Search Flights from Muscat to Zanzibar

Muscat, the capital city of Oman with a population of about 1.5 million, is a large port city in the Gulf of Oman stretching along the Arabian Sea. The road connections between Muscat International Airport, a busy airport, and the city center are quite extensive. These routes, which are linked to both the other cities of Oman and the neighboring cities outside the country, are close to Muscat Airport.

It is recommended for you to have a guide map with you at the taxis or rental cars that you can use to get to the airport from the city center of Muscat.

Because the city has many districts, you must find the roads or the means of public transport leading to Muscat Airport on the internet.

Bus

There are 60 bus stops serving permanently in Muscat. The rapidly growing population of the city and its reputation for tourism has created the need to expand public transport in the city. Sixteen of the forty new buses built under the leadership of the Oman National Transportation Company (ONTC) have replaced old buses on the route of Ruwi-Wadi Kabir.

With the new modernized buses, the new Ruwi-Wadi Adai line was opened. As a result of increasing the number of stops, there has also been an increase in urban public transport usage. New buses connecting to Ruwi and Muscat Airport started service at the end of 2015.

Busses serving between 6 am and 10 pm pass through the Sultan Qaboos motorway to reach the airport, just like any other means of transport.

Taxi

There are few taxis in some places in Muscat, while there are more in some other place. Where there are plenty of taxis, the prices are lower because of the competition.

Muscat city is both the capital and the biggest city of Oman, so you can come across taxis very often. At least if you are familiar with the following information, it will be easier for you to bargain with the taxi drivers: if the distance to your destination is below 2 kilometers the average you would pay is 0.5 riyals, and it is 2.5 riyals if the distance is about 5 kilometers. From Ruwi, one of Muscat's most important settlement centers, it costs around 8 riyals to go to the Muscat Airport by taxi.

There are two varieties of taxis in the city; one is white, and the other is orange. The vast majority of taxi drivers are Omani. Orange taxis are local, while white ones are a bit more upscale, airport taxis. You often find orange taxis in the city. If you are going to the airport from the city center, we suggest you prefer the orange car in terms of being cheaper.

Car Rental

As a foreign visitor, you can use your driver's license for 1 month within the boundaries of Oman. You can rent a car from the offices of car rental companies in the airport or at Muscat city center. Although the daily car rental fee is about 40 riyals, this price may vary depending on the characteristics of the car and whether or not you negotiate a bit.

To reach the airport from any point of the city, you have to enter the Sultan Qaboos motorway. If you are coming from the city center, you can follow the signs of the airport by entering this highway on the west side of the city and continuing from the right lane. Do not forget to rent also a navigation device while renting your car. The car rental option, which offers much cheaper opportunities than the taxi, is also the type of transportation preferred by tourists because oil is cheap in the country.

Airport Information

The name of Muscat International Airport, opened in 1973, was originally Seeb Airport until 2008because it was located in Seeb region. Located 30 kilometers west of Muscat city center, the airport's annual passenger capacity is approximately 6 million. Muscat Airport, Oman's largest airport, is also the primary airport of Oman Airlines.

The airport has airport shuttle buses with a capacity of seven people operated by the airport which are more expensive than public transport. You can visit the official website of Oman Airlines travel agency and contact the company. Oman is a country with high levels of cars in the traffic. Therefore, Muscat Airport has a parking area with a capacity of 396 vehicles.

On the first floor of the airport is the Tourist Information Office. There is a mosque in an area very close to the airport terminal. There is a free Wi-Fi service, a currency exchange office serving 24/7, ATMs, a clinic providing health services that you can find open all the time in the airport. Showering areas, smoking areas, travel agencies, car rental companies, retail stores, playground for children are other platforms can also be found in Muscat Airport.

You can shop at duty-free where the perfume, jewelry and other things are cheaper at the departure terminal of the airport. The airport is home to world famous eating and drinking areas such as Coffe & More, Costa Coffee, Subway, DQ Grill & Chill, The Irish House (Bar), Automatic Restaurant (Gulf region regional cuisine), Curry Kitchen (indian cuisine) and idli.com (South Indian food).

Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, also known as Kisauni Airport, is an important transportation center of the region with its distance of about 5 kilometers from the capital Zanzibar. Regular flights to European cities, to East Africa and the Middle East take place from the airport. The airport which was known as Kisauni before, is carrying the name of the first president of the country since 2010.

It is possible to travel to Israel's Tel Aviv city, Germany's Munich and Frankfurt cities, Dubai, Doha, Amsterdam, Brussels, Nairobi, Milan, Bologna and Istanbul with seasonal flights from the airport.

When you arrive at the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport, you can get to the center which is 5 kilometers away by taking a taxi, renting a car from one of the local Zanzibar rental companies, or with airport shuttle if you have booked in advance

Taxi

At Abeid Amani Karume International Airport you can find taxis without difficulty, especially during flight times. The taxis in Zanzibar determine their fares based on the taximeter device turned on in front of the airport terminal; you can reach your destination with a not-so-high fare thanks to the factors such as the close proximity of the airport. However, if you still have some question marks about the taxi fare that you would pay, you can go to the information desks at the airport without having to leave the terminal after your plane has landed, and you can ask the average taxi fare by showing the address you will be going to. Another way to know about the taxi fare in advance and have a more comfortable journey on this route is to discuss with the taxi drivers waiting in front of the Abeid Amani Karume International Airport.

Car Rental

At Abeid Amani Karume International Airport or Kisauni Airport, as it was known before, generally the local car rental companies serve to those passengers willing to rent a car. After renting your car from the companies located at the airport terminal, you can deal with a local guide or drive with a navigation device if you would like to find your way easily to the center. Car rental fares are not usually high at the airport and you will not have much difficulty driving and finding parking slot in the city. This way, if you are planning to travel between different regions of Zanzibar, you can consider renting a car and driving to the center.

Airport Shuttle

The airport shuttle service is among one of the top preferences of passengers who will stay in a large hotel, especially in the center of Zanzibar. If you are not planning to stay in a hotel in the center or the hotel you are staying at does not offer this service, it is possible for you to look online and find a private shuttle company. If you are going to get support from a local guide while you are in the city, you can also ask your guide for help finding and booking an airport shuttle. The fare you would pay in Zanzibar, where the airport is only about 5 kilometers outside the center, for a shuttle to get to the city center will usually be low. On the other hand, keep in mind that based on the distance the fare you would pay increase if you will be travelling further away from the center.