The 'Valley of the Moon', a UNESCO-listed protected desert: red sand dunes, sandstone mountains up to 1,700 m, natural rock bridges and inscriptions thousands of years old. It's worth one or two nights — sleep in a Bedouin camp or a 'Martian' bubble tent, explore by jeep and camel, and watch an extraordinary starry sky. Filming location of The Martian and Dune. About 1 hour from Aqaba and 4 hours from Amman. Mongolian citizens need visa approval in advance.
🛂 Visa: Visa required · 30 days✈ Flight: 24h☀ Best months: March, April, May, September
#desert#Bedouin camp#stargazing#jeep tours#UNESCO#visa in advance
Orange — daytime average, blue — night, grey bars — rainfall, green — sea temperature. Best months: March, April, May, September, October, November.
Things to see (12)
🧸 for kids
Wadi Rum Visitor Centre and the Seven Pillars of Wisdom★ 4.4 (3,200)
Culture5 JD (official tariff; some recent reports say 7 JD; under 12 free)≈8:00–18:00 (seasonal)
The protected area's official gate: buy your ticket and get an introduction to the geology and Bedouin culture in the small exhibition. In front rises the seven-topped 'Seven Pillars of Wisdom' rock, named after Lawrence's book. The Jordan Pass does not apply to Mongolians, so pay the fee in cash.
Like a well-travelled friend for a first-timer: before you go, landing, SIM, transport, money, food, safety, manners, apps, leaving — step by step.
🧳Before you goMongolian citizens cannot get a Jordanian visa at the border — get approval before booking flights and camps.+
1
Visa: prior approval (eservices.moi.gov.jo)
Mongolia is on the Jordanian Ministry of Interior's 'restricted' nationalities list, so a visa on arrival is not possible and Aqaba's free visa does not apply. Apply on the MoI e-services portal with your passport, photo, return ticket and hotel booking; a single-entry tourist visa costs 40 JD. Apply at least a month ahead.
Tip: Don't buy a non-refundable ticket before the approval comes through.
There are no hotels in Wadi Rum — you stay in Bedouin camps or bubble tents. The good camps fill early in the spring and autumn high seasons, so check whether dinner, breakfast, pickup from the visitor centre and a jeep tour are included.
The regional conflict means airspace can close at short notice. Get insurance covering cancellation, medical care, jeep tours, climbing and ballooning, and check the UK FCDO's Jordan advice before you leave.
🛬Getting to Wadi RumMost travellers land in Amman and come by bus or car, or via Aqaba. Everyone buys a ticket at the visitor centre and is picked up by their camp.+
1
From Amman: JETT bus or taxi
JETT runs from Amman to Wadi Rum at 7:30 (20 JD, ~4 h) and from Aqaba at 8:00 (15 JD, ~1 h). A private taxi costs ~120 JD from Amman airport, ~25 JD from Aqaba town and ~35 JD from Aqaba airport.
Pay the 5 JD entry fee at the visitor centre (some recent reports say 7 JD); the Jordan Pass does not apply to Mongolians. Your camp collects you there by jeep — private cars may not drive into the desert.
There is no phone shop in Wadi Rum. Buy a Zain, Orange or Umniah 'visitor line' with your passport at Queen Alia airport or in Aqaba; Zain's 7-day bundle is ~8–11 JD.
There is coverage around Rum village and the visitor centre, but it drops out deep in the desert and camp Wi-Fi is slow. Download maps offline and tell family when you'll be out of contact.
Tip: Camps may have limited power — bring a power bank.
🚇Getting around the desertThere is no public transport in Wadi Rum — it's jeeps, camels or your feet. Only licensed local drivers may drive in the desert.+
1
Jeep tours
For two people a 2-hour tour is ~25 JD each, 4 hours ~35 JD and a full day ~45 JD; the per-person price drops for larger groups. Most camps offer tours as part of a package.
An hour on a camel is ~15–20 JD per person — single-humped, unlike Mongolia's Bactrian camels. Hot-air balloons fly for ~1 hour at sunrise, ~165 JD (children 120 JD), cash.
To Petra take the morning JETT or Rum bus, or a taxi; to Aqaba a taxi or the evening JETT. Arrange transport for the day you leave the camp in advance.
There are no ATMs in Wadi Rum and almost everything is paid in cash. The nearest ATMs are in Aqaba or roadside towns such as Quweira and Rashidiya, so bring enough dinars for the camp, tours and tips.
🍜FoodEvery camp provides dinner and breakfast; there are almost no restaurants in the desert.+
1
Zarb — the underground feast
Bedouins put chicken, lamb and vegetables on a metal rack, bury it in a pit of embers under the sand and bake it for hours — much like Mongolian khorkhog. Served with hummus, salads and Bedouin bread.
Sweet spiced tea brewed over the fire and cardamom coffee are symbols of hospitality — do accept. Drink plenty in the desert and keep a stock of bottled water.
Tip: Tell your camp in advance if you're vegetarian.
🛡️Safety and health+
1
Emergency number 911
Police, ambulance, fire and Civil Defence are all on 911. There may be no signal deep in the desert, so save your camp's number and location.
According to the UK FCDO, since July 2026 Iran has struck US facilities in Jordan, and in early September there were renewed strikes and interceptions in and around Aqaba. Keep away from military sites; if sirens sound, get indoors and never touch debris.
Summer sun is fierce — hat, sunscreen and lots of water. Winter and spring nights turn cold fast, so pack warm layers. Take care on rock bridges and dunes; never head into the desert alone, and climb only with a guide.
Bedouin hospitality feels much like a Mongolian family's: accept a glass of tea with your right hand and take your shoes off outside the tent. Dress modestly — cover shoulders and knees.
This is a protected area: don't touch the rock inscriptions or carve anything, and take your rubbish with you. Don't photograph people, especially women, without permission.
3
Ramadan and alcohol
During Ramadan avoid eating and drinking in public by day. Most Bedouin camps don't sell alcohol and some don't allow you to bring your own — ask first.
📱Useful apps+
1
Transport
JETT for buses from Amman and Aqaba; Royal Jordanian for domestic flights; Careem for taxis in Aqaba and Amman.
Download the Wadi Rum area in Google Maps and Arabic in Google Translate for offline use — there's no signal in the desert. A star-chart app makes the night sky even better.
Wadi Rum to Amman airport is ~4 hours by road; the JETT leaves around 17:00. Moving to Amman or Aqaba the day before your international flight is safest.
AI answer: double-check anything beyond our researched facts with an official source.
All day
The small settlement of the Zalabia Bedouin — jeep tours and camp pickups start here. On the edge of the village are the ruins of a 1st-century Nabataean temple. You can ride a camel, drink Bedouin tea and buy water and snacks at the small shops.
Jeep tour: Lawrence's House and Mushroom Rock★ 4.8 (5,000)
Nature2 h ≈15–25 JD per person, 4 h ≈20–35 JD, full day ≈35–45 JD (depending on group size)Sunrise to sunset
The main way to see Wadi Rum: an open jeep with a Bedouin driver through sandy valleys and cliffs, stopping at the ruins of Lawrence's House, Mushroom Rock, a small rock bridge and a sunset point. A 4-hour tour covers the highlights; with children, 2–4 hours is enough.
A small spring trickling from the rocks at the foot of Jebel Rum — T. E. Lawrence mentions it in Seven Pillars of Wisdom. Scramble 10–15 minutes up the slope nearby for a view over the whole valley. Most jeep tours make it their first stop.
Walk a few dozen metres into a narrow cleft in the rock to see Thamudic and Nabataean inscriptions and carvings of people, antelope and camels — familiar if you know Mongolia's petroglyphs. Shady and cool inside.
KidsFree (included in jeep tours; ask your camp about sandboard hire)All day (best at sunset)
A tall red dune piled against a cliff — children love climbing it barefoot, sliding down or sandboarding. Great views over the valley from the top. In summer the sand gets very hot, so go in the morning or evening.
NatureFree (included in full-day jeep tours)All day
A natural rock arch ~15 m high — scramble 5–10 minutes up the slope to stand on top for photos. Children can climb with an adult watching; take care on windy days. Usually part of a full-day tour.
NatureFree (guide required; jeep and guide extra)Start early in the morning
One of Wadi Rum's most spectacular rock bridges, spanning two peaks ~35 m up. Reaching it takes a 2–3 hour guided scramble with some hands-on sections. For fit adults with a head for heights.
NatureAgreed with a licensed Bedouin guideEarly morning (before the summer heat)
Jordan's second-highest peak (1,734 m), with many traditional climbing routes on its east face and Bedouin scrambling routes such as the Thamudic route. Never climb without a guide. Beginners can book half-day scrambles or climbing lessons through camps and guides.
Bedouin camps, bubble tents and stargazing★ 4.6 (2,500)
RelaxBasic tent ≈15–35 JD per person (dinner and breakfast included); bubble/'Martian' dome ≈$100–300 per nightArrive in the evening, leave in the morning
The essential Wadi Rum experience: a night in a goat-hair Bedouin tent or a transparent 'bubble' or 'Martian' dome. Dinner is zarb — meat baked under the sand, much like Mongolian khorkhog — with Bedouin tea by the fire. With little light pollution the Milky Way is visible to the naked eye. Winter nights are cold — check for heating.
About an hour floating over red desert and sandstone mountains at sunrise — flights can be cancelled because of wind. They pick you up from your camp. Expensive but unforgettable; book 1–2 days ahead.
A station on the Ottoman-era Hejaz Railway with an old steam locomotive and carriages, and the railway's Arab Revolt story from 1917. Beside the road to the visitor centre; 15–20 minutes is enough. Kids love posing by the engine.
