# Jebel Akhdar rose season

Every spring the terraced villages of Jebel Akhdar, at 2,000 m, pick Damask roses and distil them into rose water. The season runs from late March to early May and peaks in April; visitors can watch the dawn harvest and visit family distilleries.

Source : https://sabaro-travel.com/en/events/roses-jebel-akhdar/

## What the rose season is

On the Jebel Akhdar plateau, the "Green Mountain" of the Hajar range, villagers have grown the Damask rose, known locally as the Muhammadi rose, since the 17th century. In spring the roses on the terraces bloom and families pick the flowers to distil them into rose water. In Oman the period is called *mawsim al-ward*, the rose season.

It is not a festival with a fixed date but a farming season that depends on the rain and temperatures. The Oman Observer places it from March to early May, peaking in April; depending on the year, flowering tends to start in late March. For 2027, April is the safest bet.

## Villages and the harvest

The rose gardens are terraced around the villages of Al Ain, Ash Shuraijah, Saiq and Al Qashaa. An Agriculture Ministry estimate quoted by the Oman Observer puts the total at about 5,000 rose bushes over 7 acres.

Picking starts in the first hours of the day, when the flowers are most fragrant. During the season you can follow the farm paths between the terraces, watch the hand-picking and step into the small traditional distilleries.

## From flower to rose water

Each family has its own distilling house, built of mud, stone and pottery and sized to its garden. The petals simmer for about four hours in earthenware pots set over clay ovens. Several kilos of flowers yield only 250 to 300 millilitres of brown rose water. The water then settles for one to forty days and matures for three months in a clay jar. The Agriculture Ministry has handed out stills that replace wood fires, but many producers stick to the old method.

Brown rose water flavours Omani coffee, *qahwa*, served to guests, and local sweets, and is used in traditional remedies. Newer techniques produce white rose water, oils and perfumes.

## Getting there

The Saiq Plateau is about 160 km and two hours' drive from Muscat airport. The mountain road starts at the Birkat al Mouz police checkpoint, where only 4x4 vehicles are let through, with licence and registration papers. Anantara, on the plateau, offers transfers. In April the average high at Saiq is 21 °C.

## Where to stay

[Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar](/en/hotels/anantara-al-jabal-al-akhdar/), on the canyon edge, includes rose-water outings among its activities; it starts from around €450 a night with breakfast. [Alila Jabal Akhdar](/en/hotels/alila-jabal-akhdar/), with suites and villas, and the smaller [Sahab Resort & Spa](/en/hotels/sahab-resort-spa/) are on the same plateau. Prices are recorded including taxes, with any local taxes on top. The area is covered on the [Jebel Akhdar](/en/oman/jebel-akhdar/) page, and the [Hajar Mountains hiking](/en/guides/randonnee-hajar/) guide describes the trails between the villages.

The rose season follows soon after [Eid al-Fitr](/en/events/aid-al-fitr-oman-2027/), expected around 9 March 2027. Since the Iranian strikes in the Gulf, foreign ministries have not all given the same advice; the [Oman travel situation](/en/guides/situation-oman/) guide has the details. Yours:

(Depends on the traveller's country: see the table on https://sabaro-travel.com/en/events/roses-jebel-akhdar/)

## Frequently asked questions

### When can I see the Jebel Akhdar roses in 2027?

From late March to early May, peaking in April. The exact timing depends on the year's rain and temperatures.

### Where are the rose gardens?

Around the villages of Al Ain, Ash Shuraijah, Saiq and Al Qashaa, on the Jebel Akhdar plateau.

### Do I need a 4x4?

Yes: the Birkat al Mouz police checkpoint only lets 4x4 vehicles up to the plateau. Anantara offers transfers.

### Can I buy rose water?

Yes, from producers on the plateau. In 2022 the Oman Observer quoted 8 to 10 Omani rials for a 750 ml bottle.

### What time is the harvest?

Early in the morning, in the first hours of the day, when the flowers are most fragrant.