Top 14 Forts and Castles in Muscat

1.Nizwa Fort-Nizwa Souq-Misfah Al Arbyeen-Jebel Shams – Private Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 220 reviews · from $220Our pick

This private 8-hour drive from Muscat joins Omani history with mountain views. Visit Nizwa Fort and souq, the old village of Al Hamra, Misfah Al Abriyeen, and Jebel Shams above Wadi Ghul. An English-speaking guide such as Adil, Hamood, Khalid, or Yasser may lead your group, with hotel, airport, or port pickup included.

“There are lots of tours on offer but make sure you choose Omani Landscape Tours! We had a most enjoyable day out with Yasser our guide and saw some amazing places. He was on time and is good company, fun, interesting and very knowledgeable . He’s a really nice guy and most importantly a safe driver. He answered our many questions, provided lots of water, helped us in the souk and took us to all the best places to take photos. We can definitely recommend this tour. Thank you Yasser and Omani Landscape Tours.”

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2.Nizwa Fort-Nizwa Souq-Birkat Al Mouz-Jebel Akhdar – Private Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 80 reviews · from $212

Travel by private 4WD from Muscat to Oman’s former capital, Nizwa Fort and Souq, the ruins of Birkat Al Mouz, and the high Saiq Plateau of Jebel Akhdar. English-speaking guides such as Ahmed, Nasr, Saif, Moosa, and Khalid have led this route. Hotel, port, and airport pickup, water, fuel, and fort entry are included.

“We were looking for a suitable Oman tour for the family to see some of the main tourist attractions on offer.”

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3.Private Historical Tour – Nizwa Fort – Nizwa Souq – Bahla Fort – Jabreen Castle

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 73 reviews · from $233

Travel from Muscat to Oman’s old capital in a private vehicle with an English-speaking guide. Visit Nizwa Fort, its traditional souq, UNESCO-listed Bahla Fort, and Jabreen Castle. Entry fees, fuel, bottled water, and hotel, airport, or port transfers are included. Guides named in guest feedback include Waleed, Hussein, Mohammed, and Abdulmajeeb.

“Hussein is by far one of the best tour guides and person I’ve ever met. He’s knowledgeable, very kind and will do anything to give you an incredible experience in Oman. The tour was amazing, well organized and very enriching. We visited amazing places and met amazing people. Loved everything!”

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4.Day Tour to the Enchanting Forts of Nizwa

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 72 reviews · from $218

Travel from Muscat through the Hajar Mountains to Nizwa Fort, Nizwa Souq, Jabreen Castle, Bahla, and a pottery workshop. Your private eight-hour outing includes hotel pickup, an English-speaking guide, and time to explore. Guides such as Rasheed and Hasheem have been praised for clear commentary, patience, and flexible stops.

“Our day out was very good, we got to see many places and try food in a restaurant that we would not have had the opportunity to experience otherwise. Our guide was very good and knoweldgeable. The only drawback of the whole day Read more”

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5.Nizwa Full Day Tour from Muscat with JABREEN fort

★★★★★★★★★★4.0 · 54 reviews · from $100

Travel from Muscat into Oman’s interior on a nine-hour group tour with hotel pickup, multilingual audio commentary, and lunch. You’ll photograph Birkat Al Mouz, visit Nizwa Souk, see Nizwa Fort from outside, tour Jabreen Fort, and stop at Bahla Fort. Guides such as Khaleel, Hamid, Said, and Khalil have earned praise for friendly, safe service.

“Pick-up 8am to 8.30am Prompt, at 8am Only one other passenger, Enoch from HK. Whilst filling up with petrol, some random Omani guy clambered on board and he and the driver spoke loudly in Arabic. Almost drowning out the English audio. Turns out he's a tourguide in training. We should have been told. Good infrastructure in Oman. Dual carriageway through the mountains. First stop, walked up an incline to view a palm tree grove and abandoned 500yo village. Present day village name translates to "The Cool of the Bananas". Some Zanzibar architectural influences. IZWA SOUQ One hour in Nizwa. "No time to see the Fort (5 rials), yet there is…”

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6.Full-Day Nizwa Fort, Bahla Fort and Jabreen Castle Private Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 36 reviews · from $187

Spend 7 to 8 hours with a private English-speaking guide visiting Nizwa Fort and Souk, Bahla Fort, and Jabreen Castle. Pickup from the Muscat area, a comfortable 4WD vehicle, fuel, and bottled water are included. Lunch and entrance fees cost extra. Guides may include Waleed, Ali, Amer, Said, Aziz, or Ahmed.

“Waleed is simply amazing. He is approachable, patient and flexible. He explains the history of the Bahla Fort and Jabreen Castle, helping me to better understand the past to connect to the present. More importantly, he makes the visitor like mRead more”

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7.Full-Day Tour in Oman: Enchanting Forts of Nizwa and Jabreen

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 31 reviews · 8 hours · from $251

Spend eight hours with an English-speaking guide exploring Nizwa Fort, Nizwa Souq, Jabreen Castle, and Bahla. You will see Hajar Mountain scenery, carved doors, painted beams, old irrigation channels, and a pottery workshop. Guides have included Mohammed and Rachid, with pickup and return to your Muscat hotel.

“It was a fantastic trip with an extremely knowledgeable guide. This tour is a must for everybody who is interested in the culture and history of Oman.”

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8.Amouage & Nizwa Full-Day Tour: Fort, Souq & Barakat Al Mouz

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 23 reviews · from $170

Travel privately from Muscat with an English-speaking Omani guide to Amouage, Nizwa Fort, Nizwa Souq, Falaj Al Khatmain, and Birkat Al Mouz. Allow 7 to 8 hours, including road time. Lunch, water, Omani coffee, dates, pickup, and drop-off are included. Fort admission costs extra.

“Great combination of historic Nizwa old town / Nizwa fort with the huge green Barakat Al Mouz oasis ... with nice old ruins Special thanks to Loay for being such a great tour guide!”

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9.Nakhal Hotspring and Wakan Village Private Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 19 reviews · from $173

This eight-hour private tour takes you from Muscat to Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Nakhal Fort, Nakhal’s warm springs, and Wakan Village in a comfortable 4WD. An English-speaking guide such as Yahya, Ahmed, or Rashid handles the mountain roads and helps with the long climb to Wakan’s terraces.

“We had a wonderful time at the beautiful mountain and the old villahes in Oman .I highly recommend this trip as a must experience for both friend and family.”

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10.Muttrah Fort Entry Ticket

★★★★★★★★★★4.5 · 16 reviews · 1 day · from $8Best value

Visit Muttrah Fort independently with a one-day entry ticket. You’ll explore Portuguese-era defenses, thick stone and mud-brick walls, gun platforms, towers, a courtyard, and a small museum. The fort sits on a hill above Muttrah, so bring water, sun protection, and comfortable shoes. The ticket includes entry only, not a guide or transport.

“You can probably just buy the ticket there / or don't buy the ticket and go up as no one is validating your ticket.”

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11.Guided Walking Tour of Corniche, Souq & Mutrah Fort

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 14 reviews · 2 hours · from $20

Join Mohammed on a two-hour English walking tour from Mutrah Fish Market along the Corniche, through Mutrah Souq, and up to Mutrah Fort. You’ll hear about Oman’s history and daily life, taste traditional halwa, and finish with harbor views. The tour runs in the cooler late afternoon or early evening.

“alle Fragen beantwortet und plan 100% eingehalten, dank an mohammed”

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12.Private Half-Day Tour to Grand Mosque-Nakhal Fort and Hotspring

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 7 reviews · from $109

Start at 8:30 am with a private guide and visit Muscat’s Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Nakhal Fort, and Al Thowarah Hot Springs. You’ll see a huge Iranian carpet, hilltop fort views, museum displays, and a man-made bathing pool. Travel time is included in the four-hour tour.

“The Mosque, Fort and hot springs, all was great, my family loved it. A compact and interesting 4-5 h trip. I think the Mosque is a must see place in Muscat. Nakhal fort and the springs are about 45-50 min. drive. The Fort has been renovated, still adding exibits, but great place inside, grear views.”

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13.Private Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque-Nakhal Fort-Wakan Village – Full Day Tour

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 6 reviews · from $176

Travel from Muscat in a comfortable 4WD with an English-speaking Omani guide. See Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, explore Nakhal Fort, warm your feet at Nakhal’s spring, and spend time in Wakan Village high in the Hajar Mountains. Hotel, airport, and port pickup are offered.

“Les paysage visités sont étonnant, merveilleux, les gens rencontrés extrêmement gentils, attentifs, une journée inoubliable”

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14.City Tour of Grand Mosque, Old Souqs, Museum, & Fort

★★★★★★★★★★4.4 · 5 reviews · 4h 30m

You’ll spend 4.5 hours with an English-speaking guide and private vehicle, visiting Sultan Qaboos Grand Mosque, Muttrah’s fish market and souq, the Portuguese forts, Al Alam Palace, and Bait Al Zubair Museum. Guides such as Abdullah, Abdul, and Sharaf have been praised for friendly service, though the amount of cultural detail may vary.

“I was surprised when the tour guide (Sharaf) and the driver picked me up because this is a private tour and I am the only guest. They customized everything according to my preference and manage the timing to suit me the best. The price of the tour is the same as Big Bus. I would strongly recommend this company to any tourists. I think the fact that they are new in the market makes them pay more attention to the customers now.”

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