4x4 Classic Desert Tour

This canyon lies in Jebel Khazali, a stunning mountain with imposing sheer cliffs that seem to sprout from the desert sands to more than the height of the Empire State building. This cave-like canyon has been moulded by the elements over millenia and provides cool air and shelter tucked away between massive monolithic rocks.You can easily imagine how it would have looked with Bedouin tents, families resting, drinking tea, and children playing. You will also find, on the canyon walls numerous Nabatean, Islamic (Kufic), and Thamudic inscriptions and petroglyph rock drawings dating back thousands of years.

The red sand dunes nearby are great fun to scramble around, although climbing up is tough going. You will, however, be rewarded with a stunning view of the varying colors of the sand. Afterwards, you can run (or roll) down the slope - whichever way you prefer to descend!

We continue on to a beautiful rock bridge. This is another chance to climb one of these stunning and fully natural rock formations. Climbing is at your own risk (some parts can be quite steep) but as it is sandstone, most people don't have any problems and greatly enjoy the experience. This is a wonderful photo opportunity, with the natural stone bridge lying in front of a huge expanse of desert as far as the eye can see, and you, standing aloft, arms spread as wide as your smile.

Only a little further we will visit the Anfashieh inscriptions, which are at least 2000 years old. These ancient rock drawings depict camel riders and huntsmen. Another ancient sight is Lawrence's House, which is actually an old Nabatean temple. In contrast to Petra, however, this temple was not hewn out of the rock, but built with bricks. This is a very remote location and - except during low season - you will be able to glimpse the loneliness of the deep desert. You will have an opportunity here to try your hand at rock-climbing and take in an unforgettable view of the vast desert that lies before you.

We will then have a break for a picnic, including Bedouin tea and refreshments, and some traditional Bedouin cuisine, with options for both vegetarians and vegans. The picnic will be in the shade, with a cool breeze and a picturesque view, where you can rest, relax and prepare yourself for the next stages of your tour.

Our next stop is the famous Wadi Rum mushroom stone. This is a bizarre and unique rock formation the seems to defy logic. This completely natural formation was formed over the centuries by the sorfter rock at the bottom being eroded by the elements much faster than the hard rock on top, resulting in an almost comical mushroom-shaped stone. This large formation is a firm favourite with all our guests and provides a great photo opportunity.

Next on your itinerary is the spectacular rock bridge at Burdah. This amazing geological structure is situated at the top of a large mountain, so, unfortunately, we will not get a close-up view as the climb up takes a few hours. However, the view from the foot of the mountain is still a striking one, and provides one of the most iconic views in all of Wadi Rum. Don't worry though, we have another amazing rock bridge yet to visit.

The next part of the tour will give a chance to stretch your legs as you stroll through a magnificent canyon. The walls on either side reach up to improbable heights while the sandy floor and occasional vegetation make for a very pleasant amble through the cooling shade. The jeep will leave you at the entrance to the canyon and pick you up when emerge on the other side about half an hour later.

For many visitors the high-point of the tour, both literally and figuratively, is the Umm Fruth rock bridge. This stunning rock bridge is 15m (50ft) above the ground and if you are brave enough to scramble up will provide you with the best photo opportunity of the day. If you don't like heights then you can be the designated photographer capturing an unforgettable memory for those on top of the bridge. There is also a Bedouin tent shop nearby where you can take refreshments or even peruse the local handcrafts on sale.

After another short drive we reach the camp, where you are free to do as you choose - maybe to climb the surrounding rocks and watch the camels wander by, or go for a walk through a nearby valley. As the camp is located on the edge of the wilderness zone, this is a great opportunity to go for a stroll in the almost untouched desert landscape. The area around the camp is also one of the major sunset viewing points in Wadi Rum, and you can enjoy this over a glass of hot sage tea. Having eaten a traditional dinner prepared in time-honoured Bedouin style, you can then experience the desert by night. Around the time of the full moon, you can see all the surroundings painted in surreal colours, and the moon shines brightly enough to walk around the camp without a flashlight (it's even bright enough to cast a moonshadow!). If there is no moon, and in the absence of all light pollution, the starry night sky is filled with myriad stars, sparkling constellations, the Milky Way, and often dozens of shooting stars. Some nights you can listen to traditional Bedouin music, and (temperature permitting) you can even take a mattress and blanket and sleep outside amidst nothing but rolling sands, silence, and the stars above. The next morning, if you are an early riser, you can watch a glorious sunrise from one of the prime vantage points near the camp, the colours of the dawn are breathtaking as the sun rises from behind the mountains. Then you will be treated to a hearty breakfast before we take you to town for the morning bus, or on to your next port of call.