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Muscat Half Day City Tour with visit to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

Name: Muscat Half Day City Tour with visit to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque
Brand: Gray Line - Kurban Tours
SKU: 8264P43
Price: 52.00 USD
Rating: 4.0 (141 reviews)

Muscat, Oman

Likely to Sell Out

From $52.00

Select Date and Travelers

up to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)

4 hours
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Get your bearings in Muscat and check out its highlights on this 4-hour city tour. Explore the best of this charming city, one of Arabia’s prettiest capitals, and soak in its setting wedged between the Al Hajar Mountains and Gulf of Oman. Visit Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, shop at Muttrah Souk, explore the Bait Al Zubair Museum, see the Sultan’s Palace, and more. Hotel pickup and drop-off, and entrance fees included.

4-hour tour of Muscat
Visit the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque and admire its marble courtyards and prayer halls
Stroll through Muttrah Fish Market and the maze-line lanes of Muttrah Souk
Chart Oman’s history at the Bait Al Zubair Museum
Stop for photos of the Sultan’s Al Alam Palace, and the Mirani and Jalali forts
Transport, hotel pickup and drop-off, and entrance fees included

What's Included

Transportation round trip in an Air-conditioned vehicle
Audio guiding in Multiple languages
Headphones for the Audio listening
Entry Fees to Bait Al Zubair

Food and drinks
Personal Expenses
Gratuities

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Start time

09:00 AM

Pickup details

Tour Start time: 09.00 Hrs Pick up start time : 08:00 to 08:15 hrs. Pickup: We pickup the guest between 30 - 60 minutes before the tour departure, We pickup from all hotels in Muscat and Port. Drop Off: Hotels in Muscat

What To Expect

Start your tour with hotel pickup in Muscat, and settle inside your air-conditioned vehicle with your guide. Then, explore the pristine streets of the city, beautifully set between the Al Hajar Mountains and Gulf of Oman.

On route, learn how the city has successfully retained its rich Arabian heritage and culture, despite having undergone rapid development over the last few decades.

Head first for Muscat’s undoubted showpiece: the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. Opened in 2001, this stunning marble mosque is one of the largest in the Gulf, with room to accommodate 20,000 worshipers.

After touring the glittering courtyards and prayer halls, continue to the Ministries quarter, home to many of Muscat’s foreign embassies and consulates.

Admire the bougainvillea-laced avenues and immaculate white buildings with their Islamic arches and latticework, and then travel to Muttrah, the commercial heart of Muscat lining a spectacular, mountain-backed bay.

Stroll through the seafront fish market where the locals trade their catches, and admire the sweeping Corniche, lined with latticed and balconied buildings. Then, delve into Muttrah Souk, a maze of covered alleys filled with stalls peddling spices, perfumes, coffee, antiques, and homewares. Breathe in the exotic aromas, and perhaps haggle for goods with tips from your guide.

Having explored here, pay a visit to the Bait Al Zubair Museum, a charming museum that charts Oman’s fascinating past from ancient through to modern times. Learn about the country’s rich culture and early roots, and then continue deeper into old Muscat.

Pose for photos outside the blue-and-gold Al Alam Palace, the official residence of Sultan Qaboos, and take pictures of Muscat’s twin Portuguese-built forts, Mirani and Jalali, perched on rocky outcrops above the bay.

Your tour then finishes with a hotel drop-off.

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque

45 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Mutrah Fish Market

15 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Bait Al Zubair

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Al Alam Palace

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Mirani Fort

10 minutes • Admission Ticket Not Included

Muttrah

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Infants must sit on laps

Most travelers can participate
This tour/activity will have a maximum of 8 travelers

Operated by Gray Line - Kurban Tours

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.

Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.

Traveler Photos

Reviews

4.0

141 reviews

Total review count and overall rating based on Viator and Tripadvisor reviews

Reviews by Viator travelers.

We perform checks on reviews

Showing 1-10 of 141 reviews

Great highlight tour of Muscat

Elizabeth_M, Apr 2024

I enjoyed this half day city tour - my favorite stop was the stunning Sultan Qaboos mosque. Do make sure to dress appropriately on your mosque.

Muscat City your and Mosque

Jacqueline_W, Apr 2024

Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, the palace and the Museum were great. The Souk was interesting with everything to buy that you could ever want. A great excursion. Thank you.

Punctual, exactly as described, friendly driver... good way to see main sights without to worry about anyrhing.

Benoit_C, Mar 2024

Gand Mosque Sultan Qaboos, Sultan palace grounds, Mutrah Souk... Aircon bus with headset guidances for city main sights.

Great experience & very...

Katarina_V, Mar 2024

Great experience & very helpful guide . Picked me up from my hotel & showed us ( sharing tour) beauty of Muscat. Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque so beautiful.

Great value introduction to the city

Marcus_H, Mar 2024

I'd booked a City tour through Viator and the tours were very expensive in Oman - I'd say double the price of most European cities so this first tour was a group tour just to save some cash. Naseeb picked us up right on time and it was only 4 of us in the group so that made things easier. Although he spoke English the tour was actually an audio commentary and he dropped us at various points to go and see the attractions. First stop was the Sultan Qaboos Mosque which we'd driven past last night and it looked very impressive lit up. It is the only mosque non Muslims can visit in the country and is, naturally, magnificent. The Sultan ruled from 1970 until 2020 and transformed Oman into a modern country that still adheres to its traditional values. There is a lot of pride about customs, dress and behaviour and it seems that the country is successfully juggling western influences with Islamic ones. The mosque was wonderfully peaceful to walk around and had lovely gardens too and the 30 minutes we had there went far to quickly. The next stop was the fish market but we really should have got there around sunrise as it was quiet by the time we arrived. It's not everyone's type of thing but the fish they had were impressive and were obviously freshly caught. I left Deb to wander round and crossed to the harbour to look across to Al Jalali Fort, one of the two originally built by the Portugese to defend the harbour. The city itself occupies a narrow stretch of land between the mountains and the sea and the mountains are incredibly jagged and rugged. We then got back on the minibus and drove to the Bait al Zubair Museum. This was a twentieth century Omani house, owned by a long standing government minister that was then converted to a museum to showcase Omani culture - clothes, weapons, architecture, trade and music and the differences between the regions that make up the country. Again, the 45 minutes we had here weren't enough but we did get an overview of the country and its people and left with a greater understanding than we had before we went inside. Next we had two photostops, one either side of the Al Alam Palace, the old palace of the Sultan that he has recently vacated for a larger one. The gardens were beautifully manicured although we couldn't go inside to see the interior we did see more of the harbour, the two Portugese forts and the mountains that both protect and stifle the city. It was actually rather warm by now and even 5 minutes outside resulted in a sweaty head! Our final stop was the Mutrah Souk, apparently the oldest in Arabia but not really our sort of thing so were back in the minibus early for a change! Probably of interest if you actually wanted to buy anything but we either didn't need it or already had it and we'd seen plenty of souks before. All in all the tour was an excellent introduction to the city and good value. There were places I'd have wanted to spend longer but by seeing a bit of everything it gave us a good idea of where to revisit on our free days.

Good and basic tour

Farinaz_M, Mar 2024

This was a nice short and basic tour of Muscat. It would have been better if the driver was able to tell us more about the places we saw. There was audio on the mini bus with headphones to listen to as we went to each location.

Excellent!

Vinay_P, Mar 2024

Excellent experience. Went around the city with the guide, who was super informative. Van was comfortable, and the timing of the tour was well planned. RECOMMEND!

A little tight but well packed half day city tour

Claire_K, Feb 2024

The driver picked me up at the precise time they would pick up, the van had built in recording as you pass along to explain what you are seeing in various languages, so it was useful. The tour was a little tight in that you only have limited time to look around at specific points, so I felt in some spots, the time was very limited. Overall, I would recommend it.

Great Muscat highlight tour

Matthew_H, Feb 2024

Really enjoyed the tour although it was an audio tour our driver was very informative and helpful. The Grand Mosque was beautiful and the little museum was well laid out and informative.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hello Matthew, I'm delighted to hear that you enjoyed the tour! It's wonderful to know that despite being an audio tour, our driver provided informative and helpful insights. The beauty of the Grand Mosque and the well-laid-out museum surely added to the experience. If you have any further feedback or if there's anything else we can assist you with, please let us know. We look forward to welcoming you on another memorable journey soon!

Half day Muscat tour

David_O, Feb 2024

The itinerary provides a good introduction to the main tourist sites in Muscat to first time visitors or those with only limited time available

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Hello David, thank you! We're glad you found our itinerary helpful for exploring Muscat's highlights. We aim to offer a concise yet immersive experience for all visitors. We appreciate your feedback!

Quick tour of Muscat

Gabriel_L, Jan 2024

This half day tour gives me a quick hit on key points of interest in Muscat. I was contacted by GrayLine on when the pick up would be taken place via whatsapp and on Viator app. The driver was a few min late to my hotel, no big deal. We started at the Grand Mosque for 30 min, although it was advertised as 45 min. 45 min is more reasonable in my opinion. Next is the Muttrah Fish Market, and it also has a veggie/fruits market next door. Then we stopped at the Muttrah Souk, one of the oldest market for 30 min. I spent two min there ND decided to go up to the Muttrah Fort not too far away, which provided some great 360 view of the surroundings, but it's 200+ steps up. Next, we visited the museum, which as a great model showing all the forts on a map. Also, it has some good info on Omani culture and history. Al Alam Palace is next for some photo time. Lastly, stopped at Mirani Fort for photo session. Overall, it was a good tour, and in the van, it also has headphones to give info on different points during the trip as we passes them by. Good solid 4 stars.

Response from Host, Jan 2024

Thank you for sharing your detailed experience on the half-day tour in Muscat! Your feedback is incredibly helpful in refining our offerings. We'll review the timings at each stop to ensure a more comprehensive visit. Delighted you found the tour informative and the additional insights through the van's headphones valuable. We appreciate your 4-star rating and hope to welcome you back for an even more fulfilling exploration of Muscat's treasures!

The guide himself was so...

DLyle_E, Dec 2023

The guide himself was so professional, well informed, considerate, knowledgeable about the area, & it was obvious that he is very proud of his city!

Response from Host, Dec 2023

Dear DLyle, It's fantastic to hear about the guide's professionalism, extensive knowledge, and genuine pride in his city. A guide who's considerate and well-informed truly enhances the experience. Thank you for sharing such positive feedback about your experience!

Muscat Half Day Tour

Swapnil_S, Nov 2023

Good amount of time kept for key tourist points of Muscat. Audio guide gives a sound overview of Muscat’s heritage and history. Khaleel was our guide and he had good knowledge of local areas.

Response from Host, Nov 2023

Dear Swapnil, It's fantastic to hear that you had a well-paced tour of Muscat's key tourist spots and that the audio guide provided a comprehensive insight into the city's heritage and history. Having Khaleel as your guide, who possessed excellent knowledge of the local areas, must have enhanced the experience. It sounds like a wonderful way to explore and understand the richness of Muscat's culture and heritage.

Well worth it

JnetAmy_H, Oct 2023

The main prayer hall at Grand Mosque is spectacular . Souk interesting. Museum also interesting. Good trip

Response from Host, Oct 2023

Dear Guest, It's great to hear that you found the main prayer hall at the Grand Mosque spectacular and that you enjoyed exploring the souk and museum. Your positive feedback about your trip is much appreciated! It sounds like you had a fulfilling and interesting visit. If you have any more details or stories to share about your experience, feel free to let me know.

Just a driver, not a tour

Mai_L, Jul 2023

This is not a tour. Just a driver to take you to the palaces. You are on your own or pay extra for a tour guide at the sites. We were given 30 mins at the Mosque, which wasnt enough time and only made a 5 min stop at the palace and fort for photos. all in all from hotel pickup to hotel dropoff was under 2 hrs. If theres at least two of you, youre prob better off just taking taxis to those places. prob cost you less.

Response from Host, Jul 2023

Dear Mai; Thank you for your honest feedback we do really apologize for the inconvenience, and we will address this issue as soon as possible so that we can give all the customers wonderful experience on the tour. Thank you and be safe.

City tour

Karen_Y, Apr 2023

Despite confirming pick up time night before, the driver was an hour late! And there is nowhere to sit or stand in the shade at the Cruise Port Gate. The tour is just a driver with an audio on the bus. The driver only takes you to the sights, he does not describe or go with you to the attractions. All the sights are good - it is an interesting city.

Limited time? Great way to see Muscat!

Harri_E, Mar 2023

Sultan Qaboos mosque was incredibly interesting! And Naseem was a very good driver/guide. Also I liked the souk and the ex-palace stops.

Good experience

Askok_P, Mar 2023

Fantastic experience, tour guide was in time, audio was good, Visited some historical sites of interest.

Not value for money

Danijela_P, Mar 2023

This tour was not a value for money since we listened to recorded guided tour and there was no guide to take us around the sightseeing places. The group had to find their own way round the mosque, museum and Souq.

Low budget tour, disappointing.

Keith_D, Mar 2023

No clothing cover advised or provided, as with other tours, wanted 16 USD, so didn’t get to go in mosque. WiFi on bus promised but not provided. Air con poor. Driver did not have good English, was not very helpful. No bottled water provided. Audio commentary poor. We booked on several tours, this was the only poor one.

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