"Wadi Rum is beautiful!" Top 5 Page for this destination Wadi Rum by TheWanderingCamel

Wadi Rum Travel Guide: 272 reviews and 551 photos

The new Visitors' Centre

Aerial view from helicopter

A new Visitors' Centre has just been opened in Wadi Rum. It is about 6 kilometers from Rum Village and is now the normal terminus for tourist transport, and it is here that you should pay your entrance fee.
This entrance fee is fixed at 2JD at the moment. It has been announced that the price will stay the same at least during 2005.

The normal procedure is that you choose the tour that you would like to do and you go off with the next guide waiting nearby. If you have the name of a particular guide he is only allowed to take you if he can show a written reservation dated 48 hours before your arrival. In that case there is no problem. This is an attempt to stop the ripping off that used to go on. No reservations are currently accepted from any hotel.

You can also go alone to Wadi Rum, sleep at the Resthouse there and wander around by yourself. There is no official transport from the Resthouse, and as I said it is 6kms from the village.

The official programmes are posted. The longer the tour, the more expensive. These prices are those of the vehicle which will normally take up to 6 people. The price is split between the number of passengers. If several people can get together to take one together it therefore works out cheaper for you.

Warning : first of all no meals are included in the prices, and secondly by no means all the drivers speak English. They are DRIVERS and not guides. A night spent in the desert costs another 25JD/person, including supper and breakfast.

These prices are officially fixed and no bargaining is allowed. You can of course try to find a guide to take you "unofficially" for a lower price, but there are a good many controls out in the desert, and if somebody is found without the written confirmation from the Centre, then he is in trouble.

Posted by Lulu

Getting there and away

Another aerial view

Tourists wanting to visit Wadi Rum must descend from the buses at the new Visitors' Centre and pay their entrance fee. The buses don't usually wait for anybody doing this so if you decide against taking one of the tours on offer you have to make your own way to Rum Village which is 6kms away (no official transport is available)

There is no regular service taxi run to or from Wadi Rum. If you are sufficient in number to fill one up (or if collectively you pay for any empty place) you can get a taxi to bring you from Aqaba or from Amman, but you absolutely cannot count on any service taxi departure from Rum.

Rashidiya on the Desert Highway is 30kms from Rum; if you are asked to pay to get there, then between 3 and 5JD is a reasonably fair price, a taxi would charge 5JD for that distance. A number of minibuses regularly go past in both directions. It is usually possible to hitch here as well

You can always ask the Wadi Rum Resthouse to call you a taxi, which will probably come from Aqaba, so you would have to wait for a while. It is, of course, possible to order a taxi in advance. The usual price of a taxi from Rum to Aqaba (or vice versa) is around 12-15JD.

Your guide is usually willing to arrange a taxi for you, or even take you to the Highway. He might or might not charge you for this latter service

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A note from Megypt: Rough Guide to Jordan

In addition to the advice you get from VT, I recommend purchasing the Rough Guide to Jordan by Matthew Teller It is full of informative advice and extremely helpful.

All Wadi Rum reviews and photos were posted here by lulu. Please see our Homepage re photo use.

Pros and Cons

Pros:It's beautiful! If you take the trouble to talk to the Bedouin they will quickly become very friendly. This makes all the difference.
Cons:It's a bit expensive, especially if you are alone.
In a nutshell:DON'T MISS IT!!!

Last visit to Wadi Rum: Mar 2011
Intro Updated Dec 30, 2011
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Reviews (30)

From Wadi Rum to Amman and elsewhere! - Wadi Rum

From Wadi Rum to Amman and elsewhere! Transportation (6)

There is no direct transport from Wadi Rum to Amman. It is best to take the morning bus to Aqaba (except on Fridays) and... more travel advice

From Aqaba to Wadi Rum Transportation (6)

Many people are disappointed to hear that there is no reliable public transport from Aqaba to Wadi Rum early in the... more travel advice

From Wadi Rum to Aqaba Transportation (6)

A bus leaves Wadi Rum for Aqaba at 7.30am and if there is enough demand at 8.30am. Again you should consult your Bedouin... more travel advice

From Wadi Rum to Petra Transportation (6)

The same bus returns to Petra afterwards at about 8.30am, usually arriving in Petra around 10.30 or 11.00. The fare is... more travel advice

Local Customs (7)
See All Camel racing
Things to Do (7)
See All Thamudic drawings
Sports & Outdoors (4)
See All Hot Air Ballooning

Off The Beaten Path (5)
See All More about the stone on the border
Favorites (1)
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Comments (24)

willy_wonka Oct 27, 2010 at 11:04 PM Report Abuse

still dreaming of jordan, still have the jordan jubilee book that you gave to me as a gift, still looking at pics and sighing. one day one day.... :)
lynnehamman May 6, 2009 at 7:24 AM Report Abuse

Great information about Wadi Rum, Leyle. Am getting more excited every day. I am enjoying the Jordanjubilee website too. Thanks
cachaseiro Apr 7, 2009 at 1:51 AM Report Abuse

this is excellent information about wedi rum. i am there frequently at the moment myself as i am tour guiding some groups around jordan each spring.
barryg23 Mar 8, 2009 at 12:39 PM Report Abuse

Very helpful info on Wadi Rum, you've answered lots of my questions:) I'm off to Jordan for two weeks in March and trying to finalise the itinerary. The climb to Jebel Um Adaami sounds interesting, hope we get the chance to do it
starship Jan 13, 2009 at 7:04 PM Report Abuse

Wow! Very interesting place to visit! You seem to be so familiar with it all. Nice page!
moshatnawi Dec 17, 2008 at 8:09 PM Report Abuse

very nice photo of wadi rum :-)
Sharrie Dec 10, 2008 at 7:09 AM Report Abuse

Definitely my kind of place! That's one stunning photo of the canyon. Is there a hot air balloon tour?
bdougherty Nov 20, 2008 at 8:13 AM Report Abuse

very interesting pages on jordan - have been there myself and remember it all fondly. thanks for the good pics.
angiebabe Aug 22, 2008 at 2:23 AM Report Abuse

Stunning amazing and beautiful! YOu 3 have such a combination of wonderful travels! thanks for all the info and inspiration!Great photos of beautiful places!
roamer61 Dec 19, 2007 at 12:00 PM Report Abuse

Looks to be a fascinating and a mystical place. Sort of reminds me of the Olgas in Australia.