The “Valley of the Moon” — a protected desert of red sand and soaring sandstone mountains in southern Jordan.
Area
720 km²
Continent
Asia
Location
Southern Jordan
Temperature
Up to 40°C
Rainfall
Very low
Climate
Hot desert
About the Wadi Rum
Wadi Rum is a protected desert valley where red and orange sand sweeps between towering sandstone and granite mountains. Carved with ancient rock inscriptions left by desert peoples, it is home to Bedouin communities and has become one of the Middle East’s most cinematic landscapes — often doubling for Mars on screen.
Did you know?
Its otherworldly scenery has stood in for Mars in many Hollywood films.
Highlights
- Known as the Valley of the Moon
- A UNESCO World Heritage Site
- A favourite stand-in for Mars in films
Photo gallery
Life in the Wadi Rum
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Animals
Dromedary camel
The one-humped “ship of the desert”, able to go for days without water.
Caracal
A tawny desert cat with black ear-tufts, famous for leaping at birds.
Sand cat
A small wildcat with furry foot-pads that walk unburnt across hot sand.
Birds
Sandgrouse
Flies vast distances to water and soaks it up in its breast feathers.
Lappet-faced vulture
A huge, powerful vulture that soars above African and Arabian deserts.
Trees & plants
Acacia (thorn tree)
Flat-topped thorn trees that survive on scarce desert groundwater.
Date palm
The classic oasis tree, feeding desert peoples with sweet dates for millennia.
Day & night in the Wadi Rum
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a subtropical desert.
Midday sun
+45°C
typical daytime high
Blistering daytime heat gives way to surprisingly cool nights — clear skies let the day’s warmth escape, and the temperature can tumble by 30°C or more after dark.
Recorded range for the Wadi Rum: Up to 40°C