Tours of Wadi Rum
by jeep, on foot or on camelback


The view from Um Losa!

Contents :

These programmes have been drawn up in Wadi Rum by Attayak Ali and Attayak Aouda Zilabia who are specialists in adventure tours in Wadi Rum. If you are interested in one of these trips, you should apply ahead of time directly to them. These guides are competent and experienced, and all are anxious that "their" tourists should have a good time. They all speak English and enjoy doing so! For any doubters, I assure you that these are "genuine" Bedouin who belong to one of the tribes in Wadi Rum....

This is only a selection of the tours they offer: you can see the full list on their websites at http://www.rumguides.comand at http://www.bedouinroads.com

While all the tours can be modified according to the visitor's wishes and constraints, normally the prices given are all inclusive of the services offered : transport, guide services, all meals and sleeping equipment where sleeping out is part of the tour. Visitors wanting mineral water or any sort of alcohol however, should bring it with them, this is not provided by the guides.

The photos have been supplied by them and are "thumbnail" photos. Click on one of them for a larger version.

VERY IMPORTANT : please note that the prices given here are based on two people MINIMUM. For people who are  travelling alone, we are obliged to charge extra, usually about 50% more. We are sorry, but our prices are already cut down as far as possible and we cannot absorb the extra charge.

THESE PRICES DO NOT INCLUDE THE ENTRANCE FEE TO WADI RUM, WHICH IS AT PRESENT 2JD

CLASSIC VISIT

Wadi Rum by jeep in one day ("a day with the Bedouin")


View from the sandunes in Wadi Um Ishrin

We start in the village and drive first to Lawrence's Spring and then to the sand dunes in Wadi Um Ishrin where you can also see some Nabatean inscriptions. We continue, visiting "Lawrence's House" from where there are some great views, and then to the Barragh Canyon. Here we have lunch. In the afternoon we drive to where we have a view up the mountain of the bridge on Jebel Burdah, and then to Um Fruth Bridge and Khazali Canyon.

From there to the "sunset place" to watch the sunset and to appreciate the beauty of the changing colours of the landscape. Here we have supper, enjoy the evening and the stars and stay to sleep.

Price : 50JD per person for 2 people, 45JD/person for 3 people and 40JD/person for 4 people or more. This price includes everything, the jeep, the guide, all meals and mattresses and blankets for sleeping.

We should like to say immediately that this is not the cheapest trip around. You can find tours at the Visitors' Centre for less than this. But in Wadi Rum, you get what you pay for, and the tour we are offering is marked higher than this if you look at the prices on the board. Since we include both meals and an overnight, we think that we are offering something of a bargain!

Extra excursions

If you are looking for more than just one day in Wadi Rum here are a number of possibilities that can be "added on" to any of the other trips. See also below for two day programmes.

The prices indicated take into account that you are already a client and are not necessarily the prices that would be charged for the excursion taken alone.

An extra day in 4x4 going far to the south into the unfrequented valleys around the beautiful and lonely Wadi Saabit. You would be unlikely to see anybody other than a few scattered Bedouin tents.

Price : 60 per person for 2 people, 50JD/person for 3 people and 40JD/person for 4 people or more. This price includes everything, the jeep, the guide, all meals and mattresses and blankets for sleeping.

A short camel ride

After a night in the desert, if you wish we can bring you back to Rum Village by camel! It would take about two hours and will cost 30JD/person as always with a mounted guide. We could also arrange this at the end of any tour.

If you are short of time the next morning, wanting to catch a bus, we could start you off on camels at the beginning of your trip, and pick you up somewhere near to the sand dunes to continue by jeep.

Extra night in the desert

An extra night in the desert can always be arranged either at the beginning or at the end of your visit. The price would be 20JD/person, including supper, breakfast and a return to the Resthouse at Rum Village.

*****

HIKING

Hiking is the speciality of Attayak Ali at www.bedouinroads.com although Attayak Aouda also offers these trips

The problem with hiking in Wadi Rum is that just walking in sandy valleys, however beautiful, often becomes boring after a fairly short time. We therefore concentrate on short hikes of 3 or 4 hours, often less, through the narrower valleys and canyons, interspersed with jeep rides when the walking becomes monotonous. Like this you can get a maximum of sightseeing in a jeep as well as covering more ground and having a more attractive walk.

"The Khasch Route" : a two day jeep and hiking tour


The view from Jebel Khasch

We start with a full day in 4x4 following the classic "Day with the Bedouin" route. The second day, after a night in the desert, we drive south, through the largely deserted southern valleys to Jebel Khasch, a high ridge stretching east to west for several kilometers. We shall walk along the top of the ridge for three to four hours, admiring the views of Wadi Rum to the north and Saudi Arabia to the south. This is a magnificent walk, along a clearly marked path, and is always very popular. After lunch, we can take another shorter hike, or if you prefer it, make a leisurely return to Rum Village in the jeep at the end of the afternoon. A second night in the desert can be added on if you wish.

We highly recommend this two day tour, which we believe provides the best Wadi Rum visit possible.

Price : for the two days for 2-3 people 95JD per person. This includes all meals, sleeping equipment and the guide for the hiking.

The "small Three Bridges" trip

Starting from Rum village, we follow much the same route as the "classic trip". You can hike (alone) through the Barragh Canyon, and enjoy the silence there.  We have lunch in this famous valley.

Later we drive to a place where you have a view of the bridge high on Jebel Burdah, and you can take another hike in the afternoon through a very attractive narrow valley towards another rock bridge. You can climb this one as well if you wish - it is much easier than Burdah - before sleeping in the desert and returning to Rum for the early buses the next day.

This is in fact a less taxing version of the "Three Bridges Trek" to be done in one day, omitting the more difficult passage through the Rakebat Canyon and the climb to the Burdah Bridge.

It offers about two and a half hours in a jeep and the same amount of time walking. The walks are straightforward and do not need an accompanying guide. The jeep will go on ahead and wait for you about three quarters of the way down, just in case you prefer to ride the last bit.

Price : 60JD per person for 2 people, 45JD/person for 3 people and 40JD/person for 4 people or more. This includes all meals and sleeping equipment .

*****

CAMEL TRIPS

There are basically two ways to visit Wadi Rum with a camel : the first is with somebody (usually a young boy) leading the camel. The second is to have a mounted guide with you.

While most people arriving at the Resthouse take the first option, we always prefer to offer the second one to our clients.

It is certainly a bit more expensive, since the camel for the guide has to be taken into account, but in our experience there is no comparison in the enjoyment felt. With a mounted guide, you go faster, you therefore cover much more ground, and since the basic technique of camel riding is easily and quickly mastered, within an hour or so you will be guiding your own camel and will feel much more independent. Your guide will only keep the leading rein if you are unhappy about being in charge.

A camel is not like a horse and few people have any problem with one. Although they look decidedly unfriendly, in fact this is deceptive, and most people come quickly to appreciate their qualities.

They make little noise and you will be able to experience the complete silence of the desert.

We offer camel trips lasting from one to five days, but here we are only giving the "combined" trips where you can visit Wadi Rum in several different ways.

A two day jeep and camel trip

We start off with the "classic jeep tour" as described higher up. This takes us to the principal sights of Wadi Rum with the exception of the Barragh Canyon, which we shall leave for the next day.

After a night spent in the desert we start off on the camels for a 4 to 5 hours trip which will take you to some places you did not visit the day before. If you have any special suggestions about where to go we should be happy to hear them. We are not offering an itinerary, since it can vary with each client.

We shall come back to Rum Village before sunset.

This is about a 5 hours' ride on the camel which gives you the time to learn how to control it yourself without the help of the guide. You will enjoy the tour much better like this.

Price for the two days : 105JD for 2 to 4 people. This includes all meals, equipment for sleeping, the camels and the guide with his own camel

A three day jeep, hiking and camel trip

We start off again with the "classic jeep tour" as described above. This takes us to the principal sights of Wadi Rum with the exception of the Barragh Canyon, which you will visit later on the camel.

The next day we shall drive south for nearly an hour to a long ridge stretching approximately east to west across the desert. This is Jebel Khasch.

It is easy to climb up and we shall walk the length of the ridge for three to four hours. There are fantastic views to the north over Wadi Rum and to the south over Saudi Arabia. We come down again in the distant valley of Nogara where the jeep will be waiting for us. We drive back to the previous day's camp.

After a night spent in the desert we start off on the camels for a 4 to 5 hours trip which will take you to some places you did not visit the day before. If you have any special suggestions about where to go we should be happy to hear them. We are not offering an itinerary, since it can vary with each client.

We shall come back to Rum Village before sunset.

This is about a 5 hours' ride on the camel which gives you the time to learn how to control it yourself without the help of the guide. You will enjoy the tour much better like this.

This is a programme with - we hope - something for everybody who loves the wild places and the desert. Certainly you see something of everything in Wadi Rum.

Price for the three days : 135JD per person for 2 to 4 people.  This includes all meals, equipment for sleeping, the camels and the guide with his own camel.

"SCRAMBLING"

"Scrambling" is what Attayak Aouda at www.rumguides.com enjoys guiding the most although Attayak Ali is also very experienced at this. It is a bit more energetic than simple hiking. You should be in fairly good physical form and not be nervous of heights. A rope is sometimes necessary, but there is no other technical difficulty in these routes. They are for the people looking for something a bit more adventurous!

Two days/two nights walking and jeep riding
(The "Three Bridges" Trek)


Entrance to the Rakebat Canyon from Wadi Rum near to the village

Again we start through the Rakebat Canyon and shall be picked up by jeep to transfer towards the Barragh Canyon where we shall do some more walking. We shall spend the night either near to Barragh or towards Jebel Burdah.

The next morning we start with a climb to the Burdah Bridge before continuing the hike in the afternoon through a very attractive narrow valley towards another rock bridge. You can climb this one as well if you wish, but it is much easier than Burdah. We sleep near the "sunset place" before returning to Rum for the early buses the next day.

Incidentally in 2006, this trip was selected by Royal Jordanian Airways as one of the five best adventure trips in Jordan - it even came in number two!

Price : for 2-3 people 115JD per person. This includes all meals and sleeping equipment and the guide for hiking and climbing to Burdah.

2 days hiking, scrambling and jeep riding in Wadi Rum
(The "Rad el Beidha" route)


Exit from the Rakebat Canyon at Wadi Um Ishrin

Day 1 : we start from the village and go through the Rakebat Canyon to cross through the massif of Jebel Um Ishrin. It will take about 2 1/2 hours. We arrive in the lovely valley of Wadi Um Ishrin, where we take a break and have some tea. We continue by jeep to the Barragh Canyon, passing on the way the sand dunes in Um Ishrin, some Nabatean inscriptions and "Lawrence of Arabia's house". Lunch in the Barragh Canyon.

In the afternoon we cross from the Canyon to Rad el Beidha by doing some scrambling, including one easy abseil of 20m. This is a great trip, all in the shade and takes about 2 hours. At the end of the canyon a jeep picks us up and drives us to Jebel Burdah where we shall see the bridge. On the way, you will notice how the landscape changes colour with the approach of evening. We camp down near Burdah and admire the moon and the stars before sleeping.

Day 2 : After breakfast we go up to the bridge. It's easy scrambling except for just one short bit near to the top! It will take us about 1 1/2 hours to reach the bridge from where we can see the marvellous view. (See photo lower down and on the Wadi Rum climbing page). If you want to continue to the top of the mountain, it would take an extra hour. Alternatively you can go down by a different route. Back in the camp we have lunch - and tea of course!

Afterwards we continue by jeep to Khazali Canyon where you can see some Nabatean and Thamudic inscriptions. After the canyon we drive to a spot from where there is a wonderful view of the sunset. Return to Rum Village at the end of the tour after watching the sunset.

This is a programme for hiking and scrambling in Wadi Rum. It is always possible to change any particular part of the programme if the visitor wishes. In particular if you are not happy about the abseiling part, we could omit this and limit ourselves by a quick exploration of the tiny valley before returning to the Barragh Canyon and carrying on by jeep.

Price : 115JD per person for the two days for to 2-4 people. More than 4 people the price drops to 100JD per person for the two days. The price is inclusive of everything.

The "No Man's Land" Trek

A scrambling route far to the south in a wild area which (so far) is not frequented by tourists and only by a very few Bedouin. This is our favourite trek, taking us a long way from Wadi Rum, as far as (but hopefully not over) the Saudi border.

We start by jeep from Rum Village and head for Jebel Um Adaami, the highest mountain in Jordan which we shall climb on the south eastern side. The climb is straightforward, a simple uphill walk on the usual path. We come down the other side, which is less popular. You will see that the countryside is much starker than the soft red of the sand and the sandstone in Wadi Rum itself. It is not used by the Bedouin for their herds or for cultivation of any sort. We might meet a rare hunter, this area is outside the Protected Zone of the Nature Reserve, but even this is unlikely.

When we are down, we have lunch and continue by jeep and then another uphill walk until we reach a beautiful valley, less than 300m from the Saudi border. We sleep in this valley.

Day 2 : Taking a packed lunch, we go up into the No Man's Land area. The climb involves some serious scrambling - no rope is really needed, but the guide will bring one anyway. This is a mountain walk with great views to the north and the south. We have lunch in a valley among the red sand dunes there. We continue along another crest with yet more views and arrive in the night's camp, where we have supper and watch the sunset before we head back to Rum.

Please note that this is a fairly difficult programme which is absolutely not suitable for novices at scrambling. If you would just like a "deep south" easy scrambling/hiking trip we can suggest alternatives.

Price : 115JD per person for the two days for 2-4 people. Everything is included in this price.

*****

Hiking and Scrambling

Using the routes already described here, and adding a few new ones, at your request we can organise 5 or 6 day treks. We are always delighted to do this, to be honest, we enjoy these longer trips more than the short ones !

*****

EASY CLIMBING

Jebel Burdah

The bridge on Jebel Burdah and the view from there

Going up and down this mountain will take you 5 hours to the top. You will cross the bridge on the way, but you will come down by a different route. For a reasonably fit person, this climb is no more than a scramble with a couple of more difficult bits (grade 3 on the French scale) just before and just after the bridge, but it is very easy to miss the right way. Provided you have a properly qualified mountain guide with you with a rope, this is a marvellous and exciting outing and the views from the top are among the best in the whole Wadi Rum area.

Price for 1-6 people : 150JD. This price includes everything (the guide, the jeep ride to get there, and the food for the day). The price is for the group, to be shared among the participants.

*****

Jebel Rum
(1754M above sea level - Wadi Rum village is 1000m above sea level)


High on Jebel Rum

We start in the village and take a jeep ride of 1/2 an hour to the west side of Jebel Rum where we will start up the mountain by the traditional bedouin route. This climb is rated grade 3 on the French system. We will take some special equipment for safety - it is likely to take us about 3 or 4 hours. This is the Thamudic route which is the easiest one and the most popular - other routes have different prices.

Price : 1-3 people : 200D for maximum 3 people : 230D. More than 6 people will need two guides and will cost 300JD.

*****

Jebel Um Adaami
(1832M above sea level - Wadi Rum village is 1000m above sea level)

Views from Um Adaami

A drive through the desert some 40kms to the south to Jebel Um Adaami, and a guided hike to the top, which usually takes about 2 1/2 hours.

Price : 140JD for 1-6 people. This price includes jeep transport and a guide to the top. Lunch is included.

++++++++

To get into contact with us, you should send an email to :

By the rules of the Nature Reserve we can only take you if we have a written (fax or email) reservation a minimum of 48 hours ahead of time. If you can manage a few days before this, it would be better.

You can see their websites at http://www.rumguides.com and at http://www.bedouinroads.com which give full details of these tours and some others for which I have no space here. There are also some answers to FAQs and some general information about Wadi Rum.

"JORDANJUBILEE" is now available as a book, which is much more convenient for reference if you are travelling around. You can buy it online if you wish by clicking on our securized site, or it is on sale in a number of places in Jordan

home - visiting Jordan section

Links to Wadi Rum references and information in this site :

Introduction - Sleeping in Wadi Rum - Getting there and away again - What to see there - prices and tours (including horses and camels) - some longer trips in 4x4 - Reliable contacts and guides - "ripping off" - Nature Reserve - Trekking, hiking and climbing : short notes- - Trekking in Jordan - Riding around Wadi Rum - Camels and camel trekking - Tours of Wadi Rum - Wadi Rum climbing information - Climbing "El Habla"

Tourist Map of Wadi Rum - Satellite map of Wadi Rum - RSCN Map of Wadi Rum - Out of doors in Jordan : detailed maps of Wadi Rum

There are also several pages of photos of Wadi Rum in the Photo Gallery and a number of stories about the Bedouin who live there in the section "Meet the people of Jordan"

İRuth Caswell June 2007