Hiking in Oman
Adventurous hiking in nature by exploring mountains and going on top of the earth- a dream for every traveler. Oman, the land of mountains, offers challenging adventures and exploring opportunities to those who want thrilling experiences. The country is often known as a hiking paradise and heaven for adventurous travelers.
Among many other beautiful trekking destinations of the country, we have chosen some of the best places for hiking in Oman. Below we listed the top seven hiking trails in Oman.
1.Jebel Akhdar
Jebel Akhdar, also known as the green mountain, is a spectacular hiking spot located in the Hajar mountain range. People call this ancient range the Grand Canyon of Arabia and, this hike will take you to a different era of years back.
It is in the Nizwa city of Al Dakhliya region and, the distance from Muscat is 115 km. You can only enter with a four-wheel drive. You will face a routine check from the police check post to enter the mountain.
Scenery
This mountain is famous for lush greenery with unique flora and fauna. The more you enter inside the trail, you will discover abandoned villages and emerald blue pools. The ancient Omani tribe ‘Al Riyami’ still resides here by making farms and agricultural activities.
You will see lots of pomegranates, peaches, grapes, and apricots all over. It is greener than most other hiking trails in Oman. In 2011, the government declared this mountain as a natural reserve for its beautiful biodiversity.
Hike Parameters
It is one of the most exciting hiking spots in the country. You will discover many hidden gems on the way. This loop trail is about 3.11 miles distance which takes around 3-4 hours to finish depending on the hikers. Its average height from sea level is 2000 meters and the maximum point is 2980 meters (9780 ft).
The temperature here is cooler to almost ten degrees Celsius compared to Muscat. During winter, it may go down to a single figure. Summer suits, hoodies, and gloves are very effective this time. You should also take your swim gear since lots of pools and caves are here to explore. Besides natural biodiversity, this hike will also show you incredible views of the other mountains of the Al Hajar range with stunning valleys.
Fitness Requirement and Tips
Though the surface is rocky and some big stones and boulders standing to declare their supremacy, hiking in this place is quite easy. A beginner or intermediate level trekker can easily pass through it with usual fitness. Moreover, the government constructed paved roads and paths to help the tourists.
There are also many shops and cafes for the sake of travelers. However, it is safe to take water and necessary stuff with you in case you don’t find them nearby immediately.
2.Wadi Mibam
Wadi Mibam is one of the most beautiful wadis in Oman containing stunning waterfalls, turquoise pools, and greenery sceneries. This place is full of surprises and a must-go destination for adventure lovers.
Wadi Mibam is situated far inside the Mibam village at the edge of Wadi Tiwi, the center of the Tiwi mountains. It is more than a 160 kilometers journey from Muscat. Driving through Sharqiyah Highway on the way to Sur and then taking the road of Tiwi after passing Wadi Shab will get you on the way.
Scenery
People often call it a hidden surprise because not many people usually go to the end of the trail. However, the gorgeous attractions of the place have drawn the attention of the visitors. People are more eager to visit the spot now than ever.
Enjoying the breathtaking sceneries during hiking is the main attraction of visiting Wadi Mibam. This place contains plenty of palm, dates, citrus, bananas, and simply a green oasis. Besides, mind-blowing waterfalls and turquoise blue pools will mesmerize you with their beauties. You will also get the opportunity to do challenging abseiling on the way to the second waterfall. Overall, this will be a great experience.
Hike Parameters
From the village in Tiwi, you will need to drive around ten kilometers to reach the Mibam village parking spot. It will require around 30 minutes. This road journey will give you the highest thrill since it is slippery and a bit dangerous too.
From the parking spot, the hiking will start. Depending on your fitness level, you will need to trek for 2/3 hours through the village. The trail is traverse and, you will face several boulder stones on
the way. The government made concrete stairs straight down to the waterfall for the betterment of the tourists. For this, hiking is not much painful.
Fitness Requirement and Tips
A usual fitness will take you there comfortably. However, you get to enjoy yourself better if you have a good level of fitness. Never forget to take water and hiking shoes along with enough clothes since you will not want to miss the touch of those fantastic pools. Wadi Mibam full article you can read here click.
3.Wadi Bani Awf
Wadi Bani Awf is a unique valley in the Al Dakhliya region in Oman. This place has so much to offer with many beautiful attractions. It covers a large area with villages and canyons.
Scenery
The route through the wadi offers some stunning sceneries and off-road adventure while crossing the Hajar mountains. Throughout the journey, those cliffs and canyons will give a lot of charms. Besides, various green plantations including- dates, mangoes, and lemons make this place a scenic beauty.
Hike Parameters
This wadi is full of thrilling experiences and heaven for adventure lovers. You can start from both Al Batinah or Al Dakhliyah side. The road is a steep path and will take more than three hours to cross the wadi. The width is about 5 meters and, sometimes it goes straight upward to 100 meters. For more adventure, you can use wires that connect the two sides to cross from one side to another.
This place has several attractions and thereby you will get many stoppages to explore on the way. The villages and canyons are great places to hang out. Few trees provide good shade and are perfect for camping under them. Also, do not forget to visit Balad Sayt village since the road would take you to one of the most stunning football fields in Oman having artificial turf- Audi Balad Sayt Football Field.
Fitness Requirement and Tips
The adventure will require a standard level of fitness. However, a 4WD vehicle is a must to complete the hike. If you are not a good driver on the steep road, you will struggle even with a 4WD car. So, make sure you go with someone experienced on such type of roads.
4.Snake Gorge
Snake Gorge is one of the top adventurous places in Oman offering breathtaking experiences. The route of it is on the same way to Wadi Bani Awf. It is one of the largest natural water parks in the country.
Scenery
Snake Canyon is a great attraction and, this narrow gorge is almost at the center of Wadi Bani Awf. Water slides, blue pools, and beautiful cliffs make this place a unique exploring point for tourists.
Hike Parameters
It is such a slender place that will allow you to touch both sides of the canyon at a time. You will see one exit point and two different entrances where one is relatively shorter. It is an almost four hours trail and, the upper part needs several jumps and two major abseiling up to 40 meters. If you frighten to jump, abseil will help you get over it.
You will face several obstacles on the way and, they also include sliding, jumping, and swimming. After the exit, a large valley will appear with an alluring trail. This route is for advanced climbers and requires professional equipment like life jackets, ropes, helmets with good preparation.
Fitness Requirement and Tips
Snake Gorge Canyon is for travelers whose hiking ability is at the intermediate or advanced level. If you are not that good at trekking, we would not recommend you to go there. However, to make things a lot easier, it is recommended to take a guide since those abseiling could be tricky and fetal if you are not familiar with this situation.
5.Jebel Shams
Jebel Shams, better known as the “Mountain of the Sun”, is another breathtaking trekking spot of Oman. Towering more than 3000 meters from sea level, it is the highest mountain in the region. It is a part of the Al Hazar Mountains Range near Nizwa city and 243 kilometers away from Muscat.
Scenery
The breathtaking views around will take your mind away from all the hassles. Especially the impressive views of “Wadi Ghul”, known as the “Grand Canyon of Arabia”, is a great thing to witness. Also, camping at the top is another popular activity of the tourists and locals. Watching stars at night and steamy sunrise in the morning is something you will cherish for sure.
Hike Parameters
It comes with two summits- north and south, where the north summit is a military base and restricted for people. Tourists are open to going to the south one. There are three viewpoints on top of the mountain. You have to cross many uneven rocky surfaces to reach there. Keep in mind that these paths are created for vehicles and not for hikers. Hiking, thereby on this trail requires special cautions and preparation.
You have to cross several valleys and villages on the way following lots of uphill and downhill on rocky terrain. This rough journey, however, comes with special prizes. The sunrise and sunset at the top will be a lifetime experience to remember. It may take around seven to ten hours to reach the top. Though it often extends to various adventures on the path.
Fitness Requirement and Tips
It will require a medium to advance fitness level to cover. Beginners will struggle in this hiking. There will not be any shop or cafeteria-like Jebel Akhdar and, also lack of shade everywhere is a big problem. Therefore, taking enough food, water, and sun protection is a must.
6.Wadi Shab
Wadi Shab is a popular place for hiking in Oman. One of the reasons is its easy accessibility which is only 150 km from Muscat. This place is very near to Sur city in the Sharqiyah region. For many alluring attractions, you cannot make your list of hiking trails in Oman without it.
Scenery
Wadi Shab is famous for its refreshing green sceneries and turquoise blue pools. It is a great relaxing family picnic spot. You will see green views and mountain cliffs on the way that ends with a hidden cave. You will find a beautiful waterfall inside the cave. People also like to do cliff-jumping and swimming in these crystal pool waters.
Hike Parameters
The trail to Wadi Shab is rocky in between mountains. At some point, you will face several water bodies. To get going, you can either swim or rent a boat. However, avoid going there after heavy rain since a fresh flood could be dangerous.
The first 1.5 hours is an easier path until you reach a bigger pool area. The trail becomes harder from this point. Following some climbing and scrambling, you will find a secret keyhole that leads you to the cave. There you will find the waterfall with a rope attached to it. Adventure lovers often jump from above and climb back with the rope again. However, if you are not a good swimmer, you must wear a life jacket.
For more adventure, you can spend the night doing camping. Though not many people spend the night here and, after the sunset, the place becomes empty. Overall, Wadi Shab is a great place for all sorts of hikers to explore.
Fitness Requirement and Tips
The hike to Wadi Shab is relatively easy. You can pass it through even if you are a beginner hiker with usual fitness. However, take adequate water since in the summer you will get fatigued.
7.Majlis Al-Jinn
The local meaning of Majlis Al Jinn is “a gathering place for genies”. It is one of the most stunning natural wonders of Oman that offers a magical hiking experience. Geologists calculated the age of this wonder is more than fifty million years!
This place is synonymous with Salma Plateau and located at the foothills of the eastern side of the Al Hajar Mountains, near Wadi Al Arbaeen. The distance from Muscat is about 60 miles and, you can reach here on a two-hour long journey.
Scenery
For its timeless beauty and thrilling location, Majlis Al-Jinn is called a natural treasure. It is gradually becoming a popular hiking spot as well as a base-jumping site. The beautiful natural light of this cave is very famous. During the daytime, sunlight enters inside through the ceiling holes. It looks like a bright luster and adds tremendous mystery to the place. The same thing happens at night by the moonlight creating a mythical environment there.
Hike Parameters
This magical cave is 1380 meters above sea level and is the second-largest cave in the world. It contains an area of 624000 square feet equaling around 11 football grounds. Despite this large size, it is hardly recognizable from the outside. The only way people can get its existence is by the three scant opening holes on the top. They are the access points created by rainwater dissolving the limestone of the cave.
Entering inside Majlis Al-Jinn requires about 200 meters of ascending and descend with the help of special equipment and rope. Several tourist agencies provide these ropes and equipment along with a guided tour. They also arrange 4-6 hours long training sessions before going there.
Fitness Requirement and Tips
Excellent fitness is a must to reach the cave opening since it’s almost a 1300 meters distance through rough and rocky terrain. It will take around 5 hours to reach there. You have to descend through a rope to get to the opening. So, take both physical and mental preparation accordingly.
Best Time to Hike in Oman
Hiking in Oman is difficult and challenging due to the humid and hot weather. April to June is the peak summer. Heat is extreme this time. Try to avoid this season if you are focusing only on hiking adventures since people often get heatstroke doing physical adventure.
May to September is the most humid period and still a difficult time for trekking. However, many people do outdoor activities in this period. The Winter months (October-March) is the most comfortable time for hiking. Though temperature at some places like Jebel Akhdar and Jebel Shams sometimes gets below zero degrees on top. We recommend taking warm clothes if you go to high altitudes points.
Hiking Tips in Oman
Some of the important hiking advice in Oman are below:
- Take adequate water and liquids to keep your body hydrated all the time
- Keep snacks and foods if shops are not available nearby
- Buy hiking boots since most of the paths are rocky and uneven
- Take sun protection like a hat, sunglasses, sunscreen, etc.
- Take waterproof phone covers, water shoes, and swimming gear if you hike in a watery region
- Always keep first aid and necessary medicines because you never know when an accident could happen
Final Words
Oman is a darling child of nature. There are so many gorgeous hiking places that are difficult to mention in an article. Here, we tried to give a glimpse of the seven most popular hiking trails in the country. Each one has a different specialty with great attractions. If you are planning for a hiking tour, visit these seven places first. They will take your breath away and give some lifetime memorable experiences.
