Why Salalah needs a car
Salalah's best sights are spread along the Dhofar coast and up into the mountains, and public transport reaches almost none of them. A rental car is close to essential: Mughsail beach and its blowholes lie about 50km west on a scenic paved road, while Wadi Darbat and the frankincense trees of Wadi Dawkah are around 40km north. The main roads are in excellent condition, so a standard car handles the region well.
Pick up in the city or at the airport, and the coast opens up in every direction. Distances are easy, the highways are wide and quiet, and signage is clear in Arabic and English.
What comes with the car
- No-deposit cars available
- Free cancellation on most bookings
- All-inclusive pricing, cover included
- English-speaking support
- Economy hatchbacks through to 4x4s and seven-seaters
Where the road goes
West of the city, the coast road runs past long empty beaches to the cliffs and blowholes at Mughsail. North, the paved climb into the Dhofar mountains reaches Wadi Darbat, at its best in the khareef season when the hills turn green and the waterfalls run. Most of this is comfortable in a normal car; only the rough mountain tracks call for a 4x4.
Arriving and driving
Flying in from Muscat or the Gulf, the simplest start is a car collected at Salalah Airport, a few minutes from the centre. New to the roads here? The driving in Oman guide covers licences, speed limits and fuel before you set off.
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