A journey to Wadi Rum is a journey to another world.
During day it is a vast, silent place with a dramatic landscape of breathtaking, indescribable beauty. During night it is a place of infinite tranquility under the dark velvet sky filled with millions of stars. And then there are two magical moments between these periods – the sunrise and the sunset. We want you to experience both, that is why we invite you to the Sunset Camp.
This desert camp was established by Mohammed Sabah Al-Zalabeh, a local tour guide who offers for more than 20 years various Tours & Rides to those who – like him – have fallen in love with the desert.
Despite being one of the Jordan's main tourist attractions and attracting hundreds of visitors every year, the protected area of Wadi Rum keeps its original spirit. It is situated 320 km southwest of Amman, 120 km south of Petra, and only 68 km north of Aqaba. So come and explore the most stunning desertscape in the World.
We invite you to experience the wonders of our ancestral land and our traditional culture!
A brief history of Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum is a unique desert valley cut into the sandstone and granite rock in southwest Jordan. The name consists of Arabic word for valley ('wadi') and Rum is assumed to come from an Aramaic root meaning 'high' or 'elevated'. It is the largest wadi in the country .
Geologists think that this wadi resulted from a great crack in the surface of the Earth caused by an enormous upheaval which shattered giant pieces of granite and sandstone ridges from the mountains of the Afro-Arabian shield. Some of the ridges are 1000 feet high and topped with domes worn smooth by the desert winds.
Wadi Rum has been inhabited by many human cultures since prehistoric times, all of them leaving their mark in the form of rock paintings, graffiti, and temples. In the pre-Islamic era the area served as the gathering place for the tribes of Ad, Thamud, Lihyan and Main. Fresh water springs made Rum a meeting center for caravans heading towards Syria and Palestine from Arabia. Throughout the valley there are scattered slabs of rocks with inscriptions in early Thamudic writing, recording the names of travelers who passed through centuries ago.
The Nabataeans, however, surpassed those early tribes in trade activities and monumental achievements. On a hill at the foot of Jabal Rum lies the temple of Allat (pre-Islamic Arabian goddess), originally built by the Ad tribe and remodeled by the Nabataeans in the 1st century BC. The temple was taken over by Thamudic tribes and Thamudic graffiti covers earlier Nabataean inscriptions, walls and columns. An excavation in Disi (8.5 kms east of Wadi Rum) uncovered an early Nabataean site, which was occupied before the Nabataeans moved to the rose-red city of Petra. Nowadays, several Bedouin tribes inhabit Rum and the surrounding area.
During Word War I, Wadi Rum was the headquarters of Emir Faisal bin Al-Hussein and T. E. Lawrence who fought in the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Lawrence became a legendary figure for his key role in the fight for the Arab cause. He made his home in this magical area. Ain Asshallaleh, also known as Lawrence's Spring is just a short walk up the hillside from the Nabataean temple. The mountain aptly known as the Seven Pillars of Wisdom was named by Lawrence and was the inspiration for the title of his book of the same name.
2-Hour Jeep Safari
Upon arrival you are welcome to drink tea at Mohammed's house in Wadi Rum village. The tour starts with a jeep safari visiting Nabataean Temple,Al Shallaleh Spring Lawrence Spring, the sand dune, Jabal Khazali (inscriptions) and El Qattar Spring. You will then arrive at the Bedouin tent at Sunset Camp where you can relax with traditional Bedouin food and music. The best place to see the sun set and rise is Umm Sabtah. The following morning you can have your breakfast at the camp and then return to the Wadi Rum village.
Price: for 2 people JD 40 per person, for 3 people JD 35 per person, for 4-6 people JD 30 per person, including 2 meals, one nights accommodation and a Bedouin Jeep Driver.
4-Hour Jeep Safari
Upon arrival you are welcome to drink tea at Mohammed's house in Wadi Rum village. The tour starts with a jeep safari visiting: Nabataean Temple,Al Shallaleh Spring Lawrence Spring, Little Bridge, Um Frouth Rock Bridge, then taking Mohammed's road through the desert visiting the Red and White Desert, Yellow Sand Dune, Nabatean Deep, and the Cow Stone. After that you will arrive at the Bedouin tent at Sunset Camp where you can relax with traditional Bedouin food and music. The best place to see the sun set and rise is Umm Sabtah. The following morning you can have your breakfast at the camp and then return to the Wadi Rum village.
Price: for 2 people JD 45 per person, for 3 people JD 40 per person, for 4-6 people JD 35 per person, including 2 meals, one nights accommodation and a Bedouin jeep driver.
4-Hour Camel Tour
Upon arrival you are welcome to drink tea at Mohammed's house in Wadi Rum village. The tour starts at Wadi Rum Village, stopping at Lawrence Spring, the sand dune and Jebel Khazali (inscriptions) finishing at Sunset Camp. A packed lunch is provided. You will then arrive at the Bedouin tent at Sunset Camp where you can relax with traditional Bedouin food and music. The best place to see the sun set and rise is Umm Sabtah. The following morning you can have your breakfast at the camp and then return to the Wadi Rum village.
Price: for 2-4 people JD 60 per person, including 3 meals, one nights accommodation and a Bedouin guide.