Big Bus Muscat Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
Muscat, Oman
- 1 hour 45 minutes (approx.)
- Offered in: English
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Overview
Discover the delights of Muscat with ease on this Big Bus hop-on hop-off tour. With your 1- or 2-day ticket, explore the city at your own pace aboard an open-top, double-decker bus. Enjoy 360-degree views of the sights as you hear the entertaining onboard audio commentary, and hop on and off at any of the stops as you please. See top Muscat attractions such as beautiful Muttrah Corniche and the Royal Opera House; hop off to enjoy Muttrah Souk; admire the picturesque forts of Muscat Old Quarter, and much more.
- Hop-on hop-off sightseeing tour of Muscat
- Explore Muscat at your leisure
- See top Muscat attractions like the CBD, Muttrah Souk, and Old Quarter
- Hop on and off as many times as you wish at any of the stops around the city
- Enjoy informative audio commentary in several languages on board the bus
What's Included
- 24 or 48 Hour Hop on Hop off tickets
- Audio guide
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
Meeting and Pickup
Operating hours
Select your preferred tour option to see hours.
Departure Point
- You may start this tour at any of the stops listed.
Ticket Redemption Point
Mutrah Souq, Muscat, Oman
Itinerary
One of Arabia’s prettiest cities, the Omani capital of Muscat is a charming blend of old and new, with historical Arabian architecture, medieval watchtowers, atmospheric souks and splendid new mosques clasped between the picturesque Hajar Mountains and Gulf of Oman coast.
Whether you’re short on time or not, taking this Big Bus hop-on hop-off bus tour is one of the easiest ways to see the sights and get under the skin of this delightful city.
Explore the traditional capital of Oman onboard a traditional open-top double-decker bus and take in the majestic views of Muttrah Corniche and the old quarter. Highlights of the tour are Al Jalali Fort, Al Alam Palace, the Royal Opera House, churches and temples Riyam Monument, and the Muttrah souk.
With your ticket, choose to stay aboard for a full loop and enjoy the 360-degree views, brought alive by the enlightening onboard audio commentary, available in several languages. Alternatively, hop on and off at any of the stops and explore the sites that interest you on foot—you're completely free to create your own sightseeing itinerary.
Perhaps hop off in Al Shatti to see the glittering Muscat Royal Opera House or disembark at Qurum to relax on its gorgeous, palm-fringed beach. Maybe hop out in Muscat Old Quarter to visit its museum and see its forts, and then perhaps finish at Muttrah Souk, diving into its tangled alleyways to browse the stalls for souvenirs and bargains.
Whether you’re short on time or not, taking this Big Bus hop-on hop-off bus tour is one of the easiest ways to see the sights and get under the skin of this delightful city.
Explore the traditional capital of Oman onboard a traditional open-top double-decker bus and take in the majestic views of Muttrah Corniche and the old quarter. Highlights of the tour are Al Jalali Fort, Al Alam Palace, the Royal Opera House, churches and temples Riyam Monument, and the Muttrah souk.
With your ticket, choose to stay aboard for a full loop and enjoy the 360-degree views, brought alive by the enlightening onboard audio commentary, available in several languages. Alternatively, hop on and off at any of the stops and explore the sites that interest you on foot—you're completely free to create your own sightseeing itinerary.
Perhaps hop off in Al Shatti to see the glittering Muscat Royal Opera House or disembark at Qurum to relax on its gorgeous, palm-fringed beach. Maybe hop out in Muscat Old Quarter to visit its museum and see its forts, and then perhaps finish at Muttrah Souk, diving into its tangled alleyways to browse the stalls for souvenirs and bargains.
Red Route Between - November to April
7 Stops
5 Points of Interest
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Operating Schedule: Departure time, First Bus 8.15am from stop 1 - Muttrah Gate. The Tour then runs every 30 minutes until the last Bus at 5:15pm from stop 1 - Muttrah Gate. Customers are advised to visit the Big Bus website or to download the Big Bus app to see the most up to date bus stop locations and timings. For live bus tracking on the day of travel - please download the Big Bus App in advance of arrival.
1
Mutrah Souq
2
Al Farahidi Street
3
Central Business District
4
Al Bustan St
5
Al Saidiya Street
6
Al Alam Palace
7
Bab Al Muthaib St
Points of interest passed by on this route
Mutrah Souq
Royal Opera House
Qurum Beach
Big Bus Tours Muscat
Qurum Natural Park
Red Route Between - May to October
1 Stop
4 Points of Interest
Duration: 1 hour 45 minutes
Operating Schedule: Panoramic Tour at 10am and 2pm from Mutrah Souq during off peak May to October
1
Mutrah Souq
Points of interest passed by on this route
Oman
Royal Opera House
Qurum Beach
Qurum Natural Park
Additional Info
- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Wheelchair accessible
- Stroller accessible
- Service animals allowed
- Near public transportation
- Most travelers can participate
Supplied by
Cancellation Policy
You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.
Traveler Photos
Reviews
3.3
based on 55 reviews
radleyweber, Mar 2024
we paid for a 2 day event..the first day we were told we will be taken round but would not be allowed to get off at any site...the second day we got off at 4 sires and at Parliament we were not allowed to get in and at the churches only one was accessible...we also got onto one bus which took us to the port at Muscat and had to wait for over an hour for another driver...
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Hi radleyweber!
We sincerely regret to hear that you weren't able to make the most of your Muscat tickets, but we appreciate you taking the time to share your experience! Our web team is dedicated to keeping our service information page up to date with any changes to our tours, so we encourage our guests to check it before their visit. Also, we've updated our communication methods, and you can now reach us through live chat or email for any inquiries you may have. We look forward to welcoming you back soon, ideally without any hitches!
Alexandra I. @ Big Bus Tours
Janice_C, Mar 2023
We were on a cruise ship and the Big Bus came right to the cruise pier, picked us up and took us all over the city and marina area. In both Dubai and Muscat we were very pleased with our Big Bus experience and would encourage anyone to use this company. Went our of their way to accommodate us.
Julie_C, Dec 2022
We turned up to find the hop on hop off was running - only optional was a drive around with 3 minutes at each stop to take photos.
Not what we paid a lot of money for!!!
Response from Host, Jan 2025
Hi Julie_C!
We sincerely regret to hear that the Hop-On/Hop-Off service was unavailable during your visit to Dubai. We appreciate you sharing your experience, as it helps us improve. Our web team works hard to keep our service information page updated daily, so we recommend checking it before your next tour to ensure a smooth experience. We look forward to welcoming you back on our tours with this information in mind!
Alexandra I. @ Big Bus Tours
VIBIN_L, Aug 2019
Attentive staff. Almost all landmarks in Muscat were covered. Only downfall was that ticket purchased was for panoramic view tour
which finishes in 2 hours.
ANJUM_S, Jul 2018
Outstanding tour - we went around tour a couple of times, got off at the pier where 2 cruise ships were docks - which ment 8000 additional people in the tour of Muscat !!! Things were bustling - It was all great !! We had gone from Doha, Qatar, found the Mascut people layed back and not too much of a hurry - enjoyed that !!!
Andrew_R, Mar 2018
Just a waste of time. not very good since the bus runs every 2 hours and they said that that day the bus will not stop in some places it will only stop for 5 minutes in some other places but that's it. I was reading the reviews about this bu tour and they have very bad reviews but I gave then a try anyway. very bad experience.
Karl F, Jan 2018
Where possible we always like Hop on Hop off, you are able to see the most of a place you visit and have choices of getting
off to explore places that interest you, then back to the next stop. Our loop took us by the Opera House, Mountain pass, Beach
area, Parliament and .....we finished at the Muttrah Souk Market - great experience,
Highly recommend
Mr Leroy R J T, Dec 2017
An excellent tour and good value for money. The ship's shuttle goes to the start point of the tour by the souk where there is plenty going on both before and after the bus tour. There is a lot to see, some varied landscapes and, of course, the opportunity to hop off if something attracts you particularly. The latter part of the tour, around the old city was especially attractive and interesting. It is worth getting off at the penultimate stop and walking the last ten minutes along the Corniche to the souk. A very attractive area and you can't possibly get lost.
Eman A, Dec 2017
There was a problem with the bus program, so we only had a panoramic trip which showed us main touristic places of Muscat. Driver very helpful. Got to go to Souk Matarh which is a great place for shopping.
Edrwin_F, Sep 2017
Tour is good, cover the main portion of the city, however there are some spots that could be considered in a future to be included in the tour, like the Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque. The staff and drivers are very kind and friendly, always helping you and answering all the questions.
Megan H, Jul 2017
My favorite way to see a city, and this was no exception - perfect for Muscat.
DennisE_C, May 2017
We rode the bus around twice and didn't figure out what was worth getting off to see. So visited the souk which didn't require transportation to get to.
Charmaine A, May 2017
Great way to see Muscat but very expensive for what you get but then Muscat int cheap. Good thing the big bus has free wifi And also free water which helps. Great to be met at the pier when the cruise ship arrived and left earlier than scheduled. Also cheaper to prepay rather than buy direct on the day
mary h, Apr 2016
Hi, to all concerned about muscat city hop on hop off bus.What can i say. this lovely open top bus will take you to lot,s of lovely places to see in muscat. They,re lovely to get round in. The souks. the parks the coffee shops, it,s all there. so a good price and the perfect way to get round.there,s always they,re very efficent and free water as you wish. Top marks.
Amanda_C, Apr 2016
Great tour although the old town was rather elusive! It would be very useful to know that the tour starts at the cruise terminal when ships are in, which is where we joined it. This info was not on the big bus web site. This also applies to Abu Dhabi
Walter B, Apr 2016
The big bus in Muscat is efficient and the staff is most helpful. We received great service from JHAY.
Gail Annette T, Mar 2016
This was a very pleasant and informative way to see as much of Muscat as I could in one whole day. Ms Aimee was very helpful in getting me set on the tour and I thoroughly enjoyed it and found the commentary excellent, especially as it was through a multi-track device and you could hear it in just one language. I would have liked to be able to see a more detailed map before hand so that if I wanted to hop off I would be able to get around.
universal, Oct 2015
A bad experience. They took me to first stop and next bus comes after 2 hours. Technically you can only go to three maximum locations ina day as every stop the bus frequency was 2 hours. A traveller can waste valuable Travel day into a hop on hop off bus, unlike other major cities in the world with frequent bus frequencies, this is a very bad option to visit Muscat.
Yvonne T, Sep 2015
I'm conflicted with this one on one hand it's an excellent way to see the city but on the other it's vastly overpriced and virtually impossible to hop on and hop off as the next bus is always two hours later. That makes it impossible to get off at every stop and explore the places there as you won't have enough time on your 24 hour ticket. Not good.
Diana Lynn G, Jul 2015
booked through Viator since it is cheaper than booking directly. we went on a low season, height of summer, so we were the only ones in the bus. we didn't hop off anymore as it was too hot and the next bus would come around after 2 hours. i think this is the only way to see Muscat in a day with the commentary as a guide. overall, i would say at this time, there are no tour companies offering much so this is the way to go. i have researched with several companies and it seems all they offer are private tours. the assistance in the bus was impeccable with the Filipino agents being so friendly. water is given for free.
John Mo, Jun 2015
Pros:
1. Free bottled water on the bus
2. Buses are clean, and the audio tour is informative.
3. Nice views of the city from the 2nd floor.
Cons: Many.Not what is advertised. The description is wrong on numerous occasions, and so this was not what I expected when I paid for it.
1. It makes it seem like the buses come regularly to all of the stops. However, regularly for them means every 2 hours, and since it is only open effectively from 9am to 5pm, you can't really see all of the sites properly unless you take another mode of transportation.
2. Also, they say there is a 3pm free tour. However, when I got there, there was no tour. I even asked the bus driver and he just told me to wait there till 3pm, and no one from the company came for the tour. Wasted a lot of time and effort trying to find this tour, which did not take place.
3. Description says that there is a free shuttle service to the Mosque. That is apparently outdated information, according to the Big bus employee. Need to take a taxi, which ran me 15 reales 39 roundtrip.
4. Only 10 stops in actuality, not 11.
5. They say they accept E-Voucher, but they actually do not. They told me I have to email the voucher to their email address in order to make it work, or print it out. In a foreign country where mobile data for my plan ran me 15/mb, it did not make sense for me to send an email. Luckily, I was able to convince the guy to just take my ticket info this time.
Overall, it was lacking, and misleading in its description.
JOSE LUIS S, Apr 2015
This tour gives you a great overview of Muscat. This is helpful for planning activities and decide where you want to spend more time.
Kym W, Jan 2015
This tour was very enjoyable. The information on the audio was informative and current.
Jean M, Dec 2014
We only saw one of the three sites that were recommended for us to see. We walked around the Sultan's home in Muscat, which was fantastic, but did not get to see the Opera House or the Grand Mosque. Without those two sites, I did not feel the tour was as good as it could have been. Overall the staff was very helpful and registration was easy at the site. The recordings were interesting as well.
Vladislava V, Apr 2014
It was great! well worth it! only downside would be that the bus was late to start with, but I guess this is down to traffic and was stopping/picking up every hour, not every 30min. but if you can deal with this it was very, very nice!
Jacqui S, Apr 2014
I loved this tour - I enjoyed the freedom of planning my own day and sitting atop the bus with a warm breeze in my face and my eyes fixed on the sights and sounds of a Monday morning in Muscat. The guides were very helpful and advised me when and where to join the buses. They were punctual and comfortable and the commentary was informative. I joined at Jawharat al shatti. (stop 3) - a good place to catch a coffee and watch the early morning beach activity before heading off. I did the round trip listening to the commentary, without getting off and returned to stop 3 for lunch; then i re-joined the bus and really enjoyed the second run without commentary and just took it all in. This time I got off in time to join the 3pm walking tour in the Al Alam Palace district - this was very interesting (albeit quite hot at that time of day) and the guide really knew his stuff and did a good job. Highly recommend the freedom of this tour.
Maria_P, Feb 2014
It was very good. The young people working there were very helpful and everything went perfect. Thanks Pia Clemens
Barbara H, Feb 2014
Very informative tour and a good way to see the very extensive city. It is much larger than you anticipate. By the end of the 24 hours we were quite familiar with all the sites. There is an additional free bus tour out to the mosque which is well worth it, a taxi can cost almost £40 depending on where you are stopping. Plan your hotel so you are close to a bus stop to save money.
Suzanne_A, Dec 2013
Absolutely the best way to see all of Muscat. Very clean buses and very clear descriptions of all of Muscat.
lesley j, Oct 2013
I was extremely disappointed. I bought a 48hr ticket, which turned out to be a waste of money. the distance from the bus stops to the 'attractions' was often too far and also "because it was quiet" I was told in unfriendly terms that the tour was 2hrly not every hour as stated, therefore often too long for some stops.
I have used Hop on Off many times before in different locations and this was definitely my worst experience.
the driver had very little local knowledge and his English was not sufficient-remember most international travellers speak English, even if it is not their native tongue.
From $85.00
per personup to 24 hours before the experience starts (local time)
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Big Bus Muscat Hop-On Hop-Off Tour
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