There’s a growing number of guest houses in the small village of Al Khitaym which marks the start of the Jebel Shams Balcony Walk. But if you want a place to stay with more hotel facilities, Jebel Shams Resort is the closest accommodation to the hike.
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This small resort for visitors to Oman’s highest mountain is more than 2,000m above sea level. Step outside your room and you can see both the sunset and sunrise across the Hajar Mountain range.
It’s the perfect spot to relax after sightseeing in Al Hamra and Nizwa on the plateau below or embarking on an outdoor adventure in the cooler climate.
I booked this hotel because the start of the Balcony Walk is a short, 10 minute drive away. And I can highly recommend driving! I’ll explain why later.
Jebel Shams Resort location
The resort is a three and a half hour car journey from Muscat. For the final hour you must travel up a winding tarmac mountain road with dirt sections.
It is possible to reach the hotel with a two-wheel drive car as there is no check point like you'll find at the base of Jebel Akhdar, but I'd recommend going in a 4x4. If it has rained recently the road will be slippery.
Here's where to find the resort:
Chalets at Jebel Shams Resort
I booked a twin room with a visiting friend. If you are staying with your family you can request for extra beds to be added to your room for an extra charge or book rooms next door to each other. The larger Sunset Chalets have twin beds and a sofa bed.
Our chalet had a bit of character with the Bedouin tent-style ceiling, shuttered windows and decorative pots. We had a mountain view from the patio doors, and indoor and outdoor seating.
The bathroom was a small wet room with towels and basic toiletries.
We were able to park right out front of our chalet and relax on the shared terrace at the back as the sun set over the Hajar Mountains.
Had we not been getting up early the next morning we could have sat around the fire pit outside our room and enjoyed the cool of the evening. Star-gazing on Jebel Shams is incredible.
Check prices and availability for Jebel Shams Resort.
Facilities at the resort
Jebel Shams Resort boasts one of the highest swimming pools in Oman. You’ll find others at this altitude on Jebel Akhdar.
It is not heated, so makes for a refreshing dip. If you’re visiting in the main tourist season you may find it too cold to use as daytime temperatures can be as low as 10°C while overnight temperatures fall below 0°C.
Breakfast and dinner are included in your stay and are served buffet style at the restaurant near reception.
There is a good choice of western and local food, and the waiting staff were very helpful.
When we mentioned we were doing the Balcony Walk they prepared a packed breakfast for us to takeaway in the morning.
The resort is also home to Alstromeria Cafe. This serves delicious coffees, frappes and cheese cakes for a post-hike sugar boost. It’s open to non-residents.
If you want lunch, contact the hotel or one of the others in the area to book in advance.
The Balcony Walk
The Balcony Walk, or route W6, is one of the most famous hikes in Oman and takes you below the rim of Al Nakhur Canyon for a 8km round trip to the abandoned village of As Sab.
The views are unreal. If you like to find out more about the walk take a look at my full guide to hiking Oman's Grand Canyon. This guide includes more recommended places to stay too.
Tip: if you intend to take my advice and start the hike at sunrise make sure you tell the resort staff. They close the front gate at night. We found it locked when we got up at 6am and ended up walking from the resort which added 3km to our hike.
This wasn't a problem at the start of the day but the hike back in the heat was very uncomfortable.
Final thoughts
If you want the facilities of hotel - a pool, restaurant and cafe - before or after taking on the Balcony Walk then you can't get closer to the start of the hike than Jebel Shams Resort.
Stay here for a night or two to either side of your mountain adventure, soak up the cooler climate and enjoy seeing spectacular sunsets and rises.
Check prices and availability for Jebel Shams Resort.
More posts to help you plan your Oman adventures
- Jebel Shams: tips for exploring Oman's highest mountain
- Nizwa Goat Market - Oman's most famous livestock souq
- Jebel Shams Resort - an ideal base near the Balcony Walk
- Jebel Shams Balcony Walk: what you need to know
- How to visit the Daymaniat Islands from Muscat
Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links. If you click on one and make a purchase I may earn some commission. This does not affect the price you pay.