The red sand and layered rocks are the Wadi Rum desert, a branch of Mars on Earth. Filmmakers shoot movies here, including The Martian, Star Wars, Dune, and Lawrence of Arabia. Only bushes and camels bring you back to reality – this is still the Earth, not the red planet.
We came to the Wadi Rum desert in January 2022 for the alien sunsets and magnificent sunrises, bright red landscapes.
Did I like it?
Yes!
It was some kind of unrealistic immersion in another world and life. But with pleasant elements of comfort.
Season to visit the Wadi Rum Desert – when is the best time to go
- Autumn is the best time to travel to the desert. And in September it is still hot, but October-November is just perfect. It’s no longer hot during the day, and pleasantly cool at night.
- Spring – April-May is also good, but it can be colder at night.
- Summer – it’s incredibly hot here in the daytime, plus at the beginning and end of summer, the hamsin blows – a hot desert wind carrying sand and dust.
- Winter – the temperature is quite comfortable during the day, rising to +15 degrees. But as soon as the sun goes down, the temperature drops, sometimes to minus. In winter, it rains in the desert, and sometimes it snows at night.
Where does the Wadi Rum Desert end and how to get there
The Wadi Rum Desert (also called the Wadi Rum Moon Valley) is located in the south of Jordan, 70 km from the city of Aqaba.
- You can get here by taxi: from 50JOD – $70 one way from Aqaba.
- You can buy a one-day bus tour.
- On local buses departing from bus stations in major cities of Jordan.
- Rent a car – That’s exactly what we did while traveling around Jordan.
How much it costs to visit Wadi Rum desert?
The Wadi Rum Desert is a nature reserve, so you need to pay 5JOD – $7 per person to visit it. If you have a Jordan Pass (a subscription to visit all the sights of Jordan), then you don’t have to pay for a trip to the desert.
Review and impressions of staying in the Wadi Rum desert
The Wadi Rum desert was once the bottom of an ancient sea. That is why it does not look like a classic desert with dunes. Wadi Rum has magnificent landscapes: the remains of mountains with unusual weathering patterns surrounded by red dunes create a real wow effect.
The desert is very quiet and surprisingly clean, especially compared to the amount of plastic and garbage you see along the roads in Jordan. In fact, the part of the desert where tourists go is a reserve where Bedouins live and this is their territory where they earn money. Therefore, they try to maintain the natural beauty and purity of this place.
The desert itself is awesome! So far, it is in the first place for me after the desert in Dubai and Morocco. . Probably because the Wadi Rum desert has a variety of shapes and landscapes.
I really liked everything there – from the place of residence to communication with the locals. We were also lucky to have sunny weather, despite the fact that we were in the desert in winter. The desert was really red, and all these patterns, textures and shapes of sand, rocks and mountains are fascinating and just blow your mind. Well, it’s unrealistically beautiful!
Bedouins in Wadi Rum
They are very different from the Bedouins we saw on the shores of the Dead Sea. Along the Dead Sea, you can see tents made of old carpets and polyethylene, dirty children around a fire, and shepherds, camels and goats grazing. In the desert, Bedouins drive jeeps, wear traditional clothes, speak English, and behave extremely politely. Tourists are their bread and butter, so they are provided with safety and a comfortable stay.
In the desert, as well as throughout the south of Jordan, Lawrence of Arabia is remembered with respect. This is the British archaeologist, diplomat, and writer Thomas Edward Lawrence, who united the Bedouin tribes and helped organize the uprising against the Ottoman Empire in 1918. He participated in the creation of Transjordan (the first name of Jordan).
We met monuments to Lawrence in Aqaba, saw the remains of his home, and his bas-relief is carved on a rock in the Wadi Rum desert.
What to see in the Wadi Rum desert
Safaris and camel excursions, hiking and dancing around the campfire in the Bedouin camp – all this can be booked both at the Wadi Rum Visitor Center and directly at the camp where you plan to stay for the night.
Of course, it is advisable to do this in a camp – the owners will earn a little extra money, and at the same time take care of you by bringing a jeep in time. There is no need to fuss here to save a couple of dinars – the price tag is the same, as the tours are conducted by guides from the Visit center .
What are the options for tours in the Wadi Rum desert?
- Two-hour jeep safari in the desert – from 35 JOD = $ 50
- Three-hour jeep safari in the desert – from 50 JOD = $ 70
- Four-hour jeep safari in the desert – from 70 JOD = $ 95
- Two-hour desert camel ride – from 15 JOD = $ 21
- Bedouin dinner – from 10 JOD = $ 14
- Hot air balloon ride – from 150 JOD = $ 210 per person (not available in low season)
Please note: the price of a jeep safari is for the entire vehicle. That is, you can ride alone for the full amount, or split the price among several people. The jeep has 6 seats outside and three more inside. Therefore, you can save money if you make an agreement with other tourists, for example, your camping neighbors.
We met a couple from India who live in Qatar and work as engineers for Qatar Airways. In total, we paid for half of the four-hour trip, and it was also interesting to talk to interesting people from another country.
Tour organizers can separately organize for you hiking in the desert for several days. If you have a map, you can check in at the Visitor Center and go on your own. The main thing is to download good offline maps, as there is no connection in the desert.
The most interesting places in the Wadi Rum desert
As for the routes, the situation is as follows: the four-hour jeep safari does not fit the sights listed on the map. That’s why the routes are divided into parts, as the distances in the desert are considerable.
Here are the main attractions of the Wadi Rum Desert:
- Lawrence’s Spring: the place where Lawrence of Arabia is believed to have rested during the Arab Revolt. There are ancient inscriptions on the nearby rocks.
- Khazali Canyon: a deep, narrow crevice in the mountainside where many rock inscriptions have been preserved.
- Sand dunes: a large red sand dune rests against the mountainside. It’s fun to climb to the top in a jeep – the experience is very vivid.
- Rock Bridge: an impressive natural stone arch with an awesome view of the desert.
- Burra Canyon: a long, deep canyon between picturesque mountains with lots of sand around. It is very beautiful early in the morning or late in the evening, when the sun paints the rock in a rich orange color.
- Alamele inscriptions: ancient rock paintings depicting camels and wild animals.
- Seven Pillars of Wisdom: a famous landmark named after the book by T. Е. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia).
- Sik Um Tawaki: a short canyon with the image of T’s head. Е. Lawrence.
- Anfashiyeh inscriptions: this mountain is known for its formations and Nabataean inscriptions, drawings of animals, people and camel caravans.
- Nabataean temple – Arethas (IV): used by the Nabataeans for the worship of the goddess Allat by the Aad tribe.
What we saw on a jeep safari in Wadi Rum
First, we were brought to Sik Um Tawaki, a small canyon with the image of the head of T. Е. Lawrence on a huge rock. There was also a Bedouin tent serving tea. Tea is included in the price of the safari, but you can buy souvenirs from the Bedouins if you wish. No one forces them, no persuasion, they just treat them to tea.
Then we went to Lawrence’s house. The ruins themselves are not very interesting, but the observation deck above it is just wow!
It offers an awesome view of the Moon Valley.
The next place is the Big Bridge. This is just a must visit! A huge arch that you can climb and stand on the bridge. However, there are many cracks in the arch, it was a little scary, but the bridge withstood us)))
Then we drove through the White Desert to the Mushroom Rock. It looks like a mushroom and a cobra‘s head at the same time. A very beautiful stone formation with a large red dune next to it.
Then we stopped to see the Alamele inscriptions. These are ancient rock paintings depicting camels and wild animals.
Old train in the desert
The last was Sunset Point, from which we watched the sunset. There are a lot of sunset points in Wadi Rum and they differ depending on the season. In winter, autumn and spring, the sun sets at different angles and the places to spend it change.
On the way back, we stopped to see an old steam locomotive that was used in the movieLawrence of Arabia. Many people mistakenly believe that the locomotive is so old that it remembers Lawrence himself. But it was released in Japan in 1956 and used for a movie. By the way, the steam locomotive is working – the fuel supply system has been redesigned and now it runs on diesel, which heats the water.
This steam locomotive is also used to take tourists on a 50 km route along the Hijaz desert railroad, which was built by the Ottomans from Damascus to Medina. Today, the railroad is partially used on the Aqaba-Amman section, and in the desert the rails are covered by red sands.
My impressions
And between all these points there were awesome rocks, dunes, which we drove around in a jeep, screaming like crazy. And from this beauty, I simply lost track of time and distances – in the desert, long and fast, far and near, are erased. But the effect of such changes in time and space is fantastic!
Watching the sunset, I could not believe that I could see all this beauty not in a picture, not in a movie, but with my own eyes. It’s worth the trip to Jordan!
Accommodation and overnight stay in Wadi Rum
Around the Wadi Rum reserve there are several villages inhabited by Bedouin families. Inside the recreational part, there are only tourist campsites run by Bedouin clans. Each clan has its own campsites, from the simplest to the most luxurious.
Prices also vary. From $15 in a Bedouin tent with shared shower and toilet. Up to $400 for an ultra-luxury space tent with electricity, hot water, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi.
Book a tent in the Wadi Rum desert on Booking⋙
To get to the remote campsites, you need to leave your car in the public parking lot near the Wadi Rum Tourist Center. From there, the camp owners pick up tourists in SUVs. An ordinary car won’t make it through the sands, but if you rent a jeep, you can try.
The owners of campsites located deep in the desert ask tourists to arrive before sunset. Because they have to devote time in the evening to all their guests at the evening dinner. And sometimes it is difficult to call the owner from the desert or his assistants – not everywhere has a connection.
Booking.comOrbit Camp – desert tents like on Mars
We chose a campsite Orbit Camp which is accessible by an asphalt road and has its own parking lot. We didn’t have to arrange to be picked up from the parking lot at the agreed time. This did not limit our time of arrival – we could come even at night. It happened because we traveled from the Dead Sea through half the country for a long time.
Instead of Bedouin tents, dome tents were built at the campsite. This is not a luxury option, but everything is very good and we liked it. The outside of the tent is made of a white tent, which was later covered with pink desert sand. It reminded me of a base on Mars, just like in the movie where the forgotten Mark Watney lived.
What inside the tent?
There is a large bed inside the tent, and our room had an extra bed (probably for a child). Behind the headboard is a false wall with a toilet and shower with hot water, a toilet and a sink. Even the door to the bathroom was an accordion, but it made me happy. The fact is that in many luxury tents, the toilet and shower are just behind the wall. It’s probably beautiful, but it’s not very functional, especially when there are two of you and one of you decides to go to the bathroom in earnest.
In addition to the bed, the room had a mini-fridge (relevant in summer, but not in winter). There was an air conditioner hanging above the bed – this thing is needed both in summer for cooling and in winter for heating the dome room. We didn’t turn off the air conditioner – it warmed up the room overnight so that it was even hot under the covers.
I also recommend the following dome campsites:
Meals at the campsite
The camp also has a tent dining room, where breakfast and dinner are served buffet style. Hummus, salads, falafel, flatbreads, sweets and tea are served for breakfast. For dinner, they cooked chicken in the Bedouin way: they dug a hole in the sand, made coals in it, put an iron structure on top of it, and then put a dish of chicken and potatoes on top of it. Cover the whole thing with a lid and simmer for 3 hours.
In principle, the taste is not that special – just like chicken in the oven. It’s accompanied by salads, hummus, chickpea soup, and a lot of appetizers – it’s pretty good. There is also a tea tent with a fire, unlimited tea, and cats warming up. You can talk to Bedouins, ask them about life in the desert. Warm and interesting.
Useful links for independent travelers:
Car rental – cheap car rental options on Rentalcars.com
Hotels – I traditionally book on Booking.com
What else to read:
- Road trip in Jordan – route, main sights and costs of the trip
- The best road trip in Morocco
- 5 most picturesque routes in Morocco that you should definitely add to your itinerary
