It was easy to spot the minibus when it arrived at our hotel, as it was marked with the tour company's logo. The driver was friendly and professional, and also made sure to check that everyone was dressed appropriately for the mosque visit before we left the pick-up hotel. We had plenty of time to explore the stunning mosque, the souk, the fish market (there's also a large fruit section, if you're not too keen on fish!) and the museum. The latter was a nice way to learn a little bit more about Omani life, and was also home to an interesting stamp and coin collection. The tour also included short photo stops and plenty of views of the city. "Shukran" for the lovely introduction to Muscat! :)

I'd booked a City tour through Viator and at 8:30 Naseeb picked us up. 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 successfuly juggling western influences with Islamic ones. I'm not sure if there are any democratic institutions or if the Sultan rules everything or if there is even a demand for democracy here. The mosque was amazing but looked like a newer version of the ones we'd seen in Uzbekistan a few months before that were 600 years old. There is certainly a universality to Islamic architecture that Christianity lacks but there also seems to be a stagnation with no obvious developments in the last 500 years. Anyway, it 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.

Pretty good for the value but to be honest if you have a 2 or 3 people it would be cheaper to hire a private taxi and guide. Would be better if the guide also walked around some of the sites and gave a quick summary or brief before each stop rather than just rely on the audio. Overall was worth it and enjoyable. Bottles of water on the bus would also be a plus.

Trip was wonderful The value of what you pay is worth it Out tour guide was kind and accommodating. I have enjoyed the journey. Will recommend it to book. As this one is one of the most cheapest city tour you will find.

Was nice driver- guide. We were just 15 people on a buss. That's mean really comfortable and private .this tour was the best we get on our cruise. We see a lot.

Prompt pick up from the hotel lobby. It was nice to tour around the city, especially at night. I wish there was more time to stop and take photos of the Grand Mosque and other sights. We were able to stop for photos between the two forts, along the water. The dinner was a nice Turkish place, with good food and hospitality.

We saw a lot of the coastline of Muscat, the captain informed us of all the interesting areas and facts. Even though the weather was cloudy and we didn't see the sunset it was still a good experience.

Amazing tour.. our tour guide Naseeb was very informative and showed around the city well.. the audio in the bus was also good and gave good info about city .. bus was nice and comfortable the tour started and ended on time .. would recommend this for a nice city tour

Was expecting much more of a historic old city. This is just your typical market that you could find in Muscat. No need to spend the money to drive 2 hours both ways to see this place.

With not much time to spend in Muscat it was a good way of getting to see a little of some of the main attractions for a reasonable price. The audio in the van was informative but at times wasn't working well. The driver did introduce some of the attractions but it would have been good to have him walk around and explain a bit more especially at the Mosque. Make sure you have the correct clothing for the Mosque as this can take time to buy or hire. Take water and snacks with you as there is not alot of oppurtunity to purchase and in 4 hours you need something. Unfortunately we had to do alot of driving to pick up a couple from the cruise ship and then they didnt come off in time so made us late for the rest of tour. The museum was very good and driving around the port and look at the palace through the gates. Overall we were happy that we did it and got from it what we wanted.

Our experience was slightly different to that of some other reviewers here. There was indeed no guide on the trip, but the description does not mention one, and there is no need for one either. The trek to the Wadi is self explanatory, there is a single path and no way to get lost unless You try really hard. I found it much better that each party could choose their own tempo, as most of the trek is walking over rocks. Not suitable for people with limited mobility or poor physical fitness, for others this is an enjoyable trek and bath. In the minivan everyone received headphones to listen to audio commentary linked to places we were passing through (very good). We visited the sinkhole as well, lunch was ok. Our driver Khalil was on time, friendly, polite and helpful. Definitely a trip to recommend.

The National Museum of Muscat showcases the Nation's heritage from the earliest times through to the present day. It contains 7,000 objects, some of which related to Portugal and the Portuguese presence in the Sultanat, which naturally drew my attention. I was equally drawn by many artefacts in display in the gallery of Oman and the world, as well as three sculptures in a gallery pertaining to Palmyra. I consider the visit to this Museum an absolute must.

Very enjoyable tour, just pity there was not enough time to visit Nizwa Fort. Anotherwise recomended tour. Driver was very friendly.

Horrible from start to finish. Inefficient pickup and drop off, no guidance from the “guide”, driving that made me carsick, no water or water stops, barely any time at the stops so rushed and unpleasant. Possibly the worst tour I’ve ever taken and a complete waste of money. Would be better to visit these places on your own by taxi. Horrible.

This is a review of the Grey Line Half Day City tour of Muscat. This was not a guided tour, just a communal taxi, audio guide for first two stops then nothing at all. Your ran late because one couple we 30 mins late at one stop and then 15 mins late at another. As there was only a driver, we had to wait. Needs a proper guide to support. We realised afterwards it would have been same price (or cheaper) for a private tour!!!