On my second day in Wadi Rum, I went on a tour of the national park. Originally, I had planned to walk through the desert on my own, but the owner of the campsite where I stayed suggested a jeep tour of the Wadi Rum landmarks. I could choose between a three-hour or a six-hour excursion and decided on the former, as I had to return to Amman in the evening.
I booked the tour in advance while communicating with my campsite owner through the hotel booking site. The cost of the jeep tour itself was 60 dinars. The accommodation cost another 40 dinars, I paid 15 dinars for dinner, and 20 for the transfer from the visitor center to the camp.
In the first article about the desert trip, I mentioned that I was supposed to be the only one staying at the camp, but we picked up a few more people on the way from the visitor center. Since I had booked the tour in advance, the camp owner persuaded me to go through the desert with just a driver. The other camp residents went on a different tour together. Later, I regretted choosing a private tour instead of a group trip: it would have been more interesting.
.webp)
Jeep Tour in Wadi Rum Desert
My trip began at 10 AM, right after breakfast. The tour included several stops at various locations. The first was a mountain with petroglyphs. According to my guide, Khalid, the age of these rock carvings is quite impressive, though I suspect it might just be a legend for tourists. Right there, near the mountain, we saw a camel. Khalid stopped the jeep near the animal, explained that it was his father's camel, and suggested I take some photos.
Over the next three hours, we drove through the national park territory. According to Khalid, Wadi Rum is divided into the red and white deserts. This, as the name suggests, is due to the different colors of sand in different parts of the natural complex. At each stop, the guide gave me a few minutes for a walk while he waited by the car. Almost everywhere we found small cafes combined with tourist shops. The sellers were quite unobtrusive; it wasn't mandatory to buy anything.
.webp)
Among the locations we visited were several whimsical mountain ranges. At the very end of the tour, we reached a place called "Lawrence's Spring." It is likely connected to Thomas Edward Lawrence, also known as Lawrence of Arabia. Guidebooks state that during the Arab Revolt against the Ottoman Empire in World War I, the headquarters of this British intelligence officer was located in Wadi Rum.
After the excursion, Khalid and I stopped for lunch at a local spot, after which he offered to show me another spring in the mountains. I made it to that spot too, though I never quite understood how people collect water from there. By 4 PM, I was already back at the Wadi Rum visitor center, from where I headed back to Amman.
As for advice on visiting Wadi Rum, I recommend bringing sunscreen. Even though I was here in October, the weather was hot and I got a severe sunburn. I would also advise being more careful with your valuables: if you drop a phone or a camera into the sand, there is a high probability you won't see your gadget again, as it will simply get lost in the sand.
With this, I conclude my series of stories about the journey through magical Jordan. If you haven't read the previous articles in this cycle, I suggest checking out the materials on the Amman Citadel, the Jordan Museum, and amazing Petra.
Happy travels!
