A Day in Nizwa: Bits of Old Oman
Nizwa is one of the country's oldest cities and was once its capital, as well as an important centre for trade, religion, education and art. So, I’d definitely recommend making some time for it if you're travelling through Oman.
I decided to visit as a day trip from Muscat, booking a small-group tour through GetYourGuide, and honestly, it went above and beyond what I imagined it would be.
Nizwa FortWe began here, where our fantastic local guide, Mahmood Al Kharusi, showed us around and explained the history behind it. Little note that he was so brilliant, I ended up on another tour with him later on!
Anyway back to the fort, I had no idea just how strong the defence system was. It was built with a whole load of clever features designed to make it difficult to attack, including thick walls, narrow passages, traps and defensive openings.
Entrance fee: Around $13 / €11–12
Nizwa Souq & the Friday MarketWe also explored the Nizwa Souq, including the busy Friday Market.
This was one of my favourite parts because it felt much more like experiencing Nizwa rather than just sightseeing. Depending on the day, the market is quite lively, with traditional goods, food, crafts and livestock. We walked around different sections, smelled some strong scents and tried so many local delicacies, including delicious dates, tea, biscuits and other little snacks.
Al Hamra
From Nizwa we continued to Al Hamra, an old village known for its traditional mud-brick houses and historic character. We also visited local pottery shops, which I really enjoyed because again, it gave us a little more insight into Omani culture and traditional crafts.
The day wasn't just fort → photo → back to Muscat. There were lots of little stops and opportunities to actually see and learn about the area.
And come hungry...One thing I really loved about this tour was the amount of local nibbles we were able to sample. And then after, we had a proper local lunch (plenty of it too).
Final Thoughts
I really loved Niwza to be honest and doing it by tour was very practical, since I couldn’t be assed to sort it out myself. Oman is a lot of things, but easy to navigate… less so.
The tour listing at the moment is around €80 but includes hotel pickup and drop-off from Muscat, air-conditioned transport, an English-speaking guide, lunch and bottled water. Attraction entrance fees are extra.
Little note: You also don't have to do it as a day trip though. If you have more time, you can stay in Nizwa and explore independently, or use it as a base for some of the surrounding areas. But if you're staying in Muscat, especially alone, and want to see Nizwa without figuring out all the logistics yourself, I thought this was a really easy way to do it.