If you are planning to travel to Oman you’ve landed in the right place. In this post I’m sharing some of the handy things to know while you’re putting together your adventure.
As someone who has not only travelled to Oman, but also moved here, I had a lot of questions before I landed with my family. The information I’m sharing includes our personal experiences and lessons learnt over time.
I hope you find them useful.
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Things to know before you travel to Oman
This guide to travelling to Oman includes tips for tourists and answers to frequently asked questions including:
- The best time to visit Oman
- Do you need a visa for Oman?
- What travel documents should you have with you?
- Where to find flights to Oman?
- Currency and cash in Oman
- Travelling to Oman with kids
- Tipping in Oman
- What to pack for a holiday in Oman
- Customs and behaviour
- Drinking water in Oman
- Drinking alcohol in Oman
- Toilet facilities in Oman
- Plug sockets in Oman
- Days of the week and national holidays in Oman
- Visiting Oman during Ramadan
The best time to visit Oman
Oman’s main tourist season is from October to April because this is when the head of the summer has subsided. But there’s a lot more to consider than the weather when ti comes to working out the best time to book your trip.
As well as taking into consideration the best weather you should not forget the best times to see wildlife and enjoy different cultural events. I loo at all of these in my full guide to the best time to visit Oman.
Oman visas and travel documents
Tourists visiting Oman from more than 100 countries, including the USA, United Kingdom, France and Germany, are exempt from needing a visa for stays of up to 14 days. Here is the full list of eligible countries.
There is no free visa application. You just arrive in Oman, have your passport stamped at immigration and stay no longer than 14 days.
The documents you do need are:
- Passports – they need to be at least two months in date from the day you arrive. However, it is good practice to have at least six months remaining on your passport.
- Bring a photo copy of your passports as you may be asked for these at immigration and it’s a good idea to have a copy with you at all times.
- Your travel insurance – I always have a digital and printed copy with me.
- A copy of your accommodation bookings.
- Your return ticket or a booking for onward travel.
You might be asked to show evidence of all of these for your whole family at immigration. Printed copies are best.
Important to know: if you decide to stay longer you must exit Oman and return. It is not possible to apply for a visa to stay longer than 14 days once you are already in the country.
How to get an Oman tourist visa for stays over 14 days
If you plan to be in the country between 14 and 30 days you need to apply for a tourist visa before you arrive. If you are travelling to Oman with children they need a visa too. The application process and price are the same.
You can apply for visas through the Royal Oman Police portal, which is the official visa application website. Other websites will charge you an admin fee.
On the home page select ‘Apply for tourist visa’, then answer the nationality questions.
You’ll be shown three types of visa. The majority of people visiting Oman for a holiday will want option 26B: Tourist Visit Visa. This allows you to visit Oman for up to 30 days and costs 20 OMR per person.
The other options are for people who regularly travel to and from Oman.
When you apply you will need to upload a digital passport style photo no bigger than 512KB and a photo of your passport data page.
Visa applications are open to residents in more than 100 counties but the online form is only available in Arabic and English.
There are different rules for residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) counties.
Flights to Oman
One of the biggest costs of any holiday to Oman, especially if you are coming from the UK, is going to be your flights.
Oman has its own national airline, Oman Air, which we have found to be a good with a generous baggage allowance, friendly crews, and good inflight meals and entertainment.
Oman Air fly direct from:
- London Heathrow, UK
- Munich, Germany
- Frankfurt, Germany
- Istanbul, Turkey
- Trabzon, Turkey
- Milan Italy
- Zurich, Switzerland
- Paris, France
See the full list of airports to which Oman Air flies direct.
If you are travelling from the UK, indirect flights via Istanbul, Frankfurt and other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries tend to be cheaper. But these can take a lot longer so you need to weigh up the savings verses the time you have.
We have flown to Oman with Qatar, Etihad, Salam Air and Turkish Airlines. Friends and family have also booked flights with Gulf Air, Lufthansa and British Airways.
My go-to tool for planning flights is Skyscanner*.
What’s the currency in Oman?
Oman’s currency is the Omani Rial or OMR.
One Rial was worth £1.94 or €2.33 at the time this Oman travel guide was published. Check the current exchange rate.
The equivalent denomination to the UK pence (p) or European cent is Baisa. There are 1,000 Baisa in one rial. Common notes include 100 Baisa, 1/2 Rial, one Rial, five Rial, 10 Rial, 20 Rial and 50 Rial. There are also Baisa coins.
You’ll find most hotels and restaurants accept cards. But if you are visiting an area where there is limited mobile signal, such as Wahiba Sands, you need cash.
You’ll find cash points at hypermarkets, in shopping malls and on commercial streets in the cities and larger towns.
Look out for signs for Bank of Muscat, National Bank of Oman, Bank of Dhofar, Sofar International, Oman Arab Bank, HSBC or Ahli Bank.
Cash points that are accessible from the street are often tucked away in shelters or lobbies outside banks, so are not immediately visible.
Travelling to Oman with kids
If you are planning a family holiday then have a read of my guide to visiting Oman with kids.
This includes places to stay, things to do and what to pack specifically for a holiday with children.
What to pack for a holiday in Oman
Packing for a trip to the Middle East requires a bit more planning than for sunshine destinations in Europe and the Caribbean. A lot of this hinges on what you wear as well as a few items that will make your travels more comfortable.
Oman is a Muslim country where it is expected that you dress conservatively. If you bare too much flesh it will be seen as disrespectful.
The only exception is if you are in a chain hotel where western clothing is OK.
In general, strappy or vest tips are a no no and you should should keep knees covered.
For more advice on what to pack for different situations, have a read of my full guide to what to wear in Oman.
Medication
If you use over the counter medication bring it with you as you may not find comparable medicines in Oman and leaflets are likely to be in Arabic.
If you take prescribed medication bring no more than a month’s supply with you along with your prescription. Some drugs are banned in Oman so it’s important to be able to prove what you bring is for personal use if asked.
Other things to pack for Oman
You can buy most things you might forget to pack. In my experience, there’s always something that drops off the list!
However there are some specific things I’d advise bringing on your family holiday in Oman:
- Packets of tissues and hand sanitiser – you’ll need these for trips to public toilets. You buy these cheaply here but bring a stash to get you started.
- Water shoes – handy if you plan to explore a wadi in Oman and for use at beaches and swimming pools where surfaces get hot.
- Factor 50 sun cream – brands we recognise are very expensive here and cheaper alternatives have left us with sun burn.
- Face and body creams – I have noticed whitening ingredients in many body lotions and face creams in Oman
- Tampons – you can find plenty of sanitary towels in Oman’s supermarkets but there are very few tampons available.
- Swim shorts and rash vests – not only are these practical in the climate they are also more culturally acceptable.
If you are travelling with a baby then nappies, wet wipes and other essentials can be picked up in supermarkets. They are more expensive than in Europe, so bring some with you to save money.
Things like baby formula and food are available but can be more expensive. The ingredients may also be different in Oman, even if the brands are familiar. Rules on sugar are more relaxed here.
Also pack Calpol – this is not available in Oman. The alternative here is liquid Panadol and it tastes terrible.
Things not to bring to Oman
Here’s some items not to pack in your bag:
- Drugs – there are severe penalties for bringing any amount of narcotic drugs or psychotropic substances into Oman.
- Do not bring e-cigarettes or vaping products to Oman – they are illegal here.
- Drones – don’t bring one unless you plan to apply for a license to use it in Oman (it will probably take longer to process the paperwork than you have in the country). Anything that looks like a drone or large camera will be picked up when your bags are scanned at the airport.
- Pornography – leave ‘light reading’ at home.
Acceptable behaviour and what not to do in Oman
Western tourists unfamiliar with Middle Eastern customs need to be aware of what to do and what not to do in Oman.
Here are some tips about behaviour:
- Men and women should not hold hands or kiss in public. It’s perfectly acceptable to show affection towards your children.
- If you are invited to enter someone’s home take your shoes off at the door.
- Don’t show the soles of your feet when you sit down – no mean feat on a traditional Omani floor sofa.
- Eat with your right hand. Your left is for cleaning yourself.
- Women should only shake hands if they are offered a hand.
Drinking water in Oman
The tap water is safe for washing fruit and vegetables, and cleaning your teeth, but avoid drinking from the tap.
Boiled water is safe to drink. Bottled water is readily available.
Drinking alcohol in Oman
Despite being a Muslim country, Oman is not at dry country. However, alcohol is not as freely available to buy as it is in Europe and the US.
It is possible to buy and consume alcohol in some very specific places. Find out more in my post about drinking alcohol in Oman.
Toilets in Oman
When you are staying at a hotel or visiting a shopping mall you will find western style pedestal toilets accompanied by a ‘bum gun’ and toilet roll.
Everywhere else you are likely to find traditional squat toilets with a bum gun. Bring your own supply of toilet roll and hand sanitiser if you are exploring more rural areas.
Hold on, what’s a bum gun?
It’s not it’s official name but it’s an appropriate one.
The bum gun – a hose with tigger activated nozzle – is for giving yourself a clean after ones and twos.
But be aware, they can be quite vigorous. There’s often no toilet roll to dry off afterwards so a miss-placed squirt could give you a more thorough clean than you bargained for.
Obviously, don’t let small children play with the bum gun – easier said than done when you’re crammed in a cubicle with little ones.
Tipping in Oman
Tipping is not expected in Oman but you can do it at your discretion for good service.
It’s more common to tip staff in hotels and restaurants or travel guides and drivers. Ten percent is a fair starting point.
Plug sockets in Oman
Oman uses British-style 220/240 AC volt three pin plug sockets.
If you have electronics with different plugs bring a travel adaptor.
Oman events and important dates
Before I jump into calendar dates, something that might not occur to tourists visiting from outside the Middle East is that the working week in Oman runs from Sunday to Thursday.
The weekend is on Friday and Saturday. Furthermore, Friday is a family day in Oman which can affect opening hours for tourist attractions and small businesses.
Oman holidays are announced by the government in the days before they are due to happen. This means some dates may vary.
On these dates you can expect independent businesses to be closed for all or part of the day:
- 11 January – Sultan’s Accession Day – a national day off. While the accession day does not change the date of the day off might, especially if it is close to a weekend. The day off will be announced within a week of 11 January.
- January/February – Prophet’s Ascension – a national day off (the date moves annually with the Muslim calendar)
- September – the Prophet’s birthday – a national day off (the date moves annually with the Muslim calendar)
- 18 November – Oman National Day – while the date of the Omani national day does not change, the days given as a holiday for government employees do. These are announced one to two weeks before 18 November.
This list does not include Ramadan, Eid Al Fitr or Eid Al Adha. These dates move annually with the Muslim calendar.
Visiting Oman during Ramadan
The holy month of Ramadan moves annually and up until 2040 will coincide with Oman’s main tourist season.
Make sure you are aware of what this means for your holiday by reading my guide to visiting Oman during Ramadan.
More essential reading before visiting Oman
As well as reading my guides about what you need to know about driving in Oman and what to pack, I can recommend buying the Lonely Planet guide to Oman, UAE & Arabian Peninsular.
I bought this before our move here and found it invaluable as an introduction to the country and culture.
More handy things to know about travel to Oman
Do you have other questions about travelling to Oman? I’d love to hear them. Comment below or email me at claire@omanwanderlust.com.
Or why not read my latest posts:
Shirley
Tuesday 1st of October 2024
Well done. Looking good.