Wadi Rum Jordan: Bedouins, Camels, Movie Sets & More

Known as “The Valley of the Moon” Wadi Rum – Jordan is a protected desert wilderness located in the Rift Valley in the southern part of the country. Dramatic sandstone mountains, high red dunes, strange-shaped rock formations, natural arches sandstone cliffs, and gorges make it one of the best places to visit in Jordan.

One of the world’s most beautiful deserts, Wadi Rum is so vast you seldom meet up with anyone else while exploring. Deserts remain one of the most fascinating places to explore…here are some facts about deserts you may not know.

Wadi Rum at a Glance

Elevation: 5,249′
Area: 278 mi²
Region: Arab States
UNESCO ID: 1377
Designated as world heritage site: 2011
Named for: Arabic for “Valley of (light, airborne) sand”

Weather in Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum is a year-round destination but weather conditions can be extreme in summer and winter. During winter, temperatures can go as low as 32°F at night and in the summer the heat can go as high as 104°F.

The best time to visit is March-May and September-November, which are also the most popular and busy months. Spring is beautiful when the desert is blooming with plants and wildflowers.

Hollywood Film Sets

Wadi Rum is a place of ethereal and drastic landscapes, from rugged mountains, sweeping red dunes, multi-colored sand, and wild camels. Its otherworldly beauty has made it a popular set location for international films, such as:

The Martian
Aladdin
Star Wars: Rogue One
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen
Prometheus,
Lawrence of Arabia,
The Last Days on Mars
Red Planet
Mission to Mars

What to Wear in Wadi Rum

Sand is literally everywhere, so sandals are not appropriate for exploring. Comfortable walking shoes or sneakers would be best if you’re not doing any serious hiking requiring boots. The same goes for clothing that will work well for climbing in and out of jeeps or camels and exploring the rugged and sandy terrain of the desert.

If you’re staying in a Bedouin camp please remember the Bedouin have traditional values; be respectful and don’t wear short shorts or tank tops outside in the camp.

Also, dress in layers because the temperatures vary quite a bit from day to nighttime.

The sun is strong, so a hat or traditional keffiyeh for your head would be handy.

Click here for my complete guide: What to Wear in Jordan (and still look cute!).

Where to Stay

A day trip, while better than nothing, is not enough time to fully appreciate Wadi Rum. If you can swing one night, you’ll be able to see much of the desert, including sunrise and sunset which are magnificent.

We stayed in a Bedouin camp with private rooms. It wasn’t a tent, so it might be more considered glamping. I had a comfy bed and private bathroom with a shower – which only had cold water so I took more of a “sponge bath.

There was no heat or air conditioning, just a fan stationed in the wall. The fan worked very well…until all power is shut off at 10 p.m. So make sure to charge your phone when you can!

We arrived at our camp in the early afternoon, had lunch, the proceeded on our 4-hour open-air jeep tour of the desert. After sunset, we arrived back in camp with a short time to relax before enjoying our traditional zarb Bedouin dinner. We got up before the crack of dawn to get on our camels and ride back into the desert to watch a glorious sunrise over the distant mountains.

The camp was run by a Bedouin family and felt very authentic. There were also lots of places to hike around the camp — although I suggest that you don’t wander too far if you’re alone. Getting lost in the desert is not recommended. It was my favorite accommodation during my visit to Jordan.

Here are the 10 must-do experiences in Wadi Rum – Jordan (in no particular order – they are all fabulous!

Jeep Tour

One of the most popular, and in my opinion must-do, things to do in Wadi Rum Jordan is a jeep tour to the highlights of the desert. Our original jeep tour was scheduled for two hours, but we added another two hours to it so we could capture the sunset in the desert. I highly recommend adding the additional time – there’s so much to see and you won’t want to miss any of it.

Jeep tours are a blast! Riding in the back of the open-air 4×4 truck was a great way to bond with other people in our group.

We stopped at many spectacular landscapes in Wadi Rum, and our guide Montaser “Monty” Khatabeh regaled us with fascinating Bedouin and insight into the desert.

Sunrise by Camel

Pros

Camel riding is one of the most authentic ways to experience Wadi Rum. In days gone by, they were the Bedouin’s main means of transport, hence the nickname “ships of the desert.” Camels resist the harshness of the desert, can carry a very heavy load, and are sometimes the main source of wool, milk, and meat. Allegedly, they can survive up to 6 months without food or water!

Bedouins are known to take good care of their camels well because if they don’t, the camels won’t follow their owner.

Watching the sunrise in Wadi Rum is definitely a highlight of any trip to the Jordanian desert. It’s one of the main reasons to overnight at a Bedouin camp. On a day trip, you’ll miss both the colorful spectacles of sunrise and sunset.

We set out from our camp while it was still pitch black. As we mounted our camels, the first light of dawn spread across the wadi. As our caravan continued the trek until we reached one of the prime spots to view the sunrise over the distant hills, and we dismounted.

And as sunrises go, lickety-split the colors turned from light pink to orange to full sunlight in just a few minutes.

For the ride back to camp, you might want to bring a hat or the traditional Arab headscarf called a keffiyeh. The sun can be hot even in the early morning…plus the keffiyeh makes for fantastic photos.

Cons

I would be remiss if I did not regale you with my two (funny) “mishaps.”

First, my camel was a bit cheeky, as you can tell by the photo above. All went more or less well getting to the sunset spot. But when I tried to mount to go back to the camp, he jumped the gun.

You see, he was a bit larger than most of the other camels in our caravan. So it took a bit of effort to climb on. As you probably know, the camel will kneel, belly on the ground, for people to get into the saddle.

Because he was so big, with my entire leg stretched out, I was only able to get my foot up to saddle height and needed a boost from below to get my leg all the way over and sit in the saddle.

But as my foot touched the top of the saddle, suddenly the camel stood up. Panicking, I grabbed onto the saddle horn for dear life, legs dangling.

The young Bedouin next to me proceeded to grab me around the waist (he should have had his camel under control, but that’s a story for another day). However, high up in the air, I was hanging on for dear life and would not let go.

When I heard someone from our group yell, “Hey, great upper body strength, Patti!” I laughed and let go, letting the Bedouin place me on the ground.

In the next instance, I really can’t blame the camel, much as I’d like to…

All during my ride, it felt like there was a large piece of metal or something hard in the back of my saddle. Riding a camel is an extremely bumpy experience., and with every jostle, my lower back would subtly hit that hard piece. Now, it wasn’t painful, but the continued motion made me think, “This is going to leave a mark.” I “bruise like a peach,” as my son tells me.

The next day, while getting dressed, I happened to catch a glimpse of my backside in the mirror. OMG! Not only was there a bruise at the top of my butt crack, but there was a gargantuan piece of swollen flesh!

I had turned into an Arabian dromedary – complete with my own hump! Oh, the pain!

Notwithstanding the “camel drama,” the trek into the desert was a blast. I would do it all over again and wouldn’t change it for the world.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom

The Seven Pillars of Wisdom is a rock formation named after the famous book by British Army Colonel T. E. Lawrence aka “Lawrence of Arabia”, an autobiographical account of his experiences while serving as a military advisor to Bedouin forces during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Turks of 1916 to 1918. The site is accessible by hike or visible from the visitor center.

Mushroom Rock

This natural, precarious-looking rock just happened to be visited by a local Bedouin when we arrived, insuring a great photo op. Our guide told us this mushroom rock appears in the new Aladdin movie.

Graffiti Ship

Another fun photo op, Al Safeena (translation: the ship) aka Titanic Rock or the Graffiti Ship, suddenly appears in the desert. A short climb took me to the top for my windy picture.

Nam al Kharazeh Rock Bridge

Natural beauty, the Nam al Kharazeh Bridge, can also be climbed. The rock bridge was filmed in Star Wars: Rogue One, where you can see it in the background on the Desert Moon of Jedha.

Stunning Landscapes

Wadi Rum is considered by some scholars to be the place in the Bible where the Israelites wandered in the desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land.

Dunes

One remarkable feature of Wadi Rum is the red coloration of the sand. The iron oxide creates the vivid red of the dunes. In some places, like the area in the picture below which is called “the Colored Sand,” the sand changes color and turns a yellowish-green in some places. As we approached this area, that yellow/green almost looked like water.

The stunning scene made me wonder if that’s where the word “mirage” came from.

Mars

Aside from the red sand, the peculiar rock formations also make it look like you’re on another planet. It’s no wonder that Wadi Rum has been used in so many science fiction movies. In the photo above, I’m sitting in the exact place where Matt Damon stood in the movie The Martian.

Anfishiyyeh Petroglyphs

Located on the side of a mountain is an impressive collection from Neolithic to Nabataean era petroglyphs (25,000) and inscriptions (20,000), complete with ancient drawings of camel caravans and humans holding bows. The carvings illustrate the evolution of different cultures that inhabited Wadi Rum as early as 12,000 years ago and interacted with the natural environment there.

The fascinating inscriptions are mainly in four different scripts: Thamudic, Nabataean, Islamic, and Arabic. They testify to the widespread literacy among the societies that once inhabited the Arabian Peninsula.

Bedouin Hospitality

Historically, Wadi Rum’s Bedouin tribes were nomads, herding their goats and sheep around the desert, moving. There are still Bedouins who continue to maintain the traditional nomadic lifestyle, as well as some who stay put in Wadi Rum and are involved in the area’s tourism industry mostly running camps.

Bedouins are hospitable and warm. During our jeep tour, we happened upon a Bedouin tent in the desert. Three Bedouins invited us inside and I have to admit, the décor was much nicer than I expected!

They gave us a small glass mug of what was hands–down the most delicious tea I’d ever had, spiced with cardamom, sage, cinnamon, and sugar.

One of the Bedouins proceeded to play some sort of homemade instrument while singing a song in Arabic that he told us was a song of welcome. How sweet is that?

We were sure to give applause and verbal acclaim (and a well-earned tip) because showing respect is an unwritten rule.

Having a traditional Bedouin dinner at our camp is one of the top things to do in the Wadi Rum desert.

A traditional Bedouin meal is very different from all the other food in Jordan. The Bedouins have a unique style of cooking in the desert. They prepare their food based upon traditional Bedouin recipes, and instead of using an oven, lamb, chicken, and vegetables are put into a cast iron pot and buried in a pit of hot coals then covered with desert sand. The food is slow-cooked for hours under the earth and the result is delicious, moist meat that falls off the bone.

Sunset on a Cliff

One of the best moments of our day in Wadi Rum was climbing a small sandstone cliff in Nokosh Ghthay and sitting at the top to wait for one of Wadi Rum’s legendary sunsets. Wind blowing my hair, I watched the brilliant yellow orb over the distant mountains as the wadi lit up into different hues, from the original cerulean blue to pale pink, to vivid orange, to dazzling red, What a feast for the eyes!

Click below to PIN so you can find what to do in Wadi Rum Jordan again:

Disclosure: The author partnered with G Adventures during her stay, but as always, the opinions, reviews, and experiences are her own.

About the Author

Patti Morrow is a freelance travel writer and founder of the award-winning international blog Luggage and Lipstick and southern travel blog Gone to Carolinas. TripAdvisor called her one of “20 Baby Boomer Travel Bloggers Having More Fun Than Millennials” and she was named one of the “Top 35 Travel Blogs” in the world.

Patti is the author of the book “Girls Go Solo: Tips for Women Traveling Alone,” and has over 150 bylines in 40 print and online publications, including The Huffington Post, International Living Magazine, Washington Post Sunday Travel, Travel Girl, Travel Play Live Magazine, and Ladies Home Journal. She has traveled extensively through six continents looking for fabulous destinations, exotic beaches, and adventure activities for her Baby Boomer tribe.