Jebel Akhdar, Oman: travel guide
Oman's high Al Hajar plateau country — the terraced rose-water villages of the Saiq Plateau (Jebel Akhdar) and the rim of Wadi Ghul on Jebel Shams, the country's highest peak, nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Oman.
- Country
- Oman
- Currency
- OMR
- Time zone
- Asia/Muscat
Top places to visit in Jebel Akhdar
Wadi Bani Habib
Heritage · 4.5 rating · about 1.5 h
An abandoned mud-brick village set amid terraced walnut, pomegranate and apricot orchards below the plateau, reached by a stepped path.
Jebel Shams Grand Canyon Viewpoint
Viewpoint · 4.7 rating · about 1 h
A cliff-edge overlook at around 2,000m above the roughly 1,000m-deep Wadi Ghul canyon, the "Grand Canyon of Oman", at the road's end near Jebel Shams Resort.
Balcony Walk (W6) Trailhead
Nature · 4.8 rating · about 4 h
The rim-path trailhead at Al Khitaym (~1,900m); the W6 Balcony Walk hugs the canyon wall to the abandoned cliff village of Sap Bani Khamis.
Saiq Village
Cultural · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h
The administrative centre of Wilayat Al Jabal Al Akhdar, set among terraced fruit and rose gardens at about 2,000m.
Diana's Point
Viewpoint · 4.5 rating · about 0.8 h
A canyon-edge platform, on the grounds of the Anantara resort, where Princess Diana stood in 1986, with sweeping views over the terraced villages.
Al Aqr Rose Village
Cultural · 4.6 rating · about 1.3 h
A stone terraced village famed for its Damask-rose terraces (harvested March-April for rose water), one of the Al Aqr/Al Ayn/Ash Sharayjah trio.
Wadi Ghul
Nature · 4.7 rating · about 1 h
A dramatic wadi and ruined village at the foot of the Jebel Shams access road, gateway to the Grand Canyon of Arabia.
Saiq Plateau (Jebel Akhdar)
Nature · 5.0 rating · about 2 h
The cultivated heart of the Green Mountain at around 2,000m, a plateau of terraced villages, orchards and rose gardens reached by a 4WD-only road.
Sharfat Al Alamayn Viewpoint
Viewpoint · about 0.8 h
The high point (~2,000m) on the paved Al Hamra to Wadi Bani Awf pass, with sweeping panoramas across the Hajar mountains.
Things to do
- Balcony Walk (W6) Hike Adventure · 4 h
- Jebel Akhdar Rose-Water Tour Tour · 2 h · from OMR 15 per person
- Via Ferrata & Zipline at Alila Adventure · 2.5 h · from OMR 45 per person
- Wadi Bani Habib Hike Adventure · 1.5 h
Day trips and tours
- Jebel Shams Grand Canyon Day Tour 8 h · from OMR 50
Where to stay in Jebel Akhdar
- Saiq Plateau (Jebel Akhdar) about OMR 180 per night
The Green Mountain plateau with terraced rose villages and cliff-edge luxury resorts.
- Jebel Shams Rim about OMR 50 per night
The canyon-rim area near Al Khitaym with cabin resorts and the Balcony Walk trailhead.
Hotels
- Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort 5-star · OMR 140 to OMR 320 per night
- Alila Jabal Akhdar 5-star · OMR 150 to OMR 320 per night
- Sama Heights Resort 3-star · OMR 35 to OMR 65 per night
- Jebel Shams Resort 3-star · OMR 35 to OMR 60 per night
Where to eat
- Juniper Restaurant Middle Eastern, International · about OMR 36 per person
Getting around
- Car Rental Self main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Car With Driver main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Offroad Vehicle main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.