Hajar Mountains
Rising without competition from the surrounding plain, Jabreen Castle is an impressive sight. Even if you have had a surfeit of fortifications, it's worth…
Must-see attractions in Hajar Mountains
Jebel Shams
The term 'Grand Canyon of Arabia' is wholly deserved for this quintessential feature of Oman's spectacular mountain scenery. A short path leads to the…
Hajar Mountains
Embellished with stalactites and stalagmites, this is the only cave in Oman developed for tourism and it's something of a gem. Sensitively lit, this…
Hajar Mountains
After many years of restoration, Bahla Fort, one of the largest in Oman, makes a grand sight looming over the sprawling modern settlement of Bahla. Built…
Al Hamra
This quirky museum is more open house than historical display. Three ladies accompany guests around their traditional house in the aged and crumbling…
Nizwa
Built over 12 years in the 17th century by Sultan Bin Saif Al Yaruba, the first imam of the Yaruba dynasty, Nizwa Fort is famed for its distinctive 40m…
Nizwa
The site of one of the oldest souqs in the country, this extensive marketplace is dedicated mostly to fruit and vegetables, meat and fish, all of which…
Hajar Mountains
Marking the highest point along the paved road, this spectacular viewpoint overlooks the full reach of the Hajar mountain range. With little hint of the…
Hajar Mountains
Beside the village of Al Ayn, and arranged along a low, russet-coloured ridge, this string of tombs make a dramatic silhouette against Jebel Misht that…
Jebel Shams
Affording one of the most lovely vistas in the Hajar Mountains, the abandoned village of Ghul dusts the shoulder of a cliff at the foot of Wadi Ghul, the…
Hajar Mountains
Slithering through the heart of the Hajar Mountains, this narrow slot canyon doesn't give up its secrets easily: in fact, it is hard to get a sense of its…
Hajar Mountains
This enormous castle on the edge of Ibri has been sensitively restored to give a flavour of the original without rebuilding all its parts. The castle,…
Hajar Mountains
Tucked into a limestone pleat in the mountains, Bilad Sayt is a beautiful traditional Hajar Mountain village. Trimmed with neat allotments of corn and…
Jebel Akhdar
The rim of the cliff here, with its celebrated panoramic view of the farmed terraces below, has a royal connection. Diana, Princess of Wales, enjoyed this…
Hajar Mountains
With its serrated teeth, Jebel Misht (meaning 'Comb Mountain') is well named. This striking lump of rock is one of Oman's so-called ‘exotics’ – a…
Al Hamra
Bathed by the golden light of sunset, with the limestone 'dip slope' of Jebel Shams as backdrop and a thick plantation of date palms in the foreground,…
Hajar Mountains
This imposing building has been restored and has brought the old quarter of Ibri back to life. There is not too much to see inside, but the views from the…
Hajar Mountains
For the best view of Misfat, turn right by the campground before entering the village. The ancient stone buildings, half buried in a thick date plantation…
Hajar Mountains
This steep-sided wadi channels the water that runs off Jebel Kawr and Jebel Shams and makes a pretty place for an easy stroll or a picnic. The walls at…
Hajar Mountains
All over Oman, terracotta pots with simple ribbed motifs decorate the entrances to smart villas and hotels. The potteries where these beloved vessels are…
Jebel Akhdar
This tiny hamlet clinging to the edge of the cliff, below Diana's Viewpoint, is typical of the villages on the Saiq plateau. Growing an assortment of…
Hajar Mountains
Just east of Al Ayn, there's a small roundabout (beyond which lies Wadi Damm); a right turn here leads up a winding paved road to a broad fertile plateau…
Jebel Akhdar
Wadi Bani Habib refers less to the wadi of walnuts and pomegranates that are still grown here, and more to the ruined village that lies wrapped around the…
Hajar Mountains
This crumbling old quarter is loosely strewn over the hill behind modern Birkat Al Mawz and makes a fascinating place to wander around. Some…
Nizwa
At 7990m in length, Falaj Daris is one of the biggest irrigation channels in Oman and one of six such channels in Oman collectively honoured as a Unesco…
Jebel Akhdar
Growing an abundance of pink Damask roses that bloom in spring (late March, early April), this village is linked to neighbouring villages by the…
Hajar Mountains
Dating back 1500 years, Oman's falaj system represents early engineering at its most ingenious. Here in Tanuf the channels are particularly remarkable for…
Hajar Mountains
Renovated but as yet closed to visitors, the attractive 17th-century fort is much photographed as it is perfectly framed against the massif of Jebel…
Nizwa
If you’re not put off by the smell of heaving bulls and irritable goats, the livestock souq is well worth a look. The livestock market occupies a small…
Hajar Mountains
Said to have been designed by a woman 600 years ago, Bahla's remarkable battlements are noticeable at every turn of the main road through town. The walls…
Hajar Mountains
This tiny hamlet was bombed in 1954 during a military campaign to suppress the imamate rebellion against the sultan. Abandoned old Tanuf now lies in…
Hajar Mountains
Buraimi has a large and interesting fort, with decorations that give it a Saharan flourish in comparison with the austere exteriors of Omani interior…
Jebel Akhdar
Not to be confused with the main town of Saiq, this small village has a rose-water distillery, making it an interesting place to visit during production…
Nizwa
Nizwa was once a major centre for Islamic scholarship, and two aged mosques, among the oldest in the world, have survived since the early 7th century…
Hajar Mountains
This traditional mountain village is something of a landmark along the remote off-road route from Wadi Bani Awf to Sharfat Al Alamayn. With the most…
Hajar Mountains
While Al Ayn has the best preserved beehive tombs, the largest concentration of these structures is to be found in Wadi Hajir, between Al Ayn and the…
Hajar Mountains
Opposite Bahla Fort, on the other side of Nizwa–Bahla Rd, rows of low-rise, arched buildings hide the entrance to a tiny traditional souq. A giant tree…
Hajar Mountains
The market opposite Hela Castle sells barasti – plaited palm fronds traditionally used for roofing and fencing – while just along the road, a lively souq…
Hajar Mountains
This large, sprawling castle has been attractively restored and now makes a good photo opportunity in the centre of town. The interior is largely taken up…
Hajar Mountains
Neighbouring Ibri Castle, the shops in Ibri's old souq include a small gold market, a covered alleyway or two, and a livestock souq that come to life on…
