How to get from Dubai to Muscat by Bus
Scribbled by Claire ◊ 17 May 2023
Here, we discuss our experience of getting to Muscat airport from Dubai by bus, including the cost of a ticket, what bus companies currently operate, the length of the journey, how to cross the border and everything else you might need to know.
Although 14 million visitors head to the glitzy city of Dubai every year, relatively few hop over the adjacent border to visit the majestic city of Muscat, Oman. Even fewer take the bus from Dubai to Oman, despite it being efficient, safe and affordable.
Travelling overland by bus from Dubai to Muscat (and vice-versa) also offers an environmentally friendly alternative to flying and grants an opportunity to see more of both countries. It’s particularly useful as many international flights are cheaper into Dubai than Muscat.
We’d highly recommend it, if you’re interested in visiting Oman (especially if travelling on a budget)!
IN THIS GUIDE //
Dubai to Muscat by Bus
BUS COMPANIES BETWEEN DUBAI AND MUSCAT
HOW TO GET TO AL KHANJRY DUBAI
BUYING A TICKET FOR THE DUBAI TO MUSCAT BUS
– DO BUS TICKETS SELL OUT?
– HOW MUCH ARE BUS TICKETS?
WHAT IS THE DUBAI TO MUSCAT BUS LIKE?
VISA REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DUBAI TO MUSCAT BUS
THE HATTA BORDER CROSSING
GETTING TO MUSCAT AIRPORT
THE BUS FROM MUSCAT TO DUBAI
FINAL THOUGHTS
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Bus Companies Operating Between Dubai and Muscat
Currently, the only bus company that operates between Dubai and Muscat is called Al Khanjry Transport.
Previously, the Omani national transport company, Mwasalat, ran a bus service between Dubai and Muscat in conjunction with the Dubai Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). However, this was suspended in 2020 in an effort to stop the spread of Covid. Many blogs mention this bus service; however, at the present time, it is not running (mid-2023).
A tweet by the RTA in April 2023 confirmed that the bus between Dubai and Muscat is still suspended. However, a separate online article in May 2023 indicated there were plans to shift the starting point of several Mwasalat routes commencing in Muscat (from Al-Azaiba instead of Ruwi). This article mentioned that the Mwasalat route between Dubai and Muscat was one of them.
The implication is that the Dubai-Muscat bus might be reinstated later this year. We will update with further developments.
How to Get to Al Khanjry Transport in Dubai?
The office of Al Khanjry Transport in Dubai is located in the Deira area, on Al Khaibaisi Street between Al Ittihad Road (D74) and Abu Baker Al Siddique Road (D78). If you search for ‘Al Khanjry Transport – Dubai’ on Google Maps, it will give you the correct position.
From outside of Deira (Deira is a nice, affordable area, near the airport – we recommend it), there are several methods of getting to Al Khanjry Transport:
Bus | there are three bus stops nearby Al Khanjry Transport: Port Saeed 1 (Serviced by the 77 and C09 bus), Ministry of Environment 2 (23 and C15 bus) and Al Bakhit Center (10, 23, 77, C09, C15 and X28 bus).
Metro | the nearest Dubai metro stops to Al Khanjry Transport are Al Rigga Metro Station and City Centre Deira Metro Station 1. Both are on Dubai Metro’s Red Line.
Taxi | there are several options available for taxis in Dubai. The cream coloured, red roofed taxis are from Dubai Taxi Corporation and are the only taxis that can be hailed from the street in Dubai.
The best taxi apps in Dubai are Careem and Uber. Careem is apparently more economical for shorter distances and Uber is better for longer journeys (we could not confirm this though).
Buying a Ticket for the Dubai to Muscat Bus
The only way to buy a ticket for the Dubai to Muscat bus is by going to the Al Khanjry Transport office in person. It is not possible to buy a ticket by phone or website.
Within the office, there are two desks and a handful of seats for customers. The office was always full of people (we visited three times), enquiring about or purchasing tickets, sometimes with queues reaching outside. Don’t visit on a tight schedule! All staff at Al Khanjry Transport in Dubai spoke good English.
A passport is necessary to purchase a ticket and you can pay by card or cash. The paper ticket will have your nationality, gender and passport number printed on it. The office assigns a seat and will put groups together as much as possible.
After the ticket purchase, a QR code is provided for a website to pay the UAE exit fee. We paid 35.9 AED each, on top of the ticket price. This fee can be paid through an app, but it didn’t work for us because we were visiting the UAE with a visa waiver. The app also kept crashing, so if this happens to you, just pay for it at the Al Khanjry Transport office directly.
There is no working website for Al Khanjry Transport currently. Having contacted their Dubai Whatsapp number, we can confirm it is rarely answered; we can’t speak for the Oman office communication. There is a general email address which we never emailed as we were staying close to the office anyway.
Do Dubai-Muscat Bus Tickets Sell Out?
Yes, the Dubai to Muscat bus tickets do sell out in advance. We would absolutely recommend booking tickets, at minimum, a few days in advance of your planned travel day.
Inside the office is a large screen on the wall showing the availability of the buses for each day. The picture below shows this screen with many of the buses already full. We purchased our tickets four days in advance.
How Much Does the Bus Cost?
The price of a single bus ticket from Dubai to Muscat is 100 AED per person (about £21.80 currently). A return ticket is 200 AED.
This cost is the same, no matter which stop you choose to alight from on the Oman side (there are lots of possible stops!).
What is the Dubai-Muscat Bus Like?
The Al Khanjry Dubai to Muscat bus was relatively modern with air-conditioning and the standard two sets of double seats layout. There were curtains on the windows, USB sockets in the seats and even multi-region electrical sockets too. The bus had seat pockets and a footrest for added comfort. There was no bathroom on this particular service, but it did have decent, functional Wi-Fi.
Our Omani bus driver was such a highlight (and absolutely hilarious). Early on, he offered his coffee to some of the passengers. With border staff and during inspections, he was welcoming, outgoing and, honestly, comical. He smiled, hi-fived and made sure we got off at the correct bus stop, using pretty much no English. He was exceptionally helpful and made our day!
What Times Do the Buses Operate?
The buses between Dubai and Muscat leave at 07:00, 15:00 and 22:00 every day directly from the Al Khanjry Transport office. The bus ticket says to arrive an hour before travel for ‘ticket validation’.
Ticket validation just involves checking in for the bus at the office by confirming that you have the correct ticket. This gets marked, which the bus driver checks before boarding the bus. They do not verify if you have the correct visa, paperwork or passport (this is your job).
How Long is the Bus from Dubai to Muscat?
The total distance by road from Dubai to Muscat is around 450 kilometres. Including the Hatta border crossing, the Muscat-Dubai route is advertised by Al Khanjry Transport as taking between 7-8 hours.
For us, the Dubai-Muscat bus departed on time from Al Khanjry Transport in Deira, Dubai at 07:00 and arrived at the Hatta border at 08:30. After leaving the border, the bus arrived at Khairanth Al Hajari Coffee Shop for a break between Sohar and Muscat at 12:15. After 30 minutes, the bus departed, arriving at Burj Al Sahwa Clock Tower (Rusayl) in Muscat at around 14:15 (we got off at this stop because we needed to pick a car up at the airport). The total journey time was 7 hours and 15 minutes.
Where Does the Dubai to Muscat Bus Stop?
The Dubai to Muscat bus runs from Deira in Dubai to Ruwi in Muscat. There are 15 stops between Deira and Ruwi. If no passenger has booked a ticket to one of these locations, then the bus will not stop.
The main bus stops are Deira, Sohar, Rusayl and Ruwi. The bus also stops at the Hatta border and at Khairanth Al Hajari Coffee Shop for a break.
There are three stops before Sohar and seven between Sohar and Rusayl (at the Burj Al Sahwa Clock Tower). After Rusayl, the Dubai to Muscat bus continues to Ruwi via the Azaiba/Athaiba, Gubra and Al-Khuwair/Khuwayr areas in Muscat.
Baggage Restrictions on the Bus
We confirmed with the office that there are no baggage size restrictions on the Dubai to Muscat bus. Larger items and parcels are stored in the luggage compartment below whilst smaller bags are placed on shelves in the passenger section overhead.
No animals are allowed on the bus, along with hazard, toxic, or explosive materials.
Is the Dubai to Muscat Bus Safe?
Yes, the bus from Dubai to Muscat is very safe.
In terms of personal security, there were a few children travelling with their parents, along with some solo female travellers. Women and children seemed to be seated further to the front of the bus during our trip. Passengers left their belongings unattended when leaving the bus during immigration and coffee breaks, so nobody appeared to be concerned about theft.
The roads on the Dubai to Muscat route are mostly flat, wide highways. Drivers on the Oman side are better than on the UAE side (from our experience), but in both countries we had no worries. We drive extensively in the Middle East and are never concerned about road safety beyond a normal level of caution that we apply everywhere.
VISA REQUIREMENTS FROM UAE TO OMAN
Your visa requirements depend on your nationality. This will determine if you are eligible for an e-visa to visit Oman (or the UAE for the other direction). The Hatta border crossing into Oman accepts e-visas for overland entry.
The bus company does not require passengers to have a visa before travelling, although the ticket ‘kindly requests’ that you have one! However, having a visa before arriving at the Hatta border will make the process faster and smoother for everyone involved so we recommend it.
One Month Oman Tourist Visa – online or in-person
On our trips, we always apply for an e-visa for Oman before travelling (they’re quick and easy for UK passport holders). As we were travelling for a month, we applied for the 26b Tourist Visit Visa which lasts 30 days, costs 20 OMR and is valid for a single entry only. You do not need exit flight tickets or a hotel reservation. This visa can also be applied for at the border rather than online.
14-day Visas
If you are visiting for a shorter period, the Royal Oman Police informed us about a free visa on arrival which can be obtained at the Hatta border crossing, valid for 14 days. For this, we were informed that an Oman hotel reservation is necessary alongside evidence of an exit flight and valid health insurance. There is also a 14-day 26a Oman tourist visa which does not require return flight tickets or a hotel reservation. This costs 10 OMR.
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Check on the Royal Oman Police website to confirm the right visa for you. We have previously contacted the Royal Oman Police e-visa team by email for information on other visa questions and have always received quick and detailed responses. We fully recommend you contact them for any unanswered visa issues.
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The Hatta Border Crossing
Our first stop on the Dubai to Muscat bus was at the UAE ‘Passports Arrival’ building at the Hatta border.
Passengers enter in small groups, where the border guard stamps passports and confirms that exit fees have been paid (print out your receipt). After, back on the bus, the driver checks that everybody has stamps, then continues to the Oman border.
At the Oman border, passports were checked and stamped as usual by very welcoming staff – the procedure was quick because we had printed e-visas. It took about 45 minutes for the entire bus to be processed. Following this, all luggage is scanned through a machine. Women and children are separated and pass their belongings through first. Men follow, with Nick being asked a few questions and having his passport checked.
The border guard had one final check of the bus, then we were on our way. For the entire border process, it took about one hour and 40 minutes with a full bus.
Getting from Dubai to Muscat Airport
We didn’t need to get to central Muscat on this journey as we were getting a rental car from Muscat International Airport.
If you need to get to the airport, alight at the Rusayl bus stop (at the Burj Al Sahwa Clock Tower). There are many taxis waiting there that can take you to the airport. The staff at Al Khanjry Transport advised that a taxi to the airport should cost around 40 AED (4.2 OMR).
The taxi drivers are a little bit swarmy at this bus stop (such a rare problem in Oman). After some sketchy negotiations, we paid 5 OMR which was no doubt still an inflated fee, but much lower than the initial prices barked at us. If we had a sim card or e-sim we would have ordered a taxi through one of Oman’s taxi apps, such as Otaxi.
CAR HIRE FOR YOUR OMAN TRIP
We always rent our vehicles all over the world, including our recent trips in Oman, Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Morocco, with Discover Cars. They’re often the most affordable, plus they paid out immediately on an insurance claim we made when our car took some heavy damage in Sicily.
Find out more about why we fully recommend them!
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TAKE A LOOK BELOW OR CHECK CAR RENTAL
AN OMAN E-SIM OPTION
We are very comfortable in Oman and were heading directly for the airport. This means we had no need for data during this journey, especially since the bus has decent Wi-Fi. However, if you are travelling solo, need data to do some work, or just don’t want to get off the bus with no signal, consider getting an e-sim if your phone allows it.
We’ve used Airalo for many different trips when we knew we would not be able to get a sim card immediately (for example, arriving in Tunis on a ferry at midnight). The e-sim is a very convenient option at any land border because it simply activates as you enter the country and lasts for as many days as you request. The signal is the same quality as a conventional sim (from our experiences); we recommend one if you do not want to be disconnected.
Get your Airalo e-sim here.
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The Bus from Muscat to Dubai
To go from Muscat to Dubai by bus, visit the Al Khanjry Transport office in Oman. The office is located in Ruwi, Muscat on 2992 Way. Typing ‘Al Khanjry Transport Muscat’ in Google Maps will show you the correct location.
The office in Oman is larger than the Dubai office, with more seating, but certainly feels less organised. There were people asleep inside and boxes of office supplies scattered around. Also, the staff were not as helpful as the Dubai office in answering questions.
The bus from Muscat to Dubai leaves at 06:00, 15:00 and 21:00 daily with check-in 30 minutes beforehand instead of an hour. This costs 10 OMR one way or 20 OMR for a return. The bus journey is expected to arrive in Dubai eight hours later for the 06:00 and 21:00 buses but only seven hours for the 15:00 bus, apparently.
Where to Next?
Taking the bus from Dubai to Muscat was really, really pleasant. Honestly, in the back of my mind beforehand, I was questioning if we should have booked a flight, especially since we wanted to end up at the airport in Muscat anyway. This bus trip ended up being efficient, affordable, better for the environment and far more fun than waiting around in an airport and travelling on a plane. There were no questions about how heavy our bags were, no uncomfortable security measures and we didn’t have to throw away our drinks!
We’d really, really recommend this route, especially if you’ve been to Dubai and not yet made it to Oman. It’s a beautiful country, one of our all-time favourites.
For more on Oman, check out our large selection of posts, or start by planning your time in Muscat with our detailed two-day itinerary.
We hope you have a comfortable journey!
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Thank you, Claire + Nick
Excellent post!
I will visit dubai from Argentina, at the end of january(wife+ 4 kids), and oman is a must visit for us. im still doing plane numbers, but the chepest optoin is abu dhabi, but i need to add luggage fees, transfer from dubai to a.dahbi.. at the end, i think i;; follow your advice. i sent a whatssap message today to oman bus office, hopefully theyll reply, also they have IG, asking if the online option, is available from oman side.
But your full and detailed information, gave me a lot of data to organice the trip,specially when doing it with the whole family
we went to sri lanka last year, in ase you didnt do it yet, and need some additional info
regards