Things To Do in Wadi Rum

The Valley of the Moon

Wadi Rum is a protected desert of red sand, granite and sandstone mountains in the south of Jordan, an hour from Aqaba and two from Petra. Lawrence of Arabia camped here, and it has stood in for Mars in several films. The village at the entrance is where every jeep tour, camel ride and camp stay begins, and the Bedouin families of the Zalabia tribe run most of them.

Jeep Tours

The open-backed jeep tour is the classic way to see the desert. The two-hour version covers the nearest sights: the Lawrence Spring, the red dunes and the Khazali canyon with its ancient rock carvings. The four-hour highlights tour adds the Um Fruth rock bridge and a sunset stop, and the full-day pass with a guide, meals and a night in camp lets you reach the Burdah arch and the far southern valleys.

A Night in the Desert

Staying overnight is the best thing you can do here. The guided jeep tour with a camp stay includes dinner cooked in a zarb pit oven under the sand, tea by the fire and a sunrise over the cliffs, and the sky at night is among the darkest in the Middle East. Camps range from traditional goat-hair tents to heated cabins.

Camels, Sandboards and Balloons

The two-hour camel ride with a Bedouin guide is the slow alternative to the jeep and ends with tea in the shade. The full-day tour mixes jeep stops with sandboarding on the dunes and a camel ride at sunset. For the view of a lifetime, the sunrise hot air balloon flight floats over the whole valley for about an hour before landing to breakfast.

Practical Notes

Wadi Rum has no public transport, so arrive by rented car, taxi from Aqaba or Petra, or on the jeep tour that departs from Aqaba. Mornings and evenings are cool even in summer; bring a scarf against the sand and a warm layer for the night. Most tours here offer free cancellation up to 24 hours ahead.