Check out the 2-4-hour walking food & culture tour by Get Your Guide for only $12.
Or for an adventurous day, Get Your Guide has a 7-hour full day of activities: a desert safari, quad bike (or camel ride), barbeque buffet dinner and dancers for only $67!
Get Your Guide has an interesting looking 3-hour food tour of the Manama Souq for $102. There is a 7-hour tour of the city available for $192.
Get Your Guide has a half-day guided tour of Muscat.
See the article, "The 14 best places to visit in Oman" from the Broke Backpacker.
Experience Travel Group describe the best times to go to Oman.
December - February
‘Winter’ in Oman means a very pleasant 20-25°C in Muscat and low humidity. Just take an extra layer for cooler nights up in the mountains. Rainfall is low, with showers most likely in the far northern Musandam Peninsula. Visit during the Muscat Festival for a month-long celebration of Omani culture and heritage. With fabulous weather in Oman in December, it can also be an ideal Christmas break.
March - April
Expect a warm and pleasant climate with temperatures ranging between 25-32°C during the day. Rainfall is very low. During these months the roses are in full bloom in the mountains of Jebel Akhdar - the scent is terrific!
May
May is the transitional month between winter and summer in Oman. Temperatures are climbing steadily, but humidity remains low. This is a month of fruit harvest, with apricots, peaches, pears and figs in abundance.
I need to check out things to see in Qatar. Get Your Guide shows a 4-hour guided tour of Doha for $85, and a cruise on an Arabic Dhow boat around Doha for $76.
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| Doha metro map |
Arabic is the most used language in the Middle East. It is a good idea to have a few words and phrases to get around.
A proper greeting is usually "as salam alaykum" which translates to "peace be upon you."
In some parts of the country, you might find yourself the subject of much curiosity, apparent from glances in your direction every few minutes or questions about where you're from. Don't be alarmed: Omanis take a genuine interest in visitors and want to make them feel welcome.
As such, it's nice to greet people appropriately. Some useful phrases to know (in addition to the essential "as salam alaykum" and "walaykum as salam," said in reply to the former), are "sabah al khayr" (good morning), "misa al khayr" (good evening) and "shukran" (thank you).
Each country has its own requirements for entry. The countries below do not require getting a visa in advance for Canadians but all require having a ticket showing a return or onward journey. It is also a good idea to have a hotel reservation before arriving.
Canadians can get a 30 day visa on entry into the country, but must have a ticket showing a return or onward journey and have a recent photograph. See the Visit Dubai website.
Canadians can get a 14 day visa on entry into the country (see the Oman Foreign Ministry website); alternately, they can apply for a tourist visa on the Royal Oman Police website.
Canadians can get a 30 day visa on entry into the country, but must have a ticket showing a return or onward journey and a confirmed hotel reservation on arrival. See the Visit Qatar website.
Canadians can get a 30 day visa visa on entry into the country (alternately, they can apply for a tourist visa on the State of Kuwait e-Visa website). Visitors are required to have a ticket showing a return or onward journey and a confirmed hotel reservation on arrival.
Canadians can get a 14 day visa on entry into the country (alternately, they can apply for a tourist visa on the Ministry of the Interior website, or by using the NPRA Mobile app). Visitors are required to have a ticket showing a return or onward journey. You may be asked to prove you have sufficient financial resources and that you have proof of accommodation.
I will detail all the information needed to travel in the Middle East.
Interested in visiting more countries in the Middle East. After
disappointing Dubai looking to see Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and especially
Oman. Look at Andrew Henderson video on Oman: Live Like a King in Muscat.
