Wadi Rum
Discover Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum is a spectacularly scenic desert valley (wadi in Arabic) in southern Jordan. It is also known as "Valley of the Moon" and inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This area of Jordan is quite isolated and largely inhospitable to settled life. The only permanent inhabitants are several thousand Bedouin nomads and 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.
Taste of Wadi Rum...
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Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsWadi Rum is a short detour from the Desert Highway between Amman and Aqaba. A side road, 29.72478135.28271 40 km north of Aqaba, leads 21 km to the entrance where you will find the 29.6394435.4339972 Wadi Rum Visitors Centre, a police office and a lot of potential guides offering camel, 4x4 treks and camps. The cost to enter the Wadi Rum Protected Area is 5 JD per person (free with the Jordan Pass). Most buses that travel the highway between Aqaba and Petra/Amman should be able to drop you at the intersection to Wadi Rum, except the buses from Jett company. Once at the intersection, you can hitch hike (common in this part of Jordan, no problem for women alone) or take another minibus (1-2 JD, they seem to turn up quite regularly) to the Visitor's Centre where you can meet your guide or continue hitchhiking to 29.57401135.4208193 Wadi Rum Village (another 7 km). This final leg of the trip shouldn't cost more than 1-3 JD per person....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Private vehicles are not prohibited past of the village of Wadi Rum. However, 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 (4WD) tour. Camels only move at walking pace so if you are on a short visit 4WD will allow a more comprehensive visit. The costs may vary based on the guide, the length of the trip, and your willingness and ability to bargain. You'd get the best price by contacting the local Bedouin directly. Most knowledgeable English speaking local guides are affiliated with family camps and contacting them in advance is advisable, you can research online to find a camp that suits your interests. The usual price is 50-75 JD per jeep for a 3-5 hr tour or 20 JD per camel/hour. The 4x4 tours are basically driving around and stopping at several sights, taking short hikes, and having tea. Some tours are only going back and forth, taking 3 hr, for which 50 JD is quite expensive.
Where to Stay
There are Bedouin camps are throughout Wadi Rum Desert and require 4WD for access. The Wadi Rum Rest House in Wadi Rum Village no longer offers accommodation and you will only find a few home-stays listed if you are looking to sleep overnight in the village. Wadi Rum Visitor Centre can provide a map marking official camping areas that available to the public. You are required to leave with all your belongings and any rubbish accumulated during your trip. Note that it will get very cold at night in the desert, even in summer. There are several sleeping options, from a more formal camp ground to riding out into the desert with a Bedouin guide and staying in a traditional Bedouin tent. As of Mar 2026, expect to pay 20-80 JD per person per night depending on the camp type. Budget Bedouin camps start from 20 JD and include dinner and breakfast. Luxury camps with private bathroom and air conditioning range from 50 to 80 JD per person.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Be cautious with anyone who seems interested in romantic entanglements, as incidents of foreign women being charmed by locals and then discovering that the "romance" was merely a cover to obtain sex, money, or other services are not uncommon and increasing. This seems especially true for young foreign travellers. Just as for getting in, the route out of Wadi Rum involves joining the Desert Highway that runs between Amman and Aqaba. Petra is two hours north, and Aqaba is half an hour south, and these are the most common destinations to travel on to after leaving Wadi Rum. There are public minibuses that run every day at least to Petra and Amman, but these are pretty expensive (20 JD to Amman). Minibuses run mostly in the morning, ask at your camp to have a place booked. There are also numerous taxis waiting for tourists at the parking lot in the Wadi Rum village. Hitchhiking is the cheapest and often the fastest option to get somewhere else.