Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is a spectacularly scenic desert valley (wadi in Arabic) in the southern Jordan.

Culture and History

Lawrence of Arabia spent a significant amount of time here during the course of the British-inspired Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War (1914-1918). Fans of the 1962 film Lawrence of Arabia will be familiar with the landscape, which is not so much sand dunes as it is a mass of soaring cliffs and sandstone and granite mountains (jubaal in Arabic). The area is quite isolated and largely inhospitable to settled life. The only permanent inhabitants are several thousand Bedouin nomads and a few villagers. There is no real infrastructure, leaving the area quite unspoilt. Apart from the Bedouin goat hair tents, the only structures are a few concrete shops and houses and the fort headquarters of the Desert Patrol Corps.

Travel to Wadi Rum - Visa Requirements

Wadi Rum is a short detour from the Desert Highway between Amman and Aqaba (and not too far from Petra). A side road leads to the entrance where you will find a visitor centre, a police office and lots of would-be guides offering camel and 4x4 treks. The cost to enter into Wadi Rum is 2 Jordanian Dinars (JD) per person.

Tours and Getting around Wadi Rum

Private vehicles are prohibited past of the village of Wadi Rum. If you want to experience the grandeur that the Wadi has to offer, you will need to hire a guided camel or 4-wheel-drive tour. The costs may vary based on the guide, the length of the trip, and your willingness and ability to bargain.

Wadi Rum tourist attractions and sightseeing

• T.E. Lawrence house
• Lawrence's Well: a small spring 2km (1.2 miles) south-west of the village of Rum. The pool is largely unprepossessing, being mostly just a stagnant puddle, but the views across the desert from there are truly spectacular.

• The Nabatean Temple in Rum: the surrounding area is covered in Thamudic and Kufic rock art.

• The Arch A rock formation that forms an arch. You can climb on top of the arch.

Wadi Rum city tours

The genuine attraction of the Wadi Rum is the desert itself, best accessed in a hired four wheel drive or on a camel. Some visitors only do a few hours in the Wadi, but it's definitely worth doing a guided trip of several days duration, staying overnight with Bedouin families or camping in the desert.

Picking up a guide at the gate is a hit and miss affair, and many of the best guides rely exclusively on advance bookings. Jordan Tracks is a reputable Rum-based family operation (Just make sure you agree on the price in advance - speaking of experience as they might try to dupe you). You will pay a small premium for their services, but you will know for certain that you will have good meals, and an English speaking guide, both of which will greatly enhance your experience. Additionally, if you were planning on taking a taxi to get there, they will be able to arrange a better rate than would normally be offered to a foreigner.

Climbing is another popular activity: Wadi Rum Rock Page

• Climb the big dune. It is a lot of work as it is bigger than it seems and you sink half a step down for each step you take.

The Distant Heat Festival is held every summer on the last Thursday of July which features trance and electronica music.

Eat & Drink

• At the entrance to the park, a small tent-cum-restaurant serves simple Jordanian fare of bread, yogurt and such. You might even be luckier than one Wikitraveller who got food poisoning here.

• You can also arrange to have a lunch prepared under a tent in the Wadi Rum. The food is delicious, and the preparation is spectacular! The local specialty involves cooking lamb or chicken in the ground!

Wadi Rum cheap and luxurious hotels, youth hostels and lodging

The closest thing to a hotel in Wadi Rum is the resthouse in Rum village. It offers very basic accommodation - a matress on the roof - as well as selling food and water. There are several camping options, from a more formal camp ground, to riding out into the desert with a Bedouin guide and staying in a somewhat traditional Bedouin tent. Expect to pay JD 40 for accommodation, transportation and food. One good example of a campground is the Palm Camp. It's ammenities include tents, running water, shower and restroom facilities, a snack and drink stand,and buffet-style meals. While staying at the camp it is possible to take jeep, camel, or horse tours around the desert, or have a guide take you to sleep under the stars.

This page was last edited by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Niels Elgaard Larsen, David Bjorgen and Jani Patokallio, Wikitravel user(s) Morph, Neil C, WindHorse, Nzpcmad and Pjamescowie and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. - Content on this page is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0 license