Last Updated on 10/23/23 by Rose Palmer
I had not heard of Wadi Rum until I started doing research about what to see and do in Jordan. As it turns out, I had already seen its landscape since this UNESCO protected area has been used as a filming location in many recent blockbuster movies including “Martian”, the “Star Wars” movies and Disney’s “Aladdin”.
Wadi Rum is located in Jordan’s southeast corner and is about a 40 minute drive from the Red Sea resort town of Aqaba and a 2 hour drive from Jordan’s most famous historic site, Petra. This protected, unique desert area is about 280 square miles which is roughly the size of New York city.
A wadi is the Arabic word for a dry valley, in particular one that is prone to flash flooding. Despite its current desert conditions, Wadi Rum, or Valley of the Moon as it is also called locally, has been inhabitant for over 12,000 years.
Generations of civilizations and cultures have left their mark on the desert rocks in the form of petroglyphs, inscriptions and other rock art. It is this rich graphic history that has made this area a protected UNESCO site. Some of this first desert’s inhabitants were the Nabateans in the 4th century BCE, who are more famously known for their settlement at Petra.
In the West, this part of the Arab world became well known through the writings of T. E. Lawrence who recounted his activities during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in his 1926 book “Seven Pillars of Wisdom”. The 1962 film “Lawrence of Arabia” transported his story and this scenery to the big screen when parts of the movie were filmed on location in Jordan.
Staying in the Wadi Rum central desert area
I’ve been to Wadi Rum twice, and each time was a unique and different experience. You can tour the Wadi Rum desert as a day trip, but I chose to stay overnight both times. Watching the sunset or sunrise in this red hued scenery is magical.
On my first visit, an overnight stay in Wadi Rum on the way to Petra from Aqaba was a logical stop. The local Bedouin tribe offered a large variety of camp accommodations and programs in the desert, and after some research, I chose the Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp, located in the central part of the protected area.
We made arrangements with the same taxi driver that took us to the hotel in Aqaba to pick us up and drive us to our meeting point in Wadi Rum Village. Our driver picked us up a little earlier and drove us around Aqaba to show us some of the sights. With great pride, he described all the new growth and development that the king was leading in his city, a city that he was clearly very proud of.
On the way to the valley, we stopped at the historic Wadi Rum Train Station to see a refurbished steam engine and train cars from the 1916 war. Disrupting the rail lines in this region had been strategically important in the Arab Revolt and this was one of the restored trains from that time period.
Exploring central Wadi Rum
The first stop in Wadi Rum was the Visitor’s Center where we checked in and showed our Jordan Pass. If you don’t already have a desert tour booked, you can book one here. Individuals are not allowed to drive themselves in Wadi Rum. All tours and transportation are done by the local Bedouins.
We then continued on and our driver dropped us off at the Wadi Room Rest House in Wadi Rum Village where we met up with our local Bedouin guide/driver. When I made our reservations for the night, I also included a camel ride and a 4×4 tour of the desert valley.
Two friendly young locals brought us our camels and helped us to get astride. I have ridden a horse once or twice before, but this was my first time on a camel. Getting on top of a camel was a completely different experience than getting on a horse.
The camel laid down and then I climbed astride its back, almost doing a full split as I tried to get my leg over its hump. My husband with his long legs had a much easier time of it. Holding on as the camel got up was the “fun” part.
To get up, the camel first raised its back legs and since a camel’s legs are quite long, there is a big height differential between the fully extended back legs and the still kneeling front legs. As it did this, I was propelled forward and it felt like I was going to summersault over its head. Too late I realized I needed to lean backward, because by that point, the front legs were coming up and now I should have been leaning forward. Fortunately, it all happened quickly and the young lads helped me, so eventually the camel got up and surprisingly, I was still sitting on it.
For the next 45 minutes or so, our guides led us and the camels through the desert landscape. I can’t say that riding a camel was comfortable, but eventually, I was able to relax a bit and let my body go with the (camel’s) flow so to speak.
We bounced along and left Wadi Rum village behind us and I got my first views of this incredible desert environment. We were riding through a wide swath of fine, rust colored sand with huge, rugged, soaring rock formations rising straight up out of the sand on either side of us.
We passed a few other tourists on camels or an occasional truck rolling in the distance, but overall, our camel trek was solitary and peaceful and we could just focus on experiencing the scenery.
As we ambled on, a single small tree appeared on the horizon ahead of us. Just when I though that my backside couldn’t take any more sitting on a camel’s hump, we reached the tree and our first sightseeing stop: Lawrence’s spring. We had only traveled a little over a mile, but I and my behind were happy to get off the camel and stretch my legs.
My husband chose to do the climb up to the spring while I decided to just hang out and take photos of the beautiful scenery at ground level. The water from the spring was being collected into cisterns and long troughs to make it easier for the locals and the camels to access. I made friends with the resting camels and with some of the local urchins who were happy to ham it up for my camera.
On the hike up to the spring my husband saw some of the many rock inscriptions that are the hallmark of Wadi Rum. (How old does graffiti have to be before it is considered historic?). He said the climb up to the spring was well worth the effort as the view from the spring across the desert was breathtaking.
Our camel ride was done, so we climbed into the back of a pick up truck with our guide and drove – or rather, bounced – to our next stop: a great, big sand dune to climb up and play in. Climbing the shifting sands to the top of the dune was a challenge, but the views from the top were gorgeous.
Our driver/guide took us to a few other sights around the reserve so we could appreciate the diverse geography and geology. There seems to be a list of basic locations that the guides take everyone to though we did not run into too many other people at each stop. We were touring at the end of November which was the end of the busy season.
The best part for me though was just seeing the unique scenery unfold. The drive was extremely bumpy, and at times sitting on the back of the truck felt like I was on a bucking bronco as our driver maneuvered over the loose sandy terrain. But driving all around Wadi Rum for the afternoon allowed us to cover a lot more ground and see much more of the scenery than if we had just gone straight to our accommodations.
We capped off the 4×4 tour with a final stop to see the sun set from the top of one of the sandstone formations – a truly memorable experience.
Staying at a Wadi Rum Luxury Camp
We enjoyed the rest of our evening at the Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp. What made these accommodations unique was that I could choose to stay either in a traditional luxury Bedouin style tent, orf in clear bubble rooms that allow you to see the stars as you fall asleep.
I opted for the Bedouin tent since I wanted a more traditional experience. (We ended up having an overcast night so we would not have seen a starry sky through the bubble in any case.) The room was beautifully decorated and looked like something you might imagine in a 1001 Arabian Nights story.
The bubble rooms included en-suite bathrooms with showers. For the tents, there was a nearby bath and shower building which was modern, clean and quite well appointed. My tent included bathrobes, toiletries and sitting areas both inside and outside the tent.
The cost for the night included dinner and breakfast the next morning in a large dining tent, also appointed with traditional Arabic décor. Meals were served buffet style and included lots of Jordanian dishes that included many salads, meat options, sweets and soft drinks.
The next morning, I had some free time to explore the camp and take a short hike in the surrounding area. Since it was overcast, I did not get the sunrise I was hoping for, but that did not make the scenery any less spectacular.
The guide then drove us through the scenic valley back to the village where we met our Jordanian driver again who took us to our next destination – two days in Petra.
Update: Since my stay at the Wadi Rum NIght Luxury Camp, a lot more camps have sprung up in the desert nearby, so there are a lot more choices now. I also saw more mixed reviews about the quality of this camp. It seems there may have been a management change.
Staying at Sharah Luxury Camp
My second visit to Wadi Rum was part of a recent media trip to Jordan. Our group continued to Wadi Rum after visiting Petra. We first stopped to see Little Petra before driving two hours to our camp in Wadi Rum.
Once again we checked in at the Visitor’s Center and then drove about 15 minutes to the Sharah Luxury Camp. This camp was just off the main road that skirts the northern edge of the Wadi Rum Protected Area which made it very easy to get to.
As we approached the Sharah Camp, I saw many other Bedouin desert camps nearby. This seems to be an area within Wadi Rum that has been developed extensively to meet the demands of increased tourism.
Sharah Camp seemed to be a typical Wadi Rum Bedouin camp in this desert and offered both bedouin style tents and the popular domes. I was initially excited to stay in a dome this time, that is, until I entered it. To save energy, the AC had not been turned on, and as you might expect, a plastic bubble in the desert in the middle of the day got very hot. It took some time, but eventually the AC made the temperature inside the dome comfortable.
The dome was covered in canvas to help keep it cool so looking out at the stars while laying in bed was not possible. There was a large, uncovered window area that allowed me to look out into the desert which had curtains available for privacy. When I woke up in the morning, this window was all cloudy from the condensation so it was not possible to see the sunrise from my bed as I had hoped.
The room was quite spacious with a king bed and an en suite bathroom with a shower and toilet. There were electric outlets, but not all of them worked so I had to do some searching to find one that charged my electronics.
Breakfast, lunch and dinner were included and were served in a large, airconditioned tent. There were a lot of choices that included all the typical salads and meats I had come to expect at a buffet in Jordan.
One interesting meal option at Sharah Camp was Zarb, a traditional Bedouin form of barbecue. Racks with meats and vegetables were cooked in an underground pit that was filled with coals. The resulting dish was tender and uniquely smoky.
Touring the eastern desert of Wadi Rum
After a late lunch we went on a tour of the surrounding desert. Again, I was sitting in the back of a flatbed truck, getting jostled around as the driver maneuvered across the soft sand.
The scenery on this side of Wadi Rum was equally beautiful. Large, imposing, wind sculpted cliffs rose straight up out of the desert sands that certainly gave it the otherworldly look I had come to expect.
The first stop was a large sand dune where we had the option to walk to the top.
The second stop was a rock where petroglyphs were visible. A wooden platform with stairs had been built to make it easy to see the petroglyphs. The Bedouin also had a lot of camels here and were offering short camel rides to any interested tourists.
The next stop was a small slot canyon and then a cliff where the face of Laurence of Arabia had been carved. All of these stops were very busy and crowded with trucks and other tourists. Clearly, all the tours went to the same sights at about the same time of day.
We finished the tour with a drive into the middle of an open desert area where we stopped to watch the sun set. Again, this was the same spot where all the other trucks also stopped as well.
Before leaving Wadi Rum the next morning, we had the option for a camel ride into the desert to see the sunrise. Since I had already done a camel ride on my previous visit to Wadi Rum (and knew how uncomfortable it was), I did not choose to do this. However, those that were in my group that went out on the camel excursion loved ite (it was the first time for all of them).
Wadi Rum is a very unique and special setting that should not be missed by anyone planning a trip to Jordan. To really enjoy the stunning scenery without the crowds, I suggest staying at one of the really good camps, and working with them to get personalized jeep tours.
Travel Tips for visiting Wadi Rum and choosing a Wadi Rum Bedouin Camp
- Start planning your visit to Wadi Rum by looking at the information on the official Jordanian tourism website.
- Plan your travels to Wadi Rum during shoulder season when it won’t be so busy. My first visit was at the end of November and it was not that crowded. My second visit was in mid October and there were lots more tourists at that time of year. I also thought the lighting was warmer and softer for photography in November.
- Spend the night in Wadi Rum if you can rather than just doing a day tour. Seeing the sunrise or the sunset in the desert was a magical experience.
- There are a now a lot of overnight camp options in Wadi Rum. Look at recent Google and Tripadvisor reviews to decide which Wadi Rum Bedouin camp to choose that fits your budget.
- I liked staying at the Wadi Rum Night Luxury Camp because it was deeper in the desert and I felt like I got to see more of the Wadi Rum Protected area this way, though it took longer to get to the camp.
- The Sharah Luxury Camp was near the road on the northern edge of Wadi Rum and was very easy to get to. The camps on this side of Wadi Rum would be a good choice for those with limited time because they are readily accessible from a road. This is a good option if you want to spend a night here but don’t have a lot of time to get to and from a camp deeper in the desert.
- Only the local Bedouins are allowed to drive in the Wadi Rum Protected Area so you will need to book some type of tour to see it. Your accommodations should be able to help you book any tours and activities you are interested in.
- If you’ve never ridden a camel, this is a perfect location to try it. You’ll have the chance to enjoy the scenery at a slower pace. Do the camel ride at sunrise or sunset for an even more special experience.
- The 4×4 jeep tour drive across the desert was extremely bumpy. There are no developed roads in the desert and they are driving on shifting sands. This could be hard or painful to someone with back problems.
- Don’t forget to bring sunscreen, plenty of water, and a hat.
- Jordan is not expensive. Our luxury king tent or bubble with meals, camel ride and 4×4 tour for 2 cost about the same as a single night in a moderately priced hotel in New York city.
- Tipping our driver/guide and the camp staff was extra.
- If our schedule would have allowed it, I think I would have liked to spend two nights in Wadi Rum with a second full day to continue exploring and do some hiking.
I am glad I decided to explore and stay the night in Wadi Rum. This desert landscape was indeed unique and my Wadi Rum glamping at a luxury Bedouin campsite truly was the magical desert experience I had hoped for.
Other stories you may like:
All my best tips for planning a visit to Petra: How to Visit Petra – 25 Travel Tips For a Perfect First Time Visit
Learn how to take your most memorable images at Petra: 13 Petra Photography Tips For all Skill Levels.
Petra photos in black and white: Ancient Petra – A City of Mysteries in Black and White
A 10 day independent Israel and Jordan itinerary: Tips for a 10 Day Israel and Jordan Itinerary
How to spend a day in Jerusalem: One Day in Jerusalem: Where Three Religions Intersect
Thanks for visiting.
Rose
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