Day 1 in Wadi Rum

Welcome to Wadi Rum! Upon arrival at the airport, you will go through customs and immigration. Should you opt to purchase a transfer to your hotel; a representative will be waiting for you as you exit immigration. Arrive at your hotel, check in and do not give in to jet lag! There is so much for you to see and do!

We recommend you get acquainted with some of the fascinating sights in the expansive desert. First make a stop at the Wadi Rum Visitors Center, where you pay to enter the desert, organize tours and accommodations and gather other helpful information on the area. You can see the awe-inspiring Seven Pillars of Wisdom, which stands opposite the visitors center. This striking rock formation named in honor of the book by T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) written in 1980 about his experience in WWII.

Wander through Rum Village where some of the shop, grocery stores, and restaurants are located. Find a spot to stop in for lunch and enjoy some traditional Jordan cuisine. After lunch, pick your choice of transport for a tour of the desert; 4WD vehicles, Jeeps, camel ride or on foot, walking, hiking or scrambling.

Touring the desert is one of the best ways to see the amazing natural surroundings, mountains, canyons and archeological sites such as natural rock bridges, inscriptions and petroglyphs, Khazali Canyon, and Lawrence`s Springs and Lawrence`s House.

See one of the three largest arches found in Wadi Rum, The Burdah Rock Bridge, a rock bridge formed by a precariously perched rock that stands 114 feet tall. This is the tallest natural rock bridge in Wadi Rum and is said to be one of the highest natural arches in the world, the summit can be reached with a rewarding hike that leads to breathtaking views over the valley and the mountains.

Next, see the expansive Barrah Canyon that runs for 3 miles through a long corridor, it is one of the most visited canyons in the desert. The multicolored mountains soar up from the canyon are the perfect location for hiking, rock climbing, and camel trekking. The magnificent landscapes of Wadi Rum are often referred to as `Valley of the Moon` with its red sand desert floor and massive mountains and canyons the scenery here is simply stunning and out of this world, like something from the Moon or Mars.

As evening approaches, find a spot on top of a rock and wait for the most breathtaking sunset you have ever seen. Capturing a sunset over the Wadi Rum area is a once in a lifetime experience, the sun sinks down over the rolling landscapes and the entire desert and rocks light up in vibrant hues of azure blue, pale pink, brilliant orange and burning red, it then turns to a grey, light black color and then the dark night sky is filled with millions of bright sparkling stars.

Enjoy a tranquil night under the magical night sky, dine on a traditional dinner of Zarb which is cooked in an underground oven along with some cocktails or hot tea. Sit around a campfire and be entertained by traditional song and dance. Spend the night under the magical night sky.

Day 2 in Wadi Rum

Today start by capturing a stunning sunrise, Wadi Rum is a magical place at dawn when the morning light bouncing off the desert floor and the rocks along with the sounds of the morning birds. As the bright ball of sun rises the entire desert sky changes colors and the mountains illuminate and red desert comes alive like a fire.

Today spend your day exploring the many fascinating sites of the spectacular Wadi Rum. You can take a 4WD tour of the desert with a guide, stopping to check out the many sights or take an authentic camel ride to get a different perspective of the expansive desert land.

See the stunning Jebel Rum Mountain Range, which runs along the western flank of Wadi Rum soaring 5,688 feet above sea level, it stands tall over the Rum Village and the Wadi Rum Valley. This is thought to be the highest peak in Jordan and a popular destination for climbers and scramblers.

The famous Khazali Canyon is 300 feet long, take a walk through the deep, narrow canyon through the Jabel Khazali Mountains that soar 5,400 feet above your head. The canyon rocks here feature the thousand-year-old authentic Nabatean and Thamudic inscriptions and petroglyphs and handmade pools.

The desert rocks are decorated with incredible petroglyphs and inscriptions with unique collections of humans, animals and more. Each of these ancient detailed carvings tells a different story and date back thousands of years, they are well preserved and were created by humans of different cultures that inhabited Wadi Rum. They were created using stone chisels to chip and carve the surface of the rocks to create different images, these carvings are one of the reasons that Wadi Rum was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

Check out the natural springs at Lawrence`s Springs on the edge of the open sands about 2 miles south-west from Rum Village. The springs provide water to the Bedouin families in the desert and were named in honor of T.E. Lawrence, the British Army Officer who crossed Wadi Rum during the Arab Revolt against the Ottomans in WWII. Lawrence`s House is close by where he stayed during the Revolt to endure the tough desert winters. Only ruins remain but the house was built by the Romans.

Enjoy an authentic Bedouin lunch in the shade and take in the magnificent sights of the sweeping desert and the impressive rock walls.

Take a 4WD tour to the Siqu Um Tawaqi which is a popular destination in the desert where Lawrence of Arabia is said to have washed during the Arab Revolt. This area is filled with trees and huge rock faces with massive red sand dunes great for sand surfing. Stop by one of the Bedouin tents for a cup of tea and some shade.

Al Hasany Dunes are another great location formed against the mountains in the valley with striking red sand dunes that back up against Jebel Umm Ulaydiyya with stunning surroundings and a slope that can be climbed to enjoy breathtaking views across the desert.

Secure a spot at one of the many vantage points in the desert to enjoy another incredible sunset. There are several amazing locations throughout the desert that are simply spectacular at sunset with the changing colors of the sky and the impressive reflections off the rocks and sand. After the sun sets the sky turns black and fills up with a million sparkling stars of the Milky Way that illuminate the desert floor.

Have dinner at the Wadi Rum Fire Camp which offers a sun terrace and breathtaking views of the mountain and surrounding area. Sip on drinks by the campfire and take in the serene setting under the stars.

Additional Days in Wadi Rum

If you are able to spend additional days in Wadi Rum take a day trip to the awe-inspiring Ancient City of Petra, just a few hours away. The UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. This unique, vast city is carved into the sheer sandstone rocks, an amazing place to explore and discover massive ancient temples and tombs that date back over 2,000 years.

Your Last Day in Wadi Rum

Depart from your hotel to the airport for your return flight home. We recommend that you purchase a private transfer to the airport if so the representative will meet you at your hotel with plenty of time to get you to the airport for your flight out.