What's on in Salalah, Oman through the year

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 6 of the markets that fill it

• Holiday

  Ramadan

  25 Jan – 25 Mar · usuallyClosures

  Nothing serves in daylight outside the hotels and the beach cafés on the Dahariz road are shuttered. The Haffa souk comes to life properly only after dark. Source ↗

Still on: Beach and diving season (15 Oct – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in February.

Still on: Ramadan (25 Jan – 25 Mar (usually)), Beach and diving season (15 Oct – 30 Apr (usually))

Busy — Ramadan, school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in March.

Still on: Ramadan (25 Jan – 25 Mar (usually)), Beach and diving season (15 Oct – 30 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Nature

  Frankincense tapping

  1 Apr – 15 Jun · usuallyHarvest

  The boswellia trees on the dry side of the mountains are scored and the resin left to harden before collection. The souk sells the season's grades side by side, cheapest to best.

Still on: Beach and diving season (15 Oct – 30 Apr (usually))

Quiet — school holidays in 2 of the markets that fill it, one of its worst months for weather

Nothing new starts in May.

Still on: Frankincense tapping (1 Apr – 15 Jun (usually))

Busy — The khareef, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

• Season

  The khareef

  21 Jun – 15 Sep · usuallyFog seasonCrowdedBook early

  The southwest monsoon parks a low grey ceiling over the Dhofar mountains and turns them green — drizzle, cloud and waterfalls rather than a downpour. Beaches go under red flags for the currents. Source ↗

Still on: Frankincense tapping (1 Apr – 15 Jun (usually))

Peak crowds — The khareef, Salalah Tourism Festival

• Festival

  Salalah Tourism Festival

  1 Jul – 31 Aug · usuallyMajor festivalCrowdedBook early

  The khareef brings Gulf visitors down in tens of thousands and the city runs a festival ground for them all summer. Hotel prices are at their annual peak and the mountain roads are solid at weekends. Source ↗

Still on: The khareef (21 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Peak crowds — The khareef, Salalah Tourism Festival

Nothing new starts in August.

Still on: The khareef (21 Jun – 15 Sep (usually)), Salalah Tourism Festival (1 Jul – 31 Aug (usually))

Busy — The khareef, school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it

Nothing new starts in September.

Still on: The khareef (21 Jun – 15 Sep (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

• Season

  Beach and diving season

  15 Oct – 30 Apr · usuallyWinter-sun season

  Once the monsoon clears, the sea flattens and the beaches and the Mirbat dive sites are usable again. The mountains go brown, but this is the half of the year the coast actually works.

Busy — one of its best months for weather

Nothing new starts in November.

Still on: Beach and diving season (15 Oct – 30 Apr (usually))

Shoulder season — school holidays in 5 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month

Nothing new starts in December.

Still on: Beach and diving season (15 Oct – 30 Apr (usually))