DISCLOSURE: This page may contain affiliate links, meaning if you click on a link to a product or service, and decide to purchase it, I get a commission at no extra cost to you. All recommended products and services are based on my positive experience with them. This helps me support my blog. For further information, please see my Disclaimer.
Wadi Rum is famous for being the set of movies like The Martian and Dune, its red sands creating the ambiance of an otherworldly planet. Additionally, Petra, the abandoned commerce hub and capital of the Nabatean Kingdom is now named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Approximately two hours away from each other, many people combine both UNESCO World Heritage sites in a single trip.
This itinerary for Petra and Wadi Rum is for people who, like us, don’t have much time on hand to visit these breathtaking locations. As I mentioned in my previous Jordan post, I’d recommend more than 3 days for Petra and Wadi Rum. But sometimes 3 days is all you can spare ðŸ˜. Know that it’s going to be jam-packed, incredible, but a little rushed so that you’re able to see everything these unique destinations have to offer.
I mentioned this also in my previous post, but I’d highly recommend hiring a local guide, especially if this is your first trip in the Middle East. Our guide, Aktam, was absolutely incredible! He organized and planned the entire trip for us and made us feel at safe and at home. If you want to reach out to him to be your tour guide in Jordan, you can contact him via Whatsapp at +962 7 7242 2058.
Here is our itinerary, and if you’re going to Jordan, here’s a taste of what you can expect...
Day 1: Arriving in Jordan
8AM: Arrival in Jordan, Meeting Aktam, and Breakfast in Aqaba
After passing the Wadi Araba crossing to get to Aqaba, we finally met Aktam for the first time! It was around 8AM so Aktam started our day by taking us to a local traditional restaurant for breakfast. Our first Jordanian meal consisted of 2 types of hummus, babaganoush, falafel, pita bread, and some veggies.
10AM: Hejaz Railway Train and Meeting Salem
After having breakfast, we ventured to our first tourist spot, the Hejaz Railway Train. Preserved in the middle of desert, this old Ottoman military train showcases a part of the history that shaped the Middle East. You can learn more about it here. This was also our meeting point with Salem, who was our local Bedouin guide in Wadi Rum.
On our ride with Salem, we talked about Jordanian culture and his life in Wadi Rum. He told us some differences between Jordan’s north and south– mainly that the north has many immigrants and different cultures, while the south (which is where we were) is mostly Bedouins or Bedouin descendants.
11:30PM: Arrival at our Camp in Wadi Rum
Compared to other camps we saw, our camp was definitely a more budget option, although they were still equipped with the iconic bubble tents that we all know and love. The staff was super friendly, and when we got in they helped us find our rooms and made sure everything was ok and that we were happy. Due to the midday heat after settling in, we rested a bit before our next activity.
💡 Pro tip: If accommodation is included in your package, always check the price on booking.com before you agree on a price with your tour operator or guide. Alternatively, you can just book straight from booking.com yourself and have your tour guide organize everything else to make sure you’re getting the best deal. Just note that sometimes your tour operator can get you a better price so it’s best to just make sure and double check with them.
3PM: 4-Hour Private Jeep Tour
A Jeep tour is a great way to see all the natural wonders that call Wadi Rum their home. We knew Wadi Rum was beautiful, but we didn’t know just how much there is to see there! Not only is Wadi Rum filled with natural beauty and stunning rock formations that were created over time, but it’s also home to history dating as far back as prehistoric times.
Some stops you’ll see along the way are…
A Bedouin Tent
Our first stop on our tour was a Bedouin tent where we further experienced Jordanian hospitality. Once we entered, we were immediately offered tea, a place to sit, and were taught how to tie our headscarves. Traditional Bedouin tea is made from black tea, cardamom, sage, cinnamon and of course a lot of sugar. It’s delicious! Consequently, there were a bunch of souvenirs that he was selling too, so we got a kaffiyeh and some tea here for much cheaper than what we could’ve got in Petra.
I left the pictures out of the following so you can see them for yourself.
The Mushroom
The Mushroom was the first natural rock formation we got to see. All of us were in awe of how it holds itself up.
Um Fruth Bridge
The bridge was the second rock formation we saw. It involves a bit of climbing too, which was fun and thrilling at the same time. If you’re scared of heights, be emotionally prepared. But don’t worry, everyone was helping each other get up and down, it was so nice to see complete strangers working together 🙂
Nabatean Camel Inscription
This Nabatean camel inscription dates back to over 2000 years.
Lawrence of Arabia Spot
This is the spot where Lawrence of Arabia hid along with King Feisal bin Al-Hussein during the Arab Revolt of 1917-18.
Sunset
We wrapped up our journey by saying goodbye to the sun from a breathtaking spot in the tranquility of Wadi Rum.
If you want to learn about more things to do in Wadi Rum, make sure to subscribe to my newsletter to get my next blog post delivered straight to your mailbox next week! I post every Sunday 🙂
7PM: Dinner at Camp (Zarb)
We were shocked that Salem was able to navigate his way through the desert in the dark, but when we asked him he just laughed. After returning to camp, we got ready for a traditional dinner featuring Zarb.
Zarb is how Bedouins barbecue. For centuries Bedouins in the Arabian Peninsula cooked their food underground since it didn’t require much equipment, thus suiting their nomadic lifestyle. We watched along eagerly at the fire-pit as our our hosts carefully dug through coal-covered sand to unearth our meal. Then came the surprise– what looked like a mere meat platter, turned into 3 meat and vegetable platters, one stacked on top of the other.
After learning a traditional Bedouin dance, we all went around the buffet and grabbed some food before heading to bed.
Day 2: Day Trip to Petra
7AM: Breakfast
We woke up early for breakfast which included ful (fava beans), labneh (yogurt-cheese), hummus, tomato and cucumber, eggs, jams and butter, and traditional thin pita bread.
9AM: Journey to Petra with a Pitstop at “The Best View in the World”
We left for Petra with Aktam at 9:00 (we were supposed to go at 8:30, oops). It’s about a two hour ride non-stop, so we got to know Aktam a bit better. On the way he explained more about Jordanian hospitality. He told us that if you bring your coffee to a friend’s house, they will get angry and think that you think that he is stingy or not kind and hospitable. And that’s why he left his coffee in the car before we stopped at a souvenir shop called “The Best View in the World” which, in hospitable Jordanian fashion, offered us complementary tea and coffee.
We were only supposed to stop and see the gorgeous view, but we couldn’t help ourselves from buying some more souvenirs. And like Aktam and Salem warned us before, here they were significantly more expensive than what we bought in Wadi Rum, even after Aktam helped us haggle the price down.
12:30PM: Petra
We got to Petra at 12:30 where Aktam gave us money to get the entry passes. The entrance fee is 50 JD each (approximately 70 USD). He warned us not to go with Bedouins who offer quick paths or good views, or to take pictures with anyone dressed up because they’ll ask for money. He also added that Petra is very expensive and that we should just stick to the trail.
If you don’t know much about Petra other than stunning images, you’ll probably be as surprised as I was when getting there. Upon entering, there were tons of shops and restaurants and as you walk along the trail, you’ll keep encountering more and more. There are actually many trails that you could hike at Petra, with one main one leading to the famous Treasury and Ad-Deir Monastery. There are many other things to do at Petra like see the theater and other ancient structures, climb, eat, and shop.
While we reached the Treasury, we couldn’t finish the trek to the Monastery due to a lack of time.
💡 Pro tip: Take a trail map from the entrance to Petra and use it as a guide to which trails you will do. The map includes the length and estimated time it takes to complete each trail, and based on that you can allocate your time appropriately to make sure you get to see everything you wish to, while still leaving on schedule.
If you want to see more tips for Petra, check out my tips for both Petra and Wadi Rum here!
5PM: Lunch in Wadi Musa and Return to Camp
Unfortunately we missed the booking Aktam made for us since we left Petra later than we had planned, but we still had dinner at a place with an amazing view.
By the time we got back to camp we were so tired from all the walking we immediately passed out.
Day 3: Wadi Rum and Aqaba
6AM: Sunrise in the Desert
On our last day in Jordan we made sure to get up super early to catch the sunrise in the desert. We left camp a bit before 6AM to see it in a quiet spot, where Salem took some more photos of us (like the one shown on the left).
7:30AM: Breakfast at Camp and Final Jeep Tour
After returning to camp and having breakfast, we headed out to our second and final Jeep tour with Salem. This time around, we sat with Salem inside the Jeep since it was pretty chilly outside. Before arriving at our first stop on the tour, we saw people get ready for camel racing in Wadi Rum. Salem told us that it’s really popular there and that many camels arrive in the area to race once every two months. If you want to see one yourself just let your tour guide know and he will let you know if any races are going to be happening during your stay.
Here are the places we stopped at this time around:
Another Mushroom
Another crazy rock formation that looks like a mushroom.
Echo Spot
Not only does this spot have an insane echo when you yell into the mountains, but it’s also where they filmed a scene from Lawrence of Arabia.
Sand Dune
We took pictures here and then when we left we sped down the sand dune like a roller coaster. It made my mom pretty scared, but for us young adults it was super fun 🙂
Titanic Ship
This rock is almost a replica of the titanic.
Burrah Bridge and Tea
This was shorter than the previous bridge we saw, but there was another Bedouin camp here where we were treated with tea and cookies.
Sand Art
This was a spot with multiple colors of sand, so you could make cool designs or write whatever you want.
11:30PM: Leaving Wadi Rum and Sweets in Aqaba
Our last stop before leaving Jordan was Aqaba, which is conveniently located close to the border crossing. Issam picked us up from the meeting point and drove us back to Aqaba, where we were promised incredible Knafeh and a special avocado dessert drink. Unfortunately, from all the bumpy driving and probably the heat too, my mom didn’t feel well so we stopped to get her some motion sickness medication (which I highly recommend to have on hand before you go, if you are prone to getting motion sickness).
Knafeh is a cheese-based dessert popular in Jordan as well as the rest of the Middle East. There are two main types of knafeh: knafeh na’ameh and knafeh khishneh. Knafeh na’ameh has a soft crust, while knafeh kishneh has a hard one. We stopped at Anabtawi Sweets to try knafeh na’ameh and buy some other sweets to bring back to our friends and family back home. It was delicious. Soft just like the name implies and just the perfect amount of sweet 😋
Right before we headed to the border, Aktam got us an avocado milkshake, which was something completely new to us. It was interesting, but good.
2PM: Meeting Aktam and Leaving Jordan
We met Aktam in Aqaba and he took us back to the border. We were so sad to leave and are waiting for our next trip back. We had a great time!
Reflections
Overall, we had so much fun and we wished our schedules allowed us to stay and enjoy Jordan longer. With an over 60% unemployment rate among young adults and tourism constituting for about 20% of the country’s GDP, not only will you have an incredible time experiencing a new culture and getting to see world-famous heritage and movie sites, but you’ll be helping the locals as many rely on tourism as their main source of income.
If you’ve been to Jordan, let me know what parts you liked the most about your trip down in the comments below!
And until next time,
Take a shans!
