We arrived in Jordan expecting Petra to be the highlight. It’s topped our bucket list for decades and yes it is seriously phenomenal.
But Wadi Rum blew us away. Quite simply, there’s no where like it on earth. We camped in the desert and instantly fell in love.
Wadi Rum is a spectacular desert valley covering 720 square km. It combines swathes of orange sand, rust coloured mountains, dunes and springs.
The Valley has been inhabited by many cultures (including the Nabataeans who left beautiful petroglyphs). Today it is peopled by Bedouins who host most of the camps and activities.
Before we went, we found it hard to find much information on independent travel to Wadi Rum online. The official sites and maps aren’t great, the layout of the visitors centre and village appeared confusing. There aren’t many public buses – just one a day from Petra and these only go as far as the village. Which camp do you chose, in what section and do you need a 4 x 4? Etc.? Etc.?
As were were travelling alone, as a single female traveller and had no hire car (or 4 x 4!) we were very close to giving in and doing an organised day trip from Aqaba. Thankfully, we persevered and found the visit very easy.
As a result, we spent three times as long in the desert, saved a lot of money and had a bespoke, personal experience packed with memorable moments.
Need to know – the approach:
Wadi Rum is a spectacular desert expanse about 45 mins from Aqaba and 2 hours from Petra.
It is accessed by a side road branching off the main Aqaba and Amman highway.
You will need a vehicle (hire care or taxi) from where you begin all the way to Rum Village (which is accessible by tarmac so no need for a 4 x 4) – we travelled from Petra using Rami at Petra Transfer who was exceptionally helpful and hospitable costing 40JD for our itinerary.
You enter the site via a visitor’s centre with a large gate where you pay the fee of 5 JD, but it’s free with your Jordan Pass.
This is where your last and only ATM is so get cash for your camp, jeep or camel trips and food if you’ve not already brought JD.
You then drive further along the road to Rum Village – essentially a small logistics base for all the desert activities. This is where you will transfer to a 4 x 4. Most camps send one to pick you up at a pre-arranged time or you can pay a local driver to take you there. Just ask – everyone is very helpful.
Then the adventure begins as you leave the village and tarmac behind and hit the desert in a 4 x 4 and head to your camp.
The camps:
Even if camping if not your thing, you will massively miss out on the Wadi Rum experience if you don’t camp. You need to absorb the stillness, take in the hospitality and most of all see the brilliant night sky. Also, there’s not really anywhere else to stay. Rum Village is little more than a transport hub.
Do be aware that you won’t be alone in the desert. There are hundreds of camps. As you explore, you will see them (mostly in the distance), but the quantity doesn’t take away from the experience. You will still feel like you have the desert to yourself if you chose wisely.
The Wadi Rum camps range from luxury, mostly with star gazing pods, to basic Bedouin tents. Some have ensuites and many have WiFi although the electricity often only comes on after dark. Pick your budget and hit trip advisor and the reviews.
We wanted quiet and immersive (some cater to larger groups and have evening dancing/parties and entertainment etc). So pick your vibe and comfort level. Your experience will to some extent depend on who you fellow campers are – choose wisely.
We saw two ignorant “influencers” in bikinis on camels the next day. If they’d been at our camp, it could have been a very different memory!
The first camp we booked didn’t reply to my messages on how we could access the camp/the 4 x 4 transfer from Rum Village etc. So after 48 hours we cancelled and then found the Wadi Rum Quiet Village. From then on, everything was sorted. Like many of the camps, they organise your pick up from the Village and desert activities. It was amazing on all fronts and we will definitely return.
Desert activities:
Apart from absorbing the stillness and taking in the magnificent views, there’s lot to do. Most trips and activities are organised by the camps, or they will take you to Rum Village to join a specific tour.
You will see camels everywhere in Wadi Rum we had a group grazing at our camp. Rides are popular at sunset and sunrise. If you only want a quick ride, or if that instagram shot means a lot to you – grab a short ride at Lawrence’s Spring – a destination on most of the jeep tours.
There are lots of durations of Jeep tours from two hours to a full day. The longer the tour, the more remote the places you visit will be. We did half a day and saw a lot, at several points we had canyons to ourselves. Also, the more of you on the tour, the cheaper the price. So a 4 hour tour may be cheaper than a private two hour one.
The main sights are Lawrence’s Spring, Lawrence’s House, Khazali Canyon (a lush, green slot), various petroglyphs and there’s two main rock bridges: Burdah Rock Bridge and the more accessible Umm Fruth Arch.
There is epic climbing and you can try boarding on the sand dunes – we did and failed dismally.
What to take:
- Cash – cards aren’t accepted
- Sunscreen
- Long sleeves and trousers
Headscarf – to keep the sand out - Walking shoes/trainers
- Water
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