Travel with Hussain

Oman National Transport Company (Mwasalat) has started daily public bus service in Salalah, second largest city in Sultanate of Oman, from December 2018. This post is complete guide for tourist and residents in Salalah for using public transport – Timing, Fare, and Route of Mwasalat bus is mentioned.

Salalah has beautiful landscape and historical sites and this bus service will make the transportation of the residents and tourists within Salalah easier on daily basis.

Timing of Mwasalat Salalah Public Bus Service

There is a daily bus service, with a slight different departure timing on weekdays and weekends. The bus departs in half an hour interval from Sunday to Thursday.

The first bus will depart on 6:00 am while the last bus departure timing is 11:15 pm. On the weekend (Friday and Saturday) and on any Public Holiday, the bus service will commence from 7:15 am, while the last bus time will remain same as weekdays.

Mwasalat Salalah Public Bus Route 20

The route of Mwasalat Bus Service in Salalah is called Route 20 and is known as Salalah Airport – City Center – Salalah Port as the bus runs between Salalah Airport and Salalah Port (sea port).

On the way, the bus will pass through Dhofar University, Saadah Sports Complex, Technical College, Armed Forces Hospital, Sultan Qaboos Sports Complex, Al Hasaylah Round About, 23rd July Street, Sultan Qaboos Masjid, Al Nahdah Street, Salalah Park, Ar-Rubat Street, Awqad Round About, Salalah Stadium, Al Qurum Round About, Salalah Port.

The map is as follows (check the Google map here):

Best Hotels and Resorts to Stay on the Route of Mwasalat Salalah

The best way to make full use of the Bus service is to stay in the hotels that are located on the route of the bus. I am listing here some best options for accommodation in Salalah city, from where you can take Mwasalat bus easily.

• Hilton Salalah Resort (5 Star)
• Salalah Gardens Hotel (4 Star)
• Intercity Hotel Salalah by Deutsche Hospitality (3 Star)
• Hamdan Plaza Hotel (3 Star)

Other Hotels and Apartments to Stay on the Route 20 of Mwasalat Salalah

If you are looking for budget accommodation, below are some of the options for staying near Mwasalat bus stops.

• Al Nahda Center Furnished Apartments
• OYO 115 Star Emirates Furnished Apartment
• Jawharet Al Kheir Furnished Apartments
• Muscat International Hotel Plaza

Can you cover All Touristic Sites in Salalah with Mwasalat Route 20?

This is a common question in the mind of many visitors to Salalah especially for those who are coming via the cruise terminal in Port of Salalah. Can they cover all the touristic sites in Salalah while traveling on bus?

Well Mwasalat is an amazing service and it covers many places to visit in the city like Salalah Airport, Sultan Qaboos Masjid, Prophet Imran Tomb, Burj al Nahdah (Clock Tower), Salalah Gardens Mall, Lulu Hypermarket, and Raysut Beach.

The other places on the city like Al Baleed Archeological site and Haffa souq and beach, can be visited with a taxi from one of the Mwasalat bus stops.

But Mwasalat bus will not cover must see touristic places that are outside of Salalah city like Wadi Darbat, Mughsail Beach, Tawi Attair sinkhole, Prophet Ayub (Prophet Job) Tomb, Rub al Khali (Empty Quarter Desert), Wadi Dawkah frankincense garden, Khor Rori, Sumharam archeological site, Taqa Castle, Mirbat harbour, Baobab trees and many other places.

To cover these amazing places outside of the city, take the guided tours by Beautiful Salalah Tours, which is the leading tour operator in Salalah and have great reviews on their TripAdvisor page. You can check the reviews of Beautiful Salalah Tours on TripAdvisor here.

Following tours are highly recommended to have, when you are visiting Salalah:

• East Salalah Tour Full Day
• Sunset Desert Tour
• West Salalah Half Day Tour
• East Salalah Half day Tour

Mwasalat Bus Fare in Salalah

The route is divided into Zone A and Zone B, and the fares changes with the zone. If the journey is in one zone only, the fare is 200 baiza. If the journey is on both zones, it’s 300 biaza.

Bus Stop of Salalah Bus Service

Look for the following sign along the road to locate the bus stop:

There are some useful information on each bus stop, like route map, bus arrival timing and bus station name.

In the bus stop, you will find the bus time for that stop on weekday, weekend and on public holidays.

Below is the timing mentioned on the Salalah Port Bus stop.

Route map will also be mentioned in the bus stop:

Mwasalat Salalah Bus Route 21

Mwasalat is running Route 21 in Salalah during Khareef 2019 (Monsoon Season) due to increased tourist influx from Salalah Airport to City Center via Ittin. This is an additional bus route, but it continues still now.

The bus starts at Salalah Airport and will pass through Ittin Roundabout, Municipality Recreation Park 1, Municipality Recreation Park 2 (Salalah Khareef Festival bus stop), Al Rehman Mosque (R&B, Salalah Gardens Mall Stop), Al Nama Street, Sultan Qaboos Hospital, Salalah West, General Directorate for Housing, Al Ittehad Sports club, Sultan Qaboos Masjid, 23rd July Street, and ends at City Center.

How Does Mwasalat Bus Looks?

The public Bus is of red color and looks awesome. As they are new, the buses are in very nice shape and condition.