Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum Village (Aqaba Governorate), Jordan
وادي رم (Wādī Ramm)
Jordan's red desert of sandstone towers, Bedouin camps and stars: Mars on film.
Checked 6 October 2026
Wadi Rum is a 720 km² protected desert of sandstone and granite mountains in southern Jordan, about an hour from Aqaba and 1.5–2 hours from Petra. Entry costs 5 JOD at the Visitor Centre and is included in the Jordan Pass, but you cannot drive yourself into the desert: you see it with a local Bedouin jeep, camel or hiking guide, so the real decision is which tour and which camp, and exactly what their price includes.
About Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum is a desert valley in the far south of Jordan, close to the Saudi border and about 60 km east of Aqaba. It is less a sea of dunes than a landscape of mountains: sheer sandstone massifs standing on granite, separated by flat valleys of red and white sand, with rock bridges, narrow canyons and springs on the eastern slopes. Jebel Rum (1,734 m) towers over the village, and Jebel Umm ad-Dami, 30 km to the south, is Jordan's highest point.
People have lived and travelled here for thousands of years, and they left their mark on the rock. Thamudic and Nabataean inscriptions and petroglyphs of camels, antelopes and people cover the walls of Khazali Canyon and other sites, and the Nabataeans built a temple near today's village. In April 2025 Jordanian archaeologists announced the first royal hieroglyphic inscription found in Wadi Rum, with the cartouches of Pharaoh Ramesses III, a sign of how old the trade route through the valley is.
T. E. Lawrence passed through several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18 and described the valley in Seven Pillars of Wisdom; a mountain near the Visitor Centre was renamed the Seven Pillars of Wisdom in the 1980s after his book. David Lean filmed much of Lawrence of Arabia here in 1962, and since then the red sand has stood in for Mars in The Martian, for Arrakis in Dune and Dune: Part Two, and in Rogue One.
Jordan made Wadi Rum a protected area in 1998, and UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 2011. It is run today under the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority, and almost everyone who lives in and around it is of Bedouin origin. They run the jeep tours, camel treks, climbing and hiking trips and the desert camps, which is why a visit here means spending time with local guides rather than walking around on your own.
What to see
Red sand dune
The dune that climbs the side of a mountain south of the village is on nearly every jeep tour. It is a hard slog up in soft sand and a fast run down; some camps lend sandboards. Operators point it out as a location used in The Martian.
Khazali Canyon
A narrow cleft in the mountain with Thamudic inscriptions and rock carvings of people and animals on its walls. You can walk a short way in; the floor narrows quickly, so it is a stop of about 20–30 minutes.
Lawrence's Spring
A spring reached by a short scramble up the rocks, about 2 km south-west of the village, with Nabataean inscriptions nearby and a wide view over the valley. The pool itself is small; the view is the reason to climb.
Umm Fruth rock bridge
A natural arch about 15 m high that most people can scramble up to stand on top. It is on almost every 4-hour tour, so it is rarely empty around midday.
Burdah rock bridge
The highest arch in the protected area, some 80 m above the valley floor. Seeing it up close is a guided scramble of several hours, so it is a full-day or add-on trip, not part of the standard 4-hour loop.
Lawrence's House and Mushroom Rock
A small ruin built on Nabataean foundations, linked by local tradition to Lawrence (whether he used it is uncertain), with a good viewpoint from the rocks beside it; Mushroom Rock nearby is a lone pillar worn away at its base.
Seven Pillars of Wisdom
The fluted mountain face opposite the Visitor Centre, named after Lawrence's book. You see it as you arrive, so it needs no tour.
Night sky and sunrise
Away from the village there is almost no light, and an overnight stay is the way to see the stars, the sunset and the early-morning colours. Stargazing sessions with telescopes and hot-air balloon flights at sunrise are run by separate local companies.
Wadi Rum tickets: which to buy and where
The only official ticket is the protected-area entry fee: 5 JOD per foreign visitor (1 JOD for Jordanians) on the Jordan Tourism Board's fee table, under 12s free (some listings still quote 7 JOD or $10), paid at the Visitor Centre on the way in, or covered by the Jordan Pass. It covers entry only; the jeep, camel or guide that takes you into the desert and the camp are paid separately to a local operator, so check whether a tour price includes the entry fee and the transfer from the Visitor Centre or village.
The official ticket site
Wadi Rum Protected Area Visitor Centre (Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority); Jordan Pass (Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities)
There is no official online ticket for Wadi Rum alone: the fee is collected at the Visitor Centre gate opposite the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, and every visitor is supposed to call in there before entering. The only official online product that includes it is the Jordan Pass on jordanpass.jo. The protected area's own site, wadirum.jo, was unreachable on 6 October 2026, so anything else calling itself the 'Wadi Rum ticket office' is a tour seller.
Protected-area entry fee
5 JOD foreign visitors; 1 JOD Jordanians; under 12 free
(€6 · €1)
Official ticketsDoes not skip lines
- Includes
- Entry to the protected area for the day, including an overnight stay at a camp inside it. Tours, transport and camps are extra
- Best for
- Visitors without a Jordan Pass
Wadi Rum Visitor Centre (pay on arrival) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Jordan Pass (Wanderer, Explorer or Expert)
70, 75 or 80 JOD (1, 2 or 3 days at Petra)
(€100)
Official ticketsSkips some lines
- Includes
- Wadi Rum entry, Petra, Jerash and over 40 other sites, and the 40 JOD tourist visa fee if bought before arrival and you stay at least two nights. Show it printed at the Visitor Centre
- Best for
- Anyone flying into Jordan who also visits Petra
Official site (jordanpass.jo) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)Bedouin camp stay with full-day jeep tour and three meals
from €47 per person (entry fee not included)
ResellerDoes not skip lines
- Includes
- 8-hour jeep tour (Lawrence's Spring, red dune, Khazali, Umm Fruth and more), sunset, a night in a private tent with bathroom, dinner, breakfast and lunch, pickup inside Wadi Rum
- Best for
- One night and the main sights in a single booking, paid in advance
GetYourGuide (Rozana Bedouin Camp) · as of October 2026See this ticket → (opens in a new tab)
How to buy
- If you fly into Jordan and also visit Petra, buy the Jordan Pass on jordanpass.jo before you travel and print it: the pass's own FAQ warns that the QR code may not scan from a phone.
- Otherwise pay the 5 JOD fee at the Visitor Centre when you arrive. Bring Jordanian dinars in cash; one operator's listing says the fee is paid in cash.
- Book your camp or tour with the operator directly or on a platform, and agree in writing where they meet you (Visitor Centre or Rum Village rest house), what time, and whether the entry fee, transfer and meals are in the price.
Look-alike sites
Wadi Rum has no online ticket shop of its own: the entry fee is paid at the Visitor Centre or covered by the Jordan Pass, which is sold only on jordanpass.jo (a Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities site). Many camps, tour sellers and camp-comparison sites use 'Wadi Rum' in their names and domains; they sell tours and nights, not entry, and some quote a different entry fee. Treat any site that offers to sell you the 'Wadi Rum entrance ticket' online, other than the Jordan Pass, as a reseller.
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Guided tours of Wadi Rum
A guide is not optional here: Wadi Rum is seen from a local operator's 4x4, on a camel or on a guided hike. Four hours by jeep covers the classic stops; a full day adds Burdah arch and the quieter south; staying one night adds sunset, stars and sunrise. Booking directly with a camp or on a platform both work; the difference is mostly what is included.
Private jeep tour
Morning or sunset jeep tour
Wadi Rum Village operator via GetYourGuideLawrence's Spring, the red dune, Little Bridge, Khazali Canyon, Lawrence's House, Mushroom Rock and Umm Fruth, with tea at a camp; the afternoon run ends at a sunset spot. Pickup at the Rum Village rest house; the 5 JOD entry is extra; children under 9 free.
from €38 per person
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Full-day jeep tour and overnight
Full-day tour with a night in a Bedouin camp
Rozana Bedouin Camp (via GetYourGuide)About ten stops including Abu Khashaba canyon walk and Umm Fruth, lunch in the desert, sunset, then a private tent with bathroom (no air conditioning) in a camp for 30–35 people, zarb dinner and breakfast. Burdah arch and camel rides are optional extras; entry fee not included.
from €47 per person
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)Balloon flight
Sunrise hot-air balloon flight
Balloons Over RumRun with the Royal Jordanian Gliding Club, licensed by the Royal Jordanian Air Force, 12–16 passengers per balloon. Free pickup only from camps on its list; others pay a transfer surcharge. Weather can cancel a flight (new date or refund). Not for pregnant women or young children.
from €260 per person
See this tour → (opens in a new tab)
We can never guarantee a ticket seller, tour company or deal. Prices, opening hours and what is included change, often without notice: check the details on the seller’s own page before you pay, and book through the official site where you can. How to avoid ticket scams · Disclaimer.
Wadi Rum deals and discounts
The entry fee is small; the money is in the tour and the camp. The real saving is the Jordan Pass if you also visit Petra, and choosing a package that already includes the tour, meals and transfer instead of paying for each on arrival.
Jordan Pass covers the entry fee
All three Jordan Pass tiers (70, 75 and 80 JOD) include Wadi Rum. On its own the 5 JOD fee does not justify a pass; with Petra (50 JOD for a day) and the 40 JOD visa fee waived for stays of two nights or more, it does. Not sold to holders of Arab nationalities; valid 3 months from purchase and for 1 month after its first scan.
Children under 12 enter free
Under-12s pay no entry fee at Wadi Rum and enter Jordan Pass sites free with their parents. Many camps and tours also have free or reduced places for young children (for example under 9 or under 11, depending on the operator).
Packages that bundle the night and the tour
Camp-and-tour packages on platforms bundle a full-day jeep tour, three meals and a night in a tent: Rozana Bedouin Camp's on GetYourGuide was from €47 per person in October 2026. That can work out cheaper than paying for a bed, dinner and a tour separately on arrival, but read the exclusions: the 5 JOD entry and transfers from outside Wadi Rum are usually extra.
Budget camps from about 20 JOD
Simple Bedouin camps with shared bathrooms start from about 20 JOD per person including dinner and breakfast; bubble or dome tents start from about 35 JOD per person; luxury tents with private bathroom and air conditioning run about 50–80 JOD per person (Wikivoyage, March 2026). Very cheap online listings may be bed only, with dinner and transfer charged on top.
Best time to visit Wadi Rum
Time of day: jeep tours run in the morning (about 9:00–13:00) or in the afternoon ending at sunset (about 14:30–18:30). Midday is the hottest and the busiest at Umm Fruth and the dune, so in summer pick the afternoon run or start early. Balloon flights leave before dawn for the sunrise.
Season: spring (March–May) and autumn (September–November) avoid both the hot summer days and the cold winter nights. Nights in the desert get cold even in summer, and in winter the nights are cold, so pack layers whenever you go.
For stars, plan your night close to the new moon: a bright moon washes out the sky. For photography, a lightly clouded day gives the best light and shadow on the cliffs.
Tips and tricks
Gathered from travel forums, locals and the sight’s own advice, rewritten in our own words. What worked for others, not a guarantee.
Stay at least one night
The sunset, the night sky and the early morning are the best of Wadi Rum, and a day trip from Petra or Aqaba puts you in the desert in the hottest hours. One night with a 4-hour tour covers the classic sights without rushing.
From Visit Petra (PDTRA), Nearby Attractions; Wikivoyage Wadi Rum, 2026
Get the inclusions in writing
Before you pay, confirm the tour length in hours, the list of stops, whether the entry fee, meals and the transfer from the Visitor Centre or village are included, and whether the jeep is private or shared. Some short tours just drive out and back.
From Wikivoyage Wadi Rum, 2026
Agree a meeting point and time
Camps pick guests up at the Visitor Centre or the rest house in Rum Village, 7 km further on. Send your camp your arrival time in advance; the desert has no phone signal once you leave the village.
From Wikivoyage Wadi Rum (March 2026); GetYourGuide tour listings, 2026
Print your Jordan Pass and carry cash
The pass's own FAQ says to show it on paper because phone QR codes may not scan. If you pay the fee, bring small notes in Jordanian dinars; camps and drivers in the desert are usually cash only.
From Jordan Pass FAQ, 2026
Pack for heat and cold
Sun hat, sunglasses and a scarf for the wind and sand by day; a warm layer for the evening and night in every season. Comfortable closed shoes help on the dune and the rock scrambles.
From GetYourGuide tour listings, 2026; Wikivoyage Wadi Rum
Ask before photographing people
The protected area's rules ask visitors to dress modestly, respect local life and ask before taking pictures of people. Cover shoulders and knees in the village.
From Wadi Rum Protected Area rules and regulations (archived wadirum.jo)
Stay on the tracks and take nothing
The rules ban collecting plants, rocks, artefacts or firewood, ask drivers to stay on designated tracks and visitors to keep noise and music down, and allow camping and climbing only in official sites. Take your litter back with you.
From Wadi Rum Protected Area rules and regulations (archived wadirum.jo)
Book the long trips ahead
Hikes, scrambles to Burdah arch, camel treks of several days and the climb of Jebel Umm ad-Dami need a specialist guide; the guides who know these routes are mostly booked in advance rather than found at the gate.
From Wikivoyage Wadi Rum, 2026
How to get to Wadi Rum
- From Aqaba (about 1 hour): a taxi to the Visitor Centre costs about 25–35 JOD; many camps offer a pickup from Aqaba for about 20–30 JOD one way (March 2026). JETT lists an Aqaba–Wadi Rum route on its timetable, and minibuses run from Aqaba bus station towards the village a few times a day (check the day before, especially on Fridays).
- From Petra/Wadi Musa (1.5–2 hours): a daily minibus has been reported leaving Wadi Musa at about 6:00 (book through your hotel, about 7 JOD); a taxi costs about 35–50 JOD for the car, so agree the price before you leave. Many camps also arrange a transfer from Petra.
- From Amman (about 4 hours): there is no direct public bus. Take a JETT bus to Aqaba and a taxi from there, or a bus towards Aqaba or Ma'an to the Wadi Rum turn-off on the Desert Highway, then a minibus or taxi the last 21 km.
- By car: leave the Desert Highway at the signposted turn-off about 40 km north of Aqaba and follow the side road 21 km to the Visitor Centre, then 7 km to Rum Village. Park at the Visitor Centre or village and go into the desert with a local operator.
- Hejaz Railway: a restored Ottoman-era train runs a roughly 10 km ride from Wadi Rum station with an Arab Revolt show, operated by the Jordanian Heritage Revival Company; it is sold mainly through tour packages and its schedule is not published, so ask your camp or operator.
Scams and problems to watch for
A 'Wadi Rum tour' outside Wadi Rum
Some taxi drivers in Aqaba and elsewhere take visitors to desert villages outside the protected area and sell a jeep tour there as Wadi Rum. The scenery is similar, but it is not the reserve. The tell-tale sign: you never stop at the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre to pay or show your Jordan Pass.
Petra 'desert trips' and 'Rum 1 / Rum 2'
In Petra, men offer desert tours 'to Wadi Rum' for around 80 JOD that visit desert north of the reserve. There is no 'Rum 1' or 'Rum 2': ask which named sites you will see and whether you enter the protected area at the Visitor Centre.
Short tour, full price
Some cheaper jeep tours just drive out and back for about three hours. Ask for the stop list and a duration of 4 hours or more for the standard loop, and check whether the price is per person or per jeep.
Extras added on arrival
Very cheap camp listings may cover only the bed, with dinner and transport from the village charged on arrival (Wikivoyage reports about 10 JOD each). Pickups from camps outside an operator's list also cost extra. Get the total in writing.
Touts and drivers who choose your camp
Guides and drivers offering camps and tours wait at the Visitor Centre and the village, and a driver who 'knows a good camp' is often paid by it. If you already booked, say so and call your camp; if you have not, compare a few camps' inclusions before agreeing.
Lifts and taxis
Hitching to the village is common, but the UK government's general travel advice for Jordan says not to accept lifts from strangers and to take care when travelling alone; it suggests asking your hotel to arrange a driver and, if you are alone, not sitting in the front seat of a taxi. The simplest option is a transfer arranged with your camp.
Accessibility
Wadi Rum is hard going for wheelchair users. Tours are in 4x4 vehicles that you have to climb into, the ground is soft sand and loose rock, and the dune, canyons, Lawrence's Spring and the rock bridges are reached only on foot or by scrambling; tour listings mark the standard jeep tour as not suitable for wheelchair users. The drive between the main stops can be done without walking, and many camps have tents with private bathrooms, some with air conditioning, so ask the camp about step-free access to tent, bathroom and dining tent before booking. The Visitor Centre's facilities are not described online. Children under 12 enter free.
Combine it with
Petra
On SightsaleThe Nabataean rock-cut city is 1.5–2 hours north by road. Most visitors pair the two with a night in Wadi Musa and a night in a Wadi Rum camp; the Jordan Pass covers both.
Aqaba
Jordan's Red Sea port, about an hour south, for snorkelling and diving, Aqaba Castle and the Aqaba Museum (included in the Jordan Pass). It is also the nearest airport and the base for taxis and transfers to Wadi Rum.
Little Petra (Siq al-Barid)
A small Nabataean caravan stop with a painted ceiling, about 10 minutes from Wadi Musa: easy to fit in on the way between Petra and Wadi Rum.
Humayma
Nabataean, Roman and Umayyad ruins off the Desert Highway between Petra and Wadi Rum, on the Jordan Trail and covered by the Jordan Pass. A quiet stop for a private driver.
Dana Biosphere Reserve
Jordan's largest nature reserve, less than an hour north of Petra, with a guesthouse and hiking trails above the Dana valley. Entry for foreigners is 10 JOD plus 16% tax; it suits a hiking day on the way north.
Questions people ask about visiting Wadi Rum
How much is the entrance fee to Wadi Rum?
5 JOD per foreign visitor and 1 JOD for Jordanians, according to the Jordan Tourism Board's fee table (October 2026); children under 12 are free and the Jordan Pass covers it. You pay at the Visitor Centre on the way in. A few tour listings and an old version of the protected area's website still quote 7 JOD or $10, so carry a little extra in cash.
Is Wadi Rum included in the Jordan Pass?
Yes. All three tiers (70, 75 and 80 JOD in October 2026) include Wadi Rum entry; show the printed pass at the Visitor Centre. Tours, camps and transport are not included.
Do you need a tour to visit Wadi Rum?
In practice, yes. You can drive to the Visitor Centre and Rum Village, but the desert itself is seen with a local Bedouin operator by 4x4, camel or on a guided hike. A 4-hour jeep tour costs from about €38 per person on platforms (October 2026); camps sell their own tours.
How long do you need in Wadi Rum?
One night with a 4-hour jeep tour is the usual minimum and covers the classic stops plus sunset and stars. A full-day tour adds Burdah rock bridge and the quieter south, and hikers and climbers stay several days.
How do you get from Petra to Wadi Rum?
It is 1.5–2 hours by road. A taxi costs about 35–50 JOD for the car (agree before you leave), many camps arrange transfers, and an early-morning minibus has been reported leaving Wadi Musa at about 6:00 for around 7 JOD; book it through your hotel the evening before.
How much does a night in a Wadi Rum camp cost?
From about 20 JOD per person in a simple Bedouin camp with dinner and breakfast, about 35 JOD per person and up for bubble or dome tents, and 50–80 JOD per person for luxury tents (Wikivoyage, March 2026). At the top end, a Martian Dome at SunCity Camp was listed from 160 JOD a night for mid-November 2026 with breakfast and dinner (the booking page does not say whether that is per person or per dome, so check).
Where was The Martian filmed in Wadi Rum?
Ridley Scott filmed the Mars surface scenes of The Martian in Wadi Rum in 2015, and Dune, Dune: Part Two and Rogue One also shot here. Jeep tours point out the red dune and open valleys used as Mars; there is no separate film-location tour needed.
More sights in Jordan
Hidden gemJerash
Jerash, Jordan
A Roman provincial city with its streets, temples and theatres still standing, an hour from Amman.
- From
- 10 JOD foreign visitors(€13)
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours for the main sights; 3–4 hours to walk the whole site and see the museum
Petra
Wadi Musa, Jordan
The Nabataeans' rock-cut capital: the Siq, the Treasury and the Monastery high above.
- From
- 50 JOD(€63)
- Time needed
- One long day for the Siq, Treasury and Monastery; two days to add the High Place and the back trail
Before you go
The things that apply at every big sight: booking ahead, what skip-the-line really means, and the scams that follow tourists everywhere.