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Latest update: 3 August 2025
The Wadi Rum desert is on plenty of bucket lists, but nobody tells you that you sometimes lie waiting an hour and a half for action because it’s too hot to do anything. With a snorer next to you. Or that your guide turns out to be more of a driver than a storyteller. But also nobody tells you how special it is to feed camels cookies along the road or to hear stories around the campfire in the evening about hunting and camel milk. So I’ll tell you!
Magical Wadi Rum
When you think of Jordan, three things probably come to mind: Petra, the Dead Sea, and the Wadi Rum desert—the (rightful) highlights of Jordan. Wadi Rum has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2011, both because of the unique desert landscape and the thousands of years-old rock drawings and inscriptions that show how people have lived here for centuries.
When I do online research on how to best visit Wadi Rum, one thing strikes me: everyone writes how magical, fantastic, and impressive it is, not a single complaint. And yes, the desert is also beautiful and special in real life, but it’s really not all sunshine and rainbows. Some things also fall a bit short, mainly because it’s all really not as authentic as the tour organizations and blogs want you to believe.
So I guess I have to bring some realism to the internet, right? I choose a 2-day, 2-night tour in Wadi Rum via Rum Stars. And that’s really a beautiful time – with a few comments and observations.
Wadi Rum tours
During my trip through Jordan, I obviously couldn’t skip Wadi Rum. The “Valley of the Moon,” as it’s also called, is on every Jordan must-see list. Also on mine, of course.
I just found it difficult to choose how I would visit Wadi Rum. There are so many providers that all offer roughly the same tour. You can choose a jeep tour of a few hours, with or without a night’s sleep. But you can also stay longer in the desert to see more. That’s what I ultimately go for: 2 days and 2 nights. I ultimately choose mainly on price and photos and end up with Wadi Rum Nomads, but I recommend you compare some options.
Arrival in Wadi Rum
From Petra, my best friend and I drive to Wadi Rum. Along the way, the sand gets redder and redder in color. That’s already a nice preview of what’s to come. At the entrance to the protected area, I scan my Jordan Pass, which saves paying entrance fees. Otherwise, you pay 7 Jordanian dinars (about $10). After another ten minutes of driving, I’m in Wadi Rum Village, the starting point of all desert excursions.
The village is quite upside down due to construction work, but fortunately, I’m only here to park, buy some more snacks, and check in for my tour. And to pay for the tour. Like in many places in Jordan, everything must be paid for in cash. Make sure you have enough with you, because there’s no ATM in Wadi Rum Village.
This is the free, communal parking lot: Google Maps location. This is where your guide picks you up.
Day 1: into the desert with the guide
The tour starts at half past ten. My bags are taken to the accommodation, and I climb into the back of the jeep. Our guide doesn’t say much. He seems more of a driver than a guide, but oh well, maybe that will come later.
We first stop at a mountain for a view over the desert. Then at rock drawings (ancient graffiti really) and Lawrence of Arabia’s house. The famous T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) stayed here during the Arab Revolt in World War I.
The landscape that passes by
While we drive from stop to stop, I can’t take my eyes off it. The landscape of Wadi Rum continues to amaze me. One moment we’re moving between towering red rock walls, the next through a plain where the sand transitions from deep red to golden yellow. Those rocks aren’t just big, they’re gigantic. In the photos, it obviously doesn’t capture at all how vast the desert landscape is.
Lunch in the desert
Lunch is prepared on the car itself, with a gas bottle. A kind of vegetable stew, salad, and eggplant mousse. Pretty tasty! And then there’s… nothing. After lunch, we get an hour and a half break and the advice to nap because it’s too hot to do anything. We lie in the shade of the mountains with six of us on a large mat. The man next to me snores. Of course. It’s not bad to relax for a while, because I had to get up early today. I just really thought the guide was joking when he talked about a nap. Nope.
More stops: arches and camels
The rest of the day, we make various stops. A small natural arch, a large arch, and a bit of walking into a valley. The guide lets us out of the jeep, points out where we should walk, and then waits for us to return. There’s hardly any explanation. He mainly drops us off at the sights and then hangs out with his friends. I notice that most guides seem to behave like this. I really find that a shame. I would so love to learn more about their culture and history. I really have to pull information out of him and still get concise answers. Only at the inscriptions do we get some more extensive info.
Anyway, the most fun part is maybe the camels along the road. They’re curious and come close. I get to feed them cookies. Doesn’t seem like a responsible diet, but oh well… They are from the nearby camp and are used to people.
Almost every camp in Wadi Rum also offers camel rides. From an animal welfare perspective, I recommend you skip this. The first group of camels we encounter looks (to my untrained eye) well cared for and healthy. Later, we also see a group where we can count the ribs (horizontal photo). PETA describes how camels are trained by breaking their will, beaten with sticks (also on their testicles), starved, and forced with violence to carry tourists. They state there’s no way to ethically ride a camel without exploitation. Check PETA’s list of reasons not to do a camel ride.
Sunset in Wadi Rum
Then it’s time to wait for the sunset. So that’s also part of the experience: a lot of waiting. But when the sun finally sets behind the red rocks, I understand why people come for this.
Staying overnight in the desert camp
After sunset, we drive to our camp. It’s certainly not the only camp in Wadi Rum. Camps have been set up everywhere. There are about 300 camps in the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Bizarre, right?
Our camp consists of luxury tents with private facilities (balcony, air conditioning, and private bathroom) and ‘regular’ tents with shared facilities. We chose the latter. Because there are so few people, we still have pretty much private facilities. In busy months, 50 to 60 people can sleep at the campground; now, only six of us are there. Corona was bad for tourism, and now, due to the wars in the region, it’s still quiet, the owner tells us.
We’re welcomed at the campfire with tea. The ritual appeals to me. Then dinner: vegetables and chicken from a pot buried in the ground. That’s called zarb. This way of cooking gives a wonderful smoky flavor. And then there’s tea again by the fire, this time with stories about hunting, gun ownership, and life here. The guide finally loosens up a bit.
Stargazing in Wadi Rum (or not)
Due to the full moon, it’s difficult to see stars. It’s too light. So that experience isn’t granted to us. I find it striking that I hear planes flying overhead. I’m not as cut off from the world here as it seems.
Day 2: repeat of yesterday
The second day is actually a bit of a repeat of the first. First up is breakfast, where we, as guests, carefully ask each other if the tour is as expected. The general consensus is that everyone expected a bit more from the guide. I resolve to ask as many questions as possible today, but that doesn’t seem to help much.
We start the day with a flat tire but drive on anyway. The guide drops us off somewhere at an unremarkable part of desert and goes to get the tire fixed. We joke with the other participants about being left behind in the desert without water. How are we going to survive this?
Easy hike to the border with Saudi Arabia
Fortunately, the guide returns with another guide and we join their group for an “easy hike”. It’s very easy: 2.5 miles (4 km), about an hour’s walk, an hour’s break where mainly the guides drink tea, and then an hour back. From the mountains, we look out over a desert landscape. On the other side lies Saudi Arabia. I ask the guide about the differences between the countries, but the answer comes down to Jordanians being nice and Saudis not. Hmm. I don’t know what it is: does he not feel like explaining anything, does he simply not know, is it a language or cultural thing?
More of the same
Meanwhile, our jeep is fixed, and we continue with our own group. Today, there’s also a long lunch break with a nap, some more rocks, and little walks. Quite honestly, it’s a bit too much of the same for me, especially since there’s really not much more being told than “walk there and then come back to the jeep.”
Sandboarding in Wadi Rum
We also go to a place where we can sandboard: sliding down the sand dunes with a kind of snowboard. Nobody in our group is interested; we’d rather watch how other people toil up the sand dune only to hobble down at a disappointing speed.
We watch the sunset at the same place as yesterday. We all have opinions about that, too, but we let it go. There’s a lot of wind today, so we nestle against the rock wall and share travel stories with the other visitors.
Bedouin culture
What I do find interesting: the Bedouins here are one tribe of 4,500 people. All family, although I don’t quite understand how that works exactly. They keep camels, goats, and sheep mainly for milk and cheese. They share the milk with family; it’s not meant for sale. My guide is crazy about camel milk because of the “cleansing effect”. Given the enormous amount of cigarettes that go through in a day, that doesn’t seem like it could hurt.
The children go to school in the village, and the boys and girls go to separate schools. The women hardly even leave their homes. And there’s a lot of hunting with rifles, making music, and bragging about big, fast cars. Those are the stories I come for! Tell me more! Only in the evening by the campfire do those stories get going a bit.
Day 3: goodbye Wadi Rum!
After a short night because we got up to watch the sunrise, we have breakfast at the camp and then we’re taken back to the parking lot. I look back on these two days with pleasure. Yes, I also have some complaints, but I absolutely wouldn’t have wanted to miss it.
I’m not sure if I would recommend two nights of Wadi Rum desert to you. I find it all a bit the same in terms of activities. Two people from our group had booked one night at the camp with a jeep tour, and the next day, they went to another camp because they could also sleep outside under the stars there. I think they made a nice combination with that.
Practical info Wadi Rum
Costs: I paid 120 JD (about $170) per person for the ‘regular’ tent for two nights. The luxury tent is 190 JD (about $270). But compare prices with different providers!
Booking: Compare, compare, compare. Here you have a few options:
- Many options at GetYourGuide
- Wadi Rum Nomads
- Bedouin Lifestyle
- Wadi Rum Stillness
- Arabian Nights
- Rum Stars
- Wild Wadi rum
The above are all tours. You can also book accommodation and then arrange a jeep tour with them. Booking.com has really nice accommodations. Some are really very cheap, and that’s because they hope you’ll also do an activity with them. Others are costly, like the ‘bubble’ tents. So there’s something for every budget!
The advantage of booking accommodation and a separate tour is more free time. You can take a little walk at the camp or play a game. With the multi-day tours, really every minute of the day is filled. I found that convenient for my first visit to Wadi Rum. Next time, I would want a bit more free time. It’s up to you!
How to get there: It’s about a 4-hour drive from Amman, about an hour from Aqaba, and almost two hours from Petra.
What to bring: You’ll probably also get a packing list sent from your camp, but think of at least:
- Sunscreen and sun hat/cap/something else
- Warm clothes for the evening (it can get cold in the desert)
- Towel for the shower (you don’t always get one)
- Good walking shoes
- Power bank (no outlets in basic tents)
- Flashlight (for evenings at the camp)
Best time: March through May, September through November. In summer it’s too hot and in winter it can get very cold.
Wifi: Limited to no reception in the desert
Should you do Wadi Rum or not?
Would I recommend Wadi Rum? Yes, it’s a must if you’re in Jordan. You have to experience it once. But don’t expect nonstop action. A large part of the time, you’re waiting: for food, for the sunset, for an activity, for other people.
But despite the dull moments and lack of info, I’m glad I did it. The desert really does have something magical (the blogs are right about that!), even when you’re literally doing nothing sometimes.
Frequently asked questions about Wadi Rum
At least one night, but two nights gives you more rest and time. More than two nights become a bit repetitive in terms of activities.
It depends on which tour you choose, of course. On mine, the walks are very easy (2.5 miles/4 km max). Sometimes, we have to scramble a bit, but I find it quite doable. There are two seventy-year-olds in my group, and they keep up well (sometimes at a distance).
Yes, do mention this in advance to your camp. The zarb (buried meal) can also be vegetarian.
Basic tents have shared bathrooms, and luxury tents have private bathrooms. Bring a towel, not all camps provide these.
Scorpions and snakes do occur, but you rarely see them. Shake out your shoes before putting them on—you never know!
Quite a few! Lawrence of Arabia and Star Wars (IX) are the most famous, but there are also The Martian, Dune, and Transformers.
More Jordan inspiration
Useful links for your Jordan trip
- Accommodation. Booking.com is always useful, but be sure to compare prices. For example, through Trivago and Trip. Rather stay in a hostel? Try HostelWorld.
- Activities. Book the best tours and activities at GetYourGuide, Klook and Viator. “Free” walking tours book with Freetour or GuruWalk.
- Attractions and museums. For 5% off museums and attractions, use discount code KIMOPREIS22 at Tiqets.
- Car rental. Compare your options at Discover Cars and Rentalcars.com.
- Guide books. I love the practical guides by Lonely Planet, for sale at Amazon.
- SIM card. Beware of unexpectedly high phone and internet costs. Buy a local SIM card when you arrive, or arrange one online via Airalo.
- Package deals. Rather go on a catered trip? You could check out Expedia or CheapOair.
- Flights. Compare all your options! At least check Expedia, Kiwi and Trip.
- Yoga retreat. Or: go for a yoga retreat in Jordan.
Some of the links on this site are affiliate links. If you buy something through these links, I might receive a small commission.
