This protected desert, often called the Valley of the Moon, is located in the southern Jordan and only 2 hours drive from Petra. Known for its red-pink sand, prehistoric rock formations and mountains, Wadi Rum desert guarantees a once-in-a-lifetime and out-of-this-world experience.

• The Scenery
• The Tour
• The Hike
• Sunset & Evening in the Desert
• Camel Ride in the Wild
• Price & General Infos
• Tours & Camps

The Scenery

Wadi Rum was introduced to the Western world in a movie “Lawrence of Arabia” from 1962. Since then, many directors have chosen this area as location of their films. “Transformers”, “Star Wars” or “The Martian” were all shot on this breathtaking landscape. 

To fully experience what the desert has to offer, we recommend staying at least one night. You can find different kinds of accommodations: from budget tents (around 30 EUR/night) to luxurious bubbles (250E/night). Otherwise, opt for the unique experience of camping under the stars in the middle of the desert. 

You can choose to book a camp first and then make a tour deal on the spot. However, we booked ours in advance to be sure of what to expect and not to waste time hustling once there. 

We decided to go with Wadi Rum Nomads for our tour and cannot recommend them enough. They provide fast and easy communication via email, a warm welcome and a tour with an incredible guide. It was all perfect! 

There are many different types of tours: from a full day jeep tour to few days trekking trips. We chose the one day desert jeep tour with hike up to Burdah rock.

Experience Wadi Rum: The Tour

All the tours start in Rum Village, the “City Gate” to Wadi Rum Desert. 

↬ TIP : Take only a small backpack with you. You can leave safely the rest of your luggage in the car parked in front of your tour guide’s office. That being said, don’t forget you are in a desert, so anything in your car will heat up quite a bit… Pack accordingly. 

Wadi Rum desert has a few selected spots that are a must to visit. Therefore it’s most probable that you will stop at nearly or all of them during your tour.

Most tours start by visiting the Lawrence Spring: a number of little springs that run between limestone tops and granite basis creating oasis of life in an otherwise inhospitable area. 

Here you can climb up to enjoy the first magnificent view of the desert. 

↬ TIP : Comfortable footwear is a must. Hiking boots are recommended but good sneakers will be fine as well. I hiked up with Converse and Hamilton had some classic Nike’s. 

Afterwards, you’ll arrive at Red Sand Dune. You can climb and then enjoy a rundown on the hot steep sand. Or even rent a snowboard (sand-board) and try sliding down.

Kharali Canyon is in another must stop. A beautiful red stone canyon where Nabataean, Islamic and Thamudic inscriptions cover the walls . Those can also be found in Abu Khashaba, however surprisingly green and narrow canyon. 

↬ Note :Speaking of Nabataeans, did you read our Petra Guide?

The Hike

There are 3 most popular formation of rock bridges in Wadi Rum. 

The Small Bridge is very picturesque, easy to reach. Um Fruth Rock Bridge is 15m high: a bigger challenge yet easy enough experience. And the Burdah rock bridge reaching 35 m high (plus the height of the mountain) is considered to be one of the highest in the world.

As we love adventure and hiking, we decided to climb up the spectacular mountain. 

To hike this bridge you must be in shape, as the way up takes about two hours. It’s thrilling, but also dangerous at points. And it’s two hours of hiking up the mountain. We also do not recommend this hike to those who suffer vertigo. 

It was the best hike we have ever done. A total of 178 floors up but totally rewarding, as the views are simply breathtaking and unbeatable. To complete this hike, you have to be with a guide. Without the knowledge of which path to take it will be impossible to safely reach the top. Plus it’s a great moment to learn a little bit about Beduin culture from your tour guide. 

In Addition, another must see place of Wadi Rum desert is The Mushroom Rock and The Lawrence house where the legend says the famous British officer lived and store weapons while leading the fight against the Ottoman Turks. (However, it has never been historically confirmed if he really stayed there). 

Lunch will be prepared by your Bedouin guide and served in a shaded spot at the side of one of the mountains, on a mat on the ground. You can expect a warm meal, vegetarian or containing meat (we were asked for food preferences and allergies upon booking). And some other delicious Beduin dishes. 

Sunset & Evening in the Desert

At the end of the day, you will climb Um Sabath where you can rest and enjoy the sun setting over this incredible Mars looking like landscape. 

You’ll take a moment to appreciate this truly surreal and grandiose spectacle. The sun sets in a blaze of colors, the hue of the rocks and the sky vary a lot during the day. But they will really come to a brilliant ending during those sunsets.

After the sunset, you will drive to base camp for dinner and spend the night. Most of the tents are basic but very comfortable and we were very pleasantly surprised by the newly constructed facilities containing showers, toilets and sinks. The water was heated and it was a nice relief to wash off the sand after a whole day in the desert. 

We were extremely lucky to be the only two guests of WadiRum Nomads during our dates. Therefore, we had the whole camp to ourselves. A delicious dinner was prepared by a Bedouin cook was followed by a long stargazing: the main reason why we recommend at least one night stay. You will not see so many stars so clearly in any other place in the world. (OK, maybe in Acatama Desert.. but that’s for another voyage ?)

↬ Fun Fact : Moments after dinner while in our tent ready to sleep, we heard the jeep driving away. The following morning we asked our guide about it and he said that he doesn’t sleep well under a roof, so he decided to drive off for 30 minutes and slept at the back of his jeep right under the stars. This is real freedom!

Camel Ride in the Wild

To complete the tour you can add one hour camel ride the next morning.

As much as we do not recommend riding camels in Petra, the difference in Wadi Rum is that local Bedouins take good care of the animals. None of the camels you’ll see on the desert are wild. The herds belong to Beduins who simply released their camels to the desert for few months, even a year, or as long as they don’t need them. So the camels live freely until they are needed again.

And then what, you might ask? They don’t have tracking devices or chips. The owner simply calls all his friends and ask if they have seen his heard. Then, he tracks the camels movements, finds out where they are headed and brings them home. As the camels are free to move everywhere in the desert, it can take weeks. The problem occurs when camels cross border with Saudi Arabia- the animals are free to do so, but Jordanians cannot simply go and fetch them there. They need to wait for camels to come back to Wadi Rum- sometimes even months after. ?

We talked to our guide and afterwards to the camel owner who told us that thanks to those rides- which his 2 camels do maximum once a day, he was able to cover for his family and buy medication for the animals to ensure their health. We rode the path where camels ate the bushes every few steps. They basically enjoyed their breakfast while we enjoyed the last hour of being on the desert.

↬ Note : Before starting your car and driving off from Rum Village, check the engine and tires for any hitchhikers. We have not done so and an hour and a half into drive, only while stopping to admire a viewpoint, heard the terrible meowing from under the car hood and found a tiny kitten. We have taken him hundreds of kilometers away from home and were heartbroken until the restaurant owner next to the viewpoint picking the kitten up and said that he will adopt it. 

Price

Wadi Rum trips start from approximately 50 JOD for a full day trip, up to a few hundred for a few days hike. The most common tour is one night camp base of price varying from 65 to 75 JOD (for bookings for two people) and include the jeep, guide, all meals, the night in the camp and even tipping most of the time. For sleeping under the stars you need to add about 15 JOD per booking. One hour of camel ride cost 20 JOD. 

What to Bring

Wear comfortable light fabric (linen, cotton) clothing, comfortable shoes and don’t forget the hat or a scarf that can be wrapped around your head. As nice as a long dress or skirt can look on the picture is totally unpractical in the desert. You can get an outfit with long linen pants and shirt that looks fabulous on the pictures and will allow you to climb the rocks. Pack sunglasses, sunblock and lip and facial cream with high UV protection. Take extra batteries for your camera and enough memory card, as you’ll take a lot of pictures. 

If you’re planning to stay for a night, pack in a small backpack comfortable, clean clothing to sleep, a sweater, socks and a warmer but light jacket for the evening (the Uniqlo ultra light jackets are very practical and useful)- remember that night on the desert gets pretty cold. It’s useful to have flashlight for the evening in the camp, but as most of smart phones have it build in, you can just use those. We find power bank for our phones very useful for all our trips (a bigger one charges up to four times full iPhone battery).

↬ TIP :It’s always good to have small snack, like energy bar, with you. The guide will have plenty of water. 

Is It Worth It?

Absolutely, yes! It’s a once-in-a-lifetime, surreal adventure and if you’re planning trip to Jordan, Wadi Rum is must visit.

↬Note : Read our Jordan Travel Guide so you don’t miss any of Jordan’s beauty.

Tours & Camps

All Wadi Rum camps are located in the desert itself, therefor you will need to reach Rum Village where all the Bedouins live to start your tour. Wadi Rum Nomads aren’t on booking.com but the company is a safe bet.

↬ Find all the other camps for Wadi Rum desert on booking.com

We heartly recommend: Wadi Rum Nomads or Sun City Camp for a more luxurious stay.