Jebel Akhdar — the "Green Mountain" — is a high limestone plateau in the Hajar range, reached by a steep, well-paved road above the town of Birkat al Mouz. At around 2,000 metres on the Saiq plateau the air is often 10 °C or more cooler than on the coast, and villages cling to the cliff edge above terraces of pomegranates, walnuts, apricots and the famous damask roses, distilled into rosewater each spring.
On the other side of the valley rises Jebel Shams, the "Mountain of the Sun", Oman’s highest peak at roughly 3,000 metres. Its southern flank drops into Wadi Ghul, a canyon so deep and sheer it is nicknamed the Grand Canyon of Arabia.
Top things to do at Jebel Akhdar & Jebel Shams
Walk the terraced villages
A footpath links the villages of Al Aqr, Al Ain and Ash Shirayjah along the terraces above Wadi Bani Habib. In spring you will smell the roses; in late summer the pomegranates ripen.
See the rosewater distilleries
Around April, families harvest the roses and distil rosewater in traditional clay ovens. Some welcome visitors to watch and buy.
Hike the Balcony Walk on Jebel Shams
The W6 trail follows a ledge along the rim of Wadi Ghul to the abandoned village of As Sab. It takes about three hours return, with vertiginous views but no technical climbing.
Watch sunset from the plateau
Viewpoints around the Saiq plateau and the resort hotels look out over the canyons as the light fades — spectacular on a clear winter evening.
How to get to Jebel Akhdar & Jebel Shams
- By car: about 2 hours from Muscat to the checkpoint at the foot of the mountain road; only 4x4 vehicles are allowed up.
- Jebel Shams: about 3 hours from Muscat via Al Hamra; the final section is partly gravel and a 4x4 is recommended.
- With a tour: the Nizwa and Jebel Akhdar 4x4 tour is one of the highest-rated day trips from Muscat.
Insider tips
- The police checkpoint turns back two-wheel-drive cars — hire a 4x4, arrange a hotel transfer or join a tour.
- Bring a warm layer: winter nights on the plateau can approach freezing.
- Stay a night if you can — the resorts on the cliff edge are among the most dramatic hotels in the Middle East.
- Respect private gardens and terraces; stay on marked paths through the villages.
Best tours & tickets for Jebel Akhdar & Jebel Shams
These top-rated experiences are the easiest way to see Jebel Akhdar & Jebel Shams:
Day trip from €88 Muscat: 4x4 Adventure through Jebel Akhdar and Nizwa
A full day in the Hajar Mountains. Visit Nizwa’s great round-towered fort and souq, walk among the ruins and falaj channels of Birkat al Mouz, then climb by 4x4 past the police checkpoint to the cool terraced villages of the Green Mountain.
- Nizwa Fort and souq, the old capital of the interior
- The abandoned mud-brick quarter of Birkat al Mouz
- Terraced villages and viewpoints on Jebel Akhdar
Day trip from €128 Unforgettable 4x4 Trip to Nizwa & Arabia’s Grand Canyon
Drive by 4x4 to the edge of the enormous Wadi Ghul canyon below Jebel Shams, where the cliffs drop about a thousand metres to the valley floor, stop at the old mud-brick village of Al Hamra if time allows, and explore Nizwa’s fort and souq.
- The rim of Wadi Ghul, the "Grand Canyon of Arabia"
- Jebel Shams, Oman’s highest mountain
- Nizwa Fort and souq
