Wadi Rum Desert Travel Guide & Attractions List

One of the highlights of our trip to Jordan was the wonderful day and night we spent in Wadi Rum. Although Petra Ancient City comes to mind first when it comes to Jordan, Wadi Rum Desert is also one of the places to be seen. This place is a different world, a different planet. The first moment you step into the desert, its marvellous atmosphere immediately draws you in.

The desert is magical day and night. You see marvellous natural formations in the desert covering kilometres of land. You walk on red sand dunes, pass through canyons and marvel at how natural phenomena shape the rocks with perfect craftsmanship. This marvellous geography promises you one of the most beautiful sunsets you will ever see. Then it gets dark and the sky in Wadi Rum shows you the Milky Way in all its radiance.

Wadi Rum Desert Travel Guide

Jordan is a country that gets more beautiful the further south you go. This is our observation, but it really is so. One of the beauties in the south is the Wadi Rum Desert, which consists of red sands. This desert is also known as the Valley of the Moon. Historically, this beautiful place was home to many civilisations, including the Nabataeans, the architects of the Ancient City of Petra. While travelling in the desert, you can find traces of the Nabataeans in the canyons here.

Wadi Rum was a crossroads of trade routes in the past and many caravans used to pass through here. The strategic position of the Wadi is also evident from the fact that the Hijaz Railways, one of the major projects of the Ottoman Empire, passed through here. This railway is very close to the entrance of Wadi Rum. I will explain the details of the railway below.

This beautiful red desert became well known thanks to British agent T. E. Lawrence who passed through the Rum Valley many times during the Arab Revolt. The films shot here in recent years have also added to the fame of this place. The film The Martian directed by Ridley Scott, which I also like very much, was shot in Wadi Rum. Even the space car used in this film is exhibited in Amman Royal Car Museum.😊

Note: Wadi Rum was declared a Protected Area by the Royal Society in 1998. The Wadi Rum was also declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2011.

Wadi Rum Attractions & Wadi Rum Tour

Wadi Rum is one of the most important places you should see in Jordan. This is a non-debatable subject. If you have time, you should definitely see this place. If you plan a trip to Jordan and don’t see this place, Jordan will be very incomplete. I have already written in detail about “Jordan travel plan” in my Jordan travel guide. You can make your plan programme according to this guide. Here is the link. (https://bujuyollarda.com/en/jordan-travel-guide/) Now let’s come to our Wadi Rum adventure.

After spending 2 wonderful days in Petra, we had Wadi Rum Desert in our destination. We reserved 1 full day for Wadi Rum and stayed here. The distance between the ancient city of Petra and Wadi Rum is approximately 105 km. After getting up early in the morning and leaving our hotel in Petra, we set off for Wadi Rum. Of course, we had organised our tour and accommodation before we left. The road between Petra and Wadi Rum was quite comfortable and pleasant.

Our tour operator had informed us by e-mail that the desert tour would start at 10.00 am. We drove our car to Wadi Rum Visitor Centre, where we paid the Wadi Rum entrance fee of 5 JOD and registered and drove to Wadi Rum Village where we would meet the tour manager. After about 10 minutes of driving, we parked our car in the free parking area in Wadi Rum Village and met with Bakher, the tour manager. Now let me give some information about Wadi Rum tours.

Note: When leaving your vehicle, do not forget to take a rucksack for your belongings if you are going to stay. Since we were small, we took our cabin luggage and they loaded the luggage behind the Jeep. There is water in the vehicles. You do not need to take it with you.

Wadi Rum tours are available in two ways, with and without accommodation. What I mean by tour is that you make a desert tour with a jeep. You jump on the back of jeeps with 4-6 people and visit the desert point by point. The tours have a meal break. The desert tour we joined with Wadi Rum Desert Dream company was perfect. It is really enjoyable to do safari in the desert. I should also mention that you cannot visit the desert individually in Wadi Rum. So even if you have a 4×4 jeep, you have to agree with the tour company.

Wadi Rum tours usually start at 10:00 in the morning. The starting point of the tour is Wadi Rum Village. If you stay with accommodation, you will go to the right camping area at the end of the tour. If you are left without accommodation, you will be dropped back to the starting point. If you are staying with accommodation and if you cannot arrive at 10 o’clock, they will pick you up directly at around 18 o’clock and take you to the tent, and you will join the morning tour after breakfast the next day. So there is a solution at every point. Now let’s talk about places to visit in Wadi Rum.

Wadi Rum Attractions Map (You can click on the numbers and zoom on the map)

Wadi Rum Attractions List:

1. Lawrence’s Spring
2. Red Sand (Red Sand Dune)
3. Khazali Canyon
4. Little Bridge
5. Lawrance’s House
6. Mushroom Rock
7. Abu Khashaba Canyon
8. Um Frouth Rock Arch
9. Sunset
10. Wadi Rum Train Station (Hejaz Railways)

These are the places to visit in Wadi Rum. We visited these places (except Mushroom Rock) with our jeep tour. We didn’t waste time anywhere and we sunk the day on the Sunset hills. It was a marvellous experience. Details below.

Lawrence Spring

We jumped in our jeep and started travelling on the red sands. Our first stop was Lawrence Spring. This place is located very close to the entrance point of Wadi Rum. It is an actively used water source. It is surprising to see a water spring in the desert. There are 25 spring water points in this region. It used to be a stopping point for caravans for water. From the few trees around it, you can see that the water brings beauty to the area where it is located.

Let’s talk about climbing here. Our car was parked and they said you can go up to the water spring. So we decided to go up the mountain but we regretted it in the heat. There is no proper road and there are no springs gushing out of the rocks waiting for you above. The water source here was mossy and quite small. Do not go up here with great expectations. Don’t even go up. The view is beautiful, let me tell you that. The view was satisfying, but the spring failed.

Locations here.

Red Sand Dune

This is the bottom of the red sand. It’s desert weather in Red Sand Dune. There’s not a single stone and every spot is red. This place is also known as Al Ramal Hill. This place has a very nice atmosphere. You literally experience the feeling that I have come to the desert here.

As you run, you sink into the sand and you have a great struggle to climb. If you run with shoes, you bring 1 kg of sand in the shoe with you 😂 It is extremely difficult to walk without shoes or even stand. Because you are buried in the sand and the insanely hot sand in the heat almost cooks your feet. I went with slippers, that’s how I know. Be you, do what Buju says, don’t do what he does. 😁

This is the area where many shots from the famous film Lawrence of Arabia were shot. It’s breathtaking. I’m sure you’ll love it.

Khazali Canyon

Our stop after Red Sand in Wadi Rum was Khazali Canyon. When I say canyon, do not expect a place kilometres long. It is not long but it is a special place. We parked our car and started to drive towards the canyon.

Khazali Canyon is a canyon with narrow walkways about 100 metres long. Its inner walls are covered with Semudic, Nabataean and Islamic inscriptions, as well as symbols depicting people and animals. The footprints made by the first people in time are depicted on the canyon wall. It has a mysterious atmosphere.

The paintings and inscriptions in Khazali Canyon have the oldest historical textures in Wadi Rum. At the end of the canyon there are several man-made basins carved into the rock to collect water. Be aware that the photos are legendary. Location here.

Little Bridge

The view is beautiful everywhere in Wadi Rum, but I think the most beautiful view is at Little Bridge. As I said at the beginning, nature has shaped the rocks so beautifully that there are natural masterpieces everywhere.

There are 3 rock bridges in the form of arches in the Wadi Rum Desert. These bridges are; Burdah Rock Bridge, Um Frouth Rock Bridge and Small Bridge. The small bridge is also known as “Raqabat al Wadak” and is one of the landmarks of Wadi Rum. You have to make a small climb to reach the Little Bridge. You can wait in line for a photo. Do not jump here because the rocks are dangerous.

The view from the Little Bridge is also legendary. Sit and watch Wadi Rum to the fullest. It is so beautiful that I am living that moment as I write. It is like it is not from this world. You keep asking yourself if you have travelled to Mars. It is really an incredible beauty. The location of the Little Bridge here.

Lunch Break

Our Bedouin brothers who drove our jeep made us a nice feast in the middle of the desert. We had Galaya, hummus, hummus, mütebbel, tuna salad, cheese and plenty of bread. Galaya is our version of meneme without egg and with beans. The food was quite delicious. After the meal, mint tea with sugar is a must. We had a great time with the Bedouins and other people on the tour and continued on our way. Our next stop was Lawrence’s House.

Lawrance’s House

TE Lawrence, who united Arab tribes to fight against the Ottoman Empire, stayed in this building around 1917. All that remains of the building today are a few stones on top of each other. It has been badly damaged.

Before Lawrence, the house itself was built on top of a structure built by the Nabataeans more than two thousand years ago  The structure is located in a position where caravans pass by  That is why the Bedouins call it the “Little Palace“.

When you come here, you will see a hill rising behind the house. People go up here and both watch the view and stack stones on top of each other. You may wonder why they make these stones like this. Let me tell you; in the past, Bedouins used such signs to show the safest way along the mountain. Later on, this became a tradition and tourists started to balance the stones on top of each other in this area.

Mushroom Rock

We didn’t go to Mushroom Rock but we wanted it to be on our list. We knew about this place before but we didn’t even think of it during the tour. Wadi Rum Desert fascinated us so much that it took our minds away.

The formation of Mushroom Rock, a work of art made by nature, is completely natural. Over the centuries, wind and rain eroded the softer sedimentary rock layers at the base of the structure and the rock was formed.

There are many such formations in many places in the world. Our Cappadocia is the best example of such formations. This is a good spot for photography. If it wasn’t ours, let it be yours.😊

Location here.

Abu Khashaba Canyon

Wadi Rum Desert continues to surprise us with every point. The desert is already beautiful, but it is even more impressive to see a different beauty at every point. One of the most beautiful places in Wadi Rum is definitely Abu Khashaba Canyon.

Our jeep left us at the beginning of the canyon and said we will pick you up from the end of the canyon, come on, walk and they left. We started walking with our tour mates.

The canyon is 4 metres wide and a large amount of sand, blown by the wind during sandstorms, collects in this area. There are many desert trees in the canyon. These desert trees grow slowly and can survive with limited water. It is really a very interesting canyon. Our jeep was waiting for us at the end of the road, we jumped in the back and headed to the next stop.

Um Fruth Rock Bridge

One of the natural bridges in Wadi Rum, Um Fruth Rock Bridge is about 15 metres high. This is also a very nice photo spot. You can hardly take a bad photo in Wadi Rum because everywhere is so beautiful.

You can either climb this bridge and take photos from the top or from the bottom. We didn’t climb up because we were a bit tired. We stopped here for 15 minutes so as not to miss the sunset and headed towards a special spot for sunset.

Um Fruth Rock Bridge s location here.

Sunset

One of the most vivid parts of Wadi Rum is definitely sunset. Our Bedouin brothers brought us in our cars to an area with small hills and said that we would set the sun here. So we went up one of the hills and watched the sun set slowly.

Sometimes you want life to stop at beautiful points, that’s exactly what we wanted here. The sun set so beautifully through the red sands that we experienced one of the most beautiful sunsets of our lives here. Wadi Rum Desert is like a dream. You have to live and feel this place. After the sunset, we completed our tour and started to make our way to the tents where we will stay.

Our Wadi Rum tour was generally like this. It was really one of the most beautiful tours we have ever participated in. We were very pleased with every point. The joy, hospitality and pleasant conversation of our guides were very nice. We left almost no place we did not visit in the desert. If you come to Wadi Rum, I highly recommend you to take a jeep tour.

Wadi Rum Desert Dream Contact Details

• E-Mail: [email protected]
• Tel: + 962 7 7649 9092
• Adres: Wadi Rum Road Rum Village, Jordan
• Website: https://www.wadirumdesertdreams.com/

If you join this tour, say hello to Bakher and his Dutch wife from us.😊Our tour is over, but I haven’t told you about our accommodation experience yet. Our accommodation experience in the Bedouin tent is in the title of Where to Stay in Wadi Rum.

Wadi Rum Train Station (Hejaz Railways)

I need to explain this place separately because this place is not in Wadi Rum. So tour companies do not show you Wadi Rum Railway Station. This place is on the way to Wadi Rum Village. So you can visit it on your way to Wadi Rum or on your way back. We visited it on our way back to Aqaba.

The most beautiful thing about Wadi Rum Railway Station, which is a stop on the Hejaz Railway, is that our flag flies here. It is a proud situation, but unfortunately the history of the railway is not very good.

Hijaz Railway, 1322 km long railway line built by Abdul Hamid II between 1900-1908 between Damascus and Medina . With the additions after 1908, it increased to 1,900 km in length. The technical works of the railway were carried out by German engineer Meissner. Many bridges and culverts were used in the construction of the railway line.

Abdülhamid II also ordered the construction of a telegraph line along the railway for better communication. Outposts were also built to protect the railway from attacks by Arab Bedouins. This project was opposed by many states, especially England. The British even instigated the Arabs against the Ottomans with propaganda through Lawrence. Lies were put forward such as the donations collected for the railway did not go to the railway and the Ottoman Empire transferred these funds to the treasury.

The Hejaz Railway was built to strengthen the transport between Istanbul and the Holy Land, to facilitate the transport of soldiers to be transported to these regions, to ensure that pilgrims could make pilgrimage more safely, to strengthen the de facto sovereignty of the Ottoman Empire in these lands and to increase the economic power of Arab countries. However, during the World War I, Arabs collaborating with Lawrence damaged the railway and made it unusable.

One of the stops of this beautiful project is Wadi Rum railway station. There is no entrance fee here. You park your car and see the idle trains. And of course our glorious flag waving. The location of the railway station is here.

Things You Should Know About Wadi Rum

Where is Wadi Rum?

Wadi Rum is located in the south of Jordan. Wadi Rum, which is the largest valley of Jordan, is a very large area as you can see from the map. Wadi Rum, which has the highest altitude in Jordan, can be seen from the Red Sea and Saudi Arabia when the weather is clear.

Surrounded by red mountains, Wadi Rum is like a branch of Mars on Earth. In Wadi Rum, which has historically hosted many cultures, you can see petroglyphs made by first people, that is, depictions made on rocks and inscriptions belonging to Nabataeans. This is a very important place both in terms of history and tourism.

Location of Wadi Rum on the map here.

How to Get to Wadi Rum?

Tourists reach Wadi Rum either by rented car or by the vehicles of tour companies. We reached Wadi Rum with the car we rented. When you get the Wadi Rum Desert location from the navigation, you can directly reach here. You have to visit Wadi Rum Visitor Centre to enter Wadi Rum. Here you buy the Wadi Rum entrance ticket by paying 5 JOD per person and then you register. If you have a Jordan Pass, you do not need to pay an entrance fee. After these procedures, you have officially entered Wadi Rum.

Then you drive 10 km with your car accompanied by desert scenery, pass Wadi Rum railway station and reach Wadi Rum Village. Then you park your car for free and meet the tour company you have agreed with in this village. You must leave your car here. Because it is forbidden to enter Wadi Rum with your own vehicle. This is all quite simple.

Note: If you have not made arrangements with the tour company, you can arrange a jeep tour, camel safari tour, guide or accommodation at the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre. However, arranging these in advance will prevent loss of time.

The distance between Wadi Rum and the ancient city of Petra is 105 km. If you are travelling from Petra to Rum like us, you have to get up early in the morning. The distance between Wadi Rum and Amman is 314 km, and the distance between Wadi Rum and Aqaba is 64 km. If you have only Petra and Wadi Rum in your destination in Jordan, Aqaba makes much more sense in terms of proximity.

How to get to Wadi Rum by bus If you ask, there is no direct bus from Amman to Wadi Rum. There are buses from Aqaba and Petra to Rum. You should prefer Jett Buss for the bus. Please be informed that there are fewer buses on Fridays.

When to Go to Wadi Rum?

Just like I mentioned in Jordan travel guide, the best time for Wadi Rum is spring. It gets hot in summer and cold in winter. Therefore, April – May or September – October are the most ideal time periods. If you want it to be a little warmer, you can also prefer June or August.

Wadi Rum is the highest altitude place in Jordan. While the average daytime temperature is between 25-35 degrees, it can be colder at night. Therefore, you must be cautious at night. You should definitely take something thick with you. Be careful especially if you are going to watch the night sky. We spent the night with blankets in the tent. We were not very cold, but we still dressed warmly. The desert is unpredictable.

We were there in the third week of September. The weather was very good. We did not experience any mishap in terms of weather day and night. In cold periods, there may be situations such as sandstorms, so try not to go here in winter.

How much is the entrance fee to Wadi Rum?

The entrance fee for Wadi Rum Desert is 5 JOD per person. As I mentioned above, you make this payment at the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre. Do not forget to register after payment. If you have Jordan Pass you do not pay for the entrance to Wadi Rum. You just show your Jordan Pass and register. The registration process does not even take 1 minute, it is very short. The location of Wadi Rum Visitor Centre is here.

Where to stay in Wadi Rum?

If you come to Wadi Rum, do not return without staying here. The night sky is so beautiful that you really fall in love with this place once again. So Where to stay in Wadi Rum How are the accommodation facilities?

You have 2 alternatives for accommodation. One is bubble hotels and the other is bedouin tents. Bubble hotels, as you can understand from the name, you stay in a room inside the bubble. They are more comfortable than tents. Don’t forget to book in advance if you want to stay in bubble hotels as they have a worldwide reputation. The nightly price of the hotels varies between 5000 – 7500 TL. If you say is it worth this price, I think you should stay in bubble hotels for 1 day if you do not have a problem with budget.

Let’s come to Bedouin tents as the other accommodation. We stayed in Wadi Rum for 1 day and preferred Bedouin tents. The name of the place we stayed was Wadi Rum Desert Dream. In other words, it is the same place where we made a tour. After the tour I described in detail above, we came to our tent, rested a little and came to ourselves. Then dinner break. The food was open buffet and delicious. Completely Bedouin style.

It is really nice to witness the life of these people. After dinner, of course, mint tea with sugar, which everyone in Jordan offers. Although we had a little difficulty because we drink tea without sugar, we got used to this tea in Jordan. 😊

After dinner, after chatting with Bakher , the owner of the camp and very hospitable, we went to our tent to rest. This tent camp has wc, shower facilities. The toilet and shower areas for men and women are separate and independent from the rooms. When we went to the tent, we waited for the later hours of the night and watched the magnificent sky. They call it Stargazing and you watch the full star feast in Wadi Rum. Thousands of stars and the Milky Way really look marvellous. And when you see the shooting stars, you realise once again what a beautiful night you have spent.

If you come to Wadi Rum, do not return without staying here 1 day. Have no doubt that it will be worth it. It will be much more comfortable if you make your reservation in advance. Below is the information of Wadi Rum Desert Dream, where we stayed and were very satisfied.

Wadi Rum Desert Dream Contact Details:

• E-Mail: [email protected]
• Tel: + 962 7 7649 9092
• Adres: Wadi Rum Road Rum Village, Jordan

What to do in Wadi Rum?

Praise for the Wadi Rum Desert is inadequate. If you are planning a trip to Jordan, this place should definitely be in your travel plan. When you arrive, you will already pay attention to what I have described above. Below you can find the answers to the question What to do in Wadi Rum.

What to do in Wadi Rum?

• Explore the sights of Wadi Rum
• Take a jeep tour
• If not a Jeep, there is a camel option
• Watch the stars and the Milky Way at night
• Stay in a Bedouin tent
• Experience Bedouin food
• Visit the Hejaz Railway on the way back
• Don’t forget to sunset in beautiful spots.

Things to Consider in Wadi Rum

This is a desert. Therefore, you need to be careful at some points. Desert conditions may vary depending on the period you go, but in general, Wadi Rum should pay attention to below.

What you should pay attention to in Wadi Rum

• There is no ATM in Wadi Rum Desert. Bring cash with you when you come here.
• There’s no reception in Wadi Rum. I think this is a good situation. It is a good opportunity to be alone with this beautiful desert and to rest your head.
• Do not forget to register after the entrance fee.
• It gets cold at night in the desert. Don’t forget to take warm things with you.
• There is electricity in the accommodation centres. Therefore, there is no problem in this regard.
• Wadi Rum is open 24 hours. There is no entry time.
• I don’t even need to tell you to take sun cream and goggles with you.
• It would be nice to take a small rucksack with you. It is important to have a small towel and socks in the bag.
• Remember to bargain at every point.

Wadi Rum Vlog

Wadi Rum Desert F.A.Q.

We have come to the end of my Wadi Rum Desert article. Our experience in this beautiful desert was amazing. We saw a desert for the first time in our lives and our love for the desert grew more and more. If you have anything to ask about this place, write it in the comments section and I will try to help. Have a nice and trouble-free trip.