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Salalah Weather by Month, and the Khareef Season: When to Go to Salalah

Salalah is the only place in Arabia with a monsoon. From late June to September the khareef turns the Dhofar mountains green and misty while the rest of the Gulf bakes. Here is the weather month by month, when the season runs, how crowded it gets, and how to get there.

By GokulUpdated 5 November 20267 min read

Green hills and water in Wadi Darbat during the khareef season, Salalah — Wadi Darbat in the khareef, when the Dhofar mountains turn green.

Short answer

Salalah is warm all year: daytime highs run from about 27°C in August to 33°C in May, and nights rarely drop below 19°C. It is almost dry, with about 99 mm of rain a year. The difference is the khareef, the monsoon that brings mist, drizzle and green hills from late June to September; the 2026 season ran from 21 June to 21 September. Go in khareef for the green and the cool (and the crowds), or from October to March for sunny beaches and lower prices.

27–33°Cdaytime highs all year

21 Jun–21 Sepkhareef season, 2026

1.1 millionvisitors to 31 Aug 2026

3 a weekOman Air flights from Dubai

While Dubai and Muscat sit above 40°C in August, Salalah is in cloud. Moist sea air from the Arabian Sea rolls over the Dhofar mountains, the hills go green, waterfalls run at Wadi Darbat, and a million visitors, mostly from Oman and the Gulf, come to feel rain.

How we checked. The monthly figures are the long-term averages for Salalah airport (1991–2020) as published in the Wikipedia climate table, which cites NOAA and the World Meteorological Organization; we did not find a monthly table from Oman's own meteorology service. Season dates, visitor numbers and fares come from dated Oman Observer reports. Hotel prices change sharply in khareef and we could not confirm current rates, so they are on our Salalah page as ranges, not here.

Salalah weather by month

Salalah airport, 1991–2020 normals (Wikipedia climate table citing NOAA/WMO, accessed 5 Nov 2026). Khareef dates: the 2026 season set by Dhofar Municipality.
Month	Average high	Average low	Rain	What it is like
Jan	27.5°C	19.3°C	1.1 mm	Dry, warm, sunny
Feb	28.1°C	20°C	0.3 mm	Dry, warm, sunny
Mar	30.1°C	22.1°C	5.3 mm	Warm, dry
Apr	31.8°C	24.9°C	4 mm	Hot, getting humid
May	32.8°C	27.1°C	24.1 mm	Hottest, humid, sea roughens
Jun	31.9°C	27.6°C	6.1 mm	Khareef begins (21 Jun)
Jul	28.3°C	25°C	20.6 mm	Khareef: mist, drizzle, green
Aug	27.2°C	24.2°C	18.6 mm	Khareef: coolest days, greenest
Sep	29.5°C	24.8°C	8.4 mm	Khareef ends (21 Sep)
Oct	31.2°C	23.3°C	5.1 mm	Dry, warm
Nov	31°C	22.4°C	1.9 mm	Dry, warm, sunny
Dec	29.3°C	20.8°C	3.6 mm	Dry, warm, sunny

Two things stand out. The temperature barely moves: the hottest month (May, 32.8°C) is only about five degrees warmer than the coolest (August, 27.2°C). And the khareef months are the coolest by day not because of winter but because of cloud and sea mist. The rain itself is light; it is drizzle and fog rather than downpours, which is why the totals stay small.

What is the khareef?

Khareef is Arabic for autumn, and in Dhofar it means the south-west monsoon. From about June to early September, humid air off the Arabian Sea cools over upwelling cold water and wraps the mountains behind Salalah in fog and drizzle. The hills, bare brown for most of the year, turn green, wadis and springs fill, and the region relies on this season for its water. Tour operators quoted by the Oman Observer put the greenest stretch from mid-July until shortly before schools reopen.

2026 season: 21 June to 21 September, with 125 cultural, sports and entertainment events across Salalah, Taqah, Mirbat and Sadah (Dhofar Municipality, reported 15 June 2026). Some reports gave 20 September as the end date.
Crowds: 1,116,051 visitors arrived between 21 June and 31 August 2026, up 8.6% on 2025; 73% were Omanis and about 184,000 came from other Gulf countries. August alone brought 643,602 (NCSI preliminary figures, Oman Observer, 12 September 2026).
2027 dates: not announced when we checked. The municipality has usually set them in mid-June.

Khareef is peak season. Rooms fill with Gulf families and prices rise steeply; book early, or come in September when the hills are still green and the crowds thin.

Best time to visit Salalah

For the green and the mistMid-July to early September, the heart of the khareef. Expect fog on the mountain roads and full hotels.

For beaches and sunOctober to March: dry, 29–31°C by day, calm seas, lower prices.

Fewer people, still greenLate August to mid-September, at the end of the season.

Hardest monthMay and June: the hottest and most humid, and the sea turns rough as the monsoon arrives.

Things to do in Salalah

Wadi Darbat: a valley of tufa terraces and lakes in the mountains above Khor Rori, past Taqah. The khareef refills its waterfall. No entry fee is listed (Experience Oman).
Mughsail beach and the blowholes: west of Salalah, where the sea spouts up through holes in the rock when it is rough, with Al Marnif cave above them. No fee listed.
Al Baleed Archaeological Park and the Museum of the Frankincense Land: the ruins of the old port of Zafar, part of the UNESCO-listed Land of Frankincense. Check the ticket price at the gate; we could not confirm it from an official page.
Mirbat Castle: open daily 8 am to 7 pm, tickets at reception (Experience Oman), about 70 km east of Salalah along the coast.
Ayn Razat: one of Dhofar's largest springs, with gardens and Razat cave. No fee listed.
Fazayah beach: white sand under cliffs in Wilayat Rakhyut, about 64 km from Salalah airport and some 20 km past Mughsail (Oman Observer).
Taqah: a coastal town with a castle and the Khawr Taqah and Khawr Rawri lagoon reserves, on the way to Wadi Darbat.

How to get to Salalah

Sources: Oman Air route announcement (Oman Observer, 15 Feb 2026); flydubai route page; Oman Observer on fixed fares (13 Apr 2026), khareef flights (20 Jun 2026) and road safety (7 Jul 2026).
From	How	Details
Dubai	Direct flight	Oman Air three times a week, year-round, from 3 July 2026; flydubai also flies Dubai–Salalah, and Air Arabia from Sharjah.
Muscat	Flight	Oman Air and SalamAir. In khareef they run up to 13 and 15 flights a day. Oman set fixed Muscat–Salalah fares in 2026, stated for Omani nationals; check the fare that applies to you.
Muscat	Road	About 1,000 km, a long day's drive. The Royal Oman Police warn of fog and rain on parts of the route in khareef, and camels on the road at night.
Muscat	Bus	Mwasalat runs Muscat–Salalah coaches; check the current fare and time on mwasalat.om.

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Salalah?

Warm all year, with daytime highs from about 27°C in August to 33°C in May, and very little rain (about 99 mm a year). From late June to September the khareef monsoon brings mist, drizzle and cooler, cloudy days.

When is the khareef season in Salalah?

Roughly late June to September. The 2026 Khareef Dhofar season ran from 21 June to 21 September. The 2027 dates had not been announced when we checked.

What is the best time to visit Salalah?

Mid-July to early September for the green hills and waterfalls, or October to March for dry, sunny beach weather and lower prices.

How hot is Salalah in summer?

Not as hot as the rest of the Gulf. In July and August average highs are 27–28°C because of the monsoon cloud; May and June are the hottest months, at about 32–33°C.

Is Salalah crowded in khareef?

Yes. Over 1.1 million visitors came between 21 June and 31 August 2026, most of them from Oman and the Gulf. Book rooms and car hire early.

How do I get from Dubai to Salalah?

Fly. Oman Air flies direct three times a week from 3 July 2026, and flydubai also flies the route. By road it means driving via Muscat, roughly 1,000 km more.

What are the best things to do in Salalah?

Wadi Darbat, Mughsail beach and its blowholes, Al Baleed Archaeological Park and the Museum of the Frankincense Land, Mirbat Castle, Ayn Razat and Fazayah beach.

Sources and how we priced this

Climate: Wikipedia, Salalah climate table (Salalah airport, 1991–2020, citing NOAA/WMO), accessed 5 Nov 2026. Wikipedia, Khareef, accessed 5 Nov 2026.
Season and crowds: Oman Observer, Dhofar unveils 2026 khareef season line-up (15 Jun 2026); As khareef begins, Dhofar gears up (20 Jun 2026); Khareef Dhofar sees 6.6% rise in visitors (2 Sep 2026); Khareef Dhofar receives over 1.1 million visitors (12 Sep 2026).
Getting there: Oman Observer, Oman Air announces Dubai–Salalah service (15 Feb 2026); fixed airfare model (13 Apr 2026); road safety for khareef travellers (7 Jul 2026); flydubai Salalah route page (accessed 5 Nov 2026).
Sights: Experience Oman pages for Wadi Darbat, Al Mughsail, Mirbat Castle and Ain Razat (accessed 5 Nov 2026); Oman Observer (15 Jul 2021) for Fazayah.

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