We adore Oman, it’s one of the most beautiful countries. When people ask where they should consider that’s a bit different when travelling with children I always say Oman. There’s something in Oman for kids and every member of the family from gorgeous beaches, fun resorts and welcoming people. There’s every type of adventure too, from sleeping in desert camps alongside the Bedouin nomads to watching turtles hatching on a beach. We’ve put together our guide based on all of our experiences in Oman with kids. You can use the headings below to jump to different sections or read through the whole thing for a big, blast of visiting Oman with children inspiration. Perfect for planning your family trip to Oman.
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Table of Contents
Our guide to Oman with kids: Inspiration
Read all about our family road trip through Oman here. And read our suggestions for our top things to do with kids in Oman.
Oman’s best sites & experiences
Oman has some fantastic experiences and some unique moments to enjoy. Some of our favourites are –
- Barter for frankincense in Muscat’s souk
- Watch endangered turtles being born on the beaches
- Eat the sweetest, stickiest, juiciest dates
- Explore Oman’s amazing forts
- See wild dolphins leap out of the sea
- Run up sand dunes
- Swim in wadis
- Ride camels in the desert
- Play in games halls of some of the best malls
- Enjoy Friday brunch
Our guide to Oman with children: Videos
Check out our video all about our time travelling through Oman here –
Where to go in Oman for kids
Oman is a beautiful country with varied countryside from the rich reds of the desert to the sparkling blue sea. There are mountain tops to visit and rocky terrain to scramble over to hidden pools. The capital, Muscat is full of activities, restaurants and life. This is a wonderful country.
Muscat the capital
Muscat is a wonderful capital city, it feels like the Middle East at its best. Not too hectic and busy and retaining some of the mystique and allure of centuries past.
It has everything, a wonderful coastline, a bustling and evocative souk and some great museums and attractions for all the family.
It’s a fantastic base for exploring the country and worthy of more than a cursory glance for travellers.
Read more:
Top 10 things to do in Muscat with kids
A fantastic hotel in Muscat for families – Al Bustan Palace Hotel, Muscat, Oman
Nizwa, Al Hajar Mountains and the centre
North eastern Oman provides its rocky, interesting centre.
The Al Hajar Mountains are the highest mountain range in the eastern Arab peninsular. And there are some wonderful, luxury accommodation options springing up making this a more accessible area to visit.
If you just want to dip your toe in to this region then the ancient city of Nizwa is a wonderful excursion.
Here you can barter for beautiful objects in the wonderful souk and explore nearby forts and castles.
Sohar and the north
The north of Oman, where it meets the United Arab Emirates is peppered with beautiful little towns running alongside the sparkling sea.
The jewel of this area is the port town of Sohar. This is the perfect stop off point when driving between the two countries.
Here, the one-time home of Sinbad, you can relax awhile and enjoy the restaurants and beaches.
Also in the area with noting are Wadi Al Jizi and Wadi Salahi.
Read more:
Driving between Dubai and Muscat
Staying at the Radisson Blu Hotel Sohar
The East and Sharqiya Sands
To the east of Oman the rich red of the sands become distinct and Sharqiya Sands. Once known as Wahiba Sands it is an evocative place to visit.
Watch camels roam the land and find out more about the nomadic tribes that still call this region home.
This area also has some beautiful beaches, a highlight of which is watching endangered turtles from.
There are wadis here to marvel at and a lovely landscape to enjoy.
Read more:
Staying at the Nomadic Desert Camp Oman
Seeing endangered turtles and staying at Ras al Jinz
Salalah and the south
The city of Salalah is the capital of the Dhofar province and this region is a fantastic place for visitors.
Less commercialised than the rest of the country it has wonderful beaches and is a great place to find out about Oman’s frankincense production which this region is famed for.
In the south there are also wadis to visit and swim in and some fantastic archaeological sites to visit.
Musandam Peninsula
This is one of the least visited areas of Oman. Ccompletely cut off from the rest of the country by the United Arab Emirates it is a little piece of territory jutting out into the Straits of Hormuz.
With a jagged coastline the water here is especially clear making it the idea spot to snorkel from or take trips out to watch dolphins.
The region’s capital, Khasab is a lovely town to visit.
The best places to stay in Oman with kids
There are some really unique places to stay in Oman and also some fantastic luxury resorts.
There are hotels all the family will love and accommodation like no other anywhere in the world.
In Muscat we loved the luxurious Al Bustan Resort. By the sea with the Al Hajar mountains to one side this is a fantastic location. Kids are more than welcome here and the swimming pools are the perfect place to hang out and relax in after a day spent out sightseeing.
It doesn’t get more special than spending the night in a nomadic Bedouin camp. This is one of the most interesting places we’ve ever stayed. Going to sleep amongst the deep red of Sharqiya Sands and riding camels, running over sand dunes and feasting on some fantastic meals.
We also glamped out to the east where you could visit the beaches with the research centre here to see endangered Green turtles. This was a really special experience.
In Sohar we loved the bright and breezy feel of the Radisson Blu hotel, perfect to relax in and enjoy family time by the sea.
Read more:
Glamping in Oman and seeing endangered turtles
Staying in the Oman desert with Bedouin nomads
Staying in luxury in Muscat at the Al Bustan Palace
A stay at the Radisson Blu Sohar
Where and what to eat in Oman with children
We loved the food in Oman and while western food is found everywhere there are some real local delights to enjoy too.
Dates and thick coffee are served everywhere and we ate some fantastic houmus.
There’s lots of fish in this nation and meat eaters will enjoy the shawarmas.
The children enjoyed tasting camel milk when we stayed out in the desert.
Don’t miss the traditional Friday brunch that’s available in some of the high end hotels with endless feasts that last all morning (and into the afternoon).
Getting around Oman
Oman is a great country to drive around. The roads are very well maintained and there are lots of places to get petrol.
If you’re heading near the desert you will want to be in a 4WD and with a guide who knows the terrain and can get you out if you get stuck.
Public transport is not widely available so shouldn’t be relied upon to get around beyond Muscat.
Read more:
Driving between Muscat and Dubai
Our guide to Oman for kids: What to buy
Oman isn’t packed full of souvenirs like some destinations but there are interesting items to pick up as you travel around.
Omani wedding chests are a wonderful souvenir but it’s difficult to get original versions. These wooden chests were often passed between generations and are beautiful intricately decorated mementos given to women during marriage. You can pick up replicas at many of the souks. Nizwa souk has a particularly good selection.
Date baskets are also a lovely reminder of the trip.
Our number one souvenir though is a burner and bag of frankincense. it’s the fragrance of Oman, you smell it everywhere and it has a wonderful scent.
Read more:
What to buy in Oman….Frankincense
Our guide to Oman with kids: Itineraries
Depending on how much of the country you are looking to cover will determine how much time you want to spend in Oman.
My advice would be to spend as long as you can as there is so much to do and plenty of places for down time too.
Read more:
Our guide to Oman for kids: Top tips
- People in Oman are very friendly and warm, particularly towards children. If you’re travelling with them it is much easier to feel welcome. Talk to your children about people smiling at them or wanting to touch their faces and hands. While this didn’t happen to us as much as it does in some Asian countries there were times when they felt more on show and our youngest is quite shy so we had to talk to him about why people were wanting to talk to him.
- Dress conservatively. I was actually more concerned with this than I needed to be. People dress in a variety of ways in Oman and I had read about ensuring to cover knees and elbows but saw a number of people in t-shirts. However I did feel more comfortable covering up. I picked up some really cheap shawls from the souk and threw them across t-shirts so I could easily slip them off in the car when I was hot but could wrap them around myself when I was out and about. This was particularly useful when visiting Grand Mosque where hair has to be covered. The children were all much freer and Omani kids wear shorts and t-shirts along with traditional dishdasha.
- Always check whether you need an Oman visa before you travel.
Your questions answered – Oman with kids
Oman how to dress?
See our number two in the top tips. In general visitors shouldn’t worry about what to wear in Oman but it is worth noting it is a conservative country.
For women, outside of the high end resorts, this will mean long sleeves to cover arms and elbows and long trousers or skirts if you want to be really respectful. Even men would do well to cover up past the elbows and knees.
If you’re planning on visiting the mosque then you will need a headscarf to cover your hair as well girls aged eight and older.
Oman can you drink alcohol?
Alcohol is not widely available and is illegal to drink in much of the country.
Some of the resorts in the tourist areas will have it to be consumed on site.
Oman is it safe?
We found Oman to feel incredibly safe. We felt welcomed wherever we went and didn’t have any concerns over our safety.
What Oman is famous for?
There aren’t many unique things that Oman is famous for but frankincense is one of them. A product of the southern province of Dhofa the frankincense you can buy in Oman is of the highest quality and well worth picking up a bag of while you’re in the country (see our section on what to buy).
We hope you’ve enjoyed our guide and are ready to start your trip to Oman with kids.
I have not yet managed to get to this part of the world. It looks very tempting and beautiful! Thanks for sharing!
It’s so lovely, we wishes we had longer to explore there as there’s so much to see and do.