COVID Quandary! 2 weeks - Tel Aviv / Petra
 

Thanks. Originally - planned vacation in France for this May. Had direct flights between IAH and CDG. Like so many of the people on this website. our flight/trip had to be cancelled. It looks like the rescheduled Fall trip may be postponed. Long story but ended up paying for business class - instead of miles. 4 experienced travelers. My wife and I are 66 and 77 respectfully. Two in our travel group are CRNAs (anesthetist) - both in 70s. We are having to reconsider trip and are thinking of going to Israel and Petra. We would start the trip in either Tel Aviv or Amman and return from the other. Two weeks less the two travel days. Would not surprise me if many many of the travelers reading this have similar predicaments. Cost are always a factor but are not overriding. Who knows what is going to happen in the next 18 months.

Delta is a challenge.. If we cannot get cash back from Delta would need to use their planes/program. Would probably - for example - fly to NYC and take direct flight to Tel Aviv and take, for example, flights back to states from Amman (through Rome).. Because we are Christian, have certain sites we would love to visit. Would probably take trip (???) April, 2021 (or October?). Would probably leave (depends on the fares) Houston on a Friday or Saturday and return 2 weeks later. Plan on renting a car and using local guides if advantageous. Trying to minimize too many destinations closed for shabbat. I have done some preliminary research - so just enough to be dangerous. Don't think we have much interest in Jordan except for Petra-Wadi Musa. Would prefer to stay two or three nights - when possible - in any location. FYI we enjoy good reds, food and historical sights.

Assume starting in Tel Aviv (don't really care where arrive or depart) and returning from Jordan. Appreciate thoughts and guidance on an itinerary, including guides, restaurants, hotels.
Day 1 travel.
Day 2,3 arrive Tel Aviv. Stay two nights. Q Hotel/restaurant recommendations?
Day 4,5,6 depart for Galilee & Nazareth. Stay 3 nights - see Caesarea, Haifa, Caperneum, Galilee Q stay one location and travel to sites?
Day 7 depart for Dead Sea and stay 1 night. - float and float Q Hotel recommendations?
Day 8,9,10 depart for Jerusalem and stay 3 nights - see city, museum, Bethlehem
Day 11,12 depart for Petra and stay 2 nights - Q Should we enter Jordan at Eilatr? Q Suggestions on where to return rental car? Q How do we get from Jerusalem to Jordan - port of entry to Petra - Petra to Amman?
Day 13 depart for Amman and stay 1 night. Q Is there good hotel at airport?
Day 14 travel

Thanks for your suggestions.

I would recommend more time for Petra. I was there for three nights and wouldn't have minded longer. See my photos for why: https://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/...st-2009/Petra/

I would suggest Madaba rather than Amman. It is actually closer to the airport and has some excellent mosaics, in fact one of the "airport" hotels listed here is in Madaba: https://www.sleepinginairports.net/g...ide.htm#hotels

I don't know that I would bother with spending the night at the Dead Sea. Once you have floated there is nothing to do (at least there wasn't on the Jordan side).

thursdaysd: your photos of Petra are making me want to go!!! Wow!

Songdoc: thanks! I was blown away by the colors of the rocks. And there is much to see besides the iconic Treasury.

Petra is amazing.

It has definitely been added to my list!

We expected to love Petra but the rest of Jordan was wonderful too. Go to Mt. Nebo where you can look out over Moses’Promised Land” where he is thought to be buried and see the Dead Sea in the distance.
There were many more interesting sites in Jordan but you mentioned religious . Jerash, a Roman city, is amazing too, similar to Pompeii. Madaba and it’s mosaics was intersting as mentioned above. We enjoyed Amman too.We would like to return to Jordan, perhaps adding Israel too.