The El Uadi Rum or Wadi Rum, Wadi Ramm, meaning “valley of sand” or “valley of Rome”, also known as the Valley of the Moon, is a desert valley located in a mountainous region formed by granite and sandstone in southern Jordan, 60 km east-northeast of Aqaba. It is the longest wadi in Jordan. The name rum means “high” or “high” in the Aramaic language, and its pronunciation denotes the nearby Arab influence. The highest point of Uadi Rum is Mount Jabal Umm ad Dami, with 1854 meters above sea level.
During the First World War, Lawrence of Arabia had his headquarters here to attack from here the slightly more distant Hejaz Railway and the South Aqaba.
The protected area of Uadi Rum is the first mixed site declared a World Heritage Site (2011) by UNESCO in Jordan.The Wadi Rum was always the scene of filming , among others Shots of Wadi Rum in Lawrence of Arabia from 1962 kick-started Jordan’s tourism industry,scenes were shot in the Wadi Rum scenes that play on the red planet Mars: Red Planet, The Last Days on Mars, The Martian (The Martian); in Transformers 2 – The Revenge, the scenes in Egypt were filmed here.
Access : Coordinates: 29.593056, 35.42 / By car : Wadi Rum can be reached via a short detour from the desert highway between Amman and Aqaba. A secondary road, 1 40 km north of Aqaba, leads to 21 km to the entrance where the Wadi Rum Visitors Center,
By bus :
Most of the buses running the highway between Aqaba and Petra / Amman should be able to leave you at the intersection with Wadi Rum, with the exception of the Jett company buses. Once you arrive at the intersection, you can hitchhike or take another minibus at the Visitor’s Center where you can meet your guide or hitch a ride to Wadi Rum Village (about 7 km).
From Aqaba : By Bus :
You can reach Wadi Rum by taking any bus or minibus (1-3 JD) from Aqaba bus station to Amman, Ma’an or Petra and get off at Wadi Rum turn. The junction is well signposted on the highway to Amman, about 40 km from Aqaba. Buses run north every hour from 07:00 to 15:00, another company (Afana) runs them until 22:00.
A private taxi from Aqaba will cost you 25-35 JD depending on where you are in the city , even 30 JD is the price almost universally quoted by tourists, and you might be in trouble to lower it to 25 JD, and it will take you to the Visitor Center
From Petra : By Bus :
There is a daily bus from Wadi Musa (Petra) which leaves at 06:00 and costs 7 JD./Taxis from Petra cost 30-35 JD / From Amman :
By Bus : No buses go directly from Amman, but regular buses go to Aqaba or Ma’an./Service taxis should cost 15-25 JD per person.
Get around : Probably the most original way of being in Wadi Rum is on the back of a camel. A little faster it goes on horseback.Adapted to our time is the drive with open SUVs, mostly Land Rover or Toyota off-roader with two benches on the back.
Permits / Fees :
The cost to access the Wadi Rum protected area is 5 JD per person. The ticket is taken at the 3 Wadi Rum Visitors Center.beware the Petra scammers who try to take you on a tour of the northern desert to Wadi Rum for 80 JD.
Highlights :
- rock formations : Like the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, named after the description in the book of Lawrence of Arabia.
- Lawrence’s fountain : A small spring 2 km southwest of the village of Rum. The pond is rather unspectacular, but the view over the desert is fantastic.
Nabataean temple in Rum : In the area all around one finds Thamudische and Kufische stone art. - Rock bridges : Little Rock Bridge / Burdah and Um Frouth
- Siq Um al Tawaqi : In the gorge, Lawrence of Arabia had set up his hidden encampment, a stone with his portrait recalling it.
- Canyons : Khazali, Burrah, Siq To Tawaqi.
- Red Sand dunes-Umm Ishrin , / Jebel Burdah , Big Rock Bridge/Arch , it is possible to climb up to this rock bridge.
- Seven Pillars of Wisdom : an impressive rock formation near the Visitor’s centre / The Anfashieh Inscriptions :depictions of a camel caravan from the Nabatean and Thaumadic period./
- Shalalah Spring :Near the Nabatean Temple / Nabataean Temple: Near the Rest House in Rum Village / Lawrence’s house : beautiful spot in the desert.
Activities :
The attraction of Wadi Rum is the desert landscape, best seen in a rented jeep (75 JD per car with driver) or by camel (15 JD per camel per hour). Some visitors are only a few hours in the wadi, but a multi-day guided tour with overnight in a tent is also recommended./
Hiking / Climbing / Hot Air Ballooning / Scrambling / camel ride / 4×4 adventures / Petra and Wadi Rum Group Tours / Khazali Canyon Jeep Tour / Hiking Wadi Rum Goat Trail / Lawrence’s House Jeep Tour / multi-day guided tour with overnight in a tent
Nearby Attractions – Go next : Petra / Shoubak Castle / Kerak / Wadi Mujib / Madaba / Dead Sea / Aqaba / Amman
