Khazali Canyon is a narrow crack in the side of Jebel Khazali, not far from the village. Step inside and the air becomes cool, the light soft, and on the walls appear drawings left by people who lived here long before us.
What you see in Khazali Canyon
The canyon is a deep, narrow gorge cut into the sandstone. You walk in on the sand between walls several metres high, then on smooth rock, until the passage becomes too narrow. It is shaded, cool even in summer, and very photogenic.
The walkable part is short, but the mood changes at once: the wind drops, the sand gets finer, and the walls close in until they almost touch above your head. At the far end the slot narrows and rises in sandstone steps. The nimble ones climb a few metres, bracing against both walls; everyone else stops there, and it is already beautiful.
The rock carvings
On the walls near the entrance, you can see carvings of people, animals and footprints, with inscriptions in ancient Thamudic script. They are among the 25,000 carvings that made Wadi Rum a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Please look with your eyes only: never touch them.
Take your time and look for human figures with raised arms, carved footprints side by side, camels and ibex. The short lines of script are Thamudic, an ancient Arabian alphabet used by the nomads of the region about two thousand years ago. In the low light of early morning or late afternoon, the lines are far easier to read than at midday.
How to visit
- Where: site number 4 on our Wadi Rum map, after Little Bridge
- How long: about 20 to 30 minutes on site
- Level: easy, with a few rocky steps; good shoes help
- When: it is on both our half-day and full-day jeep tours
The canyon lies inside the protected area, about twenty minutes by jeep from Wadi Rum village. You cannot drive there in a rental car: the tracks are soft sand, and you travel through the area with a Bedouin guide. Our meeting point is the Wadi Rum Rest House, in Wadi Rum village. The protected area entry fee (7 JOD per person, free with the Jordan Pass) is extra.
Which tours go there
Khazali Canyon is part of our jeep tours. On the half day, it comes with Lawrence Spring, the red dune, Little Bridge and Lawrence House, before sunset. On the full day, it is part of the morning, before a Bedouin lunch cooked on the spot.
Our tip: ask Eid to stop there early in the morning or late in the day. Around midday groups come and go, and the slot is far more beautiful when you have it to yourselves.
- Closed shoes rather than sandals, for the sandstone steps
- A small bottle of water is enough, the canyon stays cool
- Photos without flash, and never a hand on the carvings
Climbing Jebel Khazali
For those who want more, Jebel Khazali can also be climbed by a beautiful scramble to the summit, with a guide. See Jebel Khazali scramble.
See Khazali Canyon with us
Lawrence Spring, the red dune, Little Bridge and Khazali Canyon: our Wadi Rum jeep tour, half day or full day.
— Eid, your Bedouin guide at Wadi Rum Best Tours
