Wadi Rum is a destination in its own right, both for its surreal landscape and pleasantly isolated location. To get the most out of your experience, you'll want to spend the night. Whether you want to feel like you've landed on Mars or prefer something a bit more down to earth, this list has you covered.
Spending the Night in Wadi Rum
Visiting Wadi Rum is an experience worthy of every travel cliché. This protected desert valley punctuated with huge sandstone formations is stunning, unforgettable, otherworldly—and the best way to experience it is by spending the night. Options generally range from glamping in decked-out luxury tents and pods to rudimentary bivouac camping, though there is also one lodge in the area with some standard resort features.
Bedouin culture is extremely family-oriented, and this welcoming vibe is extended to travelers and their children. All accommodations listed here (save for the Digital Detox Retreat) are kid-friendly, and children will likely be enamored with the area's many activities: camel and horseback rides, climbing on rocks and dunes, and listening to traditional music around the fire, to name a few. Note that some camps have shared (clean) bathroom blocks, and amenities are few if you choose to camp under the stars, so give some thought to what works best for your family.
Camps are only permitted in certain parts of Wadi Rum, and many are located outside of the protected area's borders in neighboring Disi. If your camp is within the boundaries, you'll be picked up (usually at the Wadi Rum Rest House at Rum Village) before entering the park by a Bedouin guide with a license to drive inside the reserve—this is almost always arranged ahead of time by the camp.
Though most camps do operate nearly year-round, travelers with a specific camp in mind will want to book well in advance, especially if visiting in the high season .
Check out the Ultimate Guide to Wadi Rum for more info on planning your visit to the area.
Here are the 06 ways to spend your night in Wadi Rum:
1- The Bedouin / Echo / traditional camps:
There are hundreds of camps to choose from in Wadi Rum., experience of living in the desert and enjoying the simple Bedouin life.
The Bedouin live in woolen tents, called Black tents. Herding goats and camels are a part of the traditional Bedouin culture. The goats and camels follow the Bedouin through the desert and provide them with milk, meat and wool. At a traditional Bedouin camp in the Wadi Rum desert, tented seating is kept cozy with a wood-burning fire.
Bedouin camps are located at the heart of the desert. They are an eco-friendly camp offer a traditional & real Bedouin experience. They have either shared or private bathrooms, equipped with mattresses, blankets and pillows. The camps are easy access to major archaeological sites. Desert buggies, camel rides, and jeep safaris can be arranged … After a day out, guests can enjoy a traditional Bedouin meal by the campfire or in the communal tent, guests can enjoy the traditional Bedouin cuisine served at the camp. Guests are invited to help staff prepare a traditional meal according to local traditions. Aslo, you can relax by the camp fire in the evening. The traditional Bedouin meal cooked in the camp are : Zarb ( which is cooked under the sand ) , the Bedouin barbeque , Also Mansaf, Maqloba vegan and vegetarian options ... Tea, coffee and other hot beverages are offered all day.
Examples of the Bedouins camps , please check their websites for more information , check the camps pictures as well :
A- Beyond Wadi Rum Camp : Click here / their website link
B - Wadi Rum Quiet Village Camp : Click here / their website link
C- Bedouin Lifestyle Camp : Click here / their website link
2- Have the Desert to Yourself on a Bivouac Camping Trip (Desert Camping / Camping under the stars / Bivouac Camping)
This experience is recommended to sleep under the stars! If you aren't looking for a wellness experience but like the idea of solitude under the stars, you can book a bivouac camping trip in the desert. A knowledgeable Bedouin guide will drive you to a secluded spot and set up a simple campsite with mattresses and blankets while your group explores the area—take a hike, scramble on rock formations, or bring sandboards to ride the dunes. Enjoy sweet sage tea and traditional Bedouin fare around the fire before getting perhaps the best sleep of your life in the silence of the remote wilderness. Continue your journey the next day
No matter what you choose, any overnight stay in Wadi Rum can be combined with Jordan's other classic (and more off-the-beaten-path) sights and activities on a trip through the country.
This option is usually included as a part of one of our longer hiking tours, however we can offer this to people who wish to have a private evening 'free camping' in the Wadi Rum desert. We offer this in a number of different locations, which are usually selected according to the time of year, the weather & the tour you are taking.
You spend the night around the fire with your guide, who will prepare everything for you, including dinner, on the fire.
This is free camping in the desert away from any tourists camps, and it can be called the 'real' Bedouin experience.
We provide mattresses and blankets, you sleep in the open under the stars. Jerry Cans are provided with water for hand/ face washing etc. Bottled Water is provided for drinking.
This option does not have bathrooms because it is located in the wilderness area of Wadi Rum. Please take care when going to the bathroom here to bury your waste and to burn or remove any paper you use. The desert is beautiful, lets all try to keep it that way! We do not provide loo paper, sheets or towels.
We invite you to sleep under the stars with us! It is a truly original experience. Sleeping under the stars will remain one of your cherished memories of Wadi Rum as it is the suggested and preferred sleeping style for all our Bedouin guides. It is something that cannot be missed. From our campsite you are able to watch the sunset fall behind the horizon as the stars slowly become vibrant in the crystal clear night sky.
We accommodate you with full bedding, mattress and plenty of blankets, so that you can enjoy the stars and your thoughts in the pleasure of complete comfort.
Come experience the tranquility and serenity of Wadi Rum. Camp among the remote crags, cliffs, and canyons that make up the world’s most beautiful desert. We provide everything you need for a magical night under the desert stars.
We offer a wide variety of tours including jeep, camel, and hiking tours, all of which involve camping in the open desert. Our experienced Bedouin guides are friendly, professional, and eager to share their knowledge and love of Wadi Rum and the desert lifestyle with you.
Wadi Rum is an experience unlike anything else on Earth, and the best way to experience it is spending your night in the vast and quiet desert away from the noise and lights of camps or tourists.
If you want to make your journey unforgettable and to feel a real authentic atmosphere of the desert, instead of staying in the tent, you can choose to sleep under the starts. You spend the evening around the fire with your guide, who will prepare everything for you, including your dinner and breakfast.
Please contact us if you are looking for such experience , we can include it with your package .
3- Yoga , Get (Far) Away From It All on a Digital Detox Retreat
Wellness-focused retreats have been popping up throughout Jordan, and it makes sense—yoga and meditation are made that much better when you have a dramatic, ancient desert as a backdrop.
Get your own slice of serenity for a night with a "digital detox" yoga retreat in the desert near Wadi Rum. You'll be picked up and taken to an area with no cell service or wifi (not hard to come by in these parts) to zen out. A chef will prepare healthy meals and you'll sleep al fresco. Depending on the interests of your group, you can participate in a meditative walk, vinyasa flow yoga sessions, a fire ceremony, and a drum circle—or, simply opt to spend your evening stargazing.
The digital detox can be a one-night excursion, or you can take part in a multi-day yoga retreat or horseback riding tour that incorporates an off-the-grid experience. Ask a local specialist for details.
Please contact us if you are looking for such experience , we can include it with your package .
4- Get the Best of Both Worlds at a Resort-Style Lodge
The closest you'll come to a resort in the immediate vicinity of Wadi Rum is the Bait Ali Lodge ( Other camps are available with the same style , please contact us for more options ) . A sprawling compound between the Desert Highway turnoff and Rum Village, amenities include air-conditioned chalets, a shopping bazaar, its own amphitheater, and—no, that's not a mirage—even a swimming pool. (There's also a campground, but if you're booking here, camping is probably not what you're after). The restaurant has a wider range of options than many camps in Wadi Rum—think organic produce, ice cream, and other continental standbys—and each Friday guests enjoy a party atmosphere complete with DJ and traditional barbecue.
Examples :
A- Bait Ali Lodge : Click here / their website link
B- Rahayeb Desert Camp : Click here / their website link
C- Captain's Desert Camp : Click here / their website link
D- Sand Rose Camp(Hillawi Camp) : Click here / their website link
5- Standard Luxury Tents (Standard Bedouin Style Tents )
The Standard Tent is an ultimate choice for guests who seek an accommodation that combines the distinctive Bedouin style with traditional simple comfort.
Room Amenities:
A Mountain view room with a choice of king size bed or twin beds
Private bathroom and shower
Individual Air condition
Balcony & Seating Area
Terrace
24-Hour check in
24-Hour Electricity
Hot Water
Towels
Guest toiletries
Cotton sheets
Extra bed available upon request
In the luxury camps , facilities are better and you will get more and more facilities in the desert ...
Retreat to your private Bedouin style tent with its surrounding expanse of silken sand and luxurious accommodation. Wadi Rum luxury camps consist of fully equipped luxury tents, each spacious guest tent is luxurious furnished completed with comfortable king-size or twin beds, Bedouin sofa, mirrors, lamps, and the finest bed linens. All the furniture is hand-made. There is cozy relaxation area outside the tent to watch the stars at night. Electricity is provided in the guest tents in the evenings via solar power. Each tent has a private terrace with a fantastic view over the Wadi Rum Mountains.
Examples :
A- The Sun City Camp : Click here / their website link
B- Mazayen Rum Camp : Click here / their website link
C- Memories Aihca Camp : Click here / their website link
D- Wadi Rum Night Camp : Click here / their website link
E- Sharah Luxury Camp : Click here / their website link
F- Rum Oasis Camp : Click here / their website link
6- Star Gazing Tents / Panoramic tents / Full of stars tents / Martian Tents / Dome Tents
Those types of tents are also available in the same camps that the luxury camps have (beside the standard luxury tents ) , but those are upgraded tents of the standard luxury tents , upgrades options to those tents are available, Combining modern style living and comfort while still living the authentic desert experience , These tents offer you the opportunity to sleep under starlit sky in beautifully decorated bubble rooms with endless views of the stunning Wadi Rum desert landscape.
The names of those star gazing tents are different from camp to the others but they are in the same goal , but the style, shape , size are different , the names of the star-gazing tents are : bubble, full of stars, panoramic tents, martian tents, dome tents, star tents ...etc. You need to check following examples :
A- The Sun City Camp : Click here / their website link
B- Mazayen Rum Camp : Click here / their website link
C- Memories Aihca Camp : Click here / their website link
D- Sharah Luxury Camp : Click here / their website link
E- Rum Oasis Camp : Click here / their website link
F- Wadi Rum UFO Luxotel : Click here / their website link
J- Wadi Rum Bubble Luxotel : Click here / their website link
