Wadi Rum adventure guide: how to plan an epic trip to Jordan’s red desert
With its vast red dunes, towering sandstone cliffs, and rich Bedouin heritage, Wadi Rum is easily one of the most spectacular destinations in Jordan. Whether you’re a hiker, climber, photographer, or just an intrepid explorer looking to discover authentic culture and cinematic landscapes, Wadi Rum deserves multiple days in your Jordan itinerary!
We’ve spent WEEKS exploring Wadi Rum across multiple trips, staying in everything from Bedouin caves to luxury desert domes and sampling a huge range of activities as research for our group adventure trips— so we feel uniquely qualified to help you plan the BEST possible visit based on extensive personal experience! This guide covers how to get to Wadi Rum, entrance fees, where to stay, what to do, and heaps of other practical information to ensure an awesome trip no matter your travel style.
✨ Planning a trip to Jordan? Read my 2-week Jordan road-trip itinerary for adventures from Wadi Rum and Petra to the Dead Sea and Aqaba!
About Wadi Rum Protected Area
Located in southern Jordan near the Saudi border, Wadi Rum Protected Area spans more than 700 km2 of dramatic desert landscape— an otherworldly expanse of red sand, layered mountains, narrow canyons, and natural rock arches. Designated as a protected area in 1998 and later recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Wadi Rum is one of the most ecologically and culturally significant regions in the Middle East, in addition to being a haven for adventure!
Wadi Rum’s surreal terrain has also made it a favourite filming location for movies like The Martian, Dune, and Lawrence of Arabia. Standing among these sandstone formations, it honestly does feel more like Mars than Earth!
Beyond the landscapes, Wadi Rum is home to nomadic Bedouin communities who’ve lived and travelled through this desert for centuries. Many families now operate camps, guide tours, and share their traditions with visitors from around the world. This is one of the best places in Jordan to connect with authentic Bedouin culture in a meaningful and sustainable way, adding depth to any visit.
Is Wadi Rum worth visiting?
You’ll quickly realise from this post that I absolutely LOVE Wadi Rum— it’s one of my all-time favourite places, a highlight of the adventure group trips we run in Jordan, and truly unlike anywhere else in the world.
That said, Wadi Rum isn’t for every type of traveller. Even the most luxurious camps are set in the middle of a sandy desert, and amenities simply aren’t Four Seasons-level. It’s also a long drive from other parts of Jordan, and if you’re not into hiking, rugged landscapes, or bouncing around in a 4WD for hours at a time… you might not get enough out of the experience to justify coming all the way out here.
So who SHOULD visit Wadi Rum?
- curious adventurers interesting in learning more about Bedouin culture
- hikers and scramblers who want their minds blown by rugged desert terrain
- climbers keen to explore one of the best climbing destinations in the world
- photographers looking to capture enormous, cinematic landscapes
How many days to spend in Wadi Rum?
Wadi Rum is one of the most spectacular places in Jordan— easily the most impressive desert I’ve ever visited (and we’ve travelled extensively throughout the Middle East!), and it deserves so much more than the rushed single day that many travellers allocate here.
I get it: not everyone has a month to road-trip through Jordan, so if a single night is all you can spare, it’s still absolutely worth going! But I’d HIGHLY recommend a minimum of 2 nights and ideally 3-4 days to properly explore Wadi Rum and experience what makes this red desert so special.
Getting to Wadi Rum
Driving to Wadi Rum
The quickest and simplest way to reach Wadi Rum is by hiring a car and driving yourself! The Wadi Rum Visitor Centre is about 4hrs from Amman or from the Dead Sea; 1.5hrs from Petra (Wadi Musa); and just 1hr from Aqaba, making it an easy addition to most Jordan itineraries.
Once you arrive at the Visitor Centre, you’ll leave your car and transfer into the desert by 4WD with your camp or guide, as independent driving beyond this point isn’t permitted.
We always use DiscoverCars to find the best deals on car rental whenever we travel— in Jordan, we hired a tiny little car for just $12/day through MonteCarlo/RightCars. This small local company offers a free airport shuttle to the off-site rental office and was super easy to work with, so we’re happy to recommend!
Free parking near Wadi Rum
There’s a large free parking area between the Visitor Centre and Wadi Rum Village, and some camps also offer secure private parking in the village. Camp staff will typically meet you at the Visitor Centre to assist with registration and direct you to the appropriate parking location before transferring you into the desert by 4WD.
✅ IS IT SAFE TO LEAVE LUGGAGE IN YOUR CAR IN WADI RUM?
We personally left a fair bit of luggage behind in our car for over a week with no issues, and although this ultimately comes down to individual risk tolerance, Wadi Rum operates as a close-knit tourism community where livelihoods are closely tied to visitor trust— there’s a strong shared understanding that petty theft would harm everyone. It’s always a good idea to carry your valuables with you (passport, laptop, camera), but suitcases or other backpacks should be reasonably safe within your car for several nights.
*If you don’t like the idea of leaving your rental car unattended overnight, I’d recommend staying in Disah (Ad Disah), a small village on the NE edge of Wadi Rum Protected Area— you can drive directly to the hotels here! More details under WHERE TO STAY below.
Buses to Wadi Rum
Jett Bus operates several routes to Wadi Rum, including direct buses from Amman, Petra (Wadi Musa), and Aqaba. Most of these buses arrive at the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre, where you’ll then transfer into the desert with your camp or guide.
You can check the full schedule on the JETT website— we’ve taken several of their buses over the years and found them to be comfortable, air-conditioned, and generally reliable. It’s an easy, budget-friendly option if you’re not planning to rent a car!
Wadi Rum Entrance Fees
There is a 5JOD ($7USD) fee to enter Wadi Rum Protected Area, but this fee is entirely covered by the Jordan Pass!
The Jordan Pass packages together entrance to nearly all of the historical landmarks in Jordan (Petra, Amman Citadel, Jerash, Wadi Rum, etc) AND waives the cost of a Jordan visa, which is otherwise 40JOD ($60USD). The Jordan Pass costs 70JOD ($100USD) and will save you HEAPS on entry fees across your trip!
Transport from Wadi Rum Village to the desert
You’ll need 4WD transport from the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre/Village to reach your camp in the vast desert beyond! Thankfully, this is almost always included in the cost of your accommodation (beware the $10/night camps on Booking, as you’ll end up spending as much for unavoidable transport and food costs as you could have spent on a better camp experience).
All the Bedouin camps I recommend below include transportation in the advertised price. If you’re booking elsewhere, make sure you specifically ask about transportation costs before arriving in Wadi Rum!
Transport is typically in the back of a well-worn Toyota 4WD, converted into an open-air safari vehicle with bench seating. Depending on your camp’s location, the ride may take 15-30min or even more, but this is one of the true highlights of visiting Wadi Rum— a scenic ride through the desert, usually in beautiful afternoon/sunset lighting, that acts as the perfect introduction to the wild landscapes you’ll explore in the coming days!
Where to stay in Wadi Rum
One of the decisions that will impact your experience in Wadi Rum MOST is where you choose to stay, but with hundreds of listings (and almost no standardisation around what’s included in the advertised nightly rate), it can feel seriously overwhelming. We’ve personally spent several weeks in Wadi Rum across numerous trips, and these are the camps we’d recommend for the absolute best experience:
BEST PLACES TO STAY IN WADI RUM
⭐️ Best Bedouin Camp: Arabian Nights
⭐️ Best Authentic Bedouin Experience: Wadi Rum Cave Camping
⭐️ Best Bubble Camp: Hasan Zawaideh Camp
Keep reading for heaps more detail on each of these stays ↯
Tips for booking accommodation in Wadi Rum
Before diving deeper into my specific recommendations, here are a few key things to understand about accommodation in Wadi Rum:
- Nearly all accommodation in Wadi Rum is in the form of tented Bedouin camps— these range from simple tents with shared hostel-style bathrooms to king-sized luxury tents with a full ensuite bathroom and AC (and sometimes you’ll find both styles available within the same camp).
- Your camp provides transport into the desert, three meals a day, and guided activities— whether these are included or an additional cost depends on the camp, so it can be very misleading to compare a bare-bones $10/night camp to $100/night camp that packages absolutely everything into the rate.
- Camp size also varies significantly, from a handful of tents to full “villages” in the sand— we’ve found that the best experience comes from small to mid-sized camps, which tend to offer better facilities and meal variety without ever feeling crowded or overly commercial.
- The location of your Bedouin camp can also have a big impact on your experience, particularly if it’s located in a busy area with many other nearby camps— have a look on Google Maps to check out the surrounding area (but also bear in mind that there are WAY more camps in Wadi Rum than are actually operational at any given time; it’s common for them to open and close based on reservation or even shut for the entire season during low periods).
- Desert temperatures in Wadi Rum vary dramatically by season (and even from midday to sunset)— in hotter months, basic tents can feel like full-on sweat lodges, holding heat well into the night, while in colder months, poorly insulated tents can be brutally cold. If comfort is a priority, it’s worth upgrading to a higher-end tent with proper insulation and a split heating/cooling unit.
- Most camps are solar-powered, so electricity is limited and may only be available at certain times. Charging is almost always possible, but hot water is a luxury (only available at some camps) and wifi is rare to nonexistent.
Best Bedouin Camp: Arabian Nights
My favourite overall experience in Wadi Rum is Arabian Nights Camp, owned by the friendly Shaker and supported by his wife, uncle, and cousins. This is the camp we use for our adventure groups, since it offers the best blend of traditional Bedouin hospitality and upgraded desert luxury in an absolutely jaw-dropping private setting against the mountains!
The camp features:
- 6x luxury tents with king beds, ensuite bathrooms, and AC (80JOD/night for 2 people sharing)
- 6x traditional tents (small goat-hair box tents) that utilise a shared hostel-style bathroom block (45JOD/night for 2 people sharing)
- A small dormitory tent (18JOD/night for a single bed)
All stays include transportation within the Wadi Rum Protected Area, plus a delicious breakfast and dinner spread; when you book activities through the camp, lunch is included (otherwise it’s 5JOD to eat in camp). We’ve stayed in the luxury tent and traditional tent across different visits, and while both are comfortable, we’d definitely recommend upgrading to the luxury tent if your budget allows!
I truly can’t say enough good things about Arabian Nights, which offers phenomenal value compared to other camps in Wadi Rum. The atmosphere is welcoming and intimate (we’ve experienced everything from 2-20 guests), and yet still manages to deliver an excellent program of optional activities and some of the BEST food in Jordan— especially the zarb, a traditional Bedouin barbecue cooked under the sand!
If you’re looking for the best all-around Bedouin camp experience, particularly with an interest in hiking, scrambling, and/or climbing in Wadi Rum, Shaker and Arabian Nights can organise literally anything and coordinate directly with expert guides across the desert to ensure a smooth itinerary!
>> Check out more details about guided tours and room types on the Arabian Nights website.
Best Authentic Bedouin Experience: Wadi Rum Cave Camping
For a truly unique and authentic experience in Wadi Rum, consider spending the night in a Bedouin cave— easily one of the most memorable stays we’ve ever had! For centuries, nomadic tribes have relied on natural caves for shelter as they moved across the desert, and Wadi Rum Cave Camping is a rare opportunity to experience a glimpse of that traditional way of life.
When we first booked our cave stay with Mohammad, a young Bedouin passionate about sharing his culture with a new generation of adventure travellers, it was just a few simple cots in 2 caves. He’s since expanded and upgraded the amenities (much nicer beds and flushing toilets), but the experience remains beautifully true to its roots: Bedouin coffee cooked over the campfire, a traditional zarb (underground barbecue), stories shared in the communal dining cave, and ultimately the opportunity to learn more about this rich and enduring culture that has shaped so much of modern Jordanian heritage.
A night in the caves starts at 55JOD per person (about $170USD for 2 people), with all transport and meals included. Mohammad can also help you organise a range of activities in the desert!
If you have at least 2 nights in Wadi Rum, we’d highly recommend splitting your stay: spend the first night at Wadi Rum Cave Camping for the million-star experience, then move to Arabian Nights for a more classic tented stay. The Bedouin community is very close-knit, so if you let each camp know your plans, they can easily coordinate transport between locations for you.
>> Check out the new camping upgrades and cave options on the Wadi Rum Cave Camping website.
Best Bubble Camp: Hasan Zawaideh Camp
An otherworldly camp of Martian domes and luxury tents located on the edge of the desert, near the village of Disah, Hasan Zawaideh Camp is one of the few accommodations in Wadi Rum that you can actually drive to (accessible with a 2WD). It’s a fairly large camp with significantly more infrastructure (wifi etc) and offers a range of rooming options for every budget and group size.
We really enjoyed our stay here for the contrast— I’d describe the atmosphere as very festive and a lot more local (it was mostly Jordanian and Arab families), with plentiful shisha and live music + dancing every evening. The owner Hasan is lovely and, consistent with all my other recommendations here, the vibe is friendly and welcoming.
Martian tents start at just 80JOD ($110USD) +18JOD per person for full-board, with incredible views straight out into the desert from the clear dome! There are other tents starting at just 45JOD per night, so larger groups can easily balance different budgets. You can still arrange jeep tours and camel rides, just note that travel times are slightly longer since you’re based on the edge of the desert.
I’d especially recommend Hasan Zawaideh Camp if you’re driving yourself to Wadi Rum for just 1 night, since there’s no need to coordinate 4WD transfers; if you’re travelling with children and/or older family members who might want a little more comfort or accessibility; OR if you’re specifically drawn to the bubble tent experience at a reasonable price point.
>> Check out more details about room types and guided tours on the Hasan Zaweideh Camp website.
The best activities in Wadi Rum
You’ll get the most out of your experience in Wadi Rum on a rapid-fire program of guided tours, ranging from hiking and climbing to the classic Jeep tour and camel rides. After MANY days spent exploring the desert, these are our favourite high-value things to do in Wadi Rum!
Hiking & scrambling in Wadi Rum
If this post convinces you of anything: don’t just jeep around Wadi Rum, get out and scramble through it. Hiking up these sandstone mountains is, in our opinion, the single BEST way to experience the desert— and it’s borderline criminal how many travellers totally miss this!
Wadi Rum’s mountains rise dramatically from the desert floor (many peaks reach 1,200–1,700m), and a surprising number of summits, arches, and viewpoints are accessible via half-day scrambling routes. These are not marked trails, so route-finding is complex, access points are hard to locate, and many sections involve exposed scrambling. Book a local Bedouin hiking guide directly through your camp; Arabian Nights offers half-day hiking and scrambling trips at just 30-40JOD per person!
Best hiking & scrambling routes in Wadi Rum:
- Burdah Bridge: our personal favourite scramble route to a beautiful natural rock arch and insane views over the desert landscape; mostly Class 2 with a few sections of Class 3 (and some exposure), so you’ll need a solid head for heights and confidence using hands and feet
- Jebel Al Hash: one of the best summit hikes in Wadi Rum (considered fairly easy, with less exposure than Burdah), offering sweeping views across the desert and into Saudi Arabia
- Jebel Umm ad Dami: a mix of hiking and easy scrambling to reach the highest point in Jordan (1,854m), where the sense of scale and remoteness is incredible!
Want something more vertical? There’s also phenomenal sport and trad climbing in Wadi Rum ↯
Climbing in Wadi Rum
Although well-regarded in hardcore climbing circles, Wadi Rum remains a wildly underrated climbing destination overall— but between the high-quality sandstone, spectacular scenery, and total lack of crowds (we saw ZERO other people at the crag), it’s seriously one of the coolest places we’ve ever climbed!
International climbers have been exploring these red sandstone cliffs since the 1980s, when a few European legends teamed up with local Bedouin guides to establish routes across the desert. Today, there are 30–40 impeccably-bolted sport routes, a few spectacular multi-pitch climbs, and an entire universe of trad in Wadi Rum.
Routes aren’t neatly mapped in a guidebook (and navigating the vast desert to find crags is very much a local’s game), so even experienced climbers are likely to benefit from the support of a Bedouin climbing guide. We spent several days with Hussein, who totally let us run the show in terms of difficulty and skill-building— James learned to lead belay me AND put up his own first-ever lead climb in Wadi Rum!
We organised everything through the delightful Rakan (who is, by pure coincidence, first-cousins with Shaker from Arabian Nights) and we’d HIGHLY recommend contacting Rakan directly to discuss your experience and coordinate local climbing guides, transport to the crag, lunch, and any required gear.
Whether you’re a complete beginner interested in top-roping for an afternoon or an experienced trad climber looking to bust onto the local scene, Wadi Rum offers one of the most scenic and memorable climbing environments in the world!
Jeep tour in Wadi Rum
A jeep tour is the quintessential Wadi Rum experience and something I’d recommend to every single visitor as an excellent way to appreciate the scale and diversity of the desert landscape! Tours are conducted in open-air 4WD jeeps, usually with bench seating in the back and a sunshade overhead. You’ll drive between major landmarks, with time to get out, explore, scramble, and take photos at each stop, combining short walks, rock formations, cultural sites, and epic viewpoints.
Tours are typically offered as either a half-day (4-5hrs) or full-day (8-10hrs) excursion, and after doing both versions personally, we’d recommend the half-day tour for most travellers, while the full-day is best suited to photographers who want extra time at each stop, a longer sunset window, and a couple extra points of interest that you miss during the half-day trip.
Typical stops on a Wadi Rum Jeep Tour:
- Red Sand Dune: a large dune formed from sandstone high in iron oxide— climb to the top for expansive views of Wadi Rum!
- Khazali Canyon: narrow sandstone canyon featuring ancient Thamudic inscriptions and petroglyphs, offering a glimpse into the region’s early inhabitants (2nd photo above)
- Little Bridge: a natural rock arch you can easily climb for one of the best photos (1st photo above)
- Lawrence’s House: a set of Nabataean ruins often associated with Lawrence of Arabia, but more notable for the surrounding desert views than the structure itself
- Mushroom Rock + picnic lunch spot *full-day tour only
- Abu Khashaba Canyon: walk through the narrow canyon for beautiful scenery and sand-boarding on a steep dune at the end
- Um Frouth Rock Bridge: fun scramble up to the top of this natural rock arch *full-day tour only
- Burdah Bridge viewpoint: quick stop to look up at a natural rock arch (one of the best half-day scramble routes in Wadi Rum) *full-day tour only
- sunset viewpoint: the guide will find a quiet spot to enjoy the sunset, typically near a small mountain you can scramble for better aerial views
Tours can be booked directly through your camp as either small-group or private— group tours are cheaper and can be fun for social travellers, but photographers should absolutely opt for private to control timing and lighting. Expect to pay around 25–35 JOD for a half-day or 40–60 JOD for a full-day tour including water, tea, and lunch.
Camel rides in Wadi Rum
Throughout history, camels have played a vital role in nomadic Bedouin life— used primarily to transport food, water, and belongings across the desert, but also to carry people over long distances and provide milk. If you’ve been dreaming of riding a camel through the desert à la Lawrence of Arabia, Wadi Rum is one of the best places in the Middle East to engage with camel culture in a responsible way!
Unlike more commercial sites like Petra, camel tourism in Wadi Rum is shaped by the traditional relationship and deep respect between Bedouins and their animals. Camels here are privately owned by local families, enjoy a largely free-range lifestyle, and are used for short, infrequent rides rather than continuous daily work.
Camel rides can be arranged through most any desert camp, with a local Bedouin owner bringing the camels directly to you for a peaceful one-hour ride through the desert with incredible views of the surrounding sandstone mountains. Expect to pay 15–25 JOD per person, and while I usually rail against modern tipping culture, this is one instance where a generous tip directly supports both the owner and a high standard of care for the camels!
Wadi Rum Camel Racing Festival
If you happen to be in Wadi Rum during the autumn, you might be lucky enough to catch one of the region’s most incredible cultural events: the Wadi Rum Camel Racing Festival held annually in Disah.
Recognised by UNESCO for its intangible cultural heritage, camel racing is a sport with more than 1,400 years of history and a tradition still celebrated by Bedouin tribes across the Middle East. Many camels are trained for years specifically for racing, with successful racers used to breed future generations.
The races take place at a dedicated “cameldrome”, where camels sprint at speeds of up to 65km/hr—guided not by human jockeys, but by tiny robot riders (I can’t make this up). Owners drive alongside the track in trucks, shouting commands and controlling the robots remotely, while some events are even live-streamed!
The fanfare surrounding the event is a huge part of what makes it so special, with hundreds of camels (and their owners) gathering from across the region. Dates aren’t widely advertised online, but local Bedouins always know when it’s happening— we attended the festival from 20–21 September 2024, and it’s hard to express just how incredible it was being the only foreigners spectating on this long-standing tradition!
If it’s a must for you, contact one of the local camps to ask about upcoming camel race dates in Wadi Rum. And watch our Camel Racing Festival video to see more of the action!
Between the towering sandstone mountains, rich Bedouin culture, and endless desert views, Wadi Rum is truly one of the most unforgettable places in Jordan. For more on how to spend the perfect 3 days in Wadi Rum, check out my 2-week Jordan road-trip itinerary!
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