Jebel Akhdar (the Green Mountain)

Jebel Akhdar, Arabic for "Green Mountain", is the farmed plateau of the Hajar Mountains in the heart of Oman: at around 2,000 m, some 160 km and two hours' drive from Muscat airport, it has stone villages clinging to cliffs, terraces of pomegranate trees and roses, deep canyons and a handful of mountain hotels. It is 11 to 13 °C cooler than Nizwa, down on the plain, in every month of the year. Plan on two or three nights between October and April, or early May for the roses. Only four-wheel-drive vehicles are allowed up.

Getting up the mountain

The Birkat al Mouz checkpoint. The plateau road starts at Birkat al Mouz, an oasis at the foot of the massif about 120 km and 1 h 20 from the airport. A Royal Oman Police checkpoint controls the traffic: only four-wheel-drive vehicles are let through, and drivers must show their licence and the vehicle's registration papers. The rule was restated in 2022 by the Oman Observer, the English-language daily published by the Ministry of Information, and the Anantara, one of the plateau hotels, confirms it on its website in 2026. In 2022 the government also announced a future road from South Batinah open to all cars, with no opening date. Sabaro checks the rule before every departure.

The drive. Beyond the checkpoint, a paved mountain road climbs to the Saiq Plateau: allow 160 km and two hours from the airport without stops, or 2.5 hours according to the hotels. The hotels can arrange airport transfers and the checkpoint crossing for guests who prefer not to drive. Our Driving in Oman guide covers the road rules and the choice of vehicle.

Safety. Mountain roads are dangerous without a well-equipped 4x4, animals wander onto the road, and altitude sickness is possible in parts of Oman. Foreign ministries do not all give the same advice for Oman: yours is in the "Travel advice" table on this page, and our Oman travel situation guide compares them.

At the foot of the mountain: Birkat al Mouz

Birkat al Mouz deserves a stop on the way up. Bayt Ar-Ridaydah, a 17th-century fort built under Imam Sultan bin Saif (1649-1679), guards the mouth of Wadi Al Muaydin, 24 km from central Nizwa. It covers 6,761 m² over two floors, with a defensive wall and small corner towers, painted ceilings, carved gypsum and an inner well. Its position on the road to Jebel Akhdar gave it control of the caravan route.

The Falaj Al Khatmeen runs through its courtyard. A falaj (plural aflaj) is an irrigation channel that carries water from a spring or an underground source by gravity alone, sometimes over several kilometres. Al Khatmeen is one of five aflaj inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006, standing for more than 3,000 systems still in use across the country; four of the five lie around the Jebel Akhdar massif. Water is still shared between families under old communal rules guided by the stars.

The Saiq Plateau and its villages

The Saiq Plateau, at around 2,000 m, is the inhabited, cultivated part of the mountain. Its villages are built of stone on the rim of the gorges, above terraces watered by aflaj.

Al Aqr, Al Ayn and Ash Shirayjah are the three best-known villages, linked by a cliffside path. Their terraces grow pomegranates, pears, grapes, garlic and onions, along with Damask roses. The Anantara runs this walk with an Omani guide who takes guests into mosques, majlis (reception rooms), lived-in and abandoned houses and a rose-water distillery. Al Aqr is the usual starting point for hikers, with views over Al Ayn, Ash Shirayjah and the neighbouring villages. Its residents are turning old houses into inns, cafés and museums; the Suspended Terraces Lodge opened there in September 2023, with eleven rooms in three traditional houses. Al Ayn, meaning "the spring", is built entirely in terraces around its springs.

Wadi Bani Habib is an abandoned mud-brick village on the cliffside. About twenty minutes on foot, then a descent down natural rock steps, bring you to the wadi floor, planted with walnut, apricot, almond, peach and pomegranate trees that farmers still come back to tend. More than fifty families once lived here; their houses are crumbling, but the small mosque, about 40 m², is still in use.

Fossils. The plateau's limestone holds marine fossils, corals, sponges and oysters, from a time when the mountain lay under the sea. The Oman Observer points to petrified tufa waterfalls west of Sayh Qatanah and, near the village of Ar Rus, a rock layer marking the great end-Permian extinction some 251 million years ago.

Diana's Point is a wood-and-glass viewing platform over the canyon, named after the Princess of Wales, who came to admire the view in the 1980s. It now lies within the Anantara resort.

The mountain's seasons

Roses. Damask roses have been grown on the plateau since the 17th century. From late March to early May, peaking in April, the terraces turn pink; farmers pick the flowers at dawn, when the scent is strongest, then distil them for hours in clay ovens and earthenware pots. The result is the brown rose water that flavours Omani coffee and sweets. Our Rose season page gives the expected dates for 2027.

Pomegranates. The plateau has some 27,000 pomegranate trees, according to Oman's Ministry of Agriculture, including 5,500 in Saiq and 5,000 in Ash Shirayjah. The harvest starts in mid-August, and the fruit is sold to visitors on the mountain and as far as the Nizwa souq.

Temperatures. The Saiq weather station records average highs of 15 °C in January, 20 °C in March, 23 °C in October and 30 °C at the height of summer. Winter evenings and nights are cold, so bring a proper jumper and a jacket. In summer, when the plain tops 40 °C, the plateau draws visitors from Oman and the other Gulf states.

Hiking and climbing

Hiking is the main draw. The three-village walk, from Al Aqr to Ash Shirayjah, takes about three hours as a loop, with steep sections along the drop. Stick to waymarked trails, and carry water even in winter. Our Hiking in the Hajar Mountains guide covers the routes across the range.

The Jebel Akhdar via ferrata, a climbing route fitted with cables and rungs, takes two hours and costs from about €100 per person. A three-hour outing combines via ferrata and a hike to Sharaijah village for about €115 per group of up to three. A full-day trip from Muscat costs about €117 per person, but the drive takes at least four hours there and back, so one or two nights on the mountain are a better plan.

Where to stay on Jebel Akhdar

All three hotels in the Sabaro selection are on the Saiq Plateau.

Anantara Al Jabal Al Akhdar Resort: 82 canyon-view rooms and 33 private-pool villas, a heated pool, a spa with hammam, and clubs for children and teenagers. Diana's Point is on its grounds. Check-in 14:00, check-out 12:00. Expect from about €450 a night for two with breakfast, possible local taxes extra.

Alila Jabal Akhdar: 86 suites and villas at 2,000 m, outdoor and indoor pools, Spa Alila, a children's club and a 3 km Butterfly Trail for families. The hotel offers via ferrata, hikes, stargazing and cooking classes. Price on request.

Sahab Resort & Spa: a small 27-room hotel on the canyon edge, with an infinity pool over the valley, the URU Spa, village walks, rock climbing and cliff-edge yoga. Fossils can be seen on the property. Price on request.

Our Mountains, Spa and wellness and Honeymoon pages list these hotels alongside Sabaro's other addresses.

Combining Jebel Akhdar with other regions

The plateau is about an hour's drive from Nizwa, with its fort and Friday market. Jebel Shams is reached via Nizwa and Al Hamra: our Jebel Shams page covers the canyon and the Balcony Walk. A first trip might combine two nights in Muscat, two on the plateau and one in Nizwa; our Oman page gives the overview.