Wadi Rum, Jordan · Sonic Paths

A note on this place

Wadi Rum is a desert to hear and experience. No hall, no programme, no ticket.

In the room

The experience

Wadi Rum is a place to hear, not a named venue. There is no hall, no programme and no ticket. It is a protected desert in southern Jordan, 720 square kilometres of sandstone monoliths and red sand, and its value to this atlas is the quiet. Many Bedouin camps end the evening with oud, rebab or singing round the fire, arranged by the camp rather than by any festival, so what you hear depends on where you stay. With nothing for the sound to break against, a voice carries a long way. You sleep in a camp under the stars, and they are not a metaphor, they are physical.

Gallery

Two frames

Red sandstone rock formations in the desert — Peter Chisholm, CC0

A pale rock pillar standing alone in the desert — Bernard Gagnon, CC BY-SA 3.0

Insider tip

Walk in knowing

Stay two nights, not one. Ask your camp what music it does in the evening: it varies by camp and by night, and the silence is the part you can rely on.

Why it fits

Why it is in the atlas

Proof that the venue can be the geology. No booking and no line-up: the desert supplies the acoustic and the silence.

Plan the trip

When to go, hours, getting there

Best time to go

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the comfortable months. Summer is very hot. Winter nights are cold, and the silence is at its most acute. Evening music at camps is informal and depends on the camp and the night.

Hours

Year-round in the Wadi Rum protected area. There is no fixed programme: any evening music is arranged by the camp you book, so ask before you go.

Getting there

Fly Amman (AMM) or Aqaba (AQJ). Drive 4-5 hours south from Amman, 60 minutes north from Aqaba. The visitor centre at Wadi Rum Village is the entry point; 4WD transfer into the desert from there. Pre-booked camps include the transfer.

FAQ

Questions people ask

Where is Wadi Rum?

Wadi Rum is in Wadi Rum, Jordan. Coordinates: 29.5734, 35.4206.

Is Wadi Rum a bookable venue?

Wadi Rum is a desert to hear and experience. No hall, no programme, no ticket.

What is Wadi Rum?

Wadi Rum is a protected desert in southern Jordan: a place to hear silence and, at some camps, evening music. Not a named, bookable venue.

When is the best time to visit Wadi Rum?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the comfortable months. Summer is very hot. Winter nights are cold, and the silence is at its most acute. Evening music at camps is informal and depends on the camp and the night.

How do I get to Wadi Rum?

Fly Amman (AMM) or Aqaba (AQJ). Drive 4-5 hours south from Amman, 60 minutes north from Aqaba. The visitor centre at Wadi Rum Village is the entry point; 4WD transfer into the desert from there. Pre-booked camps include the transfer.

On the atlas