Wadi Rum Camp Adventure: All You Need To Know

When we decided to go backpacking in Jordan - two days before actually sitting on the plane - we quickly realised that staying at a Wadi Rum Camp was one of the main highlights we absolutely had to do.

Ever since I visited the immense sand dunes by venturing into the Namib desert, I have a certain fascination with this kind of outer-worldly landscape.

And the Jordan desert is no different. No wonder that so many movies about far-away planets have used this location as a set!

So here's our full Wadi Rum Camp experience with everything you need to know about this fascinating place!

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Wadi-what?

First things first: what is Wadi Rum? Where is it located? Why the name? 

The 'Wadi Rum' is a stone and sand desert located in the South of Jordan. 'Wadi' actually just means 'valley' and 'Wadi Rum' is the 'Valley of the Moon'. 

The whole area of approximately 740 km² is enlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest wadi in Jordan. The rocks that have some very strange forms at times are mostly sandstone (soft) and granite (hard).

Aside from the Bedouin village located at the centre of the reserve, there are only typical Wadi Rum Bedouin tent camps for tourists. 

Funny thing about the village, though: our local guide Abdullah told us that a lot of Bedouins own a house in said village but still live as nomads in their tent somewhere outside most of the time.

The village on itself has a boy- and a girls-school, a police station, some little shops and even an ATM.

Ancient cultures

Wadi Rum  has been occupied by several different cultures since the Neolithic times, each leaving marks in the form of inscriptions (petroglyphs), carvings and buildings.

Just like Petra, Wadi Rum was part of an important trade route towards the Roman Empire. It is possible that the name 'rum' actually has something to do with this Roman culture.

Rise to fame

T. E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt

It first rose to fame when British officer Thomas Edward Lawrence wrote about this specific desert and his experiences with the Bedouins during the Arab Revolt in his book 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom'.

The Arab Revolt opposed the Arab people and the Ottoman Empire from 1916 to 1918. Lawrence used his military experience to help the Bedouins win decisive battles.

From book to movies

Wadi Rum got even more famous when Lawrence's story got turned into a movie named 'Lawrence of Arabia', starring the bright-blue-eyed Peter O'Toole in 1962.

Thanks to the diverse and outer-worldly landscapes, Wadi Rum has actually been used as a film set numerous times!

Here is a selection of other well-known movies that used huge parts of the desert to serve as a set:

• Prometheus (2012)
  Ridley Scott's science-fiction thriller/horror movie used the desert as the main alien planet. We haven't seen it but if you're a fan of the Alien-franchise, it is certainly your thing
• Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009)
  The movie is actually supposed to show Egypt but almost all of the scenes were filmed in Wadi Rum and Petra. Especially the huge battles between Decepticons and Autobots.
• The Martian (2015)
  The red sand and outer-worldly looking rock formations, no signs of civilisation and an eerie light made it the perfect location to film a movie entirely set on Mars. Matt Damon, playing the accidentally abandoned astronaut, apparently did a brilliant job - we still haven't seen it as people recommend reading the book first
• Dune (2021)
  The remake of the science-fiction story about a guy having to protect the most viable element in the galaxy needed sand dunes of course. They found them in Wadi Rum.
• Star Wars: Rogue One (2016)
  I admit: I am a huge SW-fan, have seen basically all the movies. From the 'original' trilogy to all the 'in-betweens' and spin-offs like 'Solo'. And yes, have seen 'Rogue One', the 'in-between-two-episodes'-episode about the Rebell Alliance stealing the plans of the Death Star as well. Here they used Wadi Rum as 'Jedha', the 'spiritual home of the Jedi'.
• Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
  In this case, Wadi Rum plays the planet 'Pasaana', the starting point of the plot where Rey tries to outrace a spacecraft. The crew spent nearly a month on location and all the other sets of the movie have been created inside a studio. The only outdoor-set was indeed this desert.

Things to know before heading to a Wadi Rum camp

Where to start?

The entrance fee to the Wadi Rum reserve is 5 JD (6 € / 7 US$) and it's included in the Jordan Pass. 

At the centre of the protected reserve there is a Visitor Center where you will find people willingly giving information and dozens of guides waiting to offer you their services. 

Where to stay?

Tent or no tent?

Like I previously said, you will have too many camps to choose from in Wadi Rum! The Bedouins know very well that this is precisely what tourists are after when they come to this place: the 'Wadi Rum Bedouin camp experience'.

There are huge differences in price, though! It depends on the accommodation-category you choose:

• A simple, yet authentic goat-hair Bedouin tent: no sanitary station, just a bed
• The 'upgraded' Bedouin tent with own bathroom
• What they call the 'Martian tent', these big spheric things with huge windows and a full bathroom

You can even go more basic (foldaway bed) or luxurious (star-gazing room + jacuzzi). We would suggest to go for something in-between that has air-conditioning. 

The latter is quite important if you are sensitive to temperature switches or didn't pack accordingly: a tent gets super hot during the day in the desert. But in the night, temperatures drop down to zero. Air-conditioning that both cools and heats the tent is very useful. 

Check the reviews on Booking and try to pay in advance so you won't have any hidden taxes added to your bill.

It is common to pay extra for the dinner, though. But some will add a shower or wifi-tax as well.

Our choice: Sharah Luxury Camp

We stayed at the Sharah Luxury Camp, just outside of the main reserve.

But here's the thing: we didn't do proper research location-wise. So we ended up having to pay several guides to take us inside the reserve as we were on the edge of it. 

The good thing about a remote camp in Wadi Rum is the quietness.

Near the main highlights, you will generally find several Bedouin camps at once. Think: loud music coming from the camp next-door because they are celebrating a birthday, having a traditional music and dance-evening, etc. 

When you have a sunrise-tour planned at 4 am the next day, that sucks a little.

Speaking of which: if you are a light sleeper, earplugs are a good idea. Dogs in the desert love nothing more than to spend the night barking from one camp across to the other...

We booked a simple Bedouin tent but were actually offered the 'Martian' one for the same price as our host Hussam didn't have any other guests.

One of the advantages of travelling during a pandemic (all the while knowing how hard it is for the ones depending on us as tourists).

What to pack

Like I said: earplugs.

But also: warm clothes! If you don't have a cooling or heating device - and even if you do - you will freeze your butt off in the morning. It takes a while for the sun to show and actually heat up the place. 

You don't want to be running half-naked to the sanitary station outdoor or even inside your tent.

The Bedouins of Wadi Rum

We talked about the Bedouins, the nomads, in our backpacking in Jordan - post. Here in the desert, they consider themselves free people and don't identify with being 'Jordanians'. 

They speak their own variations of Arabic, they have distinctive rules and laws and traditions are immensely important.

The Zalabieh tribe is the most dominant one. They kind of rule over all the accommodations together and provide tours, facilities and guides, restaurants and shops in the village.

When hiring a guide, make sure he knows English well enough to give some explanations. While our host at the camp spoke English perfectly well, the guides he provided for both the sunrise and the sunset-tour barely knew a few words.

The guide we randomly met in the village, on the other hand, had no issues with the English language whatsoever.

Wadi Rum in two days: must-do's

Day 1 at the Wadi Rum camp

Sunrise jeep-tour 

This was a 4h-tour organised by our camp and quite honestly, we expected a little more in terms of knowledge.

Our guide was very friendly and he tried to show us the main highlights in that area but like I said earlier, he hardly spoke any English. And so we were left with silent stops in places of which we had to google the signification afterwards.

What we did were the following stops:

A viewpoint from which you could see the sun slowly rising over the valley. The guide made us fresh Bedouin-tea which was very cool.

Then we drove to the 'Um Al Tawaqi canyon' that played a major role during the Arab Revolt. Lawrence's face has even been carved into one of the rocks right here to remember him by.

Next stop were some Nabatean petroglyphs without any explanation either. But our guide kindly took our pictures (whether we asked for it or not :-)) .

On the way to our next highlight we had the lovely encounter with a whole camel-family! They were so darn cute, I think I took about 30 pictures.

Then we spent some time shooting at a natural rock-bridge called 'Um Fruth'. It's one of the most photographed places in Wadi Rum. And yes, it is a beauty!

Before heading back to our Wadi Rum camp, our quiet guide showed us a few Bedouin-tricks like how they make soap out of the 'Jointed Anabis' (Anabasis articulata), a plant that grows in the desert, by grinding it on the rock and adding water.

Our last highlight was yet another incredible landscape that really made us think of the 'red planet' Mars! Well, yeah, 'The Martian' was literally filmed in that same spot.

Sunset-ride on camels

Granted, this looks like THE tourist-trap par excellence. And yes, we fell for it because upon arrival, our host Hussam talked us into booking it. He's a smooth talker, you know.

We generally avoid all kind of activity that involves animals as you never know how they might be treated and we don't want to support an animal-exploiting industry.

BUT, a quick research showed that camels are indeed very important for the survival of the Bedouins - with or without tourists - and they are said to take very good care of them.

So yes, we caved.

And you know what? It was actually a super relaxing and nice experience!

Also: I was slightly apprehensive because of what is generally said about camels. That is, if you're prone to sea-sickness, you can get nauseous on one of these things because of the rocking movement.

I am prone to sea-sickness. I literally get sick from watching boats rocking in the port. 

But no, I wasn't sick! Au contraire, I kind of loved it. And these animals are just so tranquil and seem to have a very soft character. Our guide was a local Bedouin who barely knew any words of English but he treated the animals with respect and you could see how important they were to him.

Read also | How to avoid getting seasick: the solution?

Bedouin food and tea

Prepare to overeat! Bedouins love to cook. The food is yummy and plenty. Our first dinner at Hussam's place, we though they didn't get the message that we were only two. The amount of food was crazy!

Same with breakfast: we felt so bad having to leave behind that much delicious stuff.

Bedouin tea is something you will get everywhere, at every time. Tea is an institution in Jordan. And never ever decline the offer to have one with someone.

Day 2 : Hire a Bedouin guide from the village

Why? Their prices are way better as they are negotiable and choose for yourself. Which means that your chances of having a guide that actually speaks your language and can give some information are a lot higher.

We paid 65 JD (77 € / 92 US$)for two, for a 4-hours-tour. Granted, the price was 65 JD per jeep so if we were for example four people, that would have been way cheaper.

But the Bedouins in the village were selling the same tour for 30 JD (36 € / 42 US$) for the two of us...

We met Abdullah at the the visitor centre and he first brought us to his home (where he lives with his parents and approximately 15 siblings) in the village for some tea. He wanted to offer food as well but we didn't have that much time.

And here's what he showed us:

Lawrence's spring

Named after T. E. Lawrence to honour him, this spring is actually one of the most important ones for the survival of the nomad Bedouins. 

Lawrence actually described it in detail in his book. Natural springs like this one are actually one of the reasons why Wadi Rum was so important for trading caravans.

Al Ramal Red Sand Dune

Also called 'Al Hasany' in Arabic, this red sand dune is one of the most iconic ones in Wadi Rum. The bright orange-red colour is due to the presence of iron-oxide and people usually advise to climb it barefoot because it's so soft.

Another advantage of doing that is that, unlike us, you won't have your shoes filled with almost a ton of sand.

In normal times, they offer sand-boarding activities. But there were hardly any tourists in the whole country so there was nobody offering this at that time.

From up the dune, the panoramic view on the red valley is breathtaking!

Al Khazali Canyon

Al Khazali is a narrow canyon of approximately 100 m deep bearing some very beautiful petroglyphs from the Nabateans. 

According to Abdullah, 'only the bravest go inside'. Well, we're brave. So we went. But you can only go so far as it gets more and more difficult to climb through the cracks. 

Along the way, you see some wells the Bedouins carved into the rock to collect the rain water. They are still in use today.

Little Bridge

As the name indicates, it's on of the smaller natural rock bridge (about 4 m span). In non-Covid-times, you would have to wait quite a bit to get this shot as all groups pass by this arch. But here again, we were alone.

Yes, I know, we should not be climbing on top of these arches... we've seen what happened to the one we wanted to see in Gozo, Malta's second island. 

But Abdullah insisted and we didn't want to disappoint him. Plus: the pictures are really cool that way, aren't they?

To finish the day, we had some yummy food again and a lovely Bedouin day by the fire at our own Wadi Rum camp.

Additional things to do in Wadi Rum

Jebel al-Mazmar: the 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom'

The 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' is a beautiful mountain range in the North East of the reserve that actually just has five 'pillars' and got named after Lawrence's book.

Truth is, Lawrence doesn't even mention them so there is no way he was referring to these specific mountains.

It's also called 'The mountain of (the) plague' but I couldn't find the reason for that denomination. I'll have to get back to ask the Bedouins.

Anyway. It's a beautiful sight but not generally part of the 4x4 jeep tours the locals offer, unless your camp is close-by.

The Nabatean Temple

This temple dedicated to the goddess Allat was discovered in the 1930s and excavated in 1997. It was probably built in the 1st century AD and the Romans used it as well, as shown by Latin inscriptions.

There are also old baths right next to it, supposedly built also by the Nabateans by channelling the water from a nearby source into deep cisterns.

Jebel Rum - the highest mountain

Another mountain in Wadi Rum, Jebel Rum is the highest one here: 1734 m above sea level. 

There is an intensive but apparently pretty cool hike to get to the top that requires some serious scrambling and climbing.

We only spent two days in the desert so we didn't get to do it but it sounds like a strenuous but fun experience.

Jebel Burdah - the highest rock bridge

Jebel Burdah in the South East of the Wadi Rum reserve is one of the highest rock bridges in the world.

The climb to get up there is steep, dangerous, very challenging. Dang! Missed an opportunity! Yet again!!

From the ground to the arch itself, count about 35 m. And from up top: breathtaking views, judging by the numerous pictures you find on Google.

Star-gazing 

Several Beduin-camps offer this as part of the total Wadi Rum camp experience: star-gazing. It is true that, being in a reserve with only one main road, one tiny village and a few dozen camps, the light pollution is practically non-existent.

The starry sky is insanely beautiful and there are a few observatories that you can book to have a real good look at the fascinating star formations.

Rock-climbing

A few tour operators also advertise rock climbing in the desert. The massive rocks of Wadi Rum are pretty tempting if you ask me.

Being avid climbers ourselves, we were a bit disappointed that we didn't do a better research and missed this opportunity. 

There is a whole culture around rock climbing in Wadi Rum with a history going back to 1949. The routes are either old Bedouin ones or from 'modern' climbers from the 1980s.

Wadi Rum camp experience: a must-do in Jordan

There are so many other things to do in Wadi Rum but I wanted to focus on those we experienced ourselves plus a few extras we heard about. Sadly, we didn't have the time to do them all.

And because of that regret, I insisted on listing them here.

Staying in Wadi Rum was one of our favourite things to do while backpacking in Jordan. And we will certainly go back to do all the things we missed out on. On the other hand, we say that about all of our destinations - haha!

So much world, so little time!

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this little guide to Wadi Rum and don't forget to comment, pin and share this post to support us.

As ever

xx

Cyn

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