Wadi Rum Weather – When to visit?
Wadi Rum weather is best for travel in autumn and spring. However, the best time to visit Wadi Rum is late February, early May, early August or mid November. These times offer pleasant temperatures without the crowds. Wadi Rum, and Jordan has a Sub-tropical climate with four seasons. Highs can reach 46°C in summer, while winter nights can be as low as -3°C. Each winter Wadi Rum has a few days of snow – an interesting phenomenon in the desert!
The weeks at the edges of spring and autumn offer pleasant temperatures without the tourist crowds. If weather is the main consideration, it is advisable to avoid the hot summer days and the cold winter nights. Average monthly highs reach 36°C, while average lows touch 6°C. Most visitors want a Bedouin tent experience exposed to the elements, thus, spring and autumn attract increased tourism. Visitors that prioritise avoiding the tourist crowds stay away from March-April and September-October, however miss the best weather. Cheap flights from seasonal budget airlines are also a consideration for some travellers.
The best time to visit Wadi Rum is when tourist numbers are not too high and weather is pleasant. Fortunately for people planning their trip to Jordan, the edges of each season offer good weather across the country.
When to visit Wadi Rum
Month – Weather – Crowds – Details
JANUARY – Cold Nights – Few Tourists – excluding New Year week – budget airfares – Wind and Rain
FEBRUARY – Cold Nights – Fewer Tourists – Budget Airfares – Wind and Rain – AIM TO VISIT AT END OF MONTH
MARCH – Good Weather – Crowds at Sites – Camels and Goats Birthing – Spring Flowers
APRIL – Good Weather – Crowds at Sites – Daylight Savings – Baby Camels and Goats – Spring Flowers
MAY – Getting Hotter – Less Tourists – Daylight Savings – AIM TO VISIT AT START OF MONTH
JUNE – Hot Days – Few Tourists – Longer day length – Socialising by Campfire at Night
JULY – Hot Days – Few Tourists – Longer day length – Socialising by Campfire at Night
AUGUST – Getting Cooler – More Tourists – Daylight Savings – AIM TO VISIT AT START OF MONTH
SEPTEMBER – Good Weather – Crowds at Sites – Daylight Savings – Migrating Birds
OCTOBER – Good Weather – Crowds at Sites – Daylight Savings – Migrating Birds
NOVEMBER – Getting colder – Less Tourists – AIM TO VISIT MID MONTH
DECEMBER – Cold Nights – Few Tourist – excluding Christmas week – Cheap Flights – Increased wind and rain
See what events are on across Jordan
Autumn and spring peak seasons
Majority of visitors arrive during autumn and spring, thereby avoiding both the heat of summer days and cold winter nights. Peak season is March-April and September-October. We recommend late February, early May, early August or mid November, as the best time to visit Wadi Rum. The weeks entering and exiting these peak periods offer pleasant temperatures without the crowds.
In spring and autumn the day time temperature is perfect for exploring the Protected Area. The first and last 2 weeks of these seasons offer a good balance of appealing climate and low tourist activity. Furthermore it’s ideal to visit Wadi Rum during daylight savings to maximise daylight hours. Daylight savings crosses over in spring and autumn in early May and late August. The opposite shoulder of the seasons (spring – late February or autumn – late November) provides the same climate-tourist benefit, without the longer day. Nights also remain comfortable at around 15°C and enable outdoor campfires, relaxed sunrise and sunset viewing, night time stargazing and relaxing on the balcony, enjoying the isolation.
Hot summer days and cold winter nights
Hot summer days reach peak temperatures in July, and has warm nights with average lows of 22°C. Winter has cool days with average highs of 17°C in January and cold nights that can drop below zero. During both summer and winter tourists are scarce avoiding the hot days and cold nights respectively. However, there is a short season for Christmas and New Year’s holiday in Wadi Rum.
If you are comfortable with the heat, you can benefit from extended daylight hours in the hot summer days. If you are comfortable in the cold, confident to endure the desert nights, winter might appeal with comfortable daytime temperatures. Be mindful that you will be staying in Bedouin tents and therefore weather consideration is of greater importance. For most Bedouins the summer is more comfortable, but in our experience most of our visitors are from colder climates and cope better with the cold nights.
The desert sun is harsh and it is important to protect yourself. The temperatures can vary widely from locations in direct sun and shaded areas. There are several slot canyons within the Protected Area that are known as great lunchtime retreats from the heat of the day. These locations can often be more than 20°C cooler than the open valleys. Appropriate clothing and sunscreen are important to consider before you travel.
Does it rain in the desert?
Wadi Rum has very few days of rainfall, on average only 9 days per year. Most rain and cloud cover is experienced in winter, therefore the best time for stargazing is March-November. The cloud cover in the winter months often attracts photographers who benefit from the softer light and contrast.
Outside of winter months, clear skies predominate with 3,400 sunlight hours yearly. The conditions allow visitors to travel with confidence of experiencing almost constant blue skies. The clear sky remains through the night, ensuring great conditions for stargazing. Sandstorms pose a bigger threat to visibility than cloud cover.
Rare heavy rains can create waterfalls on the sandstone cliffs and in winter snow is possible.
Weather information for Wadi Rum, will often be deferred to nearby weather stations. Aqaba and Maan are the nearest centres, but have very different climatic conditions to Wadi Rum. Wadi Rum is at altitude, sheltered by large sandstone mountains, as such Jordanians often visit to escape the summer heat. Alternatively, Maan, on a vast desert plateau, is baked by the summer sun. While Aqaba is at sea level with over 1000m altitude difference.
What to do when it rains in Wadi Rum?
If you are unlucky enough to have a rainy day in the desert, there are still ways to enjoy your day. In the communal tea we have a well curated library. The libraries include books on Bedouin culture, history of Jordan and Wadi Rum, as well as classics. What more, if you do defy the rain and venture outside you might be able to see something as rare as a waterfall in the desert!
Best time to visit Jordan
The best time to visit Jordan is spring and autumn. These seasons has both pleasant warm days and cool nights, providing perfect temperatures for a variety of activities. Jordan has a Mediterranean climate, and as such weather characterized by hot summers and mild winters. Rainfall is relatively scarce and occurs predominantly in December and January. This contrasts with very dry climate between May and October. January is the coolest month, and summer can get very hot. Jordan temperature on average ranges from 2°C to 33°C in the north and 9°C to 40°C in the south.
The best time to visit is consistent across the country, despite varied activities and climate. Although people prefer warm weather for their visits to the Dead Sea or Aqaba on the Red Sea, the middle of summer is too hot for most visitors. Likewise cooler temperature is ideal for exploring Petra and Wadi Rum, as well as Dana Biosphere, Ajloun and Jerash, but the short days and cold winter mornings and evenings are not appealing. Winter usually also experiences more wind and unpredictable weather changes than other times of the year.