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Voykit pocket guide · Jordan
Wadi Rum
وادي رم
Give Wadi Rum one night minimum, two if you want a full-day 4x4 and a quiet second sunset; day-trippers from Aqaba see about a third of it.
Wadi Rum is a protected desert valley of sandstone and granite massifs in southern Jordan, about 40 km north of Aqaba off the Desert Highway. There is no town to speak of: a visitor centre, a village, Bedouin camps and a lot of rock. Almost everyone arrives on a 4x4 tour and sleeps in a camp, so the real planning question is how many nights and which camp.
- Country
- Jordan
- Local name
- وادي رم
- Best months
- Mar–May, Sep–Nov
- Avoid
- Jul–Aug (extreme heat), Dec–Feb nights (near freezing)
- Stay
- 1–2 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- JOD
- Money
- Jordanian dinar (JOD) is divided into 1,000 fils (or 100 piastres); one dinar is a high-value note.
- Daily spend
- Budget 35–55 JD excl. bed (shared 4x4, simple meals) · Mid 55–90 JD excl. bed (private jeep, camp dinner) · High 90 JD+ excl. bed (private guide, balloon, luxury camp extras) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Zain, Orange and Umniah sell tourist SIMs at Queen Alia arrivals; passport registration is required.
- Emergency
- Police, ambulance, fire 911
- Plugs
- Types C, D, F, G, J · 230 V · 50 Hz · European two-pin plugs fit most sockets; UK three-pin (G) is common in newer hotels. Bring a universal adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurant: Round up or 5–10% if no service charge; many mid-range places add 10%.; Taxi / Careem: Round up to the next half or whole dinar.; Guide, half day: JOD 5–10 per person.; Driver, full day: JOD 10–20.; Wadi Rum camp staff and jeep driver: JOD 5–10 per group, per day.; Hotel porter: JOD 1 per bag.
- Water
- Treated at source but stored in rooftop tanks; drink bottled or filtered. Water is scarce — short showers help.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels, malls and restaurants; squat toilets at some bus stations. A hose replaces paper in many places. Petra has toilet blocks along the main trail.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Protected area entry | 5 JD |
| 4x4 tour, per jeep, 3–5 h | 50–75 JD |
| Camel ride | about 20 JD per hour |
| Camp night with dinner and breakfast | 20–80 JD per person |
| Bus Wadi Musa (Petra) to Wadi Rum | 7 JD |
| Taxi Aqaba to visitor centre | 25–35 JD |
| Hot-air balloon flight | 100–150 JD |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- AQJ · King Hussein International, Aqaba
- About 1 h by road to the visitor centre; taxi 25–35 JD (check)
- AMM · Queen Alia International, Amman
- About 4 h by road; JETT bus to Aqaba then taxi, or a private transfer
Typical fares
- Aqaba → Wadi Rum visitor centre, taxi
- 25–35 JD, about 1 h (check)
- Wadi Musa (Petra) → Wadi Rum, bus
- 7 JD, 06:00 departure, about 1.5 h7 JD, 6:00 AM departure, about 1.5 h
- 4x4 tour, per jeep
- 50–75 JD for 3–5 h (check)
Get around
You cannot see the reserve in a normal car. Book a 4x4 tour with a Bedouin driver-guide (typically 50–75 JD per jeep for 3–5 h) or a camel (about 20 JD per hour). Hiking is possible in the cooler months; the first camps are 1–2 h on foot from the village. Most camps collect guests from the visitor centre or village free if you tell them your arrival time.
See and do
Known for
- UNESCO World Heritage desert landscape
- 4x4 and camel tours
- Bedouin camps and stargazing
- Lawrence of Arabia and Dune filming locations
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Aqaba | Bus or minibus from the Desert Highway turnoff, or a taxi | 1–1.5 h |
| Wadi Musa (Petra) | One daily bus at 06:00, 7 JD, booked through your Petra hotel; or a taxi, 30–35 JDOne daily bus at 6:00 AM, 7 JD, booked through your Petra hotel; or a taxi, 30–35 JD | 1.5–2 h |
| Tala Bay | Taxi or bus to Aqaba then south along the coast | 1.5–2 h |
| Amman | Bus to the highway turnoff then a northbound service, or JETT via Aqaba | 4–5 h |
Sleep
- Inside the protected area (Bedouin camps)
- Tents and bubble domes among the rock; 4x4 access only, dinner and breakfast usually included.
- Wadi Rum Village
- The gateway settlement; a few shops and home-stays, most camps pick up here.
- Disah and outside the reserve
- Cheaper or plusher lodges north of the boundary; the scenery is different and tours run outside the protected area.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello / Peace be upon you | السلام عليكمas-salaamu alaykum |
| Thank you | شكراًshukran |
| How much is it? | كم السعر؟kam al-si'r? |
| Where is the camp? | وين المخيم؟wein al-mukhayyam? |
| I need water | بدي ماءbiddi maa |
| No, thank you | لا شكراًla shukran |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Salam alaykum or marhaba; handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Kissing or hugging someone of the other sex in greeting
- Hospitality: Accept tea or coffee; eat a little when invited; avoid: Refusing all food and drink outright
- Right hand: Eat, pass things and pay with the right hand; avoid: Using the left hand to offer food
- Feet: Keep soles on the ground when sitting; avoid: Pointing the soles of your feet at people
- Mosques: Covered arms and legs, headscarf for women, shoes off; avoid: Entering during prayer times unless invited
- Dress in town: Long trousers or skirts, shirts with sleeves; avoid: Shorts and swimwear away from resorts
- Photography: Ask first, especially with women and Bedouin families; avoid: Photographing police, soldiers or checkpoints
- Politics: Listen; opinions on Palestine run deep; avoid: Joking about the King or the royal family
Scams and watch-outs
- Tours sold in Petra or Aqaba that never enter the reserve: ask which sites are visited and confirm you buy a ticket at the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre.
- There is no "Rum 1" or "Rum 2" — the reserve has one entrance.
- Short 3 h 4x4 loops that only drive back and forth are poor value at 50 JD; insist on a 4–5 h route and the site list.
- Desert nights are cold even in summer; bring a layer.
- Cash is king in the village; ATMs are unreliable, so carry dinars from Aqaba or Amman.
Wadi Rum is calm and heavily touristed; the real risks are heat, dehydration, unlicensed tour sellers and driving at night on the Desert Highway. Women travelling alone generally report no problems, but agree the camp and price in writing before you arrive.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Wadi Rum yet. Suggested stay: 1–2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- UNESCO World Heritage desert landscape
- 4x4 and camel tours
- Bedouin camps and stargazing
- Lawrence of Arabia and Dune filming locations
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Jordan Tourism Board: international.visitjordan.com/
- Wikivoyage: Wadi Rum, revision 5241896 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5241896
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Wadi Rumوادي رم
خذني لهذا المخيم، لو سمحت
Take me to this camp, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
- Police, ambulance, fire911
Most embassies are in Amman; the US and several European states also have consulates or honorary consuls in Aqaba. Check before you travel.
Show the camp name and GPS pin to your driver; many camps sit off the mapped tracks.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/wadi-rum). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.