Go, but pay attention.
Oman's risk score rose to 72 today, and with government advisories ranging from level 1 to level 3, you are on your own to weigh the conflicting warnings. A global measles notice remains active.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Oman
The advisories disagree by 2 level(s) — read all four before you decide who to trust.
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Go, but pay attention.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Homosexuality
Homosexuality is illegal in Oman.
Internet usage
Visiting gambling and adult sites is a crime in Oman. Internet censorship is very serious.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Recommended:
From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Homosexuality is illegal in Oman. LGBT tourists should be self-aware.
- •Driving in Muscat can sometimes be a problem, although this is due more to congestion than bad driving on the part of the locals.
- •Omani drivers outside of the cities tend to drive very fast and pass with impunity.
- •See the above section on driving in wadis for off-road safety.
- •Female travellers should be careful to dress modestly, as not to offend local customs.
- •Visiting gambling and adult sites is also a crime in Oman. Internet censorship in Oman is very serious, so you need to be careful to stay safe online.
Staying healthy
- •Bottled drinking (mineral) water is easily available at most stores.
- •Oman is warm year-round and summers can be extremely hot.
- •Several people have tried to cross stretches of the Omani desert on their own in a rented 4WD. Some of these people have died or got rescued just in time.
- •Travelling through a desert requires proper preparation. It looks easy from a modern air-conditioned 4WD, but if that fails you are suddenly back to basics.
- •Never go off-road alone.
- •If you have – or can get – a satellite phone, take it. (Mobile phones work only in limited areas.) Check your car before embarking on such a trip.
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Real talk
What travelers actually say
Travelers consistently describe Oman as an exceptionally safe destination, often citing it as significantly safer than the United States. There are no reports of violent crime, and visitors frequently encounter helpful, hospitable locals. The primary safety concerns are not criminal in nature but logistical; the country is not walkable, and pedestrians face dangerous conditions when attempting to cross multi-lane highways. Driving requires caution due to aggressive tailgating and strict traffic enforcement via cameras. While the country is peaceful, travelers should respect local customs by dressing modestly in historical sites and smaller towns. Otherwise, the environment is secure for solo travelers and groups alike, requiring no constant state of vigilance.
“Oman is ranked as one of the top safest countries in the whole world. It’s actually significantly safer than the US according to all global safety reports.
— r/travel
“Oman is not walkable (you might choose between 45 minute detours or Froggering a 6 lane highway).
— r/travel
“Safety: Absolutely no concern anywhere. Not a woman, so ymmv, but I saw nothing to suggest anything different for women, and I've heard tons of accounts confirming this anecdotally.
— r/travel
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
G · 240V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 9999 / ambulance: 9999 / fire: 9999
Zoom in
One Oman city on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (11 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-07-12
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-07-12
- ca-gac — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-07-12
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-07-12
- cdc-health — observed 2026-07-12
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-07-12
- reddit — observed 2026-07-12
- unodc — observed 2026-07-12
- acled-hdx — observed 2026-07-12
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-07-12