kevmo

We are traveling to a group tour of Israel in August and will arrive three days early in Tel Aviv. We arrive on Friday evening, and have Saturday (Sabbath) and Sunday, then need to meet our group in Jerusalem late on Monday. Our tour is almost exclusively to Christian sites, in Jerusalem and the north (except for a trip to Masada.)

Should we stay in Tel Aviv for the weekend and see sites there, or try to travel to Jordan to see Petra? (I see some one-day or 1 1/2 day tours) I realize the sabbath will impact us.

Thanks!

mbgg

Tours to Petra begin from Eilat, so your problem is how to get there. You should go down on Saturday, take the tour to Petra on Sunday and go to Jerusalem on Monday morning.

Recommended tour companies:
http://www.desertecotours.com/englis...hort_tours.asp
http://abrahamtours.com/theme/jordan-tours/

There are three ways to get to Eilat: plane, bus or car.

Driving down (bus or car) takes about 5 hours. The advantage of taking a car is that you can drive down early on Saturday via Mitspe Ramon and Timna, then drive back on Monday via the Dead Sea and do some sightseeing along the way.

The first bus to Eilat on Saturday leaves at 14:30. The fare is 82 NIS and you have to book in advance (both ways):
http://www.egged.co.il/Eng/
http://www.egged.co.il/Eng/main.asp?lngCategoryID=2771

Flying takes less than one hour. Check the El Al, Arkia and Israir web sites for the Saturday schedule. Note that you can fly either from Ben-Gurion airport or from Sde-Dov, the Tel-Aviv municipal airport.

If you decide to relax in Tel-Aviv before the start of your tour you will have no problem occupying your time. On Saturday morning there is a free walking tour of the old Bauhaus neighbourhood, you can visit the Tel-Aviv Art Museum, or just stroll along the beach promenade, Jaffa, Neve Zedek.
http://www.visit-tel-aviv.com/free-w...s#.UuicZhD8JMw

On Sunday you can go to the flea market in Jaffa, the Carmel Market, the Palmach Museum, the Rabin Museum or do some shopping (Sunday is a regular working day in Israel)

You can always relax on the beach: the beach is free along the entire length of the city: http://goo.gl/maps/6v5YR

kevmo

Thank you so much, mbgg! That's very good information -- just one more question -- if we do decide to go to Eilat/Petra, do we need a special Visa or does the tour company take care of that for us?

I'll try to post a review after our trip.

mbgg

Assuming that you have an American or British passport - no, you do NOT have to get a visa in advance if you cross at Eilat (you have to get one in advance only for the Allenby Bridge crossing). The tour companies will confirm this for you.

The Jordanian visa (issued at the border) is expensive and the price for most tours usually does not include this fee - and may not include the entrance fee to Petra (also expensive). Ask each company what their policy is and what the additional costs are.

Approach_Guides

Tel Aviv and Petra are both great options and you can't go wrong with either one. That said, if you've never been to Petra, that would be my recommendation. A visit to the city is an experience unlike any other, with the walk through the Siq to the Treasury being one of the most powerful moments I've experienced while traveling.
Have a wonderful trip!