Your private vehicle departs from Muscat and heads southwest toward the Al Hajar Mountains. The drive passes through the agricultural plains that give way to rugged terrain as you approach the foothills of Jebel Akhdar.

Arrive at Birkat Al Mouz, a village set amid banana and date plantations, and walk through the atmospheric ruins of its historic settlement. Nearby, the Al Kattmyn irrigation channel forms part of the UNESCO-listed aflaj system, a feat of ancient hydraulic engineering still functioning today.

A four-wheel-drive vehicle carries the group up the winding mountain road to Jebel Akhdar, where the air cools and terraced orchards come into view. Walk the ridge paths through rose gardens and pomegranate groves, pausing to take in the valley panoramas below.

Stop at Diana Point, a prominent viewpoint named to mark the visit of Princess Diana, where sheer cliffs fall away into the Wadi Al Muaydin canyon. The perspective from this spot is one of the most photographed in the Al Hajar range.

Drive to the trailhead for Al Suwjara, then descend on foot, crossing the wooden bridge to reach the ancient mud-and-stone houses of the old village, which trace their origins back more than 500 years to when the settlement was named after a local sugar-bearing tree. The Cliff Guest House, carved into the mountain face and built entirely from local stone, offers a close-up view of how traditional architecture is being adapted for contemporary visitors.

After exploring Al Suwjara, the group returns to the vehicle for the drive back to Muscat, completing the full circuit of the Jebel Akhdar region. Arrival time in Muscat depends on pace and stops along the way.