Oman 4 Day Itinerary
Four days in Oman covers more than most travellers expect: a medieval souk, a cliff-edge mountain resort at 2,000 metres, green turtles nesting by torchlight, and a fort whose 17th-century tower is open to climb. The country rewards unhurried driving, and having a rental car for days two through four transforms the itinerary.
Before You Travel
Many nationalities can obtain a tourist visa on arrival at Muscat International Airport (MCT) for a 30-day stay. An e-visa is also available in advance through Oman’s Royal Police portal. The Omani Rial (OMR) is one of the world’s highest-valued currencies; 1 OMR is approximately USD 2.60. Credit cards are widely accepted in Muscat, Nizwa, and at major sites, but carry cash for markets and remote areas. Arabic is official but English is widely spoken in tourist contexts. Dress modestly throughout: covered shoulders and knees in public, with a headscarf for women inside mosques.
Day 1: Muscat
The Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque is the right starting point. Built in white marble over six years and completed in 2001, it can hold 20,000 worshippers. Non-Muslim visiting hours are 08:00 to 11:00, Saturday to Thursday (closed Friday). Entry was free at time of writing, though a temporary entry fee of 8.400 OMR was trialled briefly in January 2025 and may return; check current policy before visiting. Dress code for all visitors is strict: men need long trousers and a shirt; women need full arm and leg cover plus a head covering.
Muttrah Souk in the old port neighbourhood is Muscat’s most atmospheric market. It is one of the oldest souks in the Arabian Peninsula, a dense warren of covered lanes selling frankincense (Oman is the world’s most significant producer of high-grade boswellia frankincense), silver khanjar daggers, woven textiles, and dried spices. Prices are not fixed; bargaining is expected, but the opening asks are rarely outrageous by regional standards.
Avoid the temptation of Al Alam Palace. The royal palace is closed to the public and the exterior view, while photogenic, takes 10 minutes. The Sultan’s Armed Forces Museum (entrance around 2 OMR) nearby is a more substantial half-hour and gives good context on Oman’s recent history under Sultan Qaboos.
Dinner: Kargeen Caffe in Al Khuwair serves traditional Omani dishes (shuwa, slow-cooked lamb; mashuai, grilled kingfish with lemon rice; and the cardamom-perfumed kahwa coffee) in an open courtyard setting with reasonable prices (OMR 5-12 per main course). It books up on Thursday and Friday evenings; arrive early or reserve.
Day 2: Nizwa and Jebel Akhdar
Rent a car the previous evening or first thing this morning. The drive from Muscat to Nizwa takes about 90 minutes on Route 15.
Nizwa Fort was built in the 17th century, and the main circular tower, 30 metres tall and the largest in Oman, was specifically designed to make cannon positions difficult for attackers. Entry is 5 OMR. The views from the top over the date palm oasis and the Al Hajar Mountains are the best free photograph in the interior. The adjacent Nizwa Souk is active on Friday mornings (the traditional goat and cattle market) but open daily for handicrafts, copper goods, and the carved wooden chests unique to this region.
Jebel Akhdar (the Green Mountain) is two hours from Nizwa by road, but the last section up the mountain requires a 4WD vehicle. The Royal Oman Police checkpoint at the base turns back cars without high-clearance 4WD. If your rental car is a standard saloon, hire a local driver at the checkpoint village of Birkat Al Mouz for around OMR 15-20 return. The plateau at 2,000 metres supports rose gardens, apricot orchards, and traditional villages clinging to cliff edges. The Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort has the most spectacular position on the planet’s edge, with its terraces dropping sheer into a 1,000-metre canyon. Non-guests can visit the resort for afternoon tea (OMR 20-25 per person) and the view alone justifies it.
Sleep in Nizwa or, for a more memorable night, book a room at Alila Jabal Akhdar on the plateau (rates from USD 250-400 per night including breakfast).
Day 3: Wadi Bani Khalid and Coastal Drive to Sur
Head east from Nizwa on Route 23 toward Sur. Wadi Bani Khalid is roughly 200 km from Nizwa (about two hours), a detour north off the main road. The wadi holds clear pools of blue-green water in a narrow palm-lined gorge, swimmable year-round because they are fed by underground springs rather than seasonal rain. It is one of Oman’s few wadis where swimming is consistently good even in summer. Modest swimwear is appropriate; the site is popular with Omani families.
Al-Hoota Cave, near Nizwa on the way out, is the largest natural cave in Oman with guided tours of lit stalactite chambers. Entry around OMR 5. Allow 90 minutes including the tour.
Continue to Sur for the night. Sur is an old seafaring town historically connected to Zanzibar and East Africa; the dhow-building yard at Sindbad’s Dhow Factory still constructs traditional wooden vessels using skills that have not substantially changed in centuries. Entry is free; the craftsmen work in the open and are accustomed to visitors. Arrive before 15:00 to see active work.
Where to Stay in Sur: Al Ayjah Plaza Hotel or Sur Plaza Hotel both offer comfortable rooms with sea views for OMR 35-60 per night.
Day 4: Ras Al Jinz Turtle Reserve and Departure
Ras Al Jinz is 75 km south of Sur, about 45 minutes by road. It is one of the most significant green turtle (Chelonia mydas) nesting sites in the Indian Ocean. Females come ashore to lay eggs throughout the year, with peak nesting from May to October. Night tours (21:00 and again around midnight) bring small groups of maximum 25 people to the beach under red-filtered torchlight to watch nesting females, which can weigh 150 kg and lay over 100 eggs in a single clutch. Tour price is 7 OMR per adult for day visitors; overnight stays in the reserve’s own accommodation (OMR 75-100 per room) include both the dawn and evening sessions.
Book the night tour in advance through the official Ras Al Jinz website. Demand exceeds spaces at peak season. Photography without flash is permitted; tripods and long exposures are the only practical option in these lighting conditions.
The dawn tour is the more reliable option for actually seeing turtles: nesting females that started at midnight are still present at first light, and hatchlings from earlier clutches sometimes emerge at dawn. Spend the morning watching the sunrise over the Arabian Sea and the coastline, then drive north to Muscat for your flight.
Practical tip for the drive: The route from Ras Al Jinz to Muscat via Sur and Route 17 takes approximately four hours without stops. Allow five to six hours if you want to stop at Qalhat, the UNESCO-listed remains of a 13th-century port city at the edge of the Gulf of Oman, which sits right on the coastal road and costs nothing to walk around.