Persian steps and Imti
Persian steps is an old military training route leading up to Jabal Akhdar. It is marked, easy to follow and it takes you up to 800 meter to a vintage point with fantastic views.
As the name indicates, you mostly will climb steps - think of solid stone steps. In my opinion these were less uncomfortable than the Saal steps, but not everyone had the same opinion :). At parts the steps are washed away. The path is super steep, after all you climb up 800m in less than 5 km. We did the hike in February, started around 11am and it was very warm - there is no shade, you walk in direct sun. Probably an early morning start would had been a better idea. Either way, make sure you have plenty of water with you!
The views are fantastic and we were alone - it is not a super popular place, which is hard to understand as it is not much further than Saal and overall it is just much nicer.
It is absolutely worth to check out Imti if you are here - there is plenty to see from old mud brick houses, to remains of what looks like a fortified town, to lush green plantations and street art. You might even see local ladies dressed in colorful traditional dresses washing their laundry in the falaj!
Overall we had a great day, it is a fantastic daytrip from Muscat, in 1.5 hours drive.
Difficulty: it is an easy trek, well marked, what makes it difficult is the elevation gain and the heat
Kids: not for toddlers, but Imti of course great for small kids to explore!
Car: to reach the trail head you will drive on dirt road, but it is well maintained and manageable with salon car.
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