Are you planning to visit Wadi Rum by yourself? Good choice. Jordan is an amazing country for independent solo trips and group trips. And if Wadi Rum is part of your travel plans, this article is for you.
Today, we will be discussing everything you need to know about how to get to the Wadi Rum Visitor Center, what to do there and where to go from there. Enjoy!
| Do these 4 Things at the Wadi Rum Visitor Center: |
| Pay the Entrance Fee to the Wadi Rum Protected Area (5 JD). Withdraw money from the last ATM before the desert. Communicate with your hosts to let them know you are coming. Ask for additional information such as a Map of Wadi Rum. |
Dive into the Wadi Rum Desert.
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- Dive into the Wadi Rum Desert.
- Getting to the Wadi Rum Visitor Center – Everything You Need To Know
- Things to Do at Wadi Rum Visitor Centre
- Getting From Wadi Rum Visitor Centre to Wadi Rum Village
- Getting From Wadi Rum Village to the Wadi Rum Desert
- FAQ
Getting to the Wadi Rum Visitor Center – Everything You Need To Know
The Wadi Rum Visitor Center is the gateway to your Wadi Rum experience. It is an obligatory checkpoint for every visitor to the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Might as well check how to get there, right?
The Wadi Rum Visitor Center is located right on the desert road leading from Aqaba City to Wadi Rum Village. This road is the only paved road to access Wadi Rum, and therefore it is impossible to miss it. Let’s break down how to get there with different modes of transport.
By Car
Travelers coming by private or rental car from the Northern cities of Amman or Wadi Musa (Petra), follow the Desert Highway until they reach the village of Rashidiyah. From there, turn onto Wadi Rum Road and follow until you see the Visitor Centre. Coming from Aqaba City, you will come from Aqaba Highway before turning onto the Desert Highway. On your drive, keep an eye out for the Seven Pillars of Wadi Rum.
By Taxi
Travelers coming to Wadi Rum by taxi, have it easier. Hitch a taxi from the nearest city to Wadi Rum, the Red Sea port Aqaba, and tell the taxi driver you are meeting your hosts at Wadi Rum Rest House. By now, this is a standard procedure for the taxi drivers and they will know exactly where to drop you off. If needed, the taxi driver will be happy to contact your camp host in Wadi Rum for a smoother pick-up.
By Bus
Visitors arriving to Wadi Rum by bus, have it even easier. Buses coming into Wadi Rum include stops at the visitor center to pay the ticket and a stop a the Rest House. If you want to be dropped at another place along the road, make sure to communicate it with the driver in advance. Check bus prices on the JETT Bus website.
Things to Do at Wadi Rum Visitor Centre
The Wadi Rum Visitor Centre is not only an obligatory checkpoint for you and your friends or family to enter the desert, it is also the perfect place to take care of some important details of your trip.
After all, you are venturing deep into the Wadi Rum Desert. Therefore, make sure to take some time to run some very important errands such as: paying the entrance fee to the Wadi Rum Protected Area and withdrawing money from the last ATM before the Wadi Rum desert.
Pay the Entrance Fee (Or Scan Your Jordan Pass)
Arriving to the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre, you will be asked to stop and pay for your ticket to the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Fees are simple and fair. Under current rates, every person is asked to pay 5 JD to enter the desert, while children under the age of 5 enter for free.
Also note, that you will be asked to pay an additional fee of 25 JD, if you are entering with a vehicle that you intend to use in the desert. Cars that are dropped at Wadi Rum Rest House enter at no additional cost.
If you have purchased the Jordan Pass, you are exempt from paying the entrance fee to the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Just make sure to have a hard copy of the pass to present it to the staff of the Wadi Rum Visitor Centre. If you don’t know about the benefits of the Jordan Pass yet, we recommend you to familiarise yourself with the scheme here.
Withdraw Money from the ATM
In the Wadi Rum desert including Wadi Rum Village, you will not have access to any bank or ATMs. Therefore, make sure to have enough cash on hand to pay for services, food and acommodation. Use the ATM at the visitor centre to take care of that, if you haven’t done so already.
However, we advise you to take care of all your cash needs in Amman, Wadi Musa (Petra) or Aqaba City already, to avoid paying higher fees and the risk of the last ATM before the desert to be out of service. Also note that the Bedouin hosts in the desert also accept payments in USD and EUR.
Communicate with Your Hosts
Mobile connectivity in the desert is available, but by far not as reliable as outside of the desert – as you can imagine. Therefore, we advise you to take care of vital communication needs at the Wadi Rum Visitor Center.
If you are planning to meet with a Bedouin tour guide or a host to one of the campsites in the desert, make sure to drop them a text saying that you have made it to the Wadi Rum Visitor Center. They will know that you are about to arrive to your destination and will wait for you at the Wadi Rum Rest House.
Ask for Additional Information
Are you lacking some vital information? Have you not been able to book a tour or make a hotel reservation for your stay yet? Would you like to have a map of Wadi Rum, to navigate the desert independently? Make sure to ask for additional information at the visitor centre.
The staff at the visitor centre is not only trained to receive your entrance fee, but also speaks English and knows everything about Wadi Rum that you might be wondering about. Usually, they also have access to additional material to supplement the research you have done.
Getting From Wadi Rum Visitor Centre to Wadi Rum Village
Getting from the Wadi Rum Visitor Center to Wadi Rum Village is a breeze. Buses and taxis always take you directly to the Village and drop you off around the Rest House, if not communicated otherwise.
If you are heading to Wadi Rum in your own car, just get back behind the steering wheel and follow the road for another 10 minutes. You will arrive to the village and the Rest House will be located to your right hand side.
Getting From Wadi Rum Village to the Wadi Rum Desert
In most cases your driver will drop you right in front of the Rest House. Arriving by car, you will also end your journey here and park it on the extensive free parking lot of the Rest House. If you have made arrangements with a host of one of the campsites or a tour guide, they will be waiting for you here.
From here, your hosts will drive you in their pick-up trucks where ever you need to go. Ask them to take you to a store, if you are looking to buy food. What will follow, is a bumpy, but thrilling 30-ish minute trip into the desert to where your camp is located.
What lays in front of you now, is the vast red sand desert with unique sights such as red sand dunes, natural stone arches such as Burdah Rock Bridge and untold amounts of history to discover. Immersive yourself in the life of the locals and step into the paths once wandered by Lawrence of Arabia.
FAQ
Can you visit Wadi Rum without a tour?
Yes, you totally can. Visiting Wadi Rum as a solo traveler or as part of an independent group is a good and unique way of exploring this amazing desert.
Please note though, that driving in the desert comes with an extra charge for your vehicle (35 JD) and only off-road vehicles are recommended the desert. You can book accommodations (hotels or desert campsites) with breakfast and dinner with one of the camps in the desert.
How to get from Wadi Rum Visitor Center to Wadi Rum Village?
The Wadi Rum Visitor Center is located along the only road that leads in the Wadi Rum Protected Area. Once you have paid your entrance fee or presented your Jordan Pass, you can simply hop back into your vehicle and continue on the same road for another 10 minutes until you reach Wadi Rum Village.
How much is Wadi Rum entrance fee?
At the Wadi Rum Visitor Center, an entrance fee is charged for every tourists. Current fees are set at 5 Jd per adult, while kids under the age of 5 enter for free.
If you have purchased a Jordan Pass, you will not have to pay any fee to enter the Wadi Rum Protected Area. For more information about the Jordan Pass, click here.
Is it worth going to Wadi Rum?
Millions of tourists from all around the world make their way to Jordan every year. Most of them also make a stop in Wadi Rum as it is one of the major tourist sights in the country alongside Petra and the cultural capital Amman.
Wadi Rum is regarded the Mars on Earth for its unique red sandstone landscapes and will provide you with an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime experience.
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