Wadi Rum is a protected area of 720 square kilometres in southern Jordan where wind and water have cut a plateau into isolated massifs, locally called jebels, that rise up to 800 m directly from the desert floor. It is a UNESCO mixed World Heritage site, listed for both landscape and for 25,000 rock petroglyphs and inscriptions.
How you visit
Everything is arranged through the village of Rum, and the standard is a half-day or full-day jeep tour in the back of a pickup with a Bedouin driver. Fixed circuits take in Lawrence Spring, the Khazali canyon with its Thamudic inscriptions, the red sand dune, Little Bridge and Umm Fruth rock arches, and a sunset point. Camel rides, hot air balloons and horse trekking are all available.
Sleeping in the desert
Camps range from simple Bedouin goat-hair tents to the transparent bubble domes that let you sleep under the stars, which have multiplied to the point of being visible from the ridges. The desert sky here is exceptional and the temperature drops sharply after dark in any season. Dinner is usually zarb, meat and vegetables cooked in a covered pit in the sand.
Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence passed through repeatedly during the Arab Revolt of 1917 to 1918 and described the valley as vast, echoing and godlike. Two sites carry his name on tourist maps with more marketing than evidence. The 1962 film was shot here, as were parts of The Martian, Rogue One, Dune and Star Wars, which is why the landscape looks familiar before you arrive.
Climbing and walking
Wadi Rum is a serious rock climbing destination with routes up to 500 m, mostly traditional and often unbolted, on excellent sandstone. Jebel Umm ad Dami, 1854 m, is the highest point in Jordan and takes about three hours to climb with a guide. The Jordan Trail passes through and the two-day trek from Rum to Aqaba is spectacular.
Practicalities
Entry to the protected area is 5 dinars and is included in the Jordan Pass. All tours are run by local Bedouin cooperatives, and prices are broadly standardised. March to May and September to November are the comfortable months; July and August exceed 40 degrees, and January nights fall below freezing. Petra is an hour and a half north, Aqaba an hour south.
The Bedouin
The Zalabia and Zawaida tribes hold the tourism rights inside the protected area, and almost every camp, driver and guide belongs to one of them. Many families still keep goats and move seasonally, and the tourism income is what allows them to stay rather than move to Aqaba.