Driving up to Jebel Akhdar

Nature
The wow factor for nature - does it show nature at its best? Doesn't need to be the wildebeest migration or diving with hundreds of hammerheads. Rather make you pause as you realise just how awesome the natural world can be
7
Culture
How much does this experience showcase some of the better and finer things that us humans can offer? Sure, it can be ancient ruins and renaissance churches, but it can also be festivals or soaking up some of the great modern cities of the world
7
Fun factor/activity
Very simple - was it fun? This is usually linked in with doing some kind of activity - i mean, walking along some cliffs is nice, but paragliding from them, now that is fun. Its a vastly underrated factor in a truly great experience
6
Avoid the crowds
Big tour groups and being surrounded by loud fellow tourists can sap the life out of even the greatest of travel experiences. This score is to reflect just how much you can avoid this. But. . . The score also takes into account if the crowds actually add to the experience, such as with a party town or a bustling local market
7
World famous
How world famous is the experience?
4
unique
How hard is it to have a similar experience in other places round the world?
6
Overall TE Score
The overall travel experiences score:  fun factor + avoid the crowds + (best of nature or culture) + (best of world famous or unique). Then convert into a score out of 100
65 *What the scores mean and where do they come from
RANKING
How this travel experience ranks compared to all the other experiences on this site, based on the travel experience (te) score
228th/454
Top 50%
continent
Middle East
country
Oman
Length of time
1 day or less
Typical daily price
This gives you a rough idea of the daily price based on 2 people travelling where they can split costs like accommodation. It excludes travel there and back, and factors in inflation the numbers in brackets show the price range for the full time of the experience (so not necessarily daily). It is a range to reflect different budget vs higher end
$110 ($60-$120 in 2022 prices)
Time of year visited
December
Primary Tags
Click on any of the tags to see all travel experiences with the same tag
Canyons Driving Mountains
All Tags
4WD Cliffs Fabulous hotel Hiking Hilltop towns Local villages Rice terraces / terraces
Wow Factor
The wow factor reflects just how much you’re likely to say “wow”. As there’s a lot of experiences in the world, and a lot of wows, i’ve gone with a simple ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ to ⭐️ score, and a separate category for the truly "gash"
⭐⭐

Summary

Jebel Akhdar (Green Mountain) is the second highest point in Oman and is famous for its otherworldly feel as you rise far above the main Omani valley floors up to the large Saiq plateau 2000m /6560ft above sea level. The experience itself is all about talking short walks through the small gorgeous mountain villages that are connected by the UNESCO World Heritage listed irrigation systems; looking down into the seriously impressive canyons; and generally gawping out the window as the stunning mountain scenery passes by.  Very much worth the day trip from Muscat.

 

That being said, if you only have a day or two from Muscat to explore the Hajar Mountains, I would prioritise this just behind the very similar drive up to nearby Jebel Shams (see travel entry here – Walking Jebel Sham’s Wadi Ghul canyon).  Or, if looking for more of an adventure, the sensational 4WD drive to cross the Hajar mountains via Hatt (see travel entry here – 4WDing across the Hajar Mountains via Hatt).

 

Top tips:

#1 Do you need a 4WD – yes.  Whilst there is very little need for an actual 4WD, there is a police check point at the start of the drive up to the plateau that checks you have a 4WD.  The reason is not because of the road quality (we only drove on paved roads), but because of the long descent down from the plateau and the need to be able to manually change into a lower gear to avoid brakes overheating (yes, I get that you don’t need a 4WD for that, but I doubt you want to argue with the Omani Police).

#2 Be sure to walk part of the Village Trail Hike (W18b).  The 4km hike goes between the small mountain villages of Al Aqor and Seeq, but if you don’t want such a long walk (there and back), there is a short gorgeous walk that starts at the official start of the walk (look for “Terraced Fields Viewpoint” or “Dieter’s Point”) and lets you walk through the terraces to the small village of Al-Ain.  The walk has amazing views through the canyon, lets you see the irrigation channels and the ornate villages themselves.  If you find yourself thinking non of this is clear in the signposting . . .  you are not alone.  But once you get to the start point (a car park) it is very straightforward.

#3 Have lunch at the fabulous Alila Jabal Akhdar – staying at this hotel with its insane views across the nearby canyon will set you back min US$500 / night.  Instead, go for lunch which is fairly reasonable (US$40 / head) which will also let you have a wander round.

#4 How much time do you need?  Its a full day trip from Muscat, with total driving time around 5-6 hours and a total distance of 400km / 250miles.  With the walk to the mountain villages, stopping for photos and having lunch you’re looking at around 10 hours or so.

 

Highlights

IMG_9465-aspect-ratio-900-675

#1 The views from the beautiful small mountain village of Al-Ain

IMG_9455-aspect-ratio-900-675

#2 The drive itself - winding your way up to the plateau and having gob-smacking views across Oman's Hajar Maountains

IMG_9479-aspect-ratio-900-675

#3 Having lunch at the fabulous Alila Jabal Akhdar Hotel, with its wonderful location perched impossibly above the nearby canyon

IMG_9474-aspect-ratio-900-675

#4 Going just a little bit further along the road to see the old village of Wadi Bani Habib

IMG_9458-aspect-ratio-900-675

#5 The views from "Diana's Viewpoint" views across the valley from the start of the Village Trail, named after the Princess of Wales' famous photo

IMG_9477-aspect-ratio-900-675

#6 The various dramatic canyons that snake their way from the 2000m /6560ft Saiq plateau to the valleys below

IMG_9470-rotated-aspect-ratio-675-900

#7 The walk through the irrigation channels that cnnect the mountain villages and seeing the luscious greenery of the terraces

How does Jebel Akhdar compare to Oman’s other things to do

Oman is an incredible country to travel in.  I would look to prioritise like this:

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4WDing across the Hajar Mountains via Hatt
An adventurous and spectacular off-road drive through remote mountain villages, dramatic scenery and some of the most impressive landscapes in the Middle East.  Mega wow experience. 4WDing across the Hajar Mountains via Hatt.

 

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Walking Jebel Shams’ Wadi Ghul canyon
A scenic balcony walk along the edge of Oman’s “Grand Canyon” with big views and an easy but very rewarding hike. Walking Jebel Sham’s Wadi Ghul canyon.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Hiking and swimming Wadi Shab
A very scenic hike through a desert canyon followed by swimming through clear pools and narrow gaps to reach a hidden cave waterfall — one of Oman’s most fun and unique experiences. Hiking and swimming Wadi Shab.

 

⭐️⭐️ Driving up to Jebel Akhdar
A winding drive up into the cooler highlands with terrace farming, villages and viewpoints, but more about the setting than a standout activity itself. Driving up to Jebel Akhdar.

 

⭐️ Muscat
The natural entry point for the vast majority of trips to Oman, Muscat’s Corniche with its fish market and Mutrah Souk, and the museum are nice.  but don’t spend time there if it means sacrificing time in the other Omani highlights. A day in Muscat.

⭐️ Exploring Nizwa Fort and Souq
A well-restored historic fort and traditional souq that give a good feel for Oman’s history and culture in a compact, easy visit. Do on the way to the mountains from Muscat. Exploring Nizwa Fort and Souq

 

GASH – Turtles laying and hatching at Ras Al Jinz
Watching turtles come ashore at night to lay eggs (or seeing hatchlings head to the sea) is a rare wildlife experience.  Its just done very badly. Turtles laying and hatching at Ras Al Jinz.

 

See the 5 days for Oman itinerary for how this all comes together.

Experiences Nearby

The below map shows experiences nearby with a colour that reflect the Overall Score of those experiences

Other Canyon Experiences

Hiking through the Charyn Canyon and staying overnight in yurts
⭐⭐

Hiking and zip-lining in the Colca Canyon
⭐⭐⭐

Cycling down the Taroko Gorge
⭐⭐⭐

Three gorges cruise down the Yangzi River
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Walking Jebel Sham’s Wadi Ghul canyon
⭐⭐⭐

Camping in otherworldly Karijini National Park
⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Blue Mountains on a train from Sydney
⭐⭐⭐

A day walking through Arches National Park
⭐⭐⭐⭐

4WDing across the Hajar Mountains via Hatt
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Score Detail

The scores above are the real point of this site.

Over 20+ years and 100+ countries, I’ve tried to rank the world’s best travel experiences — from genuinely mind-blowing ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ to the properly gash.

Every one of the 500+ places on this site has both a Wow Factor rating and a more analytical Travel Experience (TE) score based on the things that actually make travel memorable.

If you're curious about the thinking behind it, head to the About page.

Otherwise, explore the map above or on the Home page and see which places truly deliver maximum wow.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *