Jebel Akhdar Oman – Travel Tips + Photos (the beautiful Green Mountain!)

This article contains affiliate Links (info on the Disclosure page). If you purchase using my link, I get a commission at no extra cost to you.

About the Green mountains of Jebel Akdhar in Oman

Situated at the top of the Hajar Mountain range, Jebel Akhdar (which translates to the Green Mountain or Green Mountains in Oman) is the area around the Sayq Plateau. The journey used to take 6 hours but now a road has been built all the way to the main village making. It easy to climb to Jebel Akhdar. This is why it has become a top touristic destination for foreigners and locals. It offers cooler weather (to escape the Summer heat), old villages, canyons and terrace plantations.

Below is a photo to show you why you should visit the mountains of Jebel Akdhar (many more photos for you after the practical information to plan your visit):

A great stop on your road trip in Oman 🙂

But do not mix up with Jebel Shams Oman which is the Arabian Grand canyon and bare mountains!

How to get to Jebel Akhdar Oman 

• Muscat to Jebel Akhdar plateau - 2h drive
  The road to Jebel Akhdar is fully paved. However it is only accessible to well maintained 4WD with a maximum of 6 people inside - at the checkpoint you must have your driver license, car insurance and ID ready.
• Entry checkpoint to the plateau is 6km from Birka Al Mouz, 15 km from Izki, 30km from Nizwa and 155km from Muscat (GPS coordinates in the eBook)
• Then the climb to Jebel Akhdar Oman is a 45 minute steep drive to the main village
• The Jebel Akhdar Road is in very good condition but very steep
• If you don't want to drive a 4WD, you can join a day trip from Muscat that will take your to the beautiful villages and mountains - Check out the program
• Below is a map to help you understand better, where Jabal Akhdar is located:

Visiting Jebel Akdhar

• Make sure your breaks are in good condition - the road is steep
• I recommend staying one night to enjoy sunset and sunrise views
• There are many places to admire the  view. Don't forget to stop at the visitor center near the checkpoint to get the map (photo below)

•  Jebel Akhdar Camping - wild camping is allowed but because of the altitude camping can get cold - Practical information on my article about Wild Camping in Oman
• Jebel Akhdar hotel - there are several places to stay at Jebel Akhdar. I stayed at the Sahab Hotel - it was really great for the views at sunset and sunrise. A beautiful building with a hot tub in a great location. Check out latest prices
• Or you could opt form the recent and luxurious Anantara Al Jabal resort - Check out photos and availability
• You can also consider the Alila Jebel Akhdar, further away in the mountains - Check out photos and availability
• Or you can compare the accommodations in Jeb​​el Akhdar

More accommodation ideas around Oman in my Oman Hotels and Accommodation article.

Things to do in Jebel Akhdar - Map

With a day I covered the lower half of this map, including one short hike.

Road to Jebel Akhdar and the Sayq Plateau

And on your way down, you have big emergency lanes in case of problems. As you can see in the picture below...

As we were driving up, I had noticed the view behind, so from that carpark I climbed the hill (starting with stairs). Be careful it is slippery!

And I ended up with this beautiful view! 

Wadi Bani Habib

Wadi Bani Habib is one of the top places to see in Jebel Akhdar Oman. When you reach the end of the road  and the parking (GPS coordinates in the eBook), you can take stairs to admire the view of the canyon and the old village. The path can actually take you to the old village of As Sab but I had seen many abandoned ruins in the days before and decided not to go for the hike.

Hike at Al Ayn and Al Aqur in the Jebel Akhdar Oman

I completed a short hike that took me from the local Al Ayn village (not the other Al Ayn with the Unesco site) to the Al Aqur rose village.

On the Al Aqur side, the path was clearly marked with the yellow white orange flag. But crossing from Al Ayn was really a challenge. I recommend stopping in Al Aqur and walking down the village enjoying the many beautiful views.​

Here is the view from just above the Al Ayn village. You can see Al Aqur just across, the hotel where I stayed on the left (Sahab Hotel) and the big hotel complex they are building on the other side.

The village of Al Ayn has a beautiful view of the mountains. You can walk in the old streets and tunnels until you reach the plantations.

As across you get great views of the terraces:

And this is the view of Al Ayn from Al Aqur:

Diana's Point at Jebel Akhdar

One viewing point was made famous by the late Lady Diana. I quickly stop at the viewing platform but I thought the views were better from the terrace of my hotel. And I was tired and just wanted to relax, as you can see with the very poor photo I took!!!

Sunset from my Jebel Akhdar hotel

My Jebel Akhdar hotel was the Sahab Hotel. It has a great location for views, especially at sunset and sunrise. After enjoying the views from the jacuzzi, I put on layers (remember it is cold in the mountains) and set up for sunset.

Sunrise at Jabal Akhdar

In the morning, not magical colors but the light was great to really see all the terraces for the plantations.

Want to see more of Oman's beauty?

Do you like going up in the mountains?

You may also like: