Wadi Rum 9-Hour Jeep Tour with Camel Ride and Sandboarding

Wadi Rum Village, Lawrence's Spring and the protected area

Wadi Rum is a protected desert in southern Jordan, a landscape of sandstone and granite mountains rising from valleys of red and golden sand. UNESCO listed it in 2011 as a mixed natural and cultural World Heritage Site for its scenery and its rock art. Wadi Rum Village, where the tour starts, belongs to Bedouin families who have lived in this desert and guided its visitors for generations.

The first stops are usually close to the village. Lawrence's Spring seeps from the slopes of Jebel Rum, one of the highest mountains in the area, and shows as a patch of green against the cliffs. A Wadi Rum day trip like this one gives you time to see these classic sights without rushing, before heading deeper into the desert where the tracks become quieter.

Khazali Canyon and the rock inscriptions

Khazali Canyon is a deep, narrow cleft in a sandstone massif, shaded and cool even at midday. Its walls carry Thamudic and Nabataean inscriptions, carved figures of people and animals and the outlines of feet, left by travellers who sheltered here centuries ago. Your guide shows you the clearest carvings and explains what they tell us about life in the ancient desert.

Elsewhere in Wadi Rum, rock panels such as those at Anfashieh show carved camel caravans, a reminder that this desert was a busy route for traders long before the jeeps arrived. On a full-day tour there is time to see several of these sites, each in a different setting of cliffs and sand, with photo stops along the way.

Red sand dunes, sandboarding and a camel ride

The red dunes of Wadi Rum owe their colour to iron oxide in the sand, and they are piled high against the cliffs. On this tour you do more than climb them: you get about fifteen minutes of sandboarding down the slopes, which is easy to try and a favourite with children and adults alike.

The default option also includes a short camel ride of about fifteen minutes, the traditional way of crossing the desert, with a Bedouin handler leading your camel across the sand. Lunch is served in the desert during the day, usually in the shade of the rocks, and Bedouin tea and bottled water are available whenever you need them.

Rock bridges, canyons and the Wadi Rum sunset

Wadi Rum is famous for its natural rock bridges. The small arch of Um Fruth is easy to climb for a photo, while the high Burdah rock bridge is usually admired from a viewpoint below. Between them, the jeep crosses wide valleys and passes canyons and strange formations such as Mushroom Rock, each with a different view of the desert.

Is Wadi Rum worth a full day? For anyone who loves landscapes, absolutely, and the best moment comes at the end, when the guide drives to a sunset viewpoint and the cliffs turn orange, red and purple. The best time to visit Wadi Rum is from October to April; in summer, bring extra sun protection for the midday hours. After sunset you return to the village or your camp.