Full Day Private or Group Tour to Ancient Nizwa and the Green Mountain From Muscat
Muscat, Oman
Trip Type: Day Trips
Duration: 8 hours
The tour to Jebel Akhdar with its steep terraced agricultural fields is full of natural variety. The walks through the fields need a little agility and of course as you are at 2,000 meters a reasonable fitness. We also, if time permits, visit a charming village at the base of the mountain with Date plantations. Tour in 4WD, distance appx. 450Kms. Have lunch in local restaurant with entrance fees to Nizwa Fort included.
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The tour to Jebel Akhdar with its steep terraced agricultural fields is full of natural variety. The walks through the fields need a little agility and of course as you are at 2,000 meters a reasonable fitness. We also, if time permits, visit a charming village at the base of the mountain with Date plantations. Tour in 4WD, distance appx. 450Kms. Have lunch in local restaurant with entrance fees to Nizwa Fort included.The tour starts at 09.00am from your hotel in Muscat. You will then be driven to Nizwa. Nizwa is the heartland of Oman’s history and traditional culture. The fortifications at Nizwa date back to around 850AD and the famous round tower is relatively new dating to around 1650AD. Surrounding the fort and the housing is a vast date oasis which is watered by examples of Oman’s falaj irrigation system. The water that irrigates parts of Nizwa flows underground from the dramatic canyon of Wadi Tanuf many kilometres away. The canyon is also the source of the famous Tanuf mineral water. The Falaj Daris which flows into Nizwa is one of Oman’s UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Nizwa is also a market town and on market day the crowds give an indication of its importance not only for purchases but also as a place to meet friends.
After lunch proceed to spend the afternoon in Jebel Akhdar, one of the most dramatic and interesting locations in Oman. Walks here are at over the magic 2,000 meters meaning they are high altitude and not for those with susceptibility to altitude sickness. At all times of the year the temperature is cooler than in the plains below. The mountains could be named Jebel Akhdar (which means Green Mountain) because there are many terraced fields growing many plants. Roses, Pomegranates, Prunus and Walnuts thrive in the cool air, while Garlic and barley grow interspersed with the trees and bushes and these are not usual in a desert country. Small villages are scattered throughout the plateau area, those on the southern slopes are frequently agricultural communities, while those elsewhere are more often goat herding communities. The mountains are part of the Hajar Al Gharbiya and extend for hundreds of kilometres north-west. Though the terraced fields are steep, pathways enable walking through many areas. Roses are grown here for distillation of the fragrance to use in Oman’s Rose Water – a culinary essential throughout Oman. Pomegranates are probably the most successfully grown crop here , the fruit is prized in neighbouring regions and commands high prices. The mountains have steep valleys which start near the plateau and finish in the plains below. Most of them have a village at the lower end, making use of water in the valley floor. Birkat al Moz with its extensive date gardens is among the more interesting, and meandering through it a falaj which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site can be found. Drive back to reach Muscat late afternoon.
After lunch proceed to spend the afternoon in Jebel Akhdar, one of the most dramatic and interesting locations in Oman. Walks here are at over the magic 2,000 meters meaning they are high altitude and not for those with susceptibility to altitude sickness. At all times of the year the temperature is cooler than in the plains below. The mountains could be named Jebel Akhdar (which means Green Mountain) because there are many terraced fields growing many plants. Roses, Pomegranates, Prunus and Walnuts thrive in the cool air, while Garlic and barley grow interspersed with the trees and bushes and these are not usual in a desert country. Small villages are scattered throughout the plateau area, those on the southern slopes are frequently agricultural communities, while those elsewhere are more often goat herding communities. The mountains are part of the Hajar Al Gharbiya and extend for hundreds of kilometres north-west. Though the terraced fields are steep, pathways enable walking through many areas. Roses are grown here for distillation of the fragrance to use in Oman’s Rose Water – a culinary essential throughout Oman. Pomegranates are probably the most successfully grown crop here , the fruit is prized in neighbouring regions and commands high prices. The mountains have steep valleys which start near the plateau and finish in the plains below. Most of them have a village at the lower end, making use of water in the valley floor. Birkat al Moz with its extensive date gardens is among the more interesting, and meandering through it a falaj which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site can be found. Drive back to reach Muscat late afternoon.
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