By air
Aqaba (AQJ), ~1 h
Middle East · Jordan
Wadi Rum, Jordan
Red sands and Martian cliffs
Getting there
Best time to visit
March to May and September to November — mild
Don't miss
Lawrence's Spring
Khazali Canyon
The Burdah rock bridge
The sand dunes
Things to do
Jeep tours
Camel treks
A night in a Bedouin camp
Stargazing
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Raya Sharbain · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers (the nights are cold), a scarf for the dust
A quieter corner
The Um Fruth rock bridge at sunset
Questions travellers ask
What should I pack for Wadi Rum?
Layers, because the nights are cold, and a scarf for the dust.
What's the best season for Wadi Rum?
March to May or September to November, when it's mild. Aqaba (AQJ) is the airport to fly into, about 1 h away.
What can I do in Wadi Rum?
Jeep tours, camel treks and stargazing, with Lawrence's Spring, Khazali Canyon, the Burdah rock bridge and the sand dunes to see. Stay a night in a Bedouin camp and try zarb, meat and vegetables cooked underground.
Where should I watch the sunset in Wadi Rum?
At the Um Fruth rock bridge — Wadi Rum's hidden gem at sunset.
About Wadi Rum
- Desert
- Mountains
Where it is
Wadi Rum is a protected desert valley in southern Jordan, about 60 km east of Aqaba, where sheer sandstone and granite mountains rise from red sand not far from the border with Saudi Arabia.
History
People have lived in Wadi Rum since prehistoric times, leaving thousands of rock carvings and inscriptions in Thamudic and Nabataean scripts, and the Nabataeans built a temple here. T. E. Lawrence passed through during the Arab Revolt of 1916–1918, and his writings made the valley famous. It is now a protected area and, since 2011, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
People
Wadi Rum is home to the Zalabia Bedouin and other Bedouin clans, who run camps, jeep tours and camel treks from Rum village. Arabic is spoken, and Bedouin life shows in goat-hair tents, sweet sage tea, zarb dinners cooked in a pit under the sand and music on the rababa, a one-stringed fiddle.
Known for
- Jeep tours and camel treks
- Nights in Bedouin camps under the stars
- Rock bridges such as Burdah and Um Fruth
- Lawrence's Spring and Khazali Canyon
- Rock art and ancient inscriptions
Did you know?
Wadi Rum has stood in for Mars in films such as The Martian, and it was also a location for Lawrence of Arabia and Dune.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.