Wadi Rum is probably one of the most fascinating places you´ll ever get to experience while traveling. Its endless views, the surrounding nature with its sunrises and sunsets, full moons, starry sky and mesmerizing mountains as well as the Bedouin Indigenous culture and hospitality will hopefully have a very special place in your heart forever.
Since every person has different expectations and so much (mis)information is available online, we thought it was time to put together the ultimate Wadi Rum Desert Guide from our perspective and gather all the experience we have gained while welcoming guests from all over the world during the last 5 years.
Whether you love hiking, are traveling on a low budget or in comfort, are an adventurer or just want to enjoy the silence of the desert, there are a lot of things to know about the Wadi Rum Protected Area, its camps and the natural surroundings.
If we have forgotten anything or you have a special story to tell us about Wadi Rum or Jordan, please share your experiences at the end of this page.
Weather conditions can get quite harsh in the Jordanian desert. While in winter the temperature drops down to 0 degrees during the night, in summer it reaches up to 45 degrees during the day. During spring (from March until May) and autumn (from September until November) the temperature is quite perfect with 20 - 30 degrees during day and night. So what do you need to consider for your stay during winter (from December until February) and your stay during summer (from June until August)?
If you are arriving in winter here is the first surprise: it might be raining in the desert! It usually rains every 3-5 days during winter and though our guests most of the time are not very happy about it, the Bedouins get quite excited and start driving around the desert to watch the many waterfalls being created on the big mountains in Wadi Rum. If our guests are interested in joining, we love to take them along to watch this rare natural happening.
If you are planning to do a jeep tour and want to avoid the rainfalls, you can look up the weather forecast and decide to arrive accordingly. Generally, we recommend doing a Jeep tour starting in the afternoon as the temperature is more pleasant than in the morning.
We provide heaters and winter blankets in all our studios and as we generate our electricity with solar energy, hot water is available but only during the day.
If you are arriving in summer we recommend arriving straight before sunset to avoid the heavy heat and if interested in a jeep tour, to do it for sunrise. All our studios have fans and the set up of our studios is made in a way that the studios can cool down after sunset if the doors and windows are opened for one hour. The temperature cools down to a pleasant 20 degrees. Now differently than in winter, the challenge during summer is to cool down which is easily possible after sunset and in the morning when the shower water is cool and refreshing.
Last but not least, the phenomenon of sandstorms in the desert: They happen randomly and are quite fascinating to experience. Most of the time they are quickly over but it does happen that sandstorms are so heavy that we have to cancel all activities for that day. Luckily that happens only on one or two days within a year.
The location of a camp is important for the perfect desert experience and we understand it can be quite difficult to figure out which parameters to choose in the desert...
Let´s first elaborate on Wadi Rum and its Protected Area: The Wadi Rum Protected Area (WRPA) was established in 1997 and pays tribute to Wadi Rum's extensive historical, geographical and cultural importance and its need to be preserved for the future. Petroglyphs, inscriptions, and archaeological remains at the site reveal 12,000 years of human presence and interaction with the natural environment. The site’s 25,000 rock carvings and 20,000 inscriptions chart the evolution of human thought and the early development of the alphabet.
While the majority of the camps are located within the WRPA, in recent years many camps have been established outside the WRPA since it is not allowed to build any new camps within the WRPA anymore. If you are planning to stay in the desert and are not sure about a camp´s location, you should be able to find it on Google Maps (where the WRPA is marked) and see if it is inside or outside the Protected Area. The Desert Magic Camp & Resort is located within the Wadi Rum Protected Area and has another major benefit: We are far away from any street or village so you can thoroughly enjoy the desert experience during your stay with us.
The camp's location is key if you want to watch the sunrise and sunset (for free). On Google Maps you can see the location of the "sunset view point" and pick a camp close to it so you don´t need to pay for a jeep tour to get there. Sunrise views are good from several camps (not visible on Google Maps) but if you have booked somewhere else you can ask at your camp how far the spot is away or look up their reviews on booking. Our camp got awarded the "Oustanding Location Award 2023 for Jordan" as we are located just between the sunrise and sunset viewpoint and even under the Milky Way :)
Rooms are available from 1-500 JD and vary greatly in comfort and design... So here is an overview of what to expect at which price range:
Some camps offer a stay for only 1 JD. You can expect the Bedouin hospitality there like anywhere else if you book other services with them as well (like a jeep tour and dinner). If you are not planning to take any tour or dinner, do yourself and your host a favor and stay somewhere else (we don´t mind if you just want to enjoy the desert). Most camps that offer a stay for 1-10 JD (sometimes including breakfast and dinner) depend on other activities to be done with them for their economic survival. Most of those camps don´t have a website so you would need to check with them directly about their prices for tours and activities. Once you know the price you can check online if the price is competitive or if it is a better deal to pay a bit more for the room but to save on the tour.
The rooms at those low-cost camps are usually tents made of fabric and have a basic set-up with shared bathrooms which you might wanna keep in mind in winter when it´s usually cold and rainy. You can´t expect heaters, hot water in winter and fans in summer at those camps. If fresh bed linen is important to you, it´s advisable to spend a bit more for your overnight stay.
Luxury camps usually start at around 150 JD/night and the biggest difference to other camps in Wadi Rum are that they are run by investors outside of Wadi Rum, the rooms are usually domes and the camps are usually quite big with a minimum of 30 rooms (some have up to 100) and provide air conditioning 24/7. So you´ll have the comfort of cooled rooms (which might be handy in summer if you want to stay for a couple of days) but you won´t meet any Bedouins there and they are quite impersonal. We at Desert Magic Camp & Resort don´t like the idea of running a camp in the desert with air conditioning. First of all, it can only be run on fuel (which makes the place very environmentally unfriendly) and secondly, we believe the desert should be experienced as it is in its full natural beauty.
You will find the dome-like camps at several price ranges. If you want to stay in one of those we highly recommend checking out the camp reviews very carefully as there are big differences in the quality of the domes. Those with a plastic window don´t allow for a clear view and many times heat up so badly that they need to be covered fully during the day. We certainly prefer the traditional set-up with a modern panoramic twist and shadowed terraces...
A room at a camp with air-conditioning starts at around 50 JD. Please be aware that at such places the A/C is turned on for just a few hours in the evening. Places with a running A/C 24/7 start at around 120 JD per night in summer.
Our comfortable but traditional Bedouin panorama studios with private bathrooms and terraces are available starting at 15 JD incl. breakfast in summer and winter (during off-season) and at 19 JD incl. breakfast in spring and autumn. Including fresh bed linen ;)
Apart from the room rates you will probably also spend some money on other amenities like a jeep tour, a camel ride, a guided hike, water, sandboarding, stargazing, dinner, lunch etc. As you will not have any alternatives during your stay, it´s advisable to do some research in advance or ask your host about the costs. We mainly offer shared Jeep tours which are available every day and hence have some of the most competitive prices among the tour providers in Wadi Rum (11 JD for every 2 hours). Additionally, a lot of new friendships have been made on those shared tours, especially if you are a single traveler or like to communicate with other people from all around the world. Water, tea and sandboarding are free at Desert Magic Camp & Resort and since we are located between the sunrise and sunset spot you can just take a free walk to enjoy the most beautiful views Wadi Rum has to offer.
Now this is a complicated matter. There are around 200 camps within the Wadi Rum Protected Area (we guess...). You might have read online or in reviews that visitors have booked a place and have been taken to a completely different camp. Unfortunately, it is common practice in Wadi Rum to work with individuals who claim to have a camp while they work together not only with one camp but several different ones. This is why you will find around 500 camps on Booking.com and the majority of the camps available being listed 2-4 times under different names. So once you book a place and the account holder changes his affiliation with a camp, you will be brought to another camp than the one you booked. You can check the reviews and see if the guest´s pictures match the main pictures of the camp or try to find their website online to avoid having a negative experience.
As most camps in Wadi Rum are self-sustainable and have a setup that varies greatly, here are some insights on what to pay attention to: Some camps have a party-like set-up and play loud music every evening to entertain their guests. We at Desert Magic Camp & Resort prefer a silent set-up and hence play only lounge music during dinner time. We ask all our guests to respect the privacy and peaceful silence of others after 10 PM.
As you might have seen in our pictures, all our studios and suites have a panoramic view, private terraces and private bathrooms. Additionally, all our studios in the second row have mirrored panorama windows so you can enjoy the desert view with open curtains 24/7 from all our studios and suites.
In our common area, you will find a panoramic restaurant and a shadowed outside terrace (good for summer) as well as a traditional Bedouin tent (good for winter) where we set up bonfires and offer tea after dinner.
Our camp runs 100% on solar energy which we have extended over time so you won´t experience electricity shortcuts. Nevertheless, since electric devices like hair dryers use a lot of electricity, we kindly ask you to inform us if you need to use one so we can give you a power-friendly device that we have in the camp.
We also use solar energy to heat up the water in winter. That being said, the hot water is being heated up only during the day. For the evenings we provide manually heated water and a camping shower head for showering.
Have you ever wondered where the camps get water from in the desert? Since there is no pipe system in the Wadi Rum Protected Area, every camp has its own water tanks. And once they need to be refilled a big water truck comes by. Jordan´s water source is luckily in the village of Disah (next to the Protected Area) and the water trucks can quickly refill water there. So if you see a big truck while in Wadi Rum it´s probably one of those.
We get asked a lot if Internet is available... Though you might just enjoy the beauty of the desert, we do provide Wifi in the common areas. If you have a Jordanian sim-card you will also have a signal in your room. Please note this is not common practice in Wadi Rum.
Most camps have their own parking lot in one of the seven villages surrounding the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Since the Wadi Rum Protected Area is quite big there are several entry points by car. We access our camp through Disah village, where you´ll find our parking lot. On the way to Disah village, you might get asked by the police at the checkpoint to go first to the Visitor Center and show your Jordan Pass or pay an entry fee to the Protected Area (of currently 5 JD). If not, you can just continue driving to village Disah from where we will pick you up with our 4x4 Jeeps.
If you are planning to stay outside the Protected Area you won´t need to pay the entrance fee.
Access to Wadi Rum with cars is usually granted only to Bedouins. If you have your own 4x4 car and want to access the Protected Area you can pay an entry fee for your car at the Visitor Center (the fees vary). We definitely do not recommend driving on your own as the area can be quite rough for driving and you wouldn´t be able to enjoy the mesmerizing view and will probably miss some of the highlights worrying about navigation and safety.
If you want to travel by bus through Jordan, you can check for bus connections with JETT bus (https://www.jett.com.jo/en). In case you don`t find the bus connection you need to get to us and to any other place afterward, we recommend asking your accommodation to call the local bus. We will do the same when you are with us and want to take the bus to Aqaba (15 JD), Wadi Musa (10 JD), or Amman (20 JD).
Taxis are available for 30 JOD to Aqaba and 45 JOD to Wadi Musa/Petra. The costs to Amman depend on the final destination in Amman.
Some guests ask us if they can rent an ATV, 4WD, Buggy or Quad at our place. Those off-road vehicles are not allowed in the Protected Area and hence not available. You might still be able to find a place for renting them but they will be outside the Protected Area.
The classic Jeep tours are available from 2-8 hours within the Protected Area. Most camps will have a list of sights that are being visited listed on their website. If you have any special requests you can always reach out to the camp and see if the sight is reachable or not. Additionally to the tours within the Protected Area, we also offer Jeep tours outside the Protected Area which last 3-4 hours and where some interesting sights can be found. This is especially recommended if you would like to experience the desert in solitude as the Protected Area can get quite crowded. Especially the 2 hours tour ending at sunset is the most requested tour among all camps so you will be with quite a lot of people at every viewpoint. The longer you take a tour, the less people you will have at the sights.
We recommend doing at least the 4 hours tour as you will have some time for this special place and visit some places that you can explore on your own. If you have the time you should certainly spend the whole day exploring the desert, it is probably one of the most magical places you will ever visit.
If you love hiking here are the two classic hiking options in Wadi Rum: The hike to Jabal um ad-Dami, the highest mountain in Jordan, and the hike to Burdah Rock Bridge, the third-highest rock bridge in the world. Both hikes are only possible with an experienced guide.
If you are interested in just hiking around in the desert or taking a walk, we don´t recommend doing it through a guided tour, just ask the camp where you are staying which would be a good route and go for it. Even if you get lost, you can always ask the passing jeeps for directions, all Bedouins are happy to help if someone is lost in the desert :) Our camp, for example, is located at the foot of a big mountain so we recommend to our hiking lovers to take a walk around it or to the top of the mountain which takes around 1,5-2 hours. If you want to hike more, you can join our Jeep tour and just drop out at any point you like, our guide will recommend which way to take to walk back. Though this should be only an option in the morning and not during summer :)
Camping in the open desert is quite a fun experience, out in the dark, with no people around, just you, your guide and the stars... Honestly, we did have guests who got so scared that they returned to the camp :) so it´s obviously not for everybody. But if you are adventurous and used to solitude it´s an amazing experience. We start after dinner at the camp with everything that is needed for a good sleep in the desert. Some camps offer dinner at the camping spot but since we serve traditional Bedouin Zarb at the camp prepared in our sand oven, which you definitely don´t want to miss, we eat first and then head out to a special spot in the desert.
Yes, stargazing is one of the most amazing experiences in Wadi Rum, but... unfortunately... not every day. The best time for stargazing and when chances are the best you´ll have a clear night sky is during summer (another reason to go camping...). In winter it does get cloudy frequently and it´s impossible to predict if stargazing will be possible or not. Clouds are not the only obstacle to stargazing, the other one is a full moon. Though they are beautiful and you might stay breathless while watching the moon rising, changing its colors while lighting up the whole desert (some guests told us they woke up during the night thinking it was bright daylight because of the moon :), during a full moon it is impossible to see the stars. If stargazing is one of the main things you want to do in Wadi Rum, check out the days for the full moon.
You´ll be in the desert and depend on the setting of the camp you are staying at, so let´s elaborate on what is common practice in Wadi Rum. Breakfast is included in all camps and dinner can usually be booked for a price of 10 - 20 JD per person. Few camps include the dinner in the room rate which is easily visible if you book through the common booking platforms (ours is 13 JD per adult and 6 JD per kid). The specialty to try in Wadi Rum is the so-called "Zarb", a traditional way of preparing a dish in the sand oven. We, like other well-visited camps, serve it every day with a changing buffet while most of the very small or not well-visited camps serve other Jordanian specialties.
Tea is free at all camps and in general in Wadi Rum - a Bedouin tradition - and water is free at some camps. In case you want to enjoy a glass of wine or a drink, there are only very few camps that sell alcohol (for quite a high price). At Desert Magic Camp & Resort we don´t mind if you take along your own drinks as long as none of our other guests are disturbed (liquor stores are available in Aqaba and Amman while the prices in Amman are approximately twice as high).
If you are looking for special dietary requirements, like vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options, we have several options for breakfast and dinner. Gluten-free bread though is only available in big supermarkets in Amman and we recommend to our guests to take it along while traveling through Jordan.
Camps in Wadi Rum normally accept cash payments only, usually in all kinds of currencies though. At Desert Magic Camp & Resort you can also pay through PayPal but if you prefer to pay in cash you should take money along with you. Wadi Rum village is the only place with one ATM (the next one is 45 km away) and most of the time it doesn´t work. There is a gas station next to Disah village where you can also pick up money using your credit card but they take a commission of 5 % for every pick-up (on that note: all banks throughout Jordan take a commission of 5 - 10 JD for picking up money at the ATM, so it´s advisable to not make small payouts several times).
You might have read or heard a lot about Bedouin culture, certainly (and hopefully) about Bedouin hospitality. Bedouins used to be nomads who mainly lived from their animal herds. Though this has changed during the last decades some traditions and customs are luckily being kept alive: Their hospitality is the first to be mentioned. Sharing a glass of tea and spending some time together, sharing stories and being interested in the well-being of the other is still the most valued good among Bedouins and also applies to our visitors. This is the reason why no one will charge you or expect anything in return for a cup of tea except the time being shared together. Now working with travelers and setting up a place to be visited while never having traveled abroad or stayed in a hotel can be quite challenging. While our team is quite experienced in terms of traveling and welcoming guests if you should visit a place where the set-up is not as expected but the people are warm and welcoming, be kind and respectful, explain what is not as expected and the people you have come across will meet you with respect and gratitude for your patience and understanding.
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