11 days...Jordan and Israel ...help with itinerary

Old Oct 23rd, 2017, 04:02 AM
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11 days...Jordan and Israel ...help with itinerary

Hey everyone

I'm Udit from India

I have 11 days 23Dec-02Jan, maybe 03 Jan also if I'm lucky.

I plan to visit Jordan & Israel.

I can't fly in or out of Israel so it has to be Jordan - most probably Ammam.

Here's what I've planned so far-

23- Arrive Ammam, flt arrives at 9:30am, visa on arrival, maybe spend the night by Dead sea

24- Wadi Rum - stay in tent

25-Petra - stay at Wadi Rum or move to Aqaba

26- Day in Aqaba - scuba maybe

27- Cross over to Israel from Yitzhak Rabin/Arava crossing, move to Masada, night by Dead sea

28- Jerusalem day 1

29- Jerusalem day 2

30- West bank

31- Tel Aviv for New year's

01- Tel Aviv

02- Cross over to Jordan via Allenby crossing, flyout , flight at 3:15pm

A few queries -

1) Is the above plan feasible ?
2) Should I drop the day at Aqaba and increase one day in Israel ?
3) Will I be able to catch my flight on last day considering the distance and timings for Crossing involved?
4) Will I get a dual entry visa on arrival at Ammam airport. If not will I get a visa at Allenby crossing to enter into Jordan?
5) Again visa on arrival at Yitzhak Rabin crossing?
6) Is the Jordan pass worth buying for my trip?
unonymus_traveller is offline  
Old Oct 23rd, 2017, 04:41 AM
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Here are my thoughts.

1. Stay right next to Petra, You need to go as early in the morning as possible. It's a huge place and if you want to explore it all, you really need all day. It also fills up with more and more people as the day goes on.

2. We went in the Red Sea in May with just bathing suits. I thought it was cold then. Maybe with wet suits diving in Dec/ January will be fine.

3. You are doing the Dead Sea twice, really there's no reason. I only did it on the Jordan side, but it's just a body of water and you only float for a bit. Now, we did love our day at the Dead Sea and the swimming pool, but I have a 5 year old.

4. If you have the right visas and have paid your money, you might be able to catch your flight. the airport is on the same side of town.

We left Jerusalem early on a Saturday morning and had to wait at the border for at least an hour before getting to cross back into Jordan. We then waited quite a while in the holding area for the bus to take us over the Allenby bridge. Then when we got to Jordan there was a mixup with our papers. We had paid the money but didn't get the stamp. Our visas were also arranged by the tour company which was an issue. Our friend whom we were with who lives in Jordan did not have any issues with her visa and passport. She is an American. We had our driver drop us off at the American grocery store in Amman by 3 p.m.

But it took all morning, and I wouldn't risk an international flight.

Why don't you switch your trip around? You arrive so early in the morning. Get a flight into Amman go to the border and go to Jerusalem directly. Then spend the night at the Dead Sea in Jordan before you leave that afternoon.

That's what I would do.
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Old Oct 23rd, 2017, 10:54 AM
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Petra deserves three nights/two days. Drop Aqaba and add the time to Petra.
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Old Oct 24th, 2017, 01:04 AM
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Thanks @williamscb13 and @thursdaysd for your replies.

I did some more reading and I think I'll drop Aqaba and add a day to Petra or cross over to Israel on 26th. Crossing into and out of Israel will be through Allenby crossing.

I also read Petra has a night tour on Mon/Thur/Fri - for my trip it's falling on 25th. Is it worth visiting.

Any other info anyone can provide to help with my planning.
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Old Oct 24th, 2017, 05:45 AM
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Yes, do the night tour. Hang back so you get more peace and quiet.

For why you need at least two full days in Petra:
https://kwilhelm.smugmug.com/Travel/...st-2009/Petra/
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Old Oct 26th, 2017, 05:02 AM
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Why don't you fly home out of Israel?
Dianedancer is offline  
Old Oct 29th, 2017, 07:41 AM
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a couple of logistic notes for you:
aqaba to petra is 2 hours.
dead sea to wadi rum is 4 hours driving time.
wadi rum to petra is almost 2 hours.

i just spent a day/night in petra. it wasn't really enough time to see everything there, but the site is just gigantic. we literally walked 28,000 steps that day and spent a good 8 hours. the night tour is cool, but hold off purchasing tickets. we were absolutely exhausted after the day and could not have managed a couple more kilometers - and we're all in good physical shape.
wadi rum is quite spectacular and nearly 750 km long. i would recommend you have a guide with a jeep for the day (i can confidently give you a name).bring warm clothes as the nighttime could be quite cold.

aqaba is a great leaping-off point to petra, however, the weather could be iffy for scuba and it's still 2 hours away. please remember that you are in a country where modesty is the norm. we did not feel it necessary to wear headscarves, but we did feel more comfortable and respectful wearing long pants/skirts as opposed to shorts (that being said, dress as you like for petra/wadi). across the border is eilat which has an incredible coral beach reserve where you can see a huge array of fish and coral from boardwalks without ever stepping into the water.

masada and the dead sea are well worth your attention but could be done in a single day.

one note: you will be in jerusalem friday and saturday. be advised that on the sabbath all public transportation is shut down in israel - no busses, no trains, no trams. not sure how you would get to the west bank unless you have a car or a friend to come get you. enjoy!!
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Old Nov 13th, 2017, 06:58 AM
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Note that even in December, Israel (and I assume Jordan) will probably still be hot! Don't forget to take plenty of water, especially while you'll be in the desert.

An addendum to what Cheryl-b posted: You will be in Jerusalem Thursday and Friday. Public transit within Jerusalem is pretty good, and will likely be able to take you wherever you want to go, but by about 3PM on *Friday* ALL Israeli public transit (throughout nearly the entire country!) will have ceased for the Sabbath, and it won't be operational again until around 6PM on Saturday.

Where in the West Bank did you want to visit? Arab-run buses do run on Saturday, but not everywhere is accessible by bus... Will you be coming back to Jerusalem Saturday night, or staying in there?

January 1st is a regular work day here, so although Tel Aviv will be partying for New Year's, remember that most of us will need to go to work the next day
sunshineisyummy is offline  
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