mbgg

Questions about Amman Airport should be posted on the Jordan forum.

TWA884

There is no "Jordan" forum.

The Middle East Forum is for discussions of: "Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, the UAE, and Yemen."

Ilove2fly

Thank you very much kingsroadgal.

tasnam

Ok read through this thread and here is my question:

Currently, as I type this am at the Marriott Jordan valley Dead sea.

US citizens & Passports. Paid the Jordan Visa online for 70 JOD for Petra access and Visa fee.

Have an open day and was thinking about crossing into Elliat for lunch/light shopping and go back to Jordan.

Logistically, Hassel and cost going from Jordan>Isreal(Elliat)>back to Jordan in one day what is the effort and aggravation involved (Not concerned with taxi or rental cars on Jordan side).

Basically in Aqaba - have an open day - want another country to say I visited (ego thing - hey at least I am honest).

Just lunch........is it worth the effort and any cost? Again I have the Jordan Pass (70 JOD online)

Ditto

Putting costs aside, you can of course cross over without any issues, however do keep in mind that the border crossing can get busy at times, especially if you happen to arrive just before a bus or 2 of group tours, you can find yourself spending 2 hours easily, and it can happen to you on both directions.

tasnam

That's what I was looking to hear.....what about costs? Going into Isreal?

Then if I come back to Jordan > can I use my Jordan Traveller pass again (how likely?)

Ditto

I don't know with the recent changes in visa costs, on the Israeli side it is something like 100 shekels when leaving, on the Jordanian side it used to be around 10JD when leaving, you will have no issues entering Israel with a US passport but on the return you might need to arrange a 'tour guide' in advnace to be able to get a visa.

You could contact the Jordanian embassy in TLV to double check the requirements.

abaheti

Newbie to the area.

Have two weeks coming up. Right now scheduled to go in and out of TLV (found Swiss business class award). I am starting to see some LAX-AMM flights, but less desireable flights. Question, is it reasonable to plan a loop from TLV to see highlights in Israel and Jordan and return to TLV? Or should I land, and immediately catch a flight from TLV-AMM? Or should I deal with less desireable inbound and land AMM and depart from TLV? (By less desireable, I mean LAX-SFO-FRA-AMM on UA+LH, dealing with SFO, 11 hour layover in FRA, short-haul business from FRA-TLV for 4 hours, and landing AMM at 1am.) No other *A options showing up as of yet.

Is a TLV ending back in TLV a plausible, reasonable option? I've been looking at trip reports and itineraries all over and having a hard time. Right now I lean towards biting the bullet and buying a one way from TLV to AMM at the start of the trip.

Ditto

I would advise doing it the other way around, e.g. fly in to TLV, tour around, cross the border at some point and fly out of AMM.

Crossing back and flying from TLV will add a lot of extra hassle at the border/security in TLV airport (seen that first hand more than once).

abaheti

Thanks. I continue to look for award tix that will allow what you suggest, but no luck yet and beggars can't choosers in the UA award lotto game. And at some point I need to lock in hotels etc and stop playing with air itin. Truly first world problems, I know; so, leaning towards landing TLV, flying immediately to AMM, then crossing over land into Israel to tour, ending in TLV for the end of trip and departure unless I can get better routing soon.

flygirl555

I am a US citizen and planning a trip to TLV in late Oct. I will be by myself the first several days and then join up with a tour group. There is NO WAY I am going there without making it to Petra (it's been on my "bucket list for a long, long time).

Ideally, I'd like to fly into AMM, to to Petera and then end up in TLV a few days later. I am comfortable taking the JETT bus from AMM to Petra, but because I am by myself, I'd prefer to meet up with a group in Petra vs. hiring a private car / taxi.

Because my time is so limited (looking to arrive in AMM at 8:30 pm Saturday night and and need to meet my group Tuesday afternoon) it doesn't make sense for me to fly into TLV and hire a tour from there.

What is the best way to do this? How would the visas work? Anything else to consider?

laurctterat

I wonder how your trip went and how your question was resolved? as I have a similar journey to yours

Boraxo

We are looking at a similar trip this summer but will be flying to/from TLV. Would like to see Petra and was advised (above and elsewhere) that the easiest course would be to take a bus tour via Eilat as it is quicker to cross the border at Rabin/Arava. Would consider flying TLV-AMM but the prices seem a bit absurd for a family and not sure how much time that would actually save with security, transfers, etc.

Has anyone done the overnight tour from Jerusalem? How are the hotel accommodations near Petra? I suppose the alternative would be to stay in Eilat and do a same-day trip to Petra. I am not a big fan of Eilat (much prefer the beaches in TLV) but it is an easy domestic flight from TLV and not the worst place to spend a night.

Any advice from tourists who have visited Petra? Anything else we should see in Jordan?

M60_to_LGA

I haven't gone to Jordan myself, but during a trip to Israel a year and a half ago I met a Spanish guy who took the overnight tour from Jerusalem, and he was quite happy with it.

Given all the coronavirus-related uncertainty regarding travel, it might be worth checking out prices for independent travel. If you're a family, you might be able to rent a car in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, drive it to Eilat and drop it off there, then take a local cab to the border and arrange for a Jordanian guide to pick you up. That would also give you more flexibility than you would get from a big group bus tour.

Alternatively, the Egged booking site (available only in Hebrew) gives a round-trip fare of 112 shekels (about $35) for the TA-Eilat route. It's five hours in the bus, but given the need to travel to the airport and arrive several hours early, the bus might actually be an easier option than flying.

Everyone I know who's been to Petra says it's worth staying there at least a night to be able to see the site when it's less crowded, and to see the sunrise/sunset. Also if you do a day trip from Eilat, you'll end up having to wake up incredibly early and will be at the site during the peak of the day's heat. That will be exhausting, especially if you have kids with you.

In addition, there appears to be a significant fee if you enter Jordan just for a day trip, so that's another reason in favor of staying at least one night:

https://againstthecompass.com/en/cro...rael-border/#7

uanj

I have been fortunate to have seen and done a fair amount in my life and I can tell you walking the 1.5 km or so down the Siq, deeper and deeper, and ending up suddenly in front of the Treasury will be one of the top twenty memories of all my travels. Petra is not to be missed. I took a day out of my work schedule and arranged a car to get me there right as the gates opened and I was the first person down the Siq. The photography is just astounding as the sun rises. Jordan's archeological and historic sites are pretty amazing: Roman, Nabataean (Petra), even Crusader citadels. So if you are into history and/or the desert landscapes, you would like it. The people were very hospitable but the security can be off-putting. I had some fantastic Lebanese cuisine in Amman. Looking forward to going back one day.