Wadi Rum is a protected desert wilderness in southern Jordan where towering sandstone mountains rise from red and orange sands. Made famous by T.E. Lawrence and the film Lawrence of Arabia, and later by countless Hollywood productions, it is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a highlight of adventure tourism in Jordan.
Classic experiences include a jeep safari between natural arches, canyons and inscriptions; camel treks at sunset; sandboarding down dunes; and hot-air balloon flights at dawn. Most visitors spend the night in a Bedouin-style camp — from traditional goat-hair tents to luxury bubble domes — where dinner is cooked underground and the Milky Way blazes overhead.
Wadi Rum village is roughly two hours from Petra by road, an easy hop if you hire car & driver in Jordan. Full package tours to Jordan usually pair one night in the desert with Petra to create the country's most popular two-stop itinerary.
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