Mud-brick forts, canyons of turquoise water, orange dunes and stone fjords: Oman is the most authentic and laid-back side of Arabia, made for a road trip.
Oman is the best-kept secret of the Arabian Peninsula: a country of surprising natural beauty and authentic Arab culture that escaped its neighbours' skyscraper fever. There's none of Dubai's showiness here. Instead you'll find mud forts, souqs that smell of frankincense, canyons with turquoise natural pools, orange dunes and 3000 kilometres of Indian Ocean coastline. It's a destination for travellers looking for outdoor adventure, movie-set landscapes and genuine hospitality, in one of the safest and most peaceful countries in the world.
The country is big and varied. In the north-centre is the capital, Muscat, elegant and full of low white houses, and around it are the essentials: the Hajar Mountains with the 'grand canyon' of Jebel Shams and the Jebel Akhdar plateau, the oases and wadis (canyons with water) like Wadi Shab, the dunes of the Wahiba desert and historic towns like Nizwa with its fort and market. Far away to the south, and very different, Salalah surprises with a tropical, green microclimate during the monsoon. You can cover almost everything by rental car, ideally a 4x4.
The best thing about Oman is that unique combination of desert, mountains and sea in a single trip, without the crowds and with the friendliest people in the region. What surprises people (and what you need to budget for) is that it's more expensive than other adventure destinations, because you practically have to rent a car and distances are long. In return, it offers one of the most beautiful road trips in the world and a traditional Arabia that has all but disappeared elsewhere.
The local currency is the Omani rial (OMR), one of the strongest currencies in the world: it is pegged to the US dollar and each rial is divided into 1000 baisa, so keep an eye on prices, because a rial goes a long way. It's worth carrying some cash for taxis, tips, entrance fees and small villages, although hotels, restaurants and supermarkets in the cities take cards without any problem. There are ATMs in Muscat, Nizwa, Sur, Salalah and the main destinations, but they're scarce in the desert and the mountains, so take out cash before you leave the city. As always, let your bank know before you travel and check the day's exchange rate.
Full converter for OMR →The main gateway is Muscat, with its international airport (MCT), about 25 km from the centre and the hub for Oman Air and Salam Air. There are no direct flights from Latin America: you get there with one or two stopovers, usually via a Middle Eastern hub (Doha, Dubai, Abu Dhabi) or a European one. Many people also combine Oman with a trip to the Emirates, since Dubai is just a few hours away by road. Within the country, the most practical way to get around is a rental car: the main roads are excellent, but for the wadis, the Hajar Mountains (Jebel Akhdar, Jebel Shams) and the Wahiba desert you really do need a 4x4, and many companies won't let you take a regular car onto sand. Public transport is limited: Mwasalat runs some buses between the big cities, but not very often. The two far ends of the country, Salalah (in the south) and the Musandam Peninsula (in the north, cut off from the rest of the country), are best reached by plane, since by road they're a very long drive away.
The best time to visit most of Oman (Muscat, the mountains, the wadis and the desert) is winter, from October to March/April, when temperatures are pleasant for hiking, swimming in the wadis and camping in the desert. December to February is the mildest period and also high season. Summer (May to September) is extremely hot in the north, over 40 °C, and outdoor activities become very tough.
The big exception is the south, the Dhofar region with Salalah: there the best time is precisely summer, between June and September, during the khareef monsoon, when the arid landscape turns into a green, misty garden, unique in the whole Arabian Peninsula. That's when Salalah gets the most visitors (mainly from the Gulf). In short: for the north, winter; for Salalah, the khareef summer. Verified July 2026.
Omani cuisine is aromatic, with Arab, Persian and Indian influences, less heat and more gentle spices. The star dish is shuwa: lamb marinated in spices, wrapped and slow-cooked underground for one or two days, typical of festivities. Also try majboos (spiced rice with meat or fish), fresh fish and seafood from the coast, freshly baked khubz bread, and for dessert Omani halwa (a jelly-like sweet made with sugar, rosewater and nuts), served with the ever-present kahwa, cardamom coffee offered with dates as a gesture of hospitality.
Eating cheaply is easy at popular Indian and Omani restaurants: a shawarma costs 1 to 2 dollars and a full local meal 5 to 10 dollars (verified July 2026). Hotel and tourist restaurants are quite a bit more expensive. Alcohol is very limited: it's only served in licensed hotel restaurants and bars, at high prices, and you can't buy it in supermarkets. Tipping isn't mandatory, although rounding up is appreciated. Always accept the coffee and dates you're offered: it's a central part of the culture.
Oman is one of the safest countries in the world: crime against tourists is almost non-existent and people are exceptionally friendly and helpful. It's a very relaxed destination, including for women travelling alone with the usual precautions. The real risks are different and have to do with adventure: the roads (stick to the speed limits, there are speed cameras and distances are long), driving on sand or mountain tracks without experience, and above all flash floods in the wadis, which can be deadly: never camp in a wadi bed or go in if rain is threatening.
Health-wise, Oman is low risk: having your routine vaccinations up to date is enough (hepatitis A recommended). The healthcare system is good quality, especially in Muscat. The main thing to watch out for is heat and dehydration: always carry plenty of water and sunscreen, and fill up on fuel often on long drives through empty areas. Tap water in the cities is usually safe to drink (desalinated), but many people prefer bottled water. Get good travel insurance. The single emergency number is 9999. Verified July 2026.
Oman is more expensive than other adventure destinations, mainly because you practically have to rent a car to get around (public transport is scarce) and distances are long. A traveller who camps or stays in budget hotels, cooks or eats shawarmas and splits the car rental can get by on around 60 to 90 dollars a day; a more realistic figure for a mid-range traveller, with a three-star hotel and their own car, is 100 to 150 dollars a day. Travelling as a couple or in a group makes it much cheaper, since you share the car and accommodation.
Concrete examples (verified July 2026): a room in a three-star hotel or guesthouse costs around 60 to 110 dollars (25-45 rials), car rental starts at about 30-40 dollars a day (more for a 4x4), a shawarma costs 1 to 2 dollars, and entry to most forts and wadis is 3 to 5 dollars. A day tour to the Wahiba desert and Wadi Bani Khalid from Muscat costs around 40 to 75 dollars per person. The currency is the Omani rial (OMR), one of the strongest in the world (1 rial is worth about 2.6 dollars). These figures are for reference.
The official language is Arabic, but English is widely spoken in Muscat, hotels and shops and by young people, so you'll get by reasonably well, although it drops off a lot in the deep interior. Spanish isn't spoken. Oman is a devout but tolerant Muslim country where people are very friendly; modest dress is appreciated (shoulders and knees covered, especially for women and in religious or rural areas), as is discretion with public displays of affection and respect during Ramadan, when people don't eat or drink in public during the day. Omani hospitality is legendary: it's normal to be offered coffee and dates.
The voltage is 240V with type G plugs (the British kind with three flat pins), so coming from Latin America you'll need a specific adapter, different from the European one. Connectivity is good in the cities and along the main roads: it's worth buying a local SIM (Omantel or Ooredoo) at the airport. A tip from someone who's been: definitely rent a car (ideally a 4x4 if you're heading to wadis, desert or mountains), because without one it's almost impossible to get around the country, and download offline maps, since there are long stretches with no signal. And get up early: the wadis and the desert are far more enjoyable early in the day, before the heat and before the few crowds there are arrive.
In the south-eastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula, looking out over the Strait of Hormuz and the Indian Ocean, Oman is one of the oldest and least understood countries in the Arab world. Oil doesn't explain its history. Oil came late, and in modest amounts by Gulf standards. The sea and a resin explain it instead. For thousands of years, caravans carried frankincense from the Dhofar mountains to Egypt, Mesopotamia and Rome. Later, Omani sailors used their dhows to weave a trading network linking India, Persia and the coast of East Africa. Few places on the planet keep such a vivid memory of having been both a crossroads of trade routes and a power in their own right.
Oman is also the birthplace of Ibadism, a distinctive branch of Islam that is neither Sunni nor Shia. For more than a thousand years it shaped the country's political life through the institution of the imamate. On that religious foundation a seafaring nation was built. It drove out the Portuguese, rivalled the European powers in the Indian Ocean and ruled an empire with its capital in Zanzibar. The dark side of that greatness was Oman's central role in the Indian Ocean slave trade, a historical wound that is now acknowledged without euphemism. To understand the country, you have to follow both threads: commercial splendour and human suffering.
Read the full history of Oman →Pick a region and open each destination to see what to do, prices and how to get there.
These are the sources we cite most across this country's guides, with how many times each appears. Hard data —tickets, opening hours, requirements, transport— comes from the official source and carries the date we checked it. Restaurant and hotel picks come from guides and reviews, and we say so on each page.
