Terraced villages hang over the edge of a huge canyon, and the viewpoint named after Princess Diana's visit in the 1980s looks straight down over them. This is the view most people come for.
Feels like: mountain air, finally
The top of the road opens onto a high plateau with the main villages, guesthouses and hotels. Evenings here are genuinely cool, and in winter the nights can get properly cold.
Feels like: a sweater after sunset
Bare rock, deep gorges and wide views back across the plain. Low gears, steady pace — the road is well paved but steep, and it's worth pulling over at the viewing bays.
Feels like: windows down, air getting thinner
Only four-wheel-drive vehicles are allowed beyond this point, and the police check. From here, the road starts climbing hard in long, steep switchbacks.
Feels like: the last of the heat
An old village and date plantation at the foot of the mountain, with a restored fort and a falaj channel running between the palms. Still hot, still desert — the starting point.
Feels like: the heat of the plain
Temperatures vary a lot with the season — we'll tell you what to pack for your dates.
An old stone village left empty below the newer settlement, with walnut trees and terraces still growing in the wadi floor. Short, easy walk down.
Right at the canyon rim, with terraces stepping down below — one of the best places to see the roses in spring.
Known for rosewater — in season, families distil it the traditional way, and the smell drifts through the lanes.
The last village on the terrace path, perched above its fields with some of the most dramatic views on the plateau.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damask roses | Mar–Apr | |||||||||||
| Apricots & peaches | May–Jun | |||||||||||
| Pomegranates | Aug–Oct | |||||||||||
| Walnuts | Aug–Sep | |||||||||||
| Cool escape | May–Aug | |||||||||||
| Crisp, clear days | Jan–Feb | Oct–Dec | ||||||||||
Approximate — harvests shift by a few weeks each year with rainfall and temperature. We'll confirm what's in season for your dates.
A marked path follows the canyon edge and the old falaj channels from Al Ayn through Al Aqr to Ash Sharijah, dipping in and out of the terraces along the way. It's the single best way to see the mountain — on foot, at the pace of the villages.
Up in the morning, walk the terraces, down by late afternoon. Works well if you're based in Nizwa.
Sunset from the canyon rim, a cool mountain evening, and the terrace walk the next morning while the air is fresh.
Time for the terrace walk, Wadi Bani Habib and a proper rest — especially good in rose season or the summer heat.
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The police checkpoint at the base only lets four-wheel-drive vehicles up the mountain. Both our standard 4WD and our rooftop-tent 4WDs qualify — sedans and AWDs don't.
Even when it's hot below, evenings on the plateau are cool — and winter nights can be cold.
Tell us your dates — we'll time your visit for the roses, the pomegranates or simply the cool air.
