Trekking through the lowest nature reserve in the world turned out to be our most thrilling day during our time Jordan. The Wadi Mujib gorge houses some of the most spectacular cliffs we have ever witnessed and we were going to hike, swim, slide and abseil right down the centre of them all.

Wadi Mujib Canyoning Adventure

Operated by The Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature, (RSCN) A project that promotes the biodiversity of Jordan, this trek is eco tourism at it's best.

You can book your Wadi Mujib trek at the office right off the main highway between Aqaba and the Dead Sea resort area, and this is where our day began.

Beautiful Wadi Mujib

Our adventure started at the crack of dawn when our driver Mahmoud picked us up from our Dead Sea Resort just 30 minutes away from Wadi Mujib. We were excited to be tackling the Canyon Trail today; The most thrilling trek of all the Wadi Mujib treks.

For other Jordan Travel Ideas visit 10 Exciting Things to do in Jordan

Walking through the stunning Canyon

We were a little intimidated when we met the rest of the group for our day on the water. They were decked out with wet suits and aqua socks while carrying full sized dry bags filled with harnesses and climbing ropes.

Things to Pack for the Wadi Mujib Canyon Adventure

GoPro – This is our go to adventure camera. If you want to capture the entire thing on video, this is the perfect waterproof, shock resistant and all round camera you can strap to your chest, head, or wrist.

Dry Bag – I don't suggest bringing anything of value with you, but if you must, we always pack a small foldable dry bag to put anything in we don't want to get wet. It can then go inside your backpack.

Quick Drying Clothes – We wear quick drying Exofficio clothing. Adventure zip off pants and lightweight breathable fabrics for shirts.

• Deb: ExOfficio Bugsaway Nylon pants  and Outdoor Research Ignitor Short Sleeve
• Dave ExOfficio CoolSo Convertible Pants and ExOfficio Give-n-Go Underwear Tea

Olympus Waterproof camera – For snapshots, GoPros aren't the best take along a waterproof camera to capture beautiful shots. We used to use the Olympus Tough and loved it. We've since switched to the sony system and for our Sony RX100 that isn't waterproof, we now use a waterproof housing instead.

Throw in a couple of water bottles tucked into our zip off daypacks and that was the extent of our gear for the 4 hour hike ahead.

Excited for canyoning in Wadi Mujib..not long now!

We were a little worried for our guide Ali though. He had been with us for the entire 10 days of our trip through Jordan taking care of our lodging and meals to organizing our tours and activities.

He doesn't swim and this was a trip that was taking us through waterfalls and fast moving water.

He didn't blink an eye when we read disclaimer stating that you must be able to swim to go on the canyon trek. He donned his lifejacket and said everything would be ok.

Ali Had a Great Time Even Though He Doesn't Swim!

Ali even loved Canyoning in Jordan

The Wadi Mujib Canyoning Adventure Begins

The start of the trip was a tough hike up an easy trail desert heat. The hill was steep yet manageable, but the sun was intense.

It was already high and there wasn't a breeze to be found in the air.

Our canyon guide assured us that within an hour we'd be feeling cool and comfortable.

Deb takes the long walk to the canyon

We descended into the gorge and came across the entrance of our canyon trail. As the rest of the group changed into their full wetsuits and helmets, Dave and I stood talking with our guides.

They were both going through in shorts and a t-shirt so we felt better.

Our Group walks from the Dead Sea to the Canyon

The water felt cool stepped into the river and we instantly forgot the heat of the hour long hike to the entrance of the trail.

Within minutes we were walking through the water carefully maneuvering our way through the rocky bottom.

The Canyon Trail is heaps of fun.

Deb cools off from the water spray

We climbed over rocks and slipped down natural waterslides of smooth rocks.

We held on to ropes as we passed through some mild rapids and jumped into pools of calm water at the bottom of rocky dams.

We never knew what to expect but simply listened to our trusty guide.

When he told us to jump, we jumped. When he told us to slide we slid. And I am so glad we did.

Dave's about to go Canyoning in Jordan

It turned out that our travel companions were very experienced canyoneers and had spent the last 10 days canyoning in Jordan. They were here to walk through its canyons and abseil into waterfalls.

This was near the end of their Jordan trip and they decided to take a guided trip through Wadi Mujib.

They were old hats at this stuff but seemed to be enjoying the trip almost as much as we were.

They told us that there were plenty of gorges to be explored in Jordan and we made a mental note to come back and check them out.

The plan is to make the Feynan Eco-Lodge our home base for these type of excursions.

Powerful water of Wadi Mujib

We whooped it up through the entire trip.

The finale of the day came when we had the chance to abseil over a waterfall.

We missed the opportunity in Fiji and in New Zealand, River Surfing was high on our list, but we didn't have the opportunity there as well.

What we love about travel is that there is always another chance to fulfill your dreams and check an item off the bucket list.

Abseiling over Wadi Mujib Waterfall = Checking off the Bucket List

abseiling over the waterfall fulfilled our travel dreams

I have wanted to abseil over a waterfall since watching the Eco-Challenge Fiji way back in 2003. Now we finally got the chance.

I decided to go first so that I could capture some photos of Dave and Ali.

I have abseiled quite a bit, but I won't lie. I was a little nervous being lowered over a waterfall into a pool of rushing water below.

I don't know what I was thinking volunteering to jump over first. I didn't mind the drop, it was the pool below.

When I got to the water, I  swam to a set of rocks under the waterfall and scrambled to the top of them to take off my harness and send it back up.

I didn't even think of standing up in the pool and felt foolish when Ali came down after me and stood up once he hit bottom.

Dave's loving his adventure

Dave jumped over the cliff next followed by our group of canyoning enthusiasts from Germany. We had reached the peak of our trip and it was all a leisurely stroll back to the office.

It is a day trip that you shouldn't miss when visiting Jordan. So when you find yourself at the Dead Sea, make sure to grab a taxi and make your way out to Wadi Mujib.

It is the most unique adventure in the country and an excellent break from the tours through ancient ruins and historical sights.

Many people think that this is all there is to do in Jordan, but you will find that there is so much more to this diverse and interesting country in the heart of the Middle East.

Hotels Near Wadi Mujib

Movenpick Infinity Pool

Deb at the Holiday Inn Jordan

• We stayed at the Holiday Inn Dead Sea – It was a good affordable luxury resort located directly on the Dead Sea of Jordan. See our experience here
• We ate the Kempinski and spent an afternoon by their pool, now this is the place I'd choose for a luxury Dead Sea vacation if you want to go for more of a splurge.
• The Movenpick is also another beautiful resort located on the Dead Sea that is highly recommended.

Wadi Mujib – The Details:

• If you are staying near Wadi Mujib you can book your Canyoning Adventure directly at he Royal Society for the Conservation of Nature,
• Get Your Guide offers day tours and Overnight Tours .
• From Amman – 2 Day Wadi Rum, Dana, Dead Sea and Wadi Mujib
• From Aquaba – Full Day Panoramic Tour  including Wadi Mujib and Araba gorges, entrance to a 5 star resort on the Dead sea and more.
• From Aquaba – Or you can take the 4 hour Dead Sea, Wadi Mujib & Wadi Araba that lets you see highlights of the area.

Read More:

10 Exciting Things in Jordan that will Make you Pack your Bags Right Now

Feynan Eco Lodge and Biosphere Reserve

Welcome to Jerash the Ancient Roman City of Jordan

Petra Jordan, Tips for Exploring the Lost City

Petra by Night Experience in Photos