Public Transport in Oman:
A Practical Guide

I always prefer traveling independently and using public transport, whenever possible. It’s usually cheaper and fascinating, as it allows you to understand the daily life better. Public transport in Oman, however, is very limited in terms of schedules, frequency and coverage. As a result, even travelers like us, who normally rely on public transport may end up renting a car or joining a tour in Oman.

In this guide, I provide practical first-hand information on how the public transport in Oman works, what routes can be covered by buses and which locations are simply not accessible without either a car or a tour. Planning the transportation in Oman was one of the most challenging part of our trip. Therefore, based on our experiences, I have compiled details, which were very hard for me to find online, before our visit. 

If you opt for using public transport, you need to relevantly adjust your expectations and itinerary. It can be used to reach major destinations, but if you wish to visit smaller towns, villages and natural attractions, you will have to combine buses with shared taxis and organized tours,in order to get around. 

See my full first-hand Oman travel guide for information on visas, safety, costs, accommodation, and realistic itineraries.

Hiring a Car in Oman: When Public Transport is Limited

Hiring a car is especially important, if you plan to travel to mountainous areas near Nizwa (Jebel Shams, Jebel Akhdar, Wakan village, etc). For this you would need to be a confident driver and preferably hire a 4×4 vehicle. Please, note that in Jebel Akhdar police has checkpoints to ensure that no one drives without a 4×4 vehicle. You can technically drive to other areas with a smaller car, but that is considered high risk.

Intercity Buses in Oman

Buses among major Omani cities exist although they aren’t frequent or convenient, thus planning your routes in advance is essential. Mwasalat is the only company operating buses between cities. The company has an official website, as well as an app. We were unable to buy tickets online at the time we traveled, as it didn’t accept my non-Omanese phone number. However, upon checking recently, I am now able to indicate my number and sign into the Mwasalat account, so I am guessing you can buy tickets online without issues.

Buying tickets is also possible at the bus stations, as well as on the bus itself, if you board at a spot with no bus station. You will need to have your passport with you for this, as they will write down the details of your identification.

Seating Arrangements on the Buses

Buses in Oman have certain rules for men and women – namely, the front of the bus is for women and families to sit, while the back half of the bus is for single men. This is considered as the best arrangement for safety. If you are traveling as a couple, like us, you can sit in the front half of the bus. 

One thing we noted – Omani men, even single, sat in the front half, while all migrant men had to sit in the back.

How to travel from Muscat to Dubai

Bus #201 runs between Muscat and Dubai 3 times a day. There are morning, afternoon and evening departures, whichever time of day you prefer to travel. It runs between Al Azaiba bus station in Muscat and Anu Heil bus station in Dubai. The route also passes Dubai international airport, as well as Muscat international airport, which makes things more convenient for travelers.

How to Travel from Muscat to Nizwa

Two buses #53 and #54 run daily on the Muscat-Nizwa route, with morning and afternoon departures in either direction. Buses leave Muscat’s Al Azaiba station and travel via Muscat airport. In Nizwa Souq 3 bus stop is closest to the fort, so if you are staying in that area, I suggest to hop off there. However, when travelling back to Muscat, I don’t recommend trying to take a bus from anywhere but the Firq station. This way you will make sure that you don’t miss a bus just because a driver doesn’t stop for you (like it happened to us in Sur). Besides, you will have more information on delays, as this is not available online. When we traveled, the bus from Muscat was delayed by over half an hour, while from Nizwa – by over an hour. Interestingly, this seems to be pretty common on Nizwa route. 

If you have limited time and want to explore Nizwa and its surroundings on a day trip from Muscat, you can book a private tour, although this will be a significantly more expensive option.

How to Travel from Muscat to Sur 

Two busses a day -#36 and #55 – connect Muscar and Sur. Both buses leave Muscat’s Azaiba station, however they take different routes: #36 leaving Muscat in the afternoon travels via Ruwi bus station and follows the coast, while #55 leaving Muscat in the morning takes a longer dessert road.

In Sur buses depart from the Sur station. In this case, the afternoon bus takes the dessert road, while the morning one – dessert road. Check the routes on the Mwasalat website when purchasing to make sure.

There were no delays on this route, unlike in case of Nizwa, when we took them. 

How to Travel from Muscat to Salalah

Two buses a day run between Muscat and Salalah as #100. The trip takes about 13 hours – certainly a very tiring route. Therefore I highly recommend flying instead. Omanair operates domestic flights and it takes only about an hour, as opposed to exhausting 13 hours on the road. The carrier is decent – we encountered no major issues with them.

Except for the above-listed major bus routes, there are a few other destinations covered by buses, including Buraimi, Shannas, Yanqul, etc. It’s pretty easy to find them using the Mwasalat website. However, they are rather limited in terms of road coverage, as well as frequency.

Locations in Oman without Public Transport Access

There are a number of tourist destinations in Oman, which unfortunately can’t be reached with public transport. This makes either driving or guided tours the only available options. We also had to look for alternatives.

Here is a list of the most famous tourist destinations and transport options:

• Wadi Shab – This destination is difficult to get to by public transport. You could technically take #36 from from Sur in the morning. Then you could take a taxi from Tiwi. However, you would then have to wait for the same bus coming from Muscat. This is a very hard route and if anything goes wrong, you could be stranded or have to find a shared taxi in Tiwi.
• Bimmah Sinkhole – Similarly to Wadi Shab, you could take bus #36 from Sur to Dibab or Bimmah in the morning and then wait for the same bus to circle around coming from Muscat. This also is a rather complicated undertaking.

• Wadi Bani Khalid – It’s impossible to get here by public transport. Unless you travel closer and then hire a taxi. I would not attempt this.
• Wahiba Sands – You can get here by taking bus #55 from either Sur or Muscat to Bydiah. However, it’s not a short ride after this, so you would need taxis from there. 

A tour is the main way of getting to Wadi Bani Khalid and Wahiba Sands. Consider a day trip from Muscat with this group tour. 

• Jebel Shams – This gorgeous mountaneous area is impossible to visit without having a 4×4 vehicle. Therefore, if you aren’t driving, you will have to join a relevant tour. Here’s a great option via GetYourGuide.
• Jebel Akhdar – This is another very difficult destination requiring a 4×4 vehicle. Check out this tour for it.

One of the main issues with joining tours is that they mainly run from Muscat, given that only a handful of tourists stay in either Nizwa or Sur. Therefore, you will have a difficulty finding tours starting from outside Muscat. 

Shared Taxis in Oman

When bus schedules are inconvenient for you, your backup option could be shared taxis. This is not the fastest option by far, as you will have to wait for other people to fill the car, which in some cases may not happen for a very long time.

In Muscat, you will find the following major shared taxi stations: 

• Muscat to Sur shared taxi station is around the Wadi Adai roundabout
• Shared taxis heading to Nizwa can be found around Burj Al Sahwa roundabout.

In Nizwa you will find following shared taxi stations

• Near Bank Dhafar – from where you can go to Al Hamra, Bahla fort or Birkat al Mouz. The entire taxi price is fixed at 4 rials from what we understood. If you wait for other people, it would end up being 1 rial per person for either of those destinations. However, while we were there, we saw no one using these shared taxis, so we had to pay for the car.
• To go from Nizwa to Muscat, the shared taxi stop is near Firq bus station.

Buses in Muscat

Similar to the intercity buses, Muscat bus network is limited. Buses run infrequently – you may have to wait for half an hour for one to show up. However they do operate and can save you a lot of money.

As a tourist in Muscat you will only need a couple of bus routes:

• A1 – runs from the airport to Ruwi station via Sultan Qaboos highway. It costs 500 baisa. If you are staying at a hotel in Al Khuwair or Al Gubra, this will be quite convenient for you, like it was for us. We took it from/to the airport, to malls, as well as to the Sultan Qaboos Mosque.
• #1 – runs on the similar route as A1 inside the city except going to the airport.
• #4 – runs from Ruwi bus station to Mutrah. It covers Suq, Corniche, National Museum of Oman, etc.

These were the only routes we used, although there are several others covering the city, just less the areas, where most tourists go. Check Mwasalat website for more details  on your destinations.

We found city buses to be new, clean and well organized. The main downside was the temperature though – it was freezing inside. We always carried jackets to wear on the buses and inside the shopping malls, which were similarly cold. 

If buses don’t cover your route, you can take taxis in Muscat. If you hop into one on the street, make sure to negotiate the price in advance, as they have no meters. This is of course a huge hassle. You can also use the taxi app – we used Otaxi a few times without any issues.

See Also

Oman Travel Guide: Essential Tips for Planning Your Trip

Independent, practical travel guide to Oman based on first-hand experience, with visas, costs, safety, accommodation, and itinerary tips.

Hello I am Ket,

A traveler, planner, and sweet tooth behind Hit the Road Ket.

Travel isn’t just my passion – it’s a lifeline for my mental health. Having lived in three cities and explored 60 countries (and counting!), I created this blog to share my experiences, smart tips, and itinerary advice with fellow travel lovers.

I’m all about making the most of limited time, finding scenic routes, and turning every trip into something memorable – coffee in hand, of course.