Ibri is on Highway 21 roughly halfway between Muscat and the UAE border at Al Ain. The drive from Muscat takes about three hours; from Dubai it's around two and a half hours via the Al Ain crossing. The highway passes through dramatic mountain scenery as it descends from the Hajar Mountains toward the Omani interior.
There are ONTC bus services from Muscat's main bus station to Ibri. The journey takes around three hours and is inexpensive. Most visitors with regional flexibility will have a rental car, which is essentially required to reach the Bat Tombs and the mountain scenery around Jebel Shams.