The Oman National Day 2026 holiday falls on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November, which gives a four-day break with the weekend. Here are eight short trips from Muscat — Salalah, Jebel Akhdar, Wahiba Sands, Khasab, Sur and Ras al Jinz, Dubai or Abu Dhabi, Doha and Istanbul — with real flight times, rough budgets, who each one suits and how to book before the holiday fares climb.
Every November the same thing happens in Muscat offices: someone checks the calendar, sees that the National Day break has landed next to the weekend, and within an hour half the team is looking at flights. This year the timing is generous. The Oman National Day 2026 holiday falls on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November, so with Friday and Saturday you get four clear days off — enough for the mountains, the desert, the Dhofar coast or a city break abroad.
Four days are also short: long drives and sold-out camps can eat half of your break. Below are eight short trips from Muscat that fit comfortably into the holiday — five inside Oman and three just across the Gulf — each with the real travel time, a rough budget per person, who it suits and one booking tip. Then comes the part that saves the most money: when holiday fares climb, and a timeline for booking before they do.
Checked on 31 October 2026. The holiday dates come from the Ministry of Labour’s 2026 calendar, confirmed again in the press on 22 October. Fares are the lowest one-way economy prices the airlines’ own calendars showed on 31 October — they change every day and rise around the holiday. Budgets are our rough estimates per person, not quotes. Always confirm schedules with the airline before you travel.
The 2026 long weekend at a glance
- 20 November
- Oman National Day itself (Royal Decree 15/2025)
- 25–26 Nov 2026
- Official public holiday, Wednesday and Thursday
- 4 days off
- Wed 25 – Sat 28 Nov, back to work Sunday 29 Nov
- 1 h 05 – 1 h 40
- Flight time from Muscat to Khasab or Salalah
- 2–3 h
- Drive to Jebel Akhdar, Wahiba Sands or Sur
- from OMR 22
- Lowest one-way fare seen, Muscat → Khasab (Oman Air)
When is the Oman National Day 2026 holiday?
Oman celebrates its National Day on 20 November, the date that marks the founding of the Al Busaidi state in 1744. The date was fixed by Royal Decree 15/2025, which replaced the old 18 November celebration and set the National Day holiday as 20 and 21 November. In 2026 those two days fall on a Friday and Saturday — already the weekend — so the Ministry of Labour moved the days off to the following Wednesday and Thursday, 25 and 26 November. The dates were confirmed again by Times of Oman on 22 October.
| Date | Day | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| 20 November | Friday | National Day — flags, lights and celebrations; normal weekend |
| 21 November | Saturday | Weekend |
| 25 November | Wednesday | Public holiday — the long weekend starts |
| 26 November | Thursday | Public holiday |
| 27–28 November | Friday–Saturday | Weekend |
| 29 November | Sunday | Back to work and school |
Working in the private sector? Check with your employer that your company follows the same days — hotels, retail and shift workers often work through. Relatives in the UAE? Their own National Day holiday comes a week later, in early December.
Eight trips for four days: the quick comparison
Pick by travel time first: with four days, anything over five hours each way only works if you leave on Tuesday evening. Budgets below are rough per-person estimates for the whole trip (transport plus a mid-range stay), sharing a room, without shopping.
| Trip | Getting there | Rough budget per person | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Salalah | Flight ≈ 1 h 40 | OMR 180–300 (3 nights) | Beaches, green hills, families |
| Jebel Akhdar | Drive ≈ 2–2.5 h, 4x4 only | OMR 80–250 (2 nights) | Cool air, hikes, couples |
| Wahiba Sands | Drive ≈ 2–3 h | OMR 40–120 (1 night) | Dunes, stars, friends |
| Khasab (Musandam) | Flight ≈ 1 h 05 | OMR 150–280 (2–3 nights) | Fjords, dhow cruise, snorkelling |
| Sur & Ras al Jinz | Drive ≈ 2.5–3 h | OMR 50–150 (1–2 nights) | Wadis, coast, turtles |
| Dubai or Abu Dhabi | Flight ≈ 1 h 10 | OMR 200–400 (3 nights) | Shopping, theme parks, family visits |
| Doha | Flight ≈ 1 h 40 | OMR 250–450 (3 nights) | Museums, a calm city break |
| Istanbul | Flight ≈ 5 h 30 | OMR 400–700 (4 nights) | History, food, cooler weather |
Five escapes inside Oman — no visa, no border queue
Staying in Oman is the simplest choice for mixed-nationality families: nobody needs a visa. The catch is that half of Muscat has the same idea, so camps, mountain hotels and Salalah flights fill first.
1. Salalah by air: winter sun on the Dhofar coast
Late November is the start of Salalah’s winter season: warm beaches, coconut stalls in Al Haffa, the frankincense souq, and the hills on the road to Wadi Darbat often still holding a little green from the monsoon. SalamAir and Oman Air fly several times a day, and the hop takes about one hour forty minutes. Our Muscat to Salalah flight guide compares the two airlines, and the Salalah trip-cost guide breaks down hotels, car hire and food.
- Travel time: ≈ 1 h 35 – 1 h 40 non-stop from Muscat.
- Fares seen on 31 October: Oman Air from OMR 34 one-way (OMR 40 on most November dates), but no fare at all for 24–26 November; SalamAir’s calendar showed no November dates. Book now.
- Rough budget: OMR 180–300 per person for three nights with a small hire car (cars from about OMR 8–14 a day in winter).
- Suits: families with children, couples who want a beach without a long drive.
- Booking tip: the cheapest SalamAir fare has no checked bag — add one when you book, not at the airport.
2. Jebel Akhdar: the cool escape
The Saiq plateau sits around 2,000 metres up, and in late November the evenings are properly cool — bring a jacket. Walk the terraced villages and the canyon viewpoints. The road is paved but very steep, and there is a police checkpoint near Birkat Al Mouz: only four-wheel-drive vehicles are allowed past it. Sedans and two-wheel-drive crossovers are turned back.
- Travel time: ≈ 1 h 30 – 2 h to the checkpoint, then 30–45 minutes up to the plateau.
- Rough budget: OMR 80–250 per person for two nights, depending on the hotel — the plateau has both simple guesthouses and luxury resorts.
- Suits: couples, hikers, anyone who wants to escape the coast heat.
- Booking tip: book the 4x4 when you book the room; hire companies run short of SUVs on holiday weekends. Carry your licence and the car’s registration card for the checkpoint.
3. Wahiba Sands: one night in the dunes
The road to Bidiyah and Al Wasil is ordinary asphalt, so any car gets you to the edge of the sand. From there you need a 4x4 with deflated tyres, or the camp’s pickup. Arrive for sunset, eat under the stars and add Wadi Bani Khalid on the way home.
- Travel time: ≈ 2–3 h from Muscat (about 190–220 km, depending on the camp).
- Rough budget: OMR 40–120 per person: basic camps with dinner and breakfast start around OMR 25–35 per person; luxury camps cost several times more.
- Suits: groups of friends, families with older children, first-time visitors.
- Booking tip: confirm in writing whether the camp’s 4x4 pickup is included — it is often charged per vehicle.
4. Khasab and Musandam: fjords by dhow
Musandam is the trip people come back raving about: a traditional dhow through the khors, dolphins at the bow and snorkelling in clear water. By road you cross the UAE twice, which means border queues and, for many passports, a UAE visa. Flying avoids all of that — Oman Air flies from Muscat to Khasab about six times a week in just over an hour.
- Travel time: ≈ 1 h 05 non-stop.
- Fares seen on 31 October: Oman Air from OMR 22 one-way on some November dates, OMR 25 on 28 November.
- Rough budget: OMR 150–280 per person for two or three nights with a dhow day trip.
- Suits: couples, divers and snorkellers, small groups.
- Booking tip: there are only one or two flights a day and the aircraft is small — this is the first route to sell out for the holiday.
5. Sur and Ras al Jinz: wadis, dhows and turtles
Drive the coastal highway past the Bimmah Sinkhole and Wadi Shab, stay in Sur for the dhow yard, and go on a night tour at the Ras al Jinz Turtle Reserve, about 45 minutes beyond Sur. Turtles nest there every night of the year, but in late autumn there are fewer than in summer, so treat a sighting as a bonus, not a promise.
- Travel time: ≈ 2–2.5 h to Sur (about 200 km), plus 45 minutes to Ras al Jinz.
- Rough budget: OMR 50–150 per person for one or two nights; the reserve’s turtle-viewing ticket is OMR 3 for Omani adults, OMR 8 for residents and OMR 12 for tourists.
- Suits: families who like a road trip, nature lovers, photographers.
- Booking tip: the evening tour starts at 21:00 (be at the reserve by 20:30), so book with the reserve in advance; drive back slowly, the coast road is dark.
Three short hops abroad
A city break works well in four days if the flight is short and the visa is sorted before you book. Omani citizens enter the UAE and Qatar with their ID or passport; expatriate residents need to check their own entry rules first. Relatives coming the other way? Our Oman visa guide explains which visa they need.
6. Dubai or Abu Dhabi: the easy classic
The shortest international flight from Muscat. Oman Air, flydubai and Emirates fly to Dubai; Etihad and Oman Air serve Abu Dhabi, and Air Arabia flies to Sharjah. Compare live fares for Muscat to Dubai and Muscat to Abu Dhabi. Late November starts the outdoor season.
- Travel time: ≈ 1 h 10 – 1 h 15; no time difference.
- Rough budget: OMR 200–400 per person for three nights.
- Suits: families, shoppers, anyone visiting relatives.
- Entry: GCC citizens need no visa; residents should check their eligibility on the official UAE ICP portal before booking.
7. Doha: museums and a calm corniche
Doha suits travellers who want a quieter city: the Museum of Islamic Art, Souq Waqif in the evening and a walk along the corniche. Oman Air and Qatar Airways both fly non-stop several times a day — compare Muscat to Doha fares.
- Travel time: ≈ 1 h 35 – 1 h 45; Qatar is one hour behind Oman.
- Rough budget: OMR 250–450 per person for three nights.
- Suits: couples, culture lovers, families with young children.
- Entry: GCC citizens need no visa. GCC residents apply for the Hayya A2 e-visa — see Visit Qatar’s visa page — and keep a return ticket and hotel booking ready.
8. Istanbul: worth it if you leave on Tuesday night
Istanbul is the long-haul option on this list, so it only works if you take the overnight flight. Turkish Airlines flies daily from Muscat — from 26 October the winter timetable leaves around 02:20 and lands at about 06:55 — so you travel overnight and get four full days in the city. Our Muscat to Istanbul flights guide compares the airlines; search live Muscat to Istanbul fares here.
- Travel time: ≈ 5 h 20 – 5 h 35; Türkiye is one hour behind Oman.
- Rough budget: OMR 400–700 per person for four nights.
- Suits: couples, food lovers, travellers who want cool autumn weather.
- Entry: depends on your passport — check the official Türkiye e-Visa site before you pay for anything.
| Route | Airlines | Flight time | Lowest fare seen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Muscat → Salalah | SalamAir, Oman Air | ≈ 1 h 40 | OMR 34 (Oman Air; none 24–26 Nov) |
| Muscat → Khasab | Oman Air | ≈ 1 h 05 | OMR 22 |
| Muscat → Dubai | Oman Air, flydubai, Emirates | ≈ 1 h 10 | OMR 54 (Oman Air, mid-Nov) |
| Muscat → Abu Dhabi | Etihad, Oman Air | ≈ 1 h 15 | Not shown — check live fares |
| Muscat → Doha | Oman Air, Qatar Airways | ≈ 1 h 40 | OMR 50 (Oman Air; OMR 58 on 25 Nov) |
| Muscat → Istanbul | Turkish Airlines, Oman Air | ≈ 5 h 30 | OMR 92 (Oman Air; OMR 171 on 25 Nov) |
Why holiday fares climb — and how not to pay the peak
Airlines price seats by demand, and a four-day national holiday concentrates that demand on two days: everyone wants to leave on Wednesday 25 November and come back on Saturday 28 November. The cheap fare buckets on those flights go first, and what is left can cost two or three times the normal price. For the general rules on when fares are lowest, read our guide to the cheapest time to book flights from Muscat.
Shift your days by one. Leaving on Tuesday evening after work, or coming back on Friday instead of Saturday, is often much cheaper than the two peak days. If a National Day fare sale appears, read the travel dates carefully: last year’s Oman Air National Day sale was for travel in January to March, not for the holiday itself.
- Book flights first, then the room: a refundable hotel is easy to find; a Wednesday Khasab seat is not.
- Price the bag in: a OMR 32 fare without luggage can end up dearer than a OMR 40 fare with 20 kg.
- Watch the return: Saturday-evening flights back to Muscat are the fullest of the weekend.
Your plan-ahead timeline
- Now — just over three weeks out: choose the trip and book flights for Salalah, Khasab or abroad while cheaper seats are left.
- At the same time: reserve the desert camp, the mountain hotel or the 4x4 — these are limited and sell out before flights do.
- This week too: expatriate residents apply for any visa (Qatar Hayya, UAE, Türkiye) so there is time to fix a problem.
- One week out: check passport and residence card dates, save every booking, reconfirm tours.
- Two days out: check in online; at Muscat airport check-in closes 60 minutes before departure — our Muscat airport guide has the details.
- On the day: leave early — Wednesday-morning roads out of Muscat are busy.
Long-weekend checklist
Before you leave Muscat
0 of 8 readyHow SKY LINE TRAVEL helps with your holiday trip
- We compare the airlines for the holiday dates — SalamAir and Oman Air to Salalah, Oman Air to Khasab, and every carrier to Dubai, Doha and Istanbul.
- We hold and issue tickets and send the e-ticket on WhatsApp or email.
- Live search of fares on our international flights pages and of hotel rates in Dubai, Doha and Istanbul; to buy, message our desk.
- Changes: if your plans move, we help you change or refund the ticket under the fare rules.
Oman National Day holiday: frequently asked questions
When is the Oman National Day holiday in 2026?
The public holiday is on Wednesday 25 and Thursday 26 November 2026. With the Friday–Saturday weekend that makes four days off, from 25 to 28 November; work resumes on Sunday 29 November.
Is Oman National Day on 18 or 20 November?
Since Royal Decree 15/2025, Oman’s National Day is 20 November, marking the founding of the Al Busaidi state in 1744. The old date was 18 November. In 2026, 20 November is a Friday, so the days off were moved to 25–26 November.
What is the best short trip from Muscat for the long weekend?
For a beach and no visa, Salalah — the flight is about 1 h 40. For cool air, Jebel Akhdar (4x4 needed). For something different, Khasab in Musandam is just over an hour by air. Abroad, Dubai and Doha are the shortest flights.
How much is a Muscat to Salalah ticket for National Day?
On 31 October Oman Air showed one-way fares from OMR 34 (OMR 40 on most November dates), but none for 24–26 November, and SalamAir listed no November dates. Holiday dates are usually dearer, so book as early as you can.
Do I need a 4x4 for Jebel Akhdar?
Yes. A police checkpoint on the road up only lets four-wheel-drive vehicles through. Ordinary sedans and two-wheel-drive crossovers are turned back.
Can expatriates in Oman visit Doha for the weekend?
Yes, GCC residents can apply online for Qatar’s Hayya A2 e-visa. Keep a return ticket and hotel booking ready. Omani and other GCC citizens need no visa.
Can SKY LINE TRAVEL book my National Day trip?
Yes. Send your dates and the number of travellers on WhatsApp +968 7411 6797 or through our contact page. We compare the flights, issue the e-ticket and help with hotels. Create a free account to keep everything in one place.
