Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan: what to see and what the 4x4 tour is like.

From the outset I have to admit that even me trip to Jordan I had not had the opportunity to meet any great desert, an experience that many of us want to enjoy sometime.

Through friends who have visited them, I knew of the special sensations that come with traveling through a desert and spending the night in it.

In fact, my interest in this trip had very specific focuses, such as the incredible enclave of Petra or the curiosity of bathe in the Dead Sea.

But until then I knew little about Wadi Rum desert.

My interest in this place increased after a friend's comment Paco Nadal, which has a Wadi Rum between the most wonderful places in the world.

Story of Lawrence of Arabia in Wadi Rum

And I also had a first visual approach when choosing to see the movie of Lawrence of Arabia during the pleasant flight with Air Jordan from Madrid to Amman.

It is precisely this character that has greatly contributed to the fame of Wadi Rum, because as the film reflects, the historic revolt of the Arabs against the Ottoman Turks between 1916 and 1918 took place in these landscapes.

Tras visit Wadi RumI must state that Paco Nadal I was right.

What the Wadi Rum desert is like

Wadi Rum It is located near southern Jordan, about 60 kilometers northeast of Aqaba, a city located on the banks of the Red Sea.

It is a plain that is located at a certain height, about 1.600 meters, on which large mountain blocks composed of granite and sandstone rise.

As we approached the semi-arid landscapes of this area of Jordan, I found a certain similarity with another of the great places such as the access route to the Monument Valley, In west coast of united states.

But an important difference is that the road runs for many kilometers parallel to the tracks of the famous train that appeared in the aforementioned film. Lawrence of Arabia.

This railway line was built by the Turks, and one of the great battles reflected in the film took place along it.

It's when you get to the modern Visitors Center when you realize that you are, indeed, at the gates of the desert.

How to do a 4×4 tour in Wadi Rum

La Wadi Rum visit takes place in 4×4 all terrain vehicles.

They are of the type pickup so popular in the United States, which allows visitors to sit in the back box, open and with capacity for six people, and thus be able to take photos or film video.

At this center, several excursions are offered to tourists, from the simplest, 14 kilometers long and lasting just one hour, to the most comprehensive, 68 kilometers long and lasting eight hours.

An intermediate hike covering 50 kilometers will take you four hours.

These 4×4 excursions they will take you to different corners of the Wadi Rum desert.

When you start your excursion, do not expect to find a flat desert, but on the contrary, a combination of sandy areas, even with dunes and some vegetation, that extend between the large blocks of granite.

On your tour you will see paintings on rocks that date back more than 4000 years.

And you will also get close to viewpoints from where you will have beautiful views of Wadi Rum.

Of course, on this excursion they will take you to tents installed by the Bedouins who live in this area, where in addition to receiving you with a pleasant green tea, you will rest on large cushions on the floor.

And, of course, you will have the possibility to buy some remembrances.

You will also see some corners where traces of the presence of Lawrence of Arabia in Wadi Rum.

And you will eat the traditional arabic food in other jaima.

How to go on a camel tour in Wadi Rum

You will also have the opportunity to make a camel excursion.

In a typical camel caravan you will tour some of the corners of Wadi Rum to arrive in time to see the sunset from the top of one of the large rock blocks.

Watch the sunset in Wadi Rum

Don't be surprised when you see yourself among hundreds of tourists who spread out across the different rock blocks in this end-of-day ceremony at the desert excursion, The sunset view.

Finally, if you wish, you can complete your excursion to the desert by sleeping in some hotel with tents that you find in Wadi Rum.

In short, the visit of the Wadi Rum desert It will be a day that will leave its mark on you forever, and one of the essential stages trust your trip to Jordan.

Photos of Wadi Rum in Jordan

Here you have more photos of the Wadi Rum desert, Jordan.