Wadi Rum on Horseback

This page contains affiliate links. Please read our disclosure for more info.

I’ve always dreamed of galloping an Arabian horse through the desert, and in Jordan’s Wadi Rum my dream came true. Arabian horses are known for their speed and beauty and the craggy rock formations of this sandstone and granite valley were the perfect place to follow in the footsteps of Lawrence of Arabia, who led the Arab Revolt here against the Ottomans during Word War 1.

The magnificent red rock landscape is usually explored by jeep or camel, but we opted for horseback: slower than a jeep but more comfortable than a camel (our two day camel trip in the Indian Thar desert was enough for a lifetime).

Rum Horses is located off the road that leads to the visitor centre, easy to find but not as deep in the desert as we would have liked. We were given hats (that never happened in Latin America), paired with horses to match our abilities, and set off into the desert.

Horse riding in Wadi Rum

The well looked after horses were as lovely to ride as I had hoped—light footed, responsive, and as I discovered later, devilishly fast. We rode through rocky mountain scenery, up a hill and down into a valley where we had plenty of space to put them through their paces.

Us horse riding in Wadi Rum
Down into the valley, horse riding in Wadi Rum

Simon doesn’t have as much riding experience as me and although he has galloped a horse a number of times before our guide wouldn’t let him this time. These Arabian horses aren’t for beginners and they need a firm hand and balanced rider to make sure things don’t get out of control in this vast space. It’s a good sign that he was looking out for the riders, but Simon was disappointed as the other rider and I headed off for a gallop.

We started at a steady canter but my horse soon picked up speed. He was strong but responsive and I could have held him back but instead I lifted out of my seat, leant forward and let him fly. It was an exhilarating feeling of freedom, and my heart was beating fast as we returned to Simon and our guide.

All too soon we had to return to the stables. We only had an hour of riding which was a good taster of these beautiful horses but not nearly enough time to explore vast Wadi Rum. I’d love to return and spend at least a few days riding through the desert and camping out in Bedouin tents.

Wadi Rum by Jeep

As we hadn’t got to see much of Wadi Rum we arranged a jeep to take us deeper into the desert for sunset. We are so glad we did as Wadi Rum is at its best when glowing orange in the last light of the day.

Wadi Rum jeep tracks
Wadi Rum by jeep

Wadi Rum had been inhabited since prehistoric times and you can still find ancient rock carvings.

Wadi Rum rock carvings of camels

Now the desert is inhabited by the Bedouins who lead a semi-nomadic lifestyle living in goats hair tents in family camps.

Bedouins on camels in Wadi Rum

We rode outside in the back of the jeep so had perfect views of the rock formations as we drove through the sand with the wind in our hair.

Us in the back of the jeep, Wadi Rum

To watch the sunset we stopped at a perfect desert scene with rippled sand dunes and weather-beaten rocks glowing in the golden light.

Wadi Rum sand dunes
Us at Wadi Rum sand dunes
Simon at Wadi Rum sand dunes

Simon had fun jumping off the rocks.

Simon jumping off the rocks at Wadi Rum

No one was around so we enjoyed the spectacular sunset in peace, another magic moment in Jordan.

Sunset Wadi Rum
Sunset Wadi Rum 2

Captain’s Camp

When the sun sank behind the mountains and the sky turned pink we drove to Captain’s Camp where we’d be spending the night in a Bedouin tent. We ate mezze and freshly baked shrak bread for dinner before sipping tiny glasses of sweet tea under the stars by the campfire. Old Bedouin men sucked on nargileh (water pipe or hookah), the apple scent filling the air, while we listened to the sounds of the oud (lute) and tableh drums playing popular Jordanian and Bedouin songs, the guests’ guides and drivers often joining in with the singing.

Captain’s Camp, Wadi Rum
Captain’s Camp, Wadi Rum
Making shrak bread at Captain’s Camp
Making shrak bread at Captain’s Camp
Campfire at Captain’s Camp
Campfire at Captain’s Camp

We had a proper bed in our large tent but it wasn’t the most comfortable night—the bed was hard and the goats hair walls don’t provide any sound proofing from those who stayed up chatting into the night. It was worth it though to experience the incredible scenery of Wadi Rum and have the opportunity to gallop through the desert, like Lawrence of Arabia 100 years before.

Thank you to Visit Jordan who hosted us during our stay in Jordan.

6 Comments

  1. Where did you rent horses for one day horseback riding tour? I asked on couple of Jordan web sites and they offer only 6 or 9 days trail ride, and I would like to do only one day trail ride

    Reply ↓

  2. Great photos. I thought Wadi Rum was a spectacular place, I did the jeep tour but not the horses unfortunately. The sunsets are amazing there with everything turning a golden orange.

    Reply ↓

    • Dear
      happy what are you write about jordan and hors riding in the desert ! I won rum horses stable and I invite you for nice ride in wadi rum to see really the desert.
      thanks
      atallah (00962 )079 5 802 108

      Reply ↓

  3. The horse ride sounds wonderful! I used to ride, and usually trail horses can be a bit of a letdown in terms of energy level. Galloping through the desert on an Arabian sounds like a dream though.

    Reply ↓

Leave a Reply

Required fields are marked *. Your email address will not be published. By clicking the Submit button, you give consent for us to store your information for the purposes of displaying your comment and you accept the terms of our Privacy Policy.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.