Your Ultimate Oman Transportation Guide: Muscat without a car

Public transportation in Oman is poor. That’s what I experienced on my trip there in April 2024. The bus system that exists in Muscat has only developed within the last few years. The roads and highways are all very new developments.
With travel transportation in Oman, there are unfortunately only a few options you can use. The most common option is renting a car. It is relatively cheap, fuel is also no bargain. However, it is not the most sustainable option, especially if you are a solo traveler. But here will give you insights of transportation options in Oman and car-free traveling in Muscat.

Watch out for taxis in Muscat

In Muscat, it is very easy to get a taxi. But watch out, they can really rip you off. Always ask for the price before you get in and bargain! Catching a taxi from the streets or the airport is not ideal. I even heard stories of taxi drivers lying to tourists “the bus isn’t running” in order to get customers. So don’t even listen to taxi drivers.

It is better to download the app Otaxi or Tasleem Taxi. The fares are much cheaper when you book a taxi through the app. You can still pay cash or add your credit card. It’s best to set it up before your trip and so you can catch a taxi from the airport. Which leads me to my next recommendation: Otaxi Taxis can’t come directly to the airport or to hotels. You need to walk a bit away from those hotspots to get a Otaxi.

Public Transportation in Muscat and beyond

The bus system consists of a few lines that run more or less some routes. It is not very well developed for a big city. But Omanis do not really use buses. Indians, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis mainly used it. From and to Mutrah souq also tourists enjoy the limited public transport.
If you want to use the buses in Muscat it’s best to download the Mwasalat bus app on Google Play or App Store. It is more reliable to look up the bus times on the app than on google maps. But unfortunately, even there the bus times aren’t always accurate. It could happen that buses are up to 20-30 minutes late. The bus fare depends on the distance of your travel: it is between 300 and 500 Baisa. The typical fare is 300 Baisa.

You can pay with cash or with a card, although on some buses the card machine doesn’t work. So it’s always good to have cash ready, preferably 1 Rial notes or Baisa notes. Bus drivers aren’t happy if you give them big bills. 

Note for solo female travelers: if you get on the bus, sit in the front. It is the designated area for women to sit. In the back are only men. To get on the bus is safe, also during the evening hours.

Good news about your future travels in Oman: there is a Metro construction plan in Muscat going on. With plans to link the railway with Saudi and the UAE. 

Shared taxi buses in Muscat – alternative transportation option

Another transportation option is small shared buses that I like to call Collectivos. Usually the Indian, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis workers use them. If you are a female traveler, again, sit in the front! You can usually wave these taxis down at bus stops. The drivers usually speak decent English. You can simply ask them which direction they go. I took my first Collectivo from the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque in Muscat to Ruwi. The local driver kept talking to me about Islam and gave me some tips for my visit to the Grand Mosque that I’ve planned. And at the end he gave me a fair price of ½ Rial, not as previously said, 1 Rial.

Car rental in Oman is a popular transportation option

Arriving in Oman you have at the airport the option to rent a car. Which I think is a bit sad, because it gives tourists the option to immediately hide in their vehicle and drive from attraction to attraction. When you travel like this, it seems hard for me to really expose yourself to the country and culture.
However, you can also rent a car from your place of accommodation. The receptionists often know someone who that has rental business and they get discounts. The cheapest rental price for one day is 12 Rial (around 30 Euro) and the car gets delivered directly to the hotel. 

Fortunately, the price of gas in Oman is not very high. Make sure you get a car with a full tank of gas and that you can return it with a full tank. When I rented a car, I had the option of renting it full or empty. If I had picked it up empty, I would have returned it empty. Which seemed odd to me since I didn’t know how far I would drive to empty the tank.

Renting a motorcycle in Oman

My dream was to travel by motorcycle off-roading in Oman. Unfortunately, I’m still dreaming. If you are also dreaming about that, I will save you some hustle and tell you there is no motorcycle rental shop. But there is hope! Not cheap though. You can rent a motorcycle in Dubai and travel to Oman. The company could also transfer the bike to Oman, but you would need to pay for the transfer. There is another company that offers guided tours on a motorcycle. They have different packages. A 2 days off-road trip with camping is around 260 Rial (around 600 Euro), and food is excluded. 

A more independent option is to rent a motorcycle through the Oman Association of motorcycle. From there you can rent motorcycles from private persons. They need to know the approximate route that you will go. The price depends, of course, on the bike, but you can expect that it starts from 100 euros a day. 

Don’t forget your international driver’s license if you rent a vehicle in Oman!

Hitchhiking in Oman (experiences from a solo female traveler)

Hitchhiking is probably a less popular travel option. Which doesn’t mean that it isn’t safe. I always felt very safe and comfortable while hitchhiking in Oman. Unfortunately, Omanis do not really understand the concept of hitchhiking and will often go the extra mile for you. Which is good for you. But when you combine it with a sustainable approach, it’s not so good. Omanis are super helpful and kind. If you only walk in the streets in the heat and with your luggage, they will stop with their car and ask you if you need help.

Once an Omani asked me to pay for gas in order to drive me to the 100 km distance city. Sometimes it’s hard to find a ride that goes anyway to the destination you want to go to. 

Overall, you can easily explore Oman with a car. Camping is also for free, which makes it a perfect country for adventurous outdoor-travelers. However, if you are a public transportation lover, you better look for another country to travel to.