1 destination · 10 things to do

Oman

Muscat is the gentlest of the Gulf capitals: a low, white city strung along a rocky coast between the Hajar Mountains and the Gulf of Oman, where forts still guard the old harbour and the call to prayer carries further than the traffic. It has no skyline of glass towers, and that is the point. Instead you get the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, one of the most beautiful mosques in the Islamic world and open to visitors on weekday mornings; the Royal Opera House, a marble palace of music; the lanes of Mutrah Souq, scented with frankincense, on a corniche lined with dhows; and the quiet courtyards of Old Muscat, where the National Museum and Bait Al Zubair tell the story of a seafaring sultanate. Beyond the city, Oman opens up within a couple of hours: the turquoise pools of Wadi Shab, the red dunes of the A’Sharqiyah Sands, the great round tower of Nizwa Fort and dolphins in the bay off the capital. This guide points you to the sights that matter, the official places to book, the dress and visiting rules that catch people out, and the right hotel, from a beachfront splurge to a practical budget base.