Wadi Rum

Why Wadi Rum is special
Wadi Rum is a scenic wilderness in a desert-and-mountain setting. It's far from city sounds and lights - you commune with raw nature.

Wadi Rum tips and insights
Highlights
They include • Driving along the parched wadi tracks lined with stunning mountainscapes and rock formations, some strikingly sculpted by winds over eons. • Camping overnight in a remote touristed tent campsite • Viewing the ancient rock drawings and inscriptions • Seeing the huge natural rock bridges • Walking through the tight-spaced canyons • Getting to know the hospitable Bedouins.

Sightseeing options
Most visitors explore this wonder in a 4x4 Jeep-like vehicle or a converted pick-up with a driver/guide (though some visitors venture out on their own). Traveling by camel is another popular option. You can even take a hot air balloon ride. Other visitors use their feet to hike or trek - or to climb the challenging mountains.

Lawrence of Arabia
The British officer T.E. Lawrence helped fight the Turks in Wadi Rum in the First World War. He immortalized his deeds and adventures in his popular "Seven Pillars of Wisdom" book. It was later transformed into the Academy Award winning "Lawrence of Arabia" film, which was in large part shot on location.

How to pronounce
Wadi Rum = wah-dee rohm (sounds like "rome")

Getting there
Wadi Rum is under 4 hours from Amman (Jordan's capital), 2 from Petra, and about 1 from Aqaba. You travel by car or bus on a well-paved highway.

When to come
The best periods are March-to-mid-April and October-to-mid-September. Summers are very hot and winters can be uncomfortably cold.

Location in Jordan