Overland region

Wadi Rum by 4x4: local guides and trips

A 4x4 pickup in the sand, below the sandstone mountains of Wadi Rum
Photo: Jorge Láscar from Australia, CC BY 2.0

Wadi Rum is a valley cut into sandstone and granite in southern Jordan, about 60 km east of Aqaba and close to the Saudi border; its protected area has been a UNESCO World Heritage site since 2011. For anyone travelling by 4x4 it means sand tracks between tall sandstone mountains, rock bridges, canyons with ancient petroglyphs and Jordan's highest peak, Jebel Umm ad Dami. Bedouin communities, mainly the Zalabieh, run camps and provide meals and transport across the desert. Here are the local guides who work in the area and the trips that cross it.

2 local guides and 4 trips in Wadi Rum on GuideMeet.

On the map

  1. Disi — Village. Village in Quweira District, north-east of Wadi Rum village, with about 3,000 inhabitants (2017 estimate). The Disi aquifer, which shares its name, supplies water to Aqaba and, by pipeline, to Amman. 29.6535, 35.5143 · Google Maps
  2. Wadi Rum Visitor Centre Wadi Rum Visitor Centre — Park. Visitor centre of the protected area, on the road in, north of the village. Near the entrance stands the rock formation known as the Seven Pillars (pictured). 29.6392, 35.4344 · Google Maps
  3. Wadi Rum Village Wadi Rum Village — Village. Bedouin village of several hundred people, with a few shops and the headquarters of the Desert Patrol. The Zalabieh tribe runs eco-adventure tourism in the protected area: camps, 4x4 tours, camel rides. 29.5748, 35.4218 · Google Maps
  4. Nabataean Temple Nabataean Temple — Archaeological site. Ruins of a Nabataean temple within walking distance of the Rest House, found in 1933. A French team of archaeologists finished the excavations in 1997. 29.5780, 35.4153 · Google Maps
  5. Lawrence's Spring Lawrence's Spring — Spring. Spring named after T. E. Lawrence, who passed through Wadi Rum several times during the Arab Revolt of 1917–18. It lies about 2 km south-west of the village, at the top of a short scramble. 29.5598, 35.4102 · Google Maps
  6. Jebel Rum Jebel Rum — Peak. At 1,734 m, the second-highest peak in Jordan, rising right above the Rum valley. Traditional climbing routes on its east face make it one of the main attractions for climbers. 29.5833, 35.4000 · Google Maps
  7. Jebel Umm Ishrin — Peak. Peak facing Jebel Rum across the valley, possibly one metre lower. The mountains of Wadi Rum are largely Umm Ishrin Sandstone: iron-rich and resistant to erosion. 29.5856, 35.4403 · Google Maps
  8. Khazali Canyon Khazali Canyon — Canyon. Canyon with petroglyphs of people and antelopes carved in the cave walls, dating back to Thamudic times. Pictured: engravings in the siq of Jebel Khazali. 29.5180, 35.4235 · Google Maps
  9. Red Sand Dunes Red Sand Dunes — Dunes. Red dunes in the Wadi Rum desert. The sand here forms barchans and climbing dunes, sand ramps that reach the tops of hills. 29.5290, 35.4217 · Google Maps
  10. Burdah Rock Bridge Burdah Rock Bridge — Rock formation. Natural rock bridge on Jebel Burdah, south-east of the village: one of the sandstone arches shaped by wind and erosion in Wadi Rum. 29.4685, 35.4967 · Google Maps
  11. Um Fruth Rock Bridge Um Fruth Rock Bridge — Rock formation. Natural rock bridge on Jebel Umm Fruth, south of the village: another of the sandstone arches shaped by wind and erosion in Wadi Rum. 29.4686, 35.4492 · Google Maps
  12. Jebel Umm ad Dami Jebel Umm ad Dami — Peak. The highest mountain in Jordan, roughly 1,850 m, 30 km south of Wadi Rum village. From the top, on a clear day, you can see the Red Sea and the Saudi border. 29.3083, 35.4292 · Google Maps

Local guides in Wadi Rum

Overland trips in Wadi Rum

When to go

Wadi Rum has a desert climate, with scant rain that falls in thunderstorms and often comes as flash floods: check the weather before entering canyons and dry riverbeds. In nearby Aqaba winters are mild and summers very hot and dry.

Before you go

Photo credits

Photos from Wikimedia Commons, under the licences shown.

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