Jebel Akhdar is a lush mountainous area in Oman, reaching almost 10 thousand feet in elevation. When temperatures are blazing, Jebel Akhdar is an escape from the heat.
Slopes of Jebel Akhdar, aka the Green Mountain
4WD only. The road to Jebel Akhdar is extremely steep—so steep that only 4WD vehicles are allowed to pass. A police checkpoint prevents other vehicles from driving up. This rule is designed to prevent the brakes on small cars from overheating and failing on the way down. The road to Jebel Akhdar is smooth pavement, so vehicle clearance is not an issue. We read online and heard from locals that police at the checkpoint may give you permission to drive up in a Porsche.
If you are like us, you are not driving a Porsche.
If you are like us, you rented a 2WD vehicle for ~$23/day because you did not want to pay ~$75/day for 4WD.
Thou shall not pass
Hitchhiking. On a budget, the best way to access Jebel Akhdar is to hitchhike. After reading online that Oman is one of the easiest and friendliest places to hitchhike, we decided to try.
At the police checkpoint, you will find a parking lot full of 2WD cars. From here, stick your thumb out and try to look friendly. The first car to pass was a taxi who offered to drive us up, around, and back for 25 OMR ($65 USD). After politely declining, the next car picked us up, even though the two men in the back seat had to sit four abreast to squeeze us in.
We spent the next 40 minutes chatting with our new friends, who obliged us by answering our many questions about Oman. The four men even helped us search for the trailhead when we arrived at the top since it was a bit tricky to find. Omani people are known as especially friendly—and hitchhiking was an interesting way to meet and interact with the locals.
Jebel Akhdar is particularly suited for hitchhiking because locals will immediately understand why you are stopped at the checkpoint. There are a limited number of roads on the plateau, so finding someone going the same direction is easy.
Driving directions from the police checkpoint to the start of the W18B hike.
Where to visit. For a half day, the scenic W18B hike from Al Aqur to Sayq is fantastic. The hike takes about two hours, passing through charming villages with a beautiful view of the valley below. Depending on when you visit, you can see different fruits and flowers growing. We hiked in May and only saw a couple other hikers. A map can be found here, and also shows other hikes in the area.
Yellow, white, and red flags (see faded paint on corner) guide the way
After completing our hike, we hitched twice to reach the main road heading down and hitched once more to return to our car. We never waited more than five minutes to get picked up. The last car even gave us pizza (Omanis are seriously friendly).
With a full day you could explore higher on the plateau or track down some of the other hikes in the area.
Hiking the W18B
Interacting with drivers and passengers. Every driver who stopped spoke enough English to communicate, but we tried to start each meeting with As-salāmu ʿalaykum (Arabic greeting) and say shukraan (thank you) as much as we could. Jebel Akhdar is a big fruit-growing region and I wished I had bought a box of nectarines to share with people who picked us up. I tried sharing my lame trail mix, but nobody took me up on the offer.
Omanis are mostly Muslim. As a male, I shook hands with drivers and other passengers when being dropped off. Sarah shook hands with the sole adult female we shared a ride with and gave a small nod or bow to the men who indicated they could not shake her hand.
If you are unsure if you can shake someone’s hand during greetings or departures, just ask (or follow their lead). Sarah asked a few times and everyone was extremely friendly. When they declined to shake hands, they acknowledged her with bows or head nods. In many countries, it is a respectful to put your hands together (as in a prayer) and give a slight bow to acknowledge, say hello, or give thanks to either gender.
We got a lift in this cool truck
What to wear. Oman is a conservative country, and “respectful clothing” means covering up, even when it’s blazing hot. For women, consider long sleeves and pants for hitchhiking. The long-sleeve shirt can be removed later if shoulders remain covered. Men can get away with t-shirts and long shorts, though only children and tourists wear shorts in Oman. The W18B hike passes through several villages with signs requesting coverage of shoulders and knees.
Village rules
Oman is a super friendly place. If you are adventurous enough to visit Oman, you are probably resourceful enough to make it to Jebel Akhdar (even without a Porsche).
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I am Sterling, one of the Two Fish Traveling. I love to travel and live in Polson, Montana with my wife Sarah.
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what a super blog post and experience – i love that you hitch hiked the mountain! we go tot jebel akhdar every year and are off again tomorrow. the drive shreds my nerves every time but the views, the peace and the people make it all worth it. thank you for sharing your experience.
Thank you Kelly for the super kind comment! Your comment led me to reread this article and think back on this fun trip. We met the nicest people and the hike was so pleasant.