Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum, a desert full of natural beauty. Where different colours of sand and dunes meet rocks and towering mountains. The most spectacular rock formations of arches, flat-cut sandstone mountains, and rocky overhangs, shaped over a million years by water and sand storms. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and has also been declared a protected area.
It is also famous for its Mars-like appearance, plus many famous movies have been shot in the Wadi Rum desert.
Lawrence's Spring
This ancient waterhole has been of great importance to travelers since Nabatean times. Long time ago, livestock had to be taken up to the actual spring, but later pipes were built to bring the water down.
We will stop for around 20min and you can also look at some ancient inscriptions.
Big Red Sand Dune
This dune is perfect for climbing up, and then running and jumping it down again afterward. You can even try sandboarding (let us know in advance). From the top you can overlook wide areas of the desert.
Khazali Canyon
This towering mountain got its name from the story of a guy called Ali, who jumped down 30m and survived from this huge towering mountain while being followed by enemies (khaz=jump, Ali=ali).
A canyon leads inside and you can look at different types of ancient inscriptions which we will show you and explain to you in further detail on-site.
Little Arch
Another breathtaking rock formation when viewed from the right angle. This cute little arch only takes a minute to climb up, but still offers a vast view over the protected area from its top.
Lawrence's House
These remains of a house were originally built by the Nabateans, then renewed by the Romans, and more recently used by Lawrence of Arabia as dwelling or storage space. It is also famous for the 1962 movie by the same name.
The site also features a rocky hill that you can scramble up.
Um Frouth Arch
One of the most beautiful sites in the Wadi Rum desert, this rock arch you can scramble up and take some beautiful pictures with you on its top. Don't worry, it is wider than it looks like from the bottom, so no risk of falling down! Some steps are carved into the rock to make it easier to climb up
Abu Kashaba Canyon
This narrow sandy canyon is also one of the highlights of Wadi Rum Protected Area. It takes about 25 min to walk through. There are also some rocks you have to climb over on your way, and we will wait for you with the jeep on the other end and pick you up from there.
Burrah Canyon
This canyon is wide enough to drive through by car. It is a very long canyon which has very scenic views all throughout the 10-15min drive. The winding curvy route with smaller and bigger sizes of mountains on both sides and the white sand in the middle look absolutely stunning, whether you explore it on foot, or from the back of a jeep.
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Mushroom Rock
This rock has been shaped over time to look like a mushroom through natural sand erosion. It has a little storage space carved out at the bottom where Bedouins used to store food.
Al Hash
This is an easy mountain hike with a pretty flat ascent. It is also located in the South Desert close to Umm Addami. The hike takes about 2h going up and coming down and passes sandy areas, salt crystals, and great views on the way. From the top, you can see all over the White Desert, Sabbat Valley and Umm Addami
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Chicken Rock
This rock is another example of a free-standing rock with a curious shape. Although the name is not official, many people call it the Chicken Rock due to its resemblance to a standing chicken. It has been formed over time through erosion of sand.
Burdah Rock Bridge
The most famous rock arch of Wadi Rum sits on top of Burdah Mountain. It is an interesting and adventurous route to reach there from the ground with some steep parts, and takes about 1h to ascend. You will scramble over rocks and often have to use your hands. The arch is a very popular spot for taking amazing pictures.
It can be seen from the ground near the opposite mountain as a tiny little arch, in case you don't want to hike up.
Umm Ishrun Canyon
This is a wide canyon with steep red cliffs. The huge vertical structures on both sides look extremely impressive. It is a long stretched canyon, that can be entered through Rakhabat Canyon from Wadi Rum Village.
Water Hole
In this water hole, you can always find water inside. When a lot of rain falls during the winter months, the water accumulates down in the cemented hole and stays there all year round, used by Bedouins living in the desert throughout time.
Nughara View
Nughara View and Canyon is located deep inside in the White Desert in the South of Wadi Rum. The scenic canyon is just about wide enough to pass through with a car. You can admire a faraway view over huge areas of the white desert.
White Canyon
This canyon you can only pass through on foot. It features a white valley with white sand but also different shades of sand, and you pass through corners. It takes around thirty minutes from one end to another.
Umm Addami
The route up is at an intermediate level. It is not too difficult while still interesting going over rocks. You will scramble over rocks, and sometimes even use your hands. On the top you will be rewarded with a 360 view in all directions, including Saudi Arabia. You can see vast areas of the desert until very far.
White Desert
Located in the far South of the Wadi Rum desert, this area is not crowded like the central part, very quiet, and no tourist camps can be seen anywhere.
The vast expanse of white sand and mountains looks stunningly beautiful, especially with the stripes of red sand in between at some places.
Anfeshieh Inscriptions
Although ancient inscriptions can be found all over the Wadi Rum desert, another main site with many interesting and well-preserved drawings carved into the rock can be found here, the oldest dating back up to 2000 years. The so-called petroglyphs are mostly signs of animals and people in form of stick-like drawings, originating from the Nabatean as well as Thamud peoples.
Drawings of camels are assumed to have been made by passing travelers riding on camels, as a major trading route passed here.
Rakhabat Canyon
This canyon is a technical route from Wadi Rum Village crossing Umm Ishrin Mountain, the towering mountain you can see on the left when entering the village. It involves scrambling and use of hands, and will eventually lead you down into Umm Ishrin Canyon
Nabatean Temple
Although we don't usually pass here during our desert tours (unless maybe on special requests), this ancient site was the first permanent settlement of the Nabateans in the area.
If you have some spare time in the village, before or after your tour, you can easily walk there from the village and have a look around.
Big Sand Dunes
This area has several huge sand dunes of different colours. Although it takes some time and effort to climb up especially during the hot summer months, it is extremely fun to run and jump down from the top.
From up, can also enjoy picturesque views of the valleys and canyons around. They are usually less crowded than the red sand dune close to the village.
