Wakan Village
Wakan Village
4.5
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Kaustubh P
Mumbai, India105 contributions
Dec 2015 • Family
Wakan is about 150 kms from Muscat, and can be reached from Nakhal by taking the turn to Wadi Mistal on the Nakhal-Awabi road.
After the Nakhal Fort Round about, look out for water tanks on the left of the road. Turn left at the third water tank. Continue on this road till the end. This is known as the Ghubrah Bowl. One can see a few villages and wadi's on the way. Watch out for signage leading to Wakan Village.
The road goes up to a small village and leads to a graded dusty road with a sign post pointing towards Wakan. The last 3 kms of this road is gravel track and one needs to use a 4WD vehicle here. This a very narrow road with sharp hairpin bends and steep inclines.
Be careful while navigating this stretch of road. The road ends at a small parking lot at the base of the village. Look out for steps with marking that point towards the trekking trail.
The steps pass through the village, hence please be careful not to disturb the local residents. Start climbing up the steps towards the final look out post.
One can observe terrace farming done by local residents on the slopes of the mountain. A falaj (small irrigation mountain stream) runs on the sides of the steps.
Authorities have created watch zones where one can stop and admire the beauty of the surroundings.
The trek can be finished within 45 mins to reach the top observation post.
Do's and Dont's
1. 4 WD vehicle is mandatory for the last 3 kms
2. Ideally start the trek in the morning.
3. Since the village is situated at a height of 2000 meters it gets relatively cold. Please carry warm clothing.
4. Do not pluck flowers or damage the terrace gardens, the residents are dependent on the same for there lively hood.
5. Travel light but do carry food and water as there are no shops, coffee shops around.
6. Not suitable for very small children or people with difficulty of climbing steps.
7. Ensure to bring your camera with lots of memory space available.
The village is the back side of the famous Jebel Akhdhar mountain range.
After the Nakhal Fort Round about, look out for water tanks on the left of the road. Turn left at the third water tank. Continue on this road till the end. This is known as the Ghubrah Bowl. One can see a few villages and wadi's on the way. Watch out for signage leading to Wakan Village.
The road goes up to a small village and leads to a graded dusty road with a sign post pointing towards Wakan. The last 3 kms of this road is gravel track and one needs to use a 4WD vehicle here. This a very narrow road with sharp hairpin bends and steep inclines.
Be careful while navigating this stretch of road. The road ends at a small parking lot at the base of the village. Look out for steps with marking that point towards the trekking trail.
The steps pass through the village, hence please be careful not to disturb the local residents. Start climbing up the steps towards the final look out post.
One can observe terrace farming done by local residents on the slopes of the mountain. A falaj (small irrigation mountain stream) runs on the sides of the steps.
Authorities have created watch zones where one can stop and admire the beauty of the surroundings.
The trek can be finished within 45 mins to reach the top observation post.
Do's and Dont's
1. 4 WD vehicle is mandatory for the last 3 kms
2. Ideally start the trek in the morning.
3. Since the village is situated at a height of 2000 meters it gets relatively cold. Please carry warm clothing.
4. Do not pluck flowers or damage the terrace gardens, the residents are dependent on the same for there lively hood.
5. Travel light but do carry food and water as there are no shops, coffee shops around.
6. Not suitable for very small children or people with difficulty of climbing steps.
7. Ensure to bring your camera with lots of memory space available.
The village is the back side of the famous Jebel Akhdhar mountain range.
Written January 8, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shereen pereira
Muscat, Oman123 contributions
Feb 2020 • Family
This weekend we were a group of 10 adults and 6 kids who visited the Wakan Village. We were told that parking there could be an issue so we took three 4WD and set out! We started at 9 am from Muscat and reached there in 2 hours. A beautiful drive passing through the magnificent Muscat mountains made up for the perfect day trip!
Located 2,000 meters above sea level and in the Western Hajar Mountains is Wakan village (قرية وكان), a small mountain village with beautiful terraced gardens overlooking the surrounding mountains above and Wadi Mistal below. It is about 150 kms from Muscat.
Once we entered the area we could see the beautiful blue skies with the clouds touching the mountain top. Camels and goats around on either side of the road.
The path to Wakan is on a narrow and steep mountainous road. Initially i was really excited, but the last offroad drive of almost 2 kms, i literally closed my eyes (of course occasionally peeking) realizing that this cliff on one side was really really deep and it was quite a scary stretch which should be ONLY attempted by confident and calm driving skills. Haha. Quite a challenging road indeed.
Once we reached the top, there was someone to guide us where to park and we also noticed a small cafe. (SAMA heritage lodge) We went to enquire if they served snacks or tea coffee and were told it was a houseful and service is only for the in house guests. Right next to the parking were also clean toilets to use before the climb to the top.
Local boys were selling some juices, water, rose water, fresh zaater herbs, some Omani local food in small cups (i cant remember the name) but i highly recommend you to bring your food or snacks in case you do plan to spend the day around here since nothing is available in close proximity.
So finally we reached the start of the uphill trek! It took us almost 1.5 hours to climb up the 700 odd steps.(1.1km trail) But of course we stopped in between to get some photos, admire the scenery, relax at points and basically just admire nature. There were lot of families with many young kids. The view from most watch zones are different and in case you cannot reach the watch tower right on top, you are not really missing out too much. There were observation towers, mosques, benches, rest areas all over looking the village and its terraced gardens. The descending Falaj passes from the top of the village towards the agricultural terraces. You can see butterflies, dragonflies, apricot flowers in full bloom.
Wakan is quite popular for treks and hikers and you will notice hiking tracks that start at the village and they are marked by the familiar yellow, green and red flag that mark most hiking tracks in Oman.
We were told the 120 odd families who live in Wakan rely on agriculture and farming for their livelihood thus you will notice a lot of terraced gardens cultivating pomegranates, apricots, figs, grapes and other produce. The fruit season is during the months of March and April so we missed out on this one.
This is an ideal day trip for families with kids too. We had a 1 year old baby who made it with us through the entire sight seeing! My 3.5 year old boy also climbed up the 700 steps without asking once to be carried of course having other kids along made the walk fun for them together.
The weather initially was pleasant but while we reached half way on top it started getting sunny. Please carry lots of water with you to especially rehydrate the little ones.
Please note the tracks pass through villagers homes and their privacy should be respected.
Located 2,000 meters above sea level and in the Western Hajar Mountains is Wakan village (قرية وكان), a small mountain village with beautiful terraced gardens overlooking the surrounding mountains above and Wadi Mistal below. It is about 150 kms from Muscat.
Once we entered the area we could see the beautiful blue skies with the clouds touching the mountain top. Camels and goats around on either side of the road.
The path to Wakan is on a narrow and steep mountainous road. Initially i was really excited, but the last offroad drive of almost 2 kms, i literally closed my eyes (of course occasionally peeking) realizing that this cliff on one side was really really deep and it was quite a scary stretch which should be ONLY attempted by confident and calm driving skills. Haha. Quite a challenging road indeed.
Once we reached the top, there was someone to guide us where to park and we also noticed a small cafe. (SAMA heritage lodge) We went to enquire if they served snacks or tea coffee and were told it was a houseful and service is only for the in house guests. Right next to the parking were also clean toilets to use before the climb to the top.
Local boys were selling some juices, water, rose water, fresh zaater herbs, some Omani local food in small cups (i cant remember the name) but i highly recommend you to bring your food or snacks in case you do plan to spend the day around here since nothing is available in close proximity.
So finally we reached the start of the uphill trek! It took us almost 1.5 hours to climb up the 700 odd steps.(1.1km trail) But of course we stopped in between to get some photos, admire the scenery, relax at points and basically just admire nature. There were lot of families with many young kids. The view from most watch zones are different and in case you cannot reach the watch tower right on top, you are not really missing out too much. There were observation towers, mosques, benches, rest areas all over looking the village and its terraced gardens. The descending Falaj passes from the top of the village towards the agricultural terraces. You can see butterflies, dragonflies, apricot flowers in full bloom.
Wakan is quite popular for treks and hikers and you will notice hiking tracks that start at the village and they are marked by the familiar yellow, green and red flag that mark most hiking tracks in Oman.
We were told the 120 odd families who live in Wakan rely on agriculture and farming for their livelihood thus you will notice a lot of terraced gardens cultivating pomegranates, apricots, figs, grapes and other produce. The fruit season is during the months of March and April so we missed out on this one.
This is an ideal day trip for families with kids too. We had a 1 year old baby who made it with us through the entire sight seeing! My 3.5 year old boy also climbed up the 700 steps without asking once to be carried of course having other kids along made the walk fun for them together.
The weather initially was pleasant but while we reached half way on top it started getting sunny. Please carry lots of water with you to especially rehydrate the little ones.
Please note the tracks pass through villagers homes and their privacy should be respected.
Written February 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
AmandaWales72
Cardiff, UK58 contributions
Jan 2018
This is one of Oman's hidden treasures. Some 700+ steps which seems to take you toward the heavens in this well maintained and nurtured little village. It is essentially a hard steep uphill walk with scenery to die for. You meet many of the local villagers as they tend their land on the way up and you are always warmly greeted. Well worth the visit if in the area and a great sense of achievement when you reach the top.
Written October 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jitendra P
Muscat, Oman295 contributions
Apr 2018 • Family
It was a good day trip from muscat to Wakan village.Almost 2 hours drive from muscat, Driving on the rustaq road from barka, look for the keft turn after Nakhal.
Drive is good until you reach the last hilly point, there its a bit rough as you need to have a 4wd to go up,
on reaching the top you have to find a parking slot, if its a busy day you will struggle to get parking.
After parking the car, we moved up on the village track, the main track passes through the village and you can find the way easily, after crossing the houses, you will see small farms with some plantation and then you reach the actually hilly green area.
you can see the small water falaj and water pools on the mid way.
The weather turns cool once you are inside, the walk is around 2-3 kms till you reach the end point.
on the way you will lots of nice rock shapes and kodak moments.
a good and adventurous trip
Drive is good until you reach the last hilly point, there its a bit rough as you need to have a 4wd to go up,
on reaching the top you have to find a parking slot, if its a busy day you will struggle to get parking.
After parking the car, we moved up on the village track, the main track passes through the village and you can find the way easily, after crossing the houses, you will see small farms with some plantation and then you reach the actually hilly green area.
you can see the small water falaj and water pools on the mid way.
The weather turns cool once you are inside, the walk is around 2-3 kms till you reach the end point.
on the way you will lots of nice rock shapes and kodak moments.
a good and adventurous trip
Written September 5, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Shajahan K
1 contribution
Jun 2017 • Family
Wakan village located on a mountain steep about 2000 meters heigh above sea level.
Which is approximately 48 - 50 km away from Nakhal R/A in Rustaq direction via wadi mistal, which lies on western part of al hajr mountains.
It is recommended to have food from Nakhal or buy food and water from Nakhl R/A or before that, as you can't get any food items after that.
You will need a 4wd vehicle and confidence for driving the Last 2.5 km of off-road with deep cliffs on one side. If you don't have a 4wd, you may get some locals offering transport through off-road (not guaranteed) for about 20 RO for a round trip, search for them in the parking areas available before the off-road start. We were able get one local guy, who have a very old 7 seater Pajero: Mr. Mazin: 92049869.
There are only a few parking spaces available at the end. There is a small tourist office and toilets and a small shop. Carrying food items beyond this point is not permitted by law. You can have the food carried from outside of the first office building. you can carry limited food items for kids in your back pack. Don't carry big polythene bags of food and disposable containers in large quantities. have them wihthout disturbing others or have them at a place beyond the steps. Advised to carry drinking water in back packs and use baby carrier if you have babies. Carry any garbages back and don't leave anything there.
From this point you climb the mountain, decent steps are built for going up. Watch the beauty of greenery, agriculture and plantations as you go up over these zigzag steps, there is a natural water stream canal on the sides of the steps, which is used for irrigation and by the residents. There is a mosque for men and then a mosque for ladies in the beginning.
You can see various plants, trees and agricultural plantations like grapes, pomegranates, fig, etc. depending on the season. Don't pluck any of them, a lot of effort is made for planting them, you will be fined heavily if you get caught.
About 600 to 700 steps are there to go up, if you cover about 25% of it may be enough. Put your legs the water canal and pour it on head to energise yourself.
If you can climb more you can enjoy different views of the village and the valley, and more layered plantations in season. You will always get a nice weather compared to the Muscat weather. It will take about 1 to 1.5 hours to see the whole place.
After reaching at the end of the steps you can collect the water and even drink it. There are some nice rock structure views on top. There are trekking paths beyond this point, probably you may find the source of the water stream and end up in jabal al akhdar if you hike for few hours.
There is an adjacent village known as al Qoura village, which is visible from the top of wakan.we haven't tried going there, you can try visiting there, the road to this village is in the beginning of off-road. There is no special path made for tourists as in wakan, informed by a local.
Which is approximately 48 - 50 km away from Nakhal R/A in Rustaq direction via wadi mistal, which lies on western part of al hajr mountains.
It is recommended to have food from Nakhal or buy food and water from Nakhl R/A or before that, as you can't get any food items after that.
You will need a 4wd vehicle and confidence for driving the Last 2.5 km of off-road with deep cliffs on one side. If you don't have a 4wd, you may get some locals offering transport through off-road (not guaranteed) for about 20 RO for a round trip, search for them in the parking areas available before the off-road start. We were able get one local guy, who have a very old 7 seater Pajero: Mr. Mazin: 92049869.
There are only a few parking spaces available at the end. There is a small tourist office and toilets and a small shop. Carrying food items beyond this point is not permitted by law. You can have the food carried from outside of the first office building. you can carry limited food items for kids in your back pack. Don't carry big polythene bags of food and disposable containers in large quantities. have them wihthout disturbing others or have them at a place beyond the steps. Advised to carry drinking water in back packs and use baby carrier if you have babies. Carry any garbages back and don't leave anything there.
From this point you climb the mountain, decent steps are built for going up. Watch the beauty of greenery, agriculture and plantations as you go up over these zigzag steps, there is a natural water stream canal on the sides of the steps, which is used for irrigation and by the residents. There is a mosque for men and then a mosque for ladies in the beginning.
You can see various plants, trees and agricultural plantations like grapes, pomegranates, fig, etc. depending on the season. Don't pluck any of them, a lot of effort is made for planting them, you will be fined heavily if you get caught.
About 600 to 700 steps are there to go up, if you cover about 25% of it may be enough. Put your legs the water canal and pour it on head to energise yourself.
If you can climb more you can enjoy different views of the village and the valley, and more layered plantations in season. You will always get a nice weather compared to the Muscat weather. It will take about 1 to 1.5 hours to see the whole place.
After reaching at the end of the steps you can collect the water and even drink it. There are some nice rock structure views on top. There are trekking paths beyond this point, probably you may find the source of the water stream and end up in jabal al akhdar if you hike for few hours.
There is an adjacent village known as al Qoura village, which is visible from the top of wakan.we haven't tried going there, you can try visiting there, the road to this village is in the beginning of off-road. There is no special path made for tourists as in wakan, informed by a local.
Written July 1, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rajesh K
Muscat, Oman154 contributions
Nov 2017
Well located small village on mountains. nearly 3 hours drive from Muscat city. This place is always few deg. C less than muscat area. Preferred to have a 4WD since some part of the route is unpaved. After you reach the village, park your car and have a walk through the village and climb up. Not advisable to carry more luggages. Have enough water, snacks, nuts to complete your hike till the end. There is an hiking track at the end and you can have a long walk if interested.
Written July 6, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
shaji k
7 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
The road from base town is narrow mountain road with no asphalt and with loose stones. The last 1km is very dangerous with cliff on one side. Not advisable for inexperienced drivers.
Written August 14, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
geofffordderby
Derby, UK53 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
A Fantastic day trip from Muscat. You will need a good 4wd, food and plenty of water as there are no facilities at all. From the Nakhl to ai Rustaq road, take the left turn into Wadi Mistal, signposted to the hospital. This is a good black top road (tarmac) in the base of the wide wadi for quite a way until the tarmac suddenly ends as you reach a small village where 4wd terrotory starts! a narrow, rough, very hilly track with hairpins up the side of the mountain, but fine if you are careful. The small car park in wakan is just before the brown tourist sign. Then take the steps through an iron gate to the left and follow the three-colour painted flag signs between houses and up through the fields to the view points further up. Yes - 720 steps! Take your time and remember to stop often to look back at the amazing views. You may be on your own so listen for the SILENCE! its amazing. lots of wildlife if you olok out - lizards, birds, and a hummingbird if you are really lucky. This is a very special place!!
Written April 10, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ankitaprasad
Muscat, Oman42 contributions
Dec 2017 • Friends
A small village amidst mountains with 720 steps to the peak. 160kms from Muscat is ideal for one day tour. The walk is soothing which takes around an hour to reach the top. There is a parking area at the base but it's crowded most of the time. 4WD is recommended as the route to the base parking requires off-roading for 1 km. Authentic roasted meat is served in the store near the parking lot. Carry water bottle during the walk.
Written January 17, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Bjoyy
Muscat, Oman16 contributions
Oct 2019
It was a nice drive to Wakan area. As per the locals, 4x4 is a must. So we couldn't reach the village and walking is pretty exhaustive as per the residents.
Written January 9, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Will 4WD service provided for offroad there if we come in our normal car.
Written October 21, 2022
Mas M
Muscat, Oman
If we go 20 th on this Friday is it open nd if not vaccinated will there be any problem is there anyone who is gona check ..pls let me kno
Written August 17, 2021
Hi, since we have an AWD we dont want to attempt the last offroad stretch to Wakan Village on it. Is it possible to park the vehicle below and attempt the stretch on foot? How long is the stretch and is it walkable? Thank you.
Written January 9, 2019
It will be a bad idea to walk all the way from parking lot as it is 2.5 kms stretch to reach the village and again you have to walk towards the hill top almost 1.5kms .. which is roughly 700steps to climb. So I dont suggest your idea. You may find some villagers doing shuttle service in their own 4WD vehicles. Seek that option if you're ok with it..
Written February 27, 2020
Its a village and open access is given,
there is no option to stay or relax.
its a sightseeing option
Written November 22, 2018
Hi Guys. I have read reviews about Wakan Village. I'm planning to go there this weekend. I have KIA Sportage (4WD) but the manual gears are not working however 4WD is working fine. Can you tell me if I can be able to reach Wakan by my car?
Written November 20, 2016
I would not recommend you,because Gears should be in perfect condition for the last two steep climbs..as well as descent..
Written November 20, 2016
Can I travel to Wakan Village on Saloon Car?
Written September 2, 2016
During my visit in February 2016, I had seen a couple of tourists drove a sedan car and managed to park in the designated parking lots. It's not advisable to use a sedan car as about last 3 kms to reach the village, it was graded road, narrow and there was a sharp and steep bend just before reaching the parking lots.
Written September 3, 2016
How can one see this village if he/she does not have a car???
Written August 17, 2016
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