Region

Southern Desert

Base in Aqaba or Wadi Rum; Petra is a separate stop, not a day-trip from the coast.

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Key facts · Jordan

Best months: Oct–Apr
Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Jordanian dinar (JOD, JD)
Language: Arabic
Plugs: C · D · F · G · J · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+3 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 4

Jordan ↗Get the visa or the Jordan Pass only on official channels; lookalike sites charge extra.
Jordan ↗Yellow taxis must use the meter; if the driver refuses, use a ride-hailing app instead.
Jordan ↗In Ramadan, eating, drinking or smoking in public in daylight is not accepted; hotels and tourist restaurants serve.
Jordan ↗Do not pack a drone: import without a prior permit is refused and the drone is held at the border.

The Southern Desert is Jordan's far south: the Red Sea coast at Aqaba, the sandstone of Wadi Rum, and the desert road that links them to Petra. It is not one place. Sleep in Aqaba for sea and winter sun, in Wadi Rum for a camp night, and treat Petra as its own stop with its own nights. Driving between them is straightforward; buses are few and slow.

Where to sleep

3 places in this region

Sleep base

AqabaCity guide
Red Sea diving, winter sun, airport and border crossings.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Aqaba →
Wadi RumCity guide
Desert camps and 4x4 tours; one or two nights.
Best Mar–May, Sep–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Wadi Rum →

Day trip

PetraCity guide
Two days minimum; sleep in Wadi Musa, not Aqaba.
Best Mar–May, Oct–Nov
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Petra →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Aqaba 2 + Wadi Rum 1
5 nights: Petra 2 + Wadi Rum 1 + Aqaba 2

Petra as a day-trip from Aqaba is a long day with little time on site.
Summer desert heat is dangerous; do not hike Wadi Rum midday in July or August.
Border crossings to Israel at Aqaba and to Saudi Arabia south of Aqaba have their own rules and hours — check before you travel.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Wadi Rum	Aqaba	75 min	unknown	About 70 km (43 mi) north; a car or taxi is the practical option. Check return times with your camp.About 43 mi (70 km) north; a car or taxi is the practical option. Check return times with your camp.
Petra	Aqaba	130 min	unknown	About 130 km (81 mi); too far for a comfortable day-trip with a full Petra visit. Sleep in Wadi Musa instead.About 81 mi (130 km); too far for a comfortable day-trip with a full Petra visit. Sleep in Wadi Musa instead.
Aqaba	Wadi Rum	75 min	unknown	Desert camps run their own transfers; confirm the pickup point on the highway.

Bags between cities

Luggage storage is common at Aqaba hotels and Wadi Rum camps; carry a small bag into the desert and leave the rest in Aqaba.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Aqaba	ok	ok	go	go	go	×	×	×	ok	go	go	ok
Wadi Rum	×	×	go	go	go	ok	×	×	go	go	go	×
Petra	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok	×	×	ok	go	go	ok
Jordan (country-wide)	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok	ok	ok	go	go	go	ok

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Aqaba and the coastRed Sea coast	best	best	best	ok	hot	hot	hot	hot	hot	best	best	best
Wadi Rum and the desert interiorInland plateaus	cool	cool	ok	best	best	hot	hot	hot	best	best	ok	cool

best: dry, mildok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windows

Aqaba and the coast: Winter is mild and good for diving; summer is very hot and humid. Sea temperatures stay swimmable most of the year.
Wadi Rum and the desert interior: Desert nights are cold from November to March; summer days exceed 40 °C (104 °F). Spring and autumn are the best window.Desert nights are cold from November to March; summer days exceed 104 °F (40 °C). Spring and autumn are the best window.

Spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) suit both coast and desert. Winter is good for Aqaba but cold at night in Wadi Rum.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
King Hussein International Airport (AQJ), Aqaba	Aqaba city	Taxi or hotel transfer	~15–20 min	About 9 km (5.6 mi) north of Aqaba. Flights are limited; many travellers arrive via Amman or overland.About 5.6 mi (9 km) north of Aqaba. Flights are limited; many travellers arrive via Amman or overland.
Amman	Aqaba	Desert Highway (Route 15) by car or JETT bus	~3 h 30 by car	The Desert Highway is the fast route; the King's Highway is slower and more scenic.
Petra (Wadi Musa)	Wadi Rum / Aqaba	Car, taxi or tour transfer	~1 h 30 to Wadi Rum, ~2 h to Aqaba	Public buses are infrequent; most travellers use a car, taxi or arranged transfer.
Eilat, Israel (Ramon Airport, ETM)	Aqaba	Wadi Araba border crossing, then taxi	~30–60 min after the border	Check current border hours and visa rules before you rely on this route.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Jordan Pass

buy

Worth it if you visit Petra and Wadi Rum; it covers the Petra entry fee and the visa fee when bought before arrival. Check current prices and rules.

JETT bus

check

Runs Amman–Aqaba and some Petra services; schedules change, so book ahead and confirm times.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Fresh Red Sea fish and seafood	Aqaba	Grilled fish is common along the coast; prices vary by season and catch.
Mansaf (lamb in yogurt sauce)	Aqaba and Wadi Musa	Jordan's national dish; usually shared and eaten by hand.
Zarb (desert barbecue)	Wadi Rum camps	Meat and vegetables cooked in an underground oven; often part of the camp dinner.
Mezze and falafel	Aqaba and Wadi Musa	Cheap, filling and widely available; good for lunch before a desert or Petra day.

Go next

Petra

~2 h by car from Aqaba, ~1 h 30 from Wadi Rum

Two days is the right pace; sleep in Wadi Musa.

Wadi Rum

~1 h 15 from Aqaba

One or two nights in a desert camp.

Aqaba

~1 h 15 from Wadi Rum

Red Sea diving and winter sun.

Amman

~3 h 30 by car on the Desert Highway

Gateway to the north and the airport.

Tala Bay

planned

~20 min south of Aqaba

Resort strip on the Red Sea.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 3, 1 h 15 to 2 h 10
Nights suggested: 3–5 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: Oct (all zones)

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Plan your trip to Jordan Up to Jordan

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialAqaba Airports Company — King Hussein International Airport
officialJordan Tourism Board
secondaryOpenStreetMap
secondaryWikivoyage: Southern Desert (Jordan), revision 5317175 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Ask about Southern Desert

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