Salalah International Airport (IATA: SLL) has regular connections to Muscat (90 minutes, several daily on Oman Air) and some international routes including Dubai, Doha, and occasional seasonal services to South Asian cities. Flying from Muscat is the obvious choice for most visitors.
The overland drive from Muscat is 1,000 km across largely empty desert — a 10 to 12 hour journey on a good road. It is genuinely scenic in places, particularly the stretch around Nizwa and the dramatic escarpment descent near Qitbit, but it requires a full day and is best done overnight or split over two days. Oman's national bus company (ONTC) runs daily coaches on the Muscat–Salalah route; the journey takes around 11 hours and tickets cost around 6–8 OMR. Buses are comfortable and punctual.