sites or palaces
• Mosques: Visit only at posted hours, covered, shoes off; avoid: Entering during prayers or outside visitor hours
• Villages and falaj: Stay on paths, keep the falaj water clean; avoid: Swimming or washing in falaj channels, walking through private gardens
• Couples: Keep affection private; avoid: Kissing or cuddling in public

Red lines

• Grand Mosque: covered arms and legs, hair covered for women, shoes off, silence.
• Alcohol only in licensed hotels and restaurants; no drinking in public.
• Do not photograph military or police areas; ask before photographing people.

Scams (Oman page)

• No-meter taxi fare: Agree the price before the door closes or book through an app; airport taxis run on a fixed tariff.
• Hire-car damage claims: Film the car at pickup, including tyres and underbody; read the off-road exclusions.
• Unlicensed wadi and desert guides: Book licensed operators through your hotel; agree what 'dune bashing' includes and the price per car.
• Fake eVisa sites: Use only evisa.rop.gov.om; visa-free passports need nothing in advance.
• Frankincense and silver quality: Top Hojari frankincense is pale green-white; old 'antique' khanjars are usually new — buy for the look, not the story.