Savour an exclusive desert dining experience beneath Wadi Rum’s starry skies, where ancient tradition blends with new luxury.
Among Wadi Rum, Jordan’s vast, otherworldly landscapes renowned for it’s monumental sandstone mountains, rolling dunes, and star-studded night sky, is a culinary experience unlike any other. Here, under the boundless desert sky, guests are indulged in a private starlight dinner where contemporary gastronomy blends with age-old Bedouin tradition.
This close experience begins with a private off-road journey through the breath-taking desert, where visitors are driven in 4×4 vehicles, making their way along dusty tracks through prehistoric rock engravings and towering rock formations. On arrival at a private desert camp, the fire is kindled and a luxuriously laid table is ready, spread with fine linens and plush cushions to lounge upon — all within the Wadi Rum’s dramatic sweep.
Dinner is an intimate gourmet Bedouin dinner, professionally prepared by renowned Middle Eastern Arabic chefs using the region’s finest ingredients. Zarb, a traditional favourite, is the centrepiece: meat — typically lamb or chicken — is slow-cooked in an underground oven, where it takes on intense flavour from a blend of spice and herbs. Meat is tender, its smoky richness intensified by pungent earth and embers.
To accompany zarb, there is a range of subtle dishes such as tabbouleh, hummus, baba ganoush, and fattoush whose fresh crunch offers a refreshing relief from the rich, smoky meat. Fragrant lamb and vegetables are served alongside fresh flatbreads, and pomegranate and figs complete the feast.
But dinner is not only about cuisine — it’s about being immersed in the landscape and in the culture. Visitors are encouraged to get caught up in the traditional Bedouin hospitality, learning the significance of every dish and the journey of the desert existence. As night falls, soft lantern light adds to the magic, and a sky bursting with stars is the pièce de résistance.
Over dinner, desert silence is filled with the gentle strains of an oud player, whose melodies are the perfect complement to a night of decadence and reflection. It is finished with traditional mint tea and desserts like baklava under the stars, where the vastness of the desert sky feels almost within reach.
For a more personal experience, private desert tours via hot air balloon, camel trekking, or luxury glamping are available — all providing the opportunity to venture out into the quiet of Wadi Rum and then return to the indulgent comforts of the camp. Gourmet dining, beautiful landscape, and local culture combine for an unforgettable experience.
Starry night dinner at Wadi Rum is not a meal, it’s an experience of time, space, and cuisine. A perfect mix of adventure, culture, and culinary perfection that leaves a lasting impression on the soul.
