Nizwa Fort
A 17th-century fort with a large round tower, dominating the old town and date palm oasis. Visitors climb to the top for views over the town, mosques and the Hajar Mountains.
Nizwa
Crafts souq, Friday livestock market and a round-towered fort give this historic inland town its fame.
Attractive locations
Bahla Fort
A huge mud-brick fortress with walls and towers rising above the oasis town of Bahla. It is a World Heritage site and one of the best-known historic buildings in Oman.
Al Hoota Cave
A large limestone cave in the Hajar Mountains near Al Hamra, with an underground lake, stalactites and stalagmites, and rare blind fish. A small train carries visitors toward the entrance.
Jabrin
A small settlement near Bahla, best known for its 17th-century castle with decorated rooms and painted wooden ceilings. It shows how Omani rulers built and lived in their fortified homes.
Nakhal Fort
A fort set on a rocky hill above a palm-filled oasis town, with a path and rooms open to visit. Nearby, natural springs and a green valley add to a day trip.
Birkat Al Mawz
A village at the foot of the Jebel Akhdar mountains, with mud-brick ruins, date palms and old irrigation channels.
Airports
Muscat International Airport MCT
It is about 107 km in a straight line from Nizwa.
Scams and safe taxis
Weather by month
Each month shows its average temperature in °C and its mm of rain per month.
- Jan17.6 °C12 mm
- Feb19.8 °C12 mm
- Mar23.6 °C23 mm
- Apr28.5 °C16 mm
- May32.6 °C9 mm
- Jun34.9 °C12 mm
- Jul35.1 °C16 mm
- Aug34.2 °C13 mm
- Sep31.9 °C7 mm
- Oct28.1 °C7 mm
- Nov23.0 °C9 mm
- Dec19.3 °C8 mm
Driest months: Sep, Oct, Dec. Wettest months: Mar, Apr, Jul.
Costs
Prices here are about 47% of US prices (World Bank, 2025). This compares a country's overall prices, not the cost of a trip.
Who can help
Emergency
9999 for police, ambulance and fire.
local government
Ministry of Heritage and Tourism
Helps with: Oman's tourism ministry. Its headquarters contact page lists phone numbers and email for inquiries, and the ministry's website has a suggestions and complaints section.
Who qualifies: Anyone visiting Oman or planning a trip there.
Phone: +968 22088000
Email: info@mht.gov.om
Address: P.O. Box 200, P.C. 115 Madinat Al-Sultan Qaboos, Muscat, Al Khuwair, Thaqafah St
local government
Royal Oman Police
Helps with: Oman's national police. Its website has a general email, a phone directory page and a map of police stations. No tourist police unit is shown there.
Who qualifies: Anyone in Oman who needs police services.
Phone: 9999
Email: info@rop.gov.om
embassy
Foreign embassies and consulates in Oman (Ministry of Foreign Affairs list)
Helps with: For a lost passport or serious trouble, contact your own country's embassy. This official list gives each mission's email, phone and address; some missions are based in other countries.
Who qualifies: Citizens of each country, through their own embassy or consulate.