Tucked behind an archway on Muttrah Corniche, Muttrah Souk consists of tightly packed open and covered alleyways stuffed with tiny shops. Visitors explore independently: trawling the central thoroughfare for clothes, souvenirs, and utensils before delving deeper for Omani frankincense, spices, oils, jewelry, pots, and leatherware.
The souk features on all Muscat tours—most give guests free time to shop —and combine it with visits to other city sights such as the Royal Opera House and Al Alam Palace. For personalized attention, choose a private tour with an accompanying guide who’ll provide tips as you shop. As it’s open till late, the souk is also included on Muscat nighttime tours, with guests roaming the lanes in the evening cool in-between seeing the city lights. The souk is also a stop on Muscat hop-on hop-off tours, and central to many excursions and multi-day trips that combine Muscat with Oman’s interior.