Where to stay in Wadi Rum: tented camp or Martian domes?!

We’re fairly sure of it because we’ve experienced it ourselves: one of the most beautiful things you can do in the Wadi Rum desert is to spend at least one night there. And that’s where the dilemma begins: where should you sleep? In a tented camp or in the Martian domes? If you don’t sleep in Wadi Rum—perhaps under trillions of stars—you can’t really say you’ve understood the vastness of this desert! Vast in size, of course, but above all in its natural beauty and emotional impact.

In this article, we’ll talk about exactly that: where to stay in the Wadi Rum desert and why, in our opinion, it’s absolutely worth it.

Why sleep in the Wadi Rum desert?

Our first thought is about Bedouin culture. The Bedouins are a nomadic people whose lives revolve around walking, the road, and of course the desert. Life in the desert is so important and defining that it is an integral part of Bedouin culture. Put simply? There is no Bedouin without the desert.
And then, if we had to rate the location, it would get a solid 10! Because Wadi Rum truly deserves it. This desert is spectacular because it’s easy to reach (it lies just a few kilometers from the Red Sea), and the landscape is not flat and monotonous as you might expect from a desert. The scenery is certainly lunar, but also wonderfully varied, with caves and canyons everywhere breaking up the stretches of sand that sometimes seem endless.
 

Where to stay in Wadi Rum: tented camp or Martian domes?

Basically, there are 4 ways to spend a night in the Wadi Rum desert:
1) Hardcore level: bring your own tent and go wild camping (in designated areas)
2) Mid-level: sleep in a fully set-up tented camp
3) Pro level: stay in a lodge
4) Luxury level: sleep in the Martian domes

Hardcore level: wild camping.

We don’t have many tips on wild camping: we’ve never tried it, and in our opinion this option risks missing out on that side of the cultural experience you can only have by being accompanied into the desert by a Bedouin guide, who will be at their best (and so will their magical stories) during and after dinner, perhaps around a fire.

What we do know is that camping just anywhere is not allowed: if you want to sleep in the Wadi Rum desert with your own tent, you need to contact the visitor center and find out in which areas it is permitted.

Mid-level: sleeping in a tented camp in Wadi Rum

Although there are many different places to stay in Wadi Rum, all designed to help you spend time immersed in the landscape and local traditions, choosing a tented camp is the option that comes closest to the most authentic experience—the one most rooted in tradition. Sleeping in a Bedouin tented camp is certainly a genuine experience and, contrary to what you might think, it’s comfortable too!

There are two types of camps: permanent camps (which usually have toilet and shower facilities and operate year-round) and temporary camps (used only occasionally).
Accommodation in permanent camps is the option that convinces us the most, even if it is more touristy than temporary camps. The tents are as large as rooms, big enough to stand up inside. They are made in the traditional Bedouin style from goat hair or other local fabric, and inside you’ll find beds with mattresses and linens. Bathrooms are often shared, either within the tent (which may sleep 2, 3, or 4 people) or elsewhere in the camp. We know that shared bathrooms can be a deciding factor for many people, and we understand that. But don’t let it influence you too much! For one shared bathroom, for just one night, you might miss out on an experience worth far more than a private toilet seat.
Every tented camp offers dinner, often including kebabs, salads, Arabic bread, and coffee, as well as breakfast the next morning. After dinner comes the best part: spending the evening around a fire, perhaps with a nice cup of tea, enjoying the silence of the desert. Or walking just far enough away from camp, looking up, and filling your eyes with stars. You’ve never seen so many in your life.
In our opinion, this is the best option of all, which is why we include it in our Jordan Tour! Because we truly think it’s out of this world.
 

Pro level: staying in a lodge in Wadi Rum

Well. Hmm. Staying in a lodge in Wadi Rum is possible, but perhaps not the most meaningful choice. It’s certainly a valid alternative if you want less direct contact with nature without giving up the desert entirely. But life is short, and it’s beautiful: if you treat yourself to a night in the desert, why “ruin everything” by choosing to live the experience within four walls, in a hotel? The choice is yours.
 

Luxury level: the Martian Dome in the Wadi Rum desert

And then there’s the Martian dome, one of the accommodations that we know always draws a lot of attention in Jordan because it’s so fascinating. Well, let’s say that if your goal is to enjoy an experience close to Bedouin culture, choosing the Martian domes over the “classic” tented camp is not the best option.

But our take is: why not? Why not try it? It’s certainly better than a standard hotel, which has nothing special about it, right? Martian domes are what we could define as luxury structures, inspired by the glamping concept, and they represent Jordan’s effort to make the desert more modern and accessible to everyone. In fact, the Martian domes are luxury transparent tents with air conditioning and a private bathroom. Ideal for those who don’t feel like sleeping in a traditional tent but still want to experience the desert—perhaps from their own private terrace.

If you’d like to spend a night in the desert inside one of these stylish domes, we won’t judge you. In fact, on our Jordan tour you can choose it as an extra activity. It’s your trip, after all! And you should experience it exactly the way you want.

Well, we hope this article has given you a few helpful ideas to choose the best place to stay in the Wadi Rum desert, one of the most beautiful deserts in the world. We sleep there too (of course) on our Jordan tour.