Wadi Mistal

Geographical Situation

Wadi Mistal is the first of the 4 main valleys of the Western Hajar, starting from the east. Then come Wadi Bani Kharus, Wadi Bani Awf, and finaly Wadi Sahtan

The nearer city is Nakhl, known for its fort, huge palm garden, and hot springs, at the foot of the mountains ; we pass there when coming from Muscat.

Wadi Mistal flows towards Wadi al Abyadh, a small foothill valley among rocky hills made of ophiolites. In Wadi Al Abyadh, it meets with Wadi Bani Kharus : so be careful if you visit Wadi al Abyadh on a rainy day ; it’s a small foothill valley but it drains a lot of water (all the northern flank of Jebel Akhdar!)

Access by car

Wadi Mistal is accessible only from the foot of the valley, near Nakhl, on the Al Awabi / Ar Rustaq road.

After the narrow entrance, we cross a vast flat area : it’s a cirque ; so we have a big flat surrounded by cliffs…

A tunr, at the entrance of the cirque leads to the small Wadi Bani Harras where there are wome beautiful bu little visited oasis.

In the main valley, the road (tarmac) goes forward in the cirque, and then several turns (tracks) lead to the different villages on the edges of the cirque : Hadash, Al Hijir, Al Qoorah, and Wakan.

The villages of Wadi Mistal

In Wadi Mistal, most villages are more than 1000m high (between 1000 and 1500m), in he gullies or on rocky outcrops.

At 1500m, climate is more mild : palm trees still grow, but trees like apricots or peaches do better then banana mango, papaya which do very well a bit lower.

The villages of Wakan and Hadash are espacialy known for their apricots and peaches. The blossom (end of February) attracts many local tourists.

Trekking and hiking in Wadi Mistal

A (marked) trail links all the villages between Hadash and Wakan. Although it is marked and not very long, it’s not an easy walk at all with a lot of unstable screes.

From Hadash, a path also leads to the valley of Samail, but is also quite difficult.

We can reach Jebel Akhdar hiking from Wakan or Hadash on good marked trails.

From Wakan, we can also reach the neighbouring Wadi Bani Kharus, either the upper valley (which gives access to Jebel Akhdar), or the lower one in Al Alya. A path also leads to the small Wadi Bani Harras.

If you want to go trekking or hiking by yourself, the website Wilderness Trekking Oman is worth a visit ; you’ll find a lot of information.

The tours which we offer in Wadi Mistal

We offer several treks which go pass Wadi Mistal.

From Samail to Wadi Bani Kharus (4 days)

4 days

Level 4

Trekking – From Samail to Wadi Bani Kharus

Available in JanFebMarsNovDec

1 x Camping

2 x Accomodation

A beautiful 4-days trek to discover the highlands of Jebels Akhdar, but also the northern valleys of Wadi Mistal and Wadi Bani Kharus. Great views, charming guesthouses, and the visit of very diverse villages and oasis.

Jebel Akhdar Wadi Mistal Wadi Bani Kharus

Itinerary

Itinerary

Crossing Jebel akhdar (from Samail to Wadi Bani Awf – 9 days)

9 days

Level 4

Trekking – Crossing Jebel Akhdar

Available in JanFebNovDec

3 x Camping

5 x Accomodation

A beautiful 9-days trek to cross Jebel Akhdar range on an original route from Wadi Bani Awf to the Samail Gap. We hike mainly oon the ridge, but also through the northern valleys (Wadis Sahtan, Bani Awf, Bani Kharus, Mistal).

Wadi Bani Awf Jebel Akhdar Wadi Mistal

Itinerary

Itinerary

In our Discovery Tours, we go sometimes for a pleasant walk in the beautiful gardens of Wakan from where the view over the cirque are great.

Do you prefer to join a small group?

We offer Treks, Hiking Tours, and Discovery Tours in Oman.

From October to April, we schedule tours in small groups along different itineraries, and always adapted to the season.

You’ll find at the bottom of the page all our next tours passing in Wadi Mistal.