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Travel and Tourism in Oman
Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Oman.
Practical Information
Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.
- Travel Alert Status
- Level 2: Exercise Increased Caution
- Time Difference
- UTC+4 (9 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Currency
- Omani rial (OMR)
- Climate
- Oman’s climate is one of the hottest in the world. Temperatures reach 130°F in the summer from April to October and rarely drop below 65°F in the cooler season from November to March. Average annual rainfall measures only 4 or 5 inches and occurs during December into April. Despite limited rainfall, however, humidity averages 65% to 80%. Summer monsoons create a tropical climate in the south.
- Ethnic Groups
- Arab, Baluchi, South Asian (Indian, Pakistani, Sri Lankan, Bangladeshi), African
- National Holiday
- National Day, 18 November; note - celebrates Oman's independence from Portugal in 1650 and the birthday of Sultan QABOOS bin Said al Said, who reigned from 1970 to 2020
- Geographic Coordinates
- 21 00 N, 57 00 E
- Location
- Middle East, bordering the Arabian Sea, Gulf of Oman, and Persian Gulf, between Yemen and UAE
- Airports
- 135
Destinations
Regions and cities, top sights, national parks, UNESCO sites, and festivals for visitors.
Regions and Cities
Salalah and the Dhofar Region
Salalah, the capital of Dhofar and Oman's second city, is a world apart from the rest of the country. Lush with tropical vegetation for much of the year and transformed into a green paradise during the khareef monsoon, it sits close to the border with Yemen in the far south. The city has a relaxed, coastal atmosphere quite unlike the more formal tone of Muscat, and its cultural influences from East Africa and South Asia give it a distinctly different feel.
The archaeological sites around Salalah include some of Oman's most important and atmospheric. The ancient port of Al Balid, just east of the city center, contains the remains of a medieval settlement that was one of the most important ports on the Indian Ocean trade routes. The ruins of mosques, warehouses, and residential buildings can be explored on a well-maintained walkway, and the adjacent Museum of the Land of Frankincense provides rich context for the history of the region.
Health and Safety
Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.
There are a number of modern medical facilities in Oman. Local medical treatment varies from quite good to inadequate, depending in large part on location. Many Western pharmaceuticals can be found in Oman. Hospital emergency treatment is available. Doctors and hospitals often expect cash payment for health services.