A Private Tour of Wadi Rum: Everything You Need to Know

Wadi Rum, nicknamed "the Valley of the Moon", is one of the most striking landscapes on the planet. Its blood-red sand dunes, its sandstone cliffs sculpted by millions of years of erosion and one of the starriest skies in the world have inspired filmmakers (Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, Dune) and travelers for generations. A UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011, Wadi Rum is an essential stop on any Jordan itinerary — provided you know how to approach it.

What makes Wadi Rum unique?

The first thing that strikes you as you enter Wadi Rum is the silence. Total silence, broken only by the wind moving between the cliffs. The desert stretches over more than 74,000 hectares of valleys, natural arches, canyons and dunes. Unlike the Sahara, it is not entirely sandy: the alternation between orange sand and massifs of black and red rock creates a landscape of rare visual variety. It is also a land inhabited for more than 12,000 years, where Bedouin tribes still keep their traditions alive.

• Protected area: 74,000 hectares listed by UNESCO
• Highest point: 1,854 m (Jebel Um Adaami, the highest peak in Jordan)
• Human presence: Bedouin tribes settled here for generations
• Filmed on location: Lawrence of Arabia, The Martian, Dune, Rogue One
• Winter night temperatures: can drop to 0 °C

How do you visit Wadi Rum?

Access to Wadi Rum is via the village of Rum, around 60 km north of Aqaba and 350 km south of Amman. Entry into the desert is not open access: every visitor must pass through the Visitor Centre at the entrance to the protected area. From there, the only legal way into the desert is aboard a 4x4 driven by a local Bedouin guide. If you are traveling with a private guide such as Khaldoun, he coordinates the entire logistics and stays with the group throughout the excursion.

The activities not to miss

A day in Wadi Rum can be as active or as contemplative as you want it to be. Here is what a private day tour usually includes:

• 4x4 safari: taking in the landmark sites (Um Fruth Arch, Khazali Canyon, the red canyon)
• A short hike through the dunes, or climbing a dune on foot
• Visiting the Nabataean and Thamudic rock inscriptions
• Sunset from a rocky plateau — an unforgettable moment
• A traditional Bedouin dinner (zarb) cooked under the sand
• Stargazing: no light pollution, ideal conditions for observing the night sky

A night under the stars: sleeping in the desert

Spending a night in the Wadi Rum desert is one of those experiences that changes a trip. Bedouin camps offer two kinds of accommodation: traditional black goat-hair tents with rugs and blankets, or "bubble tents" — transparent domes that let you watch the stars from your bed. In the morning, sunrise over the blood-red cliffs is a sight that is hard to put into words. Khaldoun personally selects the camps based on their authenticity and on his clients' feedback.

Wadi Rum within your private Jordan tour

The vast majority of our tours include Wadi Rum in combination with Petra and the Dead Sea. That combination — stone desert, rose city, salt sea — is the essence of Jordan. On a private tour you have the advantage of setting the pace yourself: spend one or two nights in the desert, adjust the activities, or linger longer if the place captivates you. No group constraints.