Muscat International Airport is on the western edge of the city, about 34 km from Muttrah. With normal traffic the drive takes 30 to 40 minutes on the Sultan Qaboos highway. Here are your options, from the one we recommend to the one we recommend least.
1. A pickup arranged by us
Send us your flight number and a driver will be in the arrivals hall with your name, at any hour. The price is 15 OMR per car to our door, so for two or more people it costs about the same as a taxi and saves the queue and the explaining. It is the best option for night arrivals, and for a first visit when you do not yet have a local SIM.
2. Airport taxi
Official taxis wait outside arrivals, with a counter inside where you can ask the price before you go. The fare to Muttrah is in the range of 10 to 12 OMR. They are reliable and the cars are good. Give the driver “Muttrah Corniche, near the fort” and then call us when you are close; the lanes of old Muttrah are easier to explain in person.
3. Ride-hailing apps: OTaxi and Careem
Both apps work at the airport and give a fixed price in advance, usually a little cheaper than the taxi rank. You need a SIM with data: Omantel and Ooredoo have counters in the arrivals hall, and a tourist SIM costs a few rials. The pickup point for apps is signposted outside the terminal.
4. Mwasalat public bus
Mwasalat runs a city bus from the airport to Ruwi bus station, with stops along the highway. The fare is about 1 OMR, and the journey takes around an hour. From Ruwi it is a 3 km taxi ride to Muttrah, or a further bus. It is the cheapest option by far, and fine in daylight with light luggage. Check the current timetable on the Mwasalat website before you fly.
5. Rental car
All the international rental companies have counters at the airport. Oman is an easy country to drive in: good roads, clear signs in English, fuel is cheap, and you drive on the right. A car makes sense if you plan to leave the city for the wadis, Nizwa or the desert. For Muttrah itself you do not need one; everything is on foot, and parking in the old town is tight. Many guests do both: we collect them from the airport, they explore Muscat on foot for two days, and then a rental car is delivered to our door for the road trip. We can arrange that.
Arriving late at night
Many flights from Europe land after midnight. Taxis and the apps run all night; the bus does not. Tell us your arrival time in advance and we will arrange a late check-in and have the house ready whenever you reach it.
Leaving: Muttrah to the airport
Allow 40 minutes to the terminal and arrive two hours before an international flight, three in the holiday season. We book the same driver for departures at the same 15 OMR, or order you an app taxi at the door.
Still deciding where to stay? See our rooms in Muttrah, or read the rest of my Muscat guide for getting around the city once you are here.
