Travel to Israel and Jordan next March

[Gallaher]

It will be great to step out into the world again. We have not traveled internationally in almost 3 years.

We are traveling to Israel next March, on a tour. After the Israel tour we want to travel to Jordan and more specifically Petra.
It seems the best border to cross is Eilat.
My some work says it’s complicated but very manageable.
A couple of days in Petra then onto Amman for a couple of days then home.

FOR THOSE WHO HAVE TRAVELED THE MIDDLE EAST, are there any surprises we need to watch for? Especially challenges that will be hard to manage.
Thanks

 

[mystang52]

DW and I went to Israel about 4 years ago. By intention it was a whirlwind trip, an 8 (9?) days "Greatest Hits" tour. Saw the major Jewish and Christian sites. I'm racking my brain to remember the name of the tour group we used, but FWIW we liked them. Guide met us when we got off the plane, all of the arrangements went off like clockwork. IIRC, there are ostensibly quite a few tour operators, but they operate under the umbrella of just a few "parent" companies.
We felt safe throughout our time there. When we were in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv we had a fair amount of independent time and we used it. Never was uncomfortable. I'm a runner, and did my running in both of those cities without any issue at all.

 

[Gallaher]

Really my question is about crossing into Jordan. I guess I did not make that clear. What is the border crossing like?
I’ve already arranged all of my Israel leg.

 

[Gumby]

Going to Egypt and Jordan next month. I will report back upon my return.

 

[savory]

It has been too many years to provide useful information about the border crossing. Our experience was non-eventful. Our time in Petra was one of my most memorable trips. And some of the Roman ruins in Jordan are well worth seeing.

Again, things may have changed, but be sure females are wearing appropriate cloths and are prepared for the starring from men. While walking in Amman I can’t recall seeing a Jordanian women on the street, only men. We were without a guide at that time which may have made a difference. But along with the amazing sites, it was one thing that remained a vivid memory about being in Amman and I, a male, was not prepared for.

Have a great trip.

 

[DrRoy]

Going to Egypt and Jordan next month. I will report back upon my return.

I'll try to watch for that.

 

[tmitchell]

We went go Egypt & Jordan last year. Was wonderful. Never been to Israel.

Jordan is a lovely country. Petra is gorgeous. Wadi Rum is a must as well. We rented a car in Amman and drove the whole country. Kind of a trip on the highways with locals but generally felt safe.

I have heard that some Middle East countries frown on Israeli passport stamps but given the US funds a lot of Jordan that shouldn’t be a problem. Might want to double check though. Enjoy!

 

[MBAustin]

I went to Israel and Jordan as part of a tour group in March of this year. Israel did not stamp our passports but instead gave us small paper tags to keep with the passport when needed in Israel but were removed before we crossed into Jordan (I think). We crossed at the King Hussein/Allenby Bridge where we had to change buses both ways. The signage is very confusing (even for our tour leaders who had been there multiple times) and it is very bureaucratic and time consuming, but if you have followed all the rules (which seem to keep changing) you should get through with no issues. I think it took a bit over an hour each way, although much of the delay on the way back into Israel was an argument over COVID testing where the rules had changed in our favor but the guards didn't agree at first. Hopefully that won't be a thing next year.

The Jordan national museum in Amman is small but very well done and worth a stop. Madaba is fascinating. We had to skip Wadi Rum due to bad weather but Petra was magnificent.

Gumby will have more recent info so stay tuned. Enjoy your planning!

 

[Gotadimple]

You are correct Eilat is closer to Petra than the Allenby Bridge crossing near to Jerusalem. At Eilat you cross from Eilat to Aqaba on the Red Sea, you will go through Israeli passport control, and as others have said, they will not stamp your passport.

You then take your luggage and walk about .25 miles over Yitzak Rabin bridge or to Jordan's Passport Control where they inspect luggage, check your credentials, and invite you to visit the duty free store while that do the credential inspections. Oh, and you can also use the kiosk to get Jordanian cash.

The crossing is open 7 days a week, but closed on Jewish and Muslim holidays. So plan accordingly.

 

[JoeWras]

The passport stamp thing is now solved by the little paper tags as mentioned earlier. I had a friend who had to get a new passport because of the old issue.

I don't know about crossings into Jordan, but I can say be aware of any crossings anywhere. You could be delayed based on the troubles of the day. We stayed in the West Bank for a few days (Bethlehem) and wanted to get to Jerico (also W.B), but that morning, for some reason, the gate to Jerusalem was doing 1 vehicle per 2 minutes. The fastest route is through Jerusalem. So, instead, we went around and had a fascinating ride on back roads through parts of the W.B. not frequented by tourists.

Be ready for disruptions and go with the flow.