Wadi Rum travel guide

Why go to Wadi Rum

Few landscapes on earth feel as cinematic as Wadi Rum. Monolithic sandstone massifs rise sheer from valleys of rust-red and apricot sand; at sunset the cliffs glow, and at night the sky fills with stars far from any city. It is no surprise that film crews keep coming back — from Lawrence of Arabia (1962) to The Martian (2015) and Dune (2021) — but the desert is also a living homeland of Bedouin tribes, mainly the Zalabia and Zawaideh, who run most of the camps and jeep tours.

The Wadi Rum Protected Area covers about 720 km² and is managed by the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA). UNESCO inscribed it in 2011 as a mixed site for both its desert landscape and its rock art: thousands of petroglyphs and inscriptions in Thamudic, Nabataean and Arabic scripts record 12,000 years of human presence.

T. E. Lawrence passed through during the Arab Revolt of 1916–18, and his Seven Pillars of Wisdom gave its name to the massif near the Visitor Centre. Lawrence's Spring, Lawrence's House and countless guide stories keep his memory alive — though the Bedouin will remind you their ancestors were here long before.

The 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' massif by the Visitor Centre.

How a Wadi Rum visit works

Private vehicles are not allowed to drive into the protected area on their own. You pay the entry fee at the Visitor Centre (about 7 km before Rum village), then meet your camp or guide in Rum village, where the jeep tours begin. Most camps include pickup from the village and offer tours of 2 hours to a full day, plus dinner, breakfast and transfers.

• Short visit (half day): 2–4 hour jeep tour, sunset, then onward to Aqaba or Petra.
• Classic (1 night): afternoon jeep tour → sunset → camp dinner (often zarb, meat and vegetables cooked underground) → stargazing → morning departure.
• Best (2 nights): a full-day jeep tour, a camel ride or a guided scramble up Burdah rock bridge, and a second night under the stars.

What you will see

Jeep routes vary by camp and length, but most include several of these stops. Full-day tours reach the remote south and east of the protected area.

Lawrence's Spring

A spring on the slopes of Jabal Rum; short scramble for views

Khazali Canyon

Narrow siq with Thamudic and Nabataean petroglyphs

Red sand dunes

Climb (or sandboard) for the classic view across the valley

Um Fruth rock bridge

Small natural arch you can climb

Burdah rock bridge

≈ 35 m high natural arch; guided scramble of 2–3 h

Lawrence's House

Ruined Nabataean building linked to Lawrence

Little Bridge, mushroom rock, Anfashieh inscriptions

Typical stops on 4–6 h tours

Camps: from Bedouin tents to bubble domes

There are dozens of camps inside the protected area and near Rum village. Traditional camps have goat-hair tents, shared bathrooms and a fire pit; mid-range camps add private bathrooms; 'luxury' camps offer transparent 'bubble' or 'martian' domes for stargazing from bed. All of them are remote — food, water and electricity are limited, and the quality of a stay depends more on the hosts than on the tent.

Compare our picks on the where to stay in Wadi Rum page.

Other ways to explore

• Camel rides: from an hour at sunset to multi-day treks with a Bedouin guide.
• Hiking and scrambling: Jabal Umm ad Dami (Jordan's highest point, with views into Saudi Arabia), Burdah, and the last section of the Jordan Trail from Wadi Rum to Aqaba.
• Rock climbing: Wadi Rum is one of the Middle East's best-known climbing areas; climb only with a qualified local guide.
• Hot-air balloon flights: offered at sunrise by a licensed operator in the cooler months, weather permitting.
• Stargazing: the darkest skies most visitors will ever see — a moonless night is best.

Getting there

Wadi Rum village is about 1 hour from Aqaba and 1.5–2 hours from Petra. Many travellers come by taxi or private driver, or use the morning minibus between Wadi Musa and Rum. There is a free parking area at the Visitor Centre if you drive. Full details are on getting to Wadi Rum.

See all on GetYourGuide

Desert night

Wadi Rum: Bedouin camp stay with full-day desert tour and 3 meals

1 night

One night in a Bedouin camp with a full day of jeep touring — Lawrence's Spring, Khazali Canyon, dunes and rock bridges — plus dinner, breakfast and lunch.

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Full day

Wadi Rum: 9-hour jeep tour with guide, meal and optional stay

≈ 9 h

A full day in the protected area by 4×4 with a Bedouin guide, lunch cooked in the desert and the option to stay overnight in camp.

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Sunset

Wadi Rum: 2-hour morning or sunset jeep tour

2 h

Short jeep loop to the nearest highlights — ideal if you arrive from Petra or Aqaba in the afternoon and want the sunset.

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A first-timer's 24 hours in Wadi Rum

• Around noon–1 PM: arrive at the Visitor Centre, pay the entry or show the Jordan Pass, and meet your camp in Rum village.
• Afternoon: a 3–4 hour jeep tour — Lawrence's Spring, the Khazali Canyon inscriptions, a red dune and one of the rock bridges.
• Sunset: a ridge or dune near camp; guides know which faces catch the last light.
• Evening: zarb dinner cooked underground, tea by the fire and the stars.
• Sunrise: climb the rocks behind camp, then breakfast and an onward transfer to Aqaba or Petra.

With a second night, add a full-day tour to the remote south (Burdah, Um Fruth and the canyons near the Saudi border) or a guided climb of Jabal Umm ad Dami, Jordan's highest summit at about 1,850 m.

Who should go, and who should think twice

Wadi Rum suits almost everyone who can handle a bumpy ride: couples, families with school-age children, photographers and hikers. A night in a camp is the highlight of many Jordan trips. It is harder for travellers with limited mobility, because jeeps are often open pick-ups with bench seats and sand makes walking slow; ask camps about 4×4s with seats and rooms close to the dining tent. Very young children may find the long drives tiring, so families do best with short 2–3 hour tours and a camp near the village.

Alcohol is not part of Bedouin hospitality and most camps do not serve it. Dress modestly at the village and the camp, and ask before photographing people.

Practical tips

• Bring cash in Jordanian dinars — card payments and ATMs are limited in Rum village.
• Pack a warm fleece or jacket; desert nights can drop near freezing in winter and feel cold even in April or October.
• Sun protection matters: hat, sunscreen, sunglasses and a scarf for dust.
• Respect Bedouin customs: dress modestly, ask before photographing people, and accept tea when offered.
• Leave no trace: carry out rubbish and do not draw on or touch rock inscriptions.

Plan your visit to Wadi Rum

• Things to doThe best sights and experiences in Wadi Rum — canyons, rock bridges, dunes,…
• ToursShort jeep tours, full-day desert safaris, overnight camp packages and 2-day loops from…
• Getting therePetra, Aqaba, Amman and the airports to Wadi Rum by minibus, taxi, private driver or…
• Where to stayTraditional Bedouin camps, bubble-dome 'luxury' camps and simple village stays — how to…
• When to goWadi Rum's seasons, day and night temperatures, the best months for camping and…