Hidden Oasis Trail (between Jebel Jais & Wadi of Giants)

A short hike from another side of Jebel Jais, this trail will surprise you with a hidden oasis below right before the trail of Wadi of Giants. Interested to do this trail? Check out this guide below!

Disclaimer: The Hidden Oasis can also be hiked from Wadi of Giants. It can be hiked up to Jebel Jais which is the reverse route of this post. However, this post is absolutely focused on trail from Jebel Jais to Hidden Oasis only. Whichever way you want to do it, go ahead and enjoy the trail!

Hidden Oasis Trail Overview:

• Route: Jebel Jais – Old Village – Hidden Oasis – Wadi of Giants (optional)
• Distance: 7.25 km (according to my Strava record)
• Moving Time: 2h23m (according to my Strava record)
• Difficulty Level (own opinion): 1 out of 5

How to Get There and How to Get Out:

As I always mention about hiking in UAE, jump-offs or trailheads are not usually accessible by public transportation. Hence I do not include an option of public transportation anymore. However, you will find the coordinates of the parking location and the trailhead below for your reference.

Not to be confused with the other/actual Hidden Oasis Trail, this is backtrack trail towards the Hidden Oasis between Jebel Jais and Wadi of Giants. Jebel Jais is a mountain in the North-Western Hajar range of UAE and Oman. Over the years, its popularity skyrocketed due to its breathtaking views and the now accessible hiking trails, zipline and even sledding. The last viewing deck accessible by the public is where you can park for this trail which is about 2-hours drive away from Dubai.

To reach the location, drive towards Jebel Jais and follow the coordinates above which is the last viewing deck accessible by the public.

Parking Location: This is the coordinates of the viewing deck near the trailhead. It gets full on weekends and holidays so plan your hike accordingly.

Getting Out – Two Options:

This particular post is a backtrack trail which means you will start and finish your hike at the same trailhead. So to get out of the trail is hiking back up to the trailhead in Jebel Jais. From there, drive back to Dubai as how you came earlier.

BUT, the second option is to continue hiking the whole trail up to Wadi of Giants. That is possible in this trail but you must secure a car waiting for you at the end of the trail which is in this coordinates. This location is near the main road of Jebel Jais but it is another 15-20 minutes drive to go back up. It sounds complicated but this totally possible when you have friends with you with another vehicle.

Trailhead from Jebel Jais:

The parking location and the viewing deck has a public washroom but there are no food trucks nearby. So I recommend you to bring ready-to-eat food to avoid the hassle of looking for food before your hike.

Trailhead Location: From the viewing deck, walk straight (in the direction of the zipline) for a few meters ahead and then you will eventually see the stairs going down right away. This is the coordinates of the stairs.

Trail Highlights:

Okay enough with the logistics, let me show you the highlights on this trail which makes it my favorite short trail!

Jebel Jais – Old Village

As you hike down coming from Jebel Jais, you will be greeted by this view of a few boulders (NOT part of the trail) as well as the zipline station.

Once you are near the zipline station, the trail is very easy (and mostly flat) but exposed to the sun. You will then have an eye-level view of the zigzag road of Jebel Jais from another angle which you don’t really get anywhere.

Want to see another angle of Jebel Jais? Check my Hiking Guide of Wadi Al Far Trail!

Walk further and the trail will eventually shift gradually towards the left side. And once you followed the trail (going down on the left side), the view of the Old Village will be sighted right away. The trail on this section was ‘improved’ as others would call it but I will not agree. The trail was ‘renovated’ and I believe it was for the ‘Highlander 55’ event. I was not happy since the somehow natural donkey trail is now a commercialized trail with lots of sand. If you’ve been to Wadi Sal, the texture of trail going up is exactly the same as in this section. It’s my mistake not to take a photo but I will take one when I hike back.

Anyhow, I’m not complaining about the trail but a little disappointed with the changes on the trail. Going back to the topic, the old village is now in front of you and the trail is visible up to the village. Continue walking down and enjoy the view with Wadi Shah at the background.

Old Village – Hidden Oasis:

At the village, there are multiple layers of plateau and the upper part is where the cemetery is. We often avoid that part since it is not along the trail anyway. Passing by the trees and an enclosed areas with gallons, walk further to the last house at the end of the plateau.

You are at the right house and plateau once you see a small rock placed at the center of the plateau as a marking. Have a little break on this section and be welcomed by shepherds if they are at the village. From the last house on the edge, the trail then continues on the left side where the stairs awaits you.

The only improvement that I would say ‘nice’ is that some parts of the stairs have railings which looks exactly the same in Wadi Litibah. The thought that there are railings gave some sort of ‘safety’ but technically, the railings are not as safe as you would expect. But anyhow, this section is not technical nor narrow and steep. Hiking with caution shouldn’t really require railings as such.

A few more meters below, the hidden oasis will be peeking right away. Be careful going down and follow the stairs all the way down the Hidden Oasis.

Hidden Oasis – Wadi of Giants:

You’d probably say this isn’t as an abundant oasis as I’d expect, and I’d say, I know! But trust me, it isn’t green as such but this is amazing in person. An aeriel view of this Hidden Oasis with goats (lots of them!) playing around and rocky walls of mountains around, isn’t it a treat?

As an update, there was now a footpath which you can follow if you want to walk further until the Wadi of Giants section. However, if your goal is the oasis, enjoy a break under the shade of trees and take a long rest as much as you want.

If you reached the flat ground under a shade of tree, this enclosed farm might be on your left if you’re looking back at the stairs. And to continue walking further to Wadi of Giants, the trail is next to this enclosed farm. And while the Wadi of Giants trail is really nice, I will write a separate post about that.

Instead, in this post, I will be telling you to take the same trail up to go back at your parking spot in Jebel Jais. And there you go! You’ve done a short hike towards the Hidden Oasis!

Personal Thoughts on the Hidden Oasis Trail:

As I always say, we all have different adventure appetite or what I call ‘#hikeppetite’ to begin with. So, a good trail for me might not be a good trail for you and vice versa. And that’s completely okay, we don’t need to agree with everyone all the time. Anyhow, here’s what I think about the Hidden Oasis Trail from Jebel Jais:

Pros:

• Trail is easy and child-friendly which is similar to Wadi Shawka Loop Trail. There are no technical sections along the trail and the trail is visible. The only confusion could be after the village leading to the stairs downwards.
• It is a short trail that you can do in a couple of hours only. The trail can be done up to the old village only and you can go back if you feel like it. Or you can go further up to the Hidden Oasis (which is the highlight for me) and hike back.
• Getting to the jump off or the trailhead is easy too.

Cons:

• If you continue to finish the whole trail which ends at the off road section of Wadi of Giants, going back to the trailhead in Jebel Jais’ viewing deck is a little challenging especially if you only have one vehicle.
• If you’re looking for a challenging trail to test your capabilities, this is NOT the trail for you. You may want to check out the challenging trails that I have: Stairway to Heaven – Wadi Litibah Loop Trail and the Wadi Naqab Loop Trail instead.

Overall, the trail is easy and refreshing. We all have days were we just want an easy hike, enjoy the view, and just walk aimlessly (somehow) alone or with friends. If that’s your mood right now and looking for a perfect trail for that kind of mood, THIS IS IT!

AND AS A GENTLE OUTDOOR ETHICS REMINDER:
LEAVE NO TRACE!