Israel and Petra in 7 days. Is it possible? Please advise.

Hi,
A friend and I have 7 days and we have booked a trip to Israel for October, 2012. We will arrive in Tel Aviv on a Sunday and will fly out of Amman the following Sunday.

Please advise us as to what is the best way to accomplish this. Any input would be greatly appreciated. My priorities are Jerusalem, the Dead Sea, Wadi Rum, and Petra.

Tentatively, we planning the following

Sunday -- Arrive in Tel Aviv, will stay here for one night

Monday -- Head to Jerusalem What is the best way to get to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv?

Tuesday -- Stay in Jerusalem

Wednesday -- Visit the Dead Sea?

Thursday -- Go to Petra **What is the best way to cross over to Jordan from Tel Aviv. Should we go down to Eilat and go to Jordan that way or should we fly from Tel Aviv to Amman? Since we will be flying out from Amman, we were thinking of going straight to Petra from Eilat, then make our way to Amman to fly out. What do you think?*

Friday - Visit Petra

Saturday - Wadi Rum?

Sunday - Return to the US

Thank you, everyone, in advance for your input

Welcome to Thorn Tree.

Sunday -- Arrive in Tel Aviv, will stay here for one night

The airport is between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. There is no need to go to Tel Aviv - the city (unless of course you want to). The Nesher shuttle operates 24/7 from the airport to Jerusalem and will take you to any address in Jerusalem. It costs about 60 shekels per person including luggage. They are 10-seater minibuses and go when they are full, and they fill up quickly. This is by far the most cost-effective way to get from the airport to Jerusalem at any time of day or night, as there is no other direct public transport, and certainly nothing that would take you to wherever you are staying. You will see the Nesher yellow-and-white minibuses right outside the arrivals - follow the signs to TAXIS.

The most convenient way to go from Israel to Petra is via Eilat/Aqaba. Since you are planning on going to the Dead Sea the day before, you will already be on your way to Eilat. Stay somewhere at the Dead Sea (there are hostels at Masada and Ein Gedi, and a lot of luxury hotels at Ein Bokek), and the next day continue your journey to Eilat. Buses to Eilat should be booked in advance. You can do this in the Jerusalem central bus station when you arrive. Or you can rent a car, but rental cars cannot be taken across the border. There will be a drop-off fee if you rent in Jerusalem and return the car in Eilat.

If you fly - I have no idea what (if any) public transport is available from Amman airport to Petra. There is transport from Aqaba to Petra.

Edited by: Shuffaluff to add:
Which Sunday in October? Note that Sunday October 7 is the eve of the religious holiday of Simhat Torah. Accommodation will be hard to find then, if you don't have anything already booked. And on that evening as well as on Monday October 8 there will be no public transport. (The Nesher shuttle from the airport runs 24/7).

Shuffaluff,
Thank you for the helpful information. If that is the case, it would make sense for us to go straight to Jerusalem from the airport. It also sounds like we should also go to Eilat to cross over to Jordan. Thank you again. Do you know if it would be better to visit the Dead from the Jordanian as opposed to the Israeli side?

Did you read my last paragraph which I added in the last minute, probably after you wrote #2?
And I forgot to mention that among businesses that will be closed on Monday October 8 (if relevant) are car rental offices, except at the airport.

Search the forum for opinions on Jordan vs Israel for the Dead Sea. I live in Israel, and have tried only the Israel side. Of course the water is the same, the difference will be in the facilities and how much you are prepared to pay for them. One thing is certain: public transport is much more plentiful in Israel.

Shuffaluff,
Thank you once again. I will arrive in Tel Aviv on October 14.
Also, are there any sites/places outside of Jerusalem that you would consider to be "must-see?"

Oh that's good about the date. Much easier!
As for "must sees" - they of course depend on your interests. Not specific to Jerusalem, to Israel or to anywhere on the planet - one person's "must see" is another's "avoid at all costs". When you say "outside of Jerusalem" do you mean a short distance away by bus, or what? And what kind of things do you have in mind - religious sites (which religion?), historic (which period?), hiking, scenery, museums, architecture...? And with only two days in Jerusalem you won't run out of things to see there.

Hi,
I am a Catholic and I am traveling with a friend who is Hindi, who has been my traveling buddy for many years and who is also very interested in seeing religious sites. Specifically, do you think a trip to Bethlehem, Nazareth, and the Sea of Galilee is worthwhile? Thanks

I am very interested in religion, history, museums, and architecture

If I were to visit the Dead Sea from Jerusalem, should I spend the night around the area and to go Eilat the next day or should I try to go to Eilat on the same day? Thanks

Sorry, Hoangers, gotta rush now. It's almost Yom Kippur and I am going off-line until tomorrow evening (Israel time). I'll be happy to answer your questions then. Will you have a car or use public transport?

I will be coming from NYC and will not have a car. I am open to renting a car if it is necessary. Thank you Shuffaluff, and Gmar Chatimah Tova!

Hoangers - you are trying to do way too much and, IMHO setting yourself up for a miserable experience. You have to better understand both the significance and scale of what you are trying to see and the distances between them.

Jerusalem is one of the world's most fascinating cities. I spent over a week there last year and barely scratched the surface. When you include the surrounding area (like Bethlehem) there's even more to experience. Petra is an entirely different experience. Petra is geographically large and very verticle, meaning you have to climb up and down hundreds of stone steps. It would take you two full days to see most of it. Wadi Rum is an expanse of desert requiring one full day and night. Now, consider it takes a full day of travel just to get between Jerusalem and Petra and there's simply no way you can do any of it justice in only seven days.

What is your highest priority? If it's religious in nature then spend your week in and around Jerusalem. If it's nature then go directly south and see Petra and Wadi Rum. You simply can't do it all in just a week when you'll consume three of those days in transit.

Good luck.

Hi Laketraveller

Thank you for your insight. I agree that it is a very ambitious itinerary and like you mentioned, there is a very good chance that I will be busy rushing through things that I will not have time to take in the full experience of being there. My priorities at this point are 1) Jerusalem, 2) The Dead Sea, and 3) Petra. I should probably leave out Wadi Rum.

Do you know if it feasible for me to leave Jerusalem in the AM, rent a car and drive to the Dead Sea, spend a few hours there, then drive to Eilat and return the car there? Or is it better just to take public transportation. How long should I anticipate to cross the border over to Jordan?

Thanks again.

While the answer is based on personal opinion, I would take the bus. First, with exception of Friday afternoon and Saturday, public buses connecting Jerusalem, Eilat and points between are frequent and relatively inexpensive. Second, renting the car involves more than just the car. You also have to consider parking, gas and time spent getting it and turning it in.

Last, driving in Israel is basically fine, but driving habits are different in different countries and you might find driving in Israel a bit stressful.

Have fun.

Hi, if you ask me, the one place which has the most memorizing atmosphere in Jerusalem is the Holy Sepulchre, i guess it is on you'r to do list there, but if by any case it isn't well.. it should be :)

Hi Mefager,
Thank you for your recommendation. I am very much looking forward to visiting The Old City in Jerusalem. Are there anything else in Jerusalem that you think that I should see?

Israel + Jordan in seven days does not seem realistic. You will need two days to travel to and from Petra, and at least one full day to see the highlights of the site (you need two full days to really see the site). Jerusalem itself is worth two days minimum. You will be rushing everywhere.

Hi Catw,

I agree that it will be rushed. I have revised my itinerary to the following. I would be interested in what you think.

SUNDAY
- Arrive in Tel Aviv at 1:30PM
- Take shuttle to Jerusalem
- Spend night in Jerusalem

MONDAY and TUESDAY
- Sight-seeing in Jerusalem

WEDNESDAY
- Take bus to Dead Sea, then to Eilat, then to Jordan

THURSDAY
- Spend day in Petra
- Stay over in Wadi Musa

FRIDAY
- Wadi Rum (???), then head to Amman

SATURDAY
- Spend day in Amman

SUNDAY
- Fly back to the US

Are you now flying home from Amman?

Amman is a big city. Some people like it others feel it lacks some of the charm and unique characteristics of other cities in the region like Damascus or Cairo. Regardless, Wadi Rum is an entirely unique experience. If it were me and I was flying home from Amman I'd spend a day and a night in a Bedouin camp touring the desert. Eating a meal cooked under the sand and sleeping under the stariest night you've ever seen appeals to me a lot more than seeing yet another city. I'd skip Amman altogether.

Other than that it looks better.

Hi Laketraveller,

Thank you for the suggestion. I will look into staying in a Bedouin camp.

Also, do you think that my Wednesday schedule is realistic? (Waking up early, go to the Dead Sea, spend a few hours there, then head to Eilat to cross the border into Jordan). Thank you

Yes, depending upon your mode of transport, it's around five or so hours from Jerusalem to Eilat. If you left Jerusalem early in the morning, before the traffic starts to build and spent three hours at the Dead Sea, you can still be at the border by 3pm to 4pm, cross and be in Wadi Musa (Petra) by around 8pm or earlier depending upon how long it takes to clear the border.

I'm back!

There are only four buses a day from Jerusalem to Eilat (via the Dead Sea) - three on Friday and none on Saturday - so you would need to plan carefully, and it may not even be possible to do it by bus in one day. On a weekday, buses leave Jerusalem for Eilat at 7:00, 10:00, 14:00 and 17:00. (there are more buses going from Jerusalem only as far as the Dead Sea). Journey time to Ein Gedi from Jerusalem is about one hour, so you can do the calculations.

Bus timetables are at www.egged.co.il/eng. However, note that for the next week and a half there are a lot of holidays that throw the bus timetables out completely - finishing early on some days and not running at all on other days. If you want to see a normal day, look at Thursday September 27. (By mid-October, that will be the timetable for Sunday to Thursday.)

I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm just saying it's a pity to rush everywhere.

I agree with LakeTraveller. Amman is pretty boring and bears little interest for the traveller as compared to other sites in Jordan. Many expats living in Amman go spend the week-end in Tel Aviv, Beirut and previously Damascus any time they can.

Hi there,

I just booked a flight from Tel Aviv to Eilat with El Al airlines and costed me 40 dollars. So, I think is a good way if you are thinking in going south. Also, trains between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are very affordable, around 8 dollars one way. When in october are you planning to travel to Israel?

#23

trains between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem are very affordable, around 8 dollars one way.

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Perhaps, but it is also the slowest and most inefficient way to travel between the cities.
The trip takes about 1.5 hours (compared with less than an hour by bus or sherut), and the train station in Jerusalem is in the middle of nowhere for the average tourist, requiring a bus ride of at least half an hour (probably more) to get to/from where you are staying in the city.
BTW, the bus costs about US $5 one-way and the sherut not much more.

In addition to what a1 wrote in #24, trains to Jerusalem are infrequent - only every hour or two (yes, there are some long gaps of two hours between trains), whereas the bus goes every 10 to 15 minutes. Unless you "collect" train rides there is no advantage whatsover in going by train. The tiny difference in cost between train and direct bus is cancelled out by having to take another bus (or bus plus light rail) to get from the railway station on the very farthest outskirts of Jerusalem to wherever you want to go.

Bus every time.

Thank you for the information. It seems like bus is the way to go from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

Also, if I were to book a flight between TA and Eilat, should I do it here in the US or should I wait until I get to Israel to do so.

I will arrive in Israel October 14

Just FYI - While I respect the opinion offered in #23, I disagree that flying is a good way of getting between TA and Eilat.

The bus is half the cost and when you consider the time it takes getting to the airport, getting there a couple hours early, getting through security, the flight and getting from the airport (although it is right in town) I don't think it saves that much time. The bus is around five hours and the whole process of flying is probably around four hours.

Also, if you're heading to Eilat to go to Jordan the bus driver can let you off at a stop about 1k from the border. If you don't have luggage and you're willing to walk that 1k the bus is probably faster. Just make sure you tell the bus driver early that you want to be let off at the stop to walk to the Jordan border crossing.