Self-tour vs organised tours in Israel & Jordan

[Flashback]

I'm in a bit of a travel planning rut at the moment (it's usually the bit I enjoy the most!) and with life, work etc. having been so busy the past 3 months I lost track of time.

We're off to Israel & Jordan in April and I've just started having a look at how we're going to do it.

I've read through a few threads for inspiration:

http://www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au/community/trip-reports-and-trip-photos/tpe-tlv-quick-trip-israel-67904.html

Doha, Dubai, Israel, Egypt and Jordan.

We are looking at an Egypt journey late next year with a Nile River Cruise. We are looking at flying with Qatar through to Amman then a driver to take us into Tel Aviv at which time we will be on a guided tour through Israel, then Egypt, then into Jordan. We then plan to fly home not sure...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

We prefer to largely arrange our own travelling rather than joining tours, so hoping those that have done similar can offer some tips. It looks like we're there in peak season (rare for us, we usually travel to places in their shoulder season or off-season) and hotel prices etc. very much seem to reflect that. Part of that also is of course due to being only 2 months out.

Anyway, I digress.

I've pulled together a rough itinerary and welcome any thoughts / comments. We don't really have a great desire to spend time in, or stay in Tel Aviv. We get a bit bored of the whole big cosmopolitan city thing, so prefer to get out and about. We might do a day trip there perhaps near the end of the trip.

Arrive Tel Aviv mid afternoon - head straight to Jerusalem, overnight.
Day 1 Jerusalem and surrounds (Western Wall etc.)
Day 2 Jerusalem and surrounds (Mount Olive, walk back to town etc.)
Day 3 Dead Sea, Masada, Mitze Ramon and Timna Park (hike) - one way car rental (tends to be minimum 3 days, so how could this best be utilised)? Price is the same regardless of one way to Eilat, or return to Jerusalem so may as well do the one way rental. Other option is to do this as a day trip and then just get the bus down to Eilat? Car provides greater flexibility though.
Day 4 Depends on transport chosen (car vs bus) - day trip to the West Bank (Bethlehem etc.), or is this best done as an organised half-day/full-day tour?
Day 5 Eilat
Day 6-7(or 8) Cross into Jordan - Petra, Wadi Rum etc. Again, this is often recommended to just book a mini tour package to do it as they arrange visas etc. for you, but open to ideas on this one.
Day 8 onwards - more time in Jordan, or head back to Israel and go north?
.....
Day 12 Spend the last evening in Tel Aviv, close to the airport (7am departure the next day) and perhaps spend the day visiting Carmel Market etc. in Tel Aviv.

Is hiring a car and self driving a good option? Is a mixture of self-guided vs organised tours more sensible, especially for the West Bank etc.

Paging @Daver6 and co. who I know have spent some time there.

 

[Flashback]

After some more research and thought, Day 4 would be a half/full day tour to West Bank etc.

Then pickup the car on Day 5 and spend 3 days travelling from Jerusalem down to Eilat via the Negev Desert, some wineries, Masada, Mitze Ramon and finally Timna Park before arriving into Eilat. Spend a night or two along strategic points along the route as overall it's a 4-5 hour drive from Jerusalem to Eilat. Likely then an arranged tour to do the Jordan component, then fly from either Eilat (Israel) or Amman (Jordan) back to TLV, spend the last night or two there. If we do spend 2 nights in/around TLV our plan would be a day trip north of TLV.

 

[drron]

When we went to jordan we hired a driver who turned out to be an excellent guide. sadly it seems he retired in 2020.
But this would be the way to go as we were taken to places not on the usual tour itineraries though it did lead to long days leaving us really exhausted.
Probably ask on Trip Advisor as that is how we found our guy. His name was Wael Salith. his web page is still there but apart from the name nothing else now.

 

[MARTINE]

I would spend more time based in Jerusalem
One whole day I would do Yad Vashem (holocaust museum) and the incredible Museum which houses dead sea scrolls and history of Judaism. Its quite a walk from Mt Olive to Old city you will find so days may be rather crowded
Carmel market not worth it but the Bauhaus area of T A does have a great market. Nege Zedek is a wonderful area and older TA with cool cafes/shops and the Susan Dellal Art centre with great cafe called Cafe susan across the road. Port is worth it too. I think this is one region where a good guide is worth it. Also places seem close on a map in Israel but various entry/exit gates mean you may need to take a circuitous route

 

[Happy Dude]

I found self drive around Jordan to be straightforward, starting and finishing at AMM. We did an organised overnight tour for Wadi Rum (not sure if you can go in the area otherwise but would have liked a day or two more around there) and paid a driver for day trips from Amman to the sites in the north, mainly to avoid having a car and driving it in Amman. It would have been good to stay up in the region though. Enjoyed Madaba and its mosaics and it's a good spot to finish your trip if flying out of AMM the next day.

 

[MARTINE]

Fun fact
The Rothschild family fully funded the Israeli parliament building which can be seen from most vantage points of the Museum

 

[Flashback]

I came to the same conclusion after having read 30 Things To Do in Jerusalem, Israel.

Itinerary updated to the following:
Arrive Day 0
Day 1 Jerusalem
Day 2 Jerusalem
Day 3 Jerusalem
Day 4 Pickup car and head for Dead Sea, Masada stopping at wineries on the way in the Negev desert
Day 5 Mitze Ramon and Timna Park (hike), driving through the Negev desert and doing some hikes on the way, stop at Ben Gurion grave etc. Note that from Friday evening to Saturday evening the Shabbat is in place so some things may be closed etc. Maybe stretch this out over 2 days.
Day 6 Cross into Jordan
Day 7 Petra, Wadi Rum
Day 8 Wadi Rum (hike to Jebel Burdah Rock Arch)
Day 9 Amman
Fill time between Amman and flying out of Tel Aviv. Flight prices AMM-TLV are crazy, if I can't find an Avios flight then it'll be back to Eilat and fly ETM-TLV.
Day 13 Fly home OMG o'clock from TLV

 

[MARTINE]

We went when week 1 was Catholic Easter and week 2 passover. 2nd week found Jerusalem much much busier than first
Also during passover most hotels have reduced offerings

 

[Flashback]

We went when week 1 was Catholic Easter and week 2 passover. 2nd week found Jerusalem much much busier than first
Also during passover most hotels have reduced offerings

Good to know as we arrive at the tail end of Easter, so sounds like it'll be pretty busy.

Flying AMM-TLV is a non-starter, crazy expensive and also Avios doesn't help as the taxes/charges etc. are nuts.

This looks like fun, though.

How to get from Amman to Tel Aviv

2 options from €20

travel4all.org

 

[MARTINE]

Yeh
Those bridge crossings can take ages however even if distance small

 

[Pushka]

I can offer no suggestions as we aren't going until May but whatever you decide you must do a Trip Report. .

Oh. That was my thread! . We are finally doing it in May. I must read up on it again. Thanks @Flashback Bloody Covid.

 

[RooFlyer]

i’ll get back to you tonight with some recommendations and suggestions but for the moment I would strongly, strongly recommend you visit the Dead Sea from the Jordanian side not the Israeli side. I’ve done both and the experience was chalk and cheese.

Also, Petra will need a full day with an early start and you’ll be pretty tired when you come out ( and I know you are pretty fit) , so stay the night there as well.

 

[Flashback]

I've read reviews of all the car rental companies where you can pickup in Jerusalem too, and it's already giving me PTSD from renting in Tunisia......

Stranded - what would you do?

After the dodginess of the ordeal we had picking up our car from Budget in Enfidha, Tunisia - today things have gotten even better, the 'check engine' light has come on. The hotel here and I have tried getting through (location is closed now) but the brief call we had, all they said was no it's...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[Daver6]

You're going in April. Be aware that on Passover a lot of things will be closed in Israel. Not the entire 8 days, just the first and last.

Tel Aviv has so many different areas. Jaffa in particular is worth a visit. For the north, there's Haifa and Acre (good markets there).

It sounds like you're covering quite a lot in a short period of time. It will be go go go. That's ok as long as that's your thing.

Getting to the top of Masada for sunrise is worth the hike too.

 

[Flashback]

You're going in April. Be aware that on Passover a lot of things will be closed in Israel. Not the entire 8 days, just the first and last.

Tel Aviv has so many different areas. Jaffa in particular is worth a visit. For the north, there's Haifa and Acre (good markets there).

It sounds like you're covering quite a lot in a short period of time. It will be go go go. That's ok as long as that's your thing.

Getting to the top of Masada for sunrise is worth the hike too.

Go go go is definitely our style, we don't really do "relaxing"

I think we'll be out hiking on the last day of Passover so should hopefully work out ok.

I feel like we have the bones of the trip now and just need to lock in the finer details.

 

[MARTINE]

Go go go is definitely our style, we don't really do "relaxing"

I think we'll be out hiking on the last day of Passover so should hopefully work out ok.

I feel like we have the bones of the trip now and just need to lock in the finer details.

If you enjoy loud and chaotic youre going to the right place!

 

[RooFlyer]

Like you, I like go-go-go, so ....

In Jordan, had a private tour (driver/guide 1 person) in 2013 by Jordan Select Tours recommended by friends and the experience was very good. Looks like they've morphed into Jordan Direct Tours. A private car/driver in a place like Jordan alleviates the problems of parking overnight, security of your belongings while you are at a monument etc, local road conditions stress etc.

I don't recall any hairy moments on the roads in Jordan. As I mentioned, a full day for Petra; you'll want to do the climbs up the hills behind the main complex for views and less-visited areas. Stay at one of the Jordanian Dead Sea hotels and take a dip. The Israeli resorts are way to the south and I'm not sure if any are on the actual sea, or some of the areas sectioned off at the south. Try to do Jerash, esp if you are into the Romans.

The RJ lounge at Amman airport was pretty good back then!

Inevitable Trip Report here.


I self-drove in Israel in 2018, TR here. Overall, I enjoyed Jordan more than Israel; as I commented in my TR, the people I encountered in Israel were (generalising) a bit brusque and New-Yorkish. Driving was a bit stressful in Israel, a lot of 'take-no-prisoners' attitudes and young guys in powerful cars tailgating etc etc. I thought a day trip to Jerusalem was enough (went by train). Again, I zipped around the highlights. No probs driving down the main road of the West Bank, along the Dead Sea shore. There's a security checkpoint along the way. From memory, I took the cable car up to Masada and walked down. No dawn for me!

 

[Happy Dude]

I came to the same conclusion after having read 30 Things To Do in Jerusalem, Israel.

Itinerary updated to the following:
Arrive Day 0
Day 1 Jerusalem
Day 2 Jerusalem
Day 3 Jerusalem
Day 4 Pickup car and head for Dead Sea, Masada stopping at wineries on the way in the Negev desert
Day 5 Mitze Ramon and Timna Park (hike), driving through the Negev desert and doing some hikes on the way, stop at Ben Gurion grave etc. Note that from Friday evening to Saturday evening the Shabbat is in place so some things may be closed etc. Maybe stretch this out over 2 days.
Day 6 Cross into Jordan
Day 7 Petra, Wadi Rum
Day 8 Wadi Rum (hike to Jebel Burdah Rock Arch)
Day 9 Amman
Fill time between Amman and flying out of Tel Aviv. Flight prices AMM-TLV are crazy, if I can't find an Avios flight then it'll be back to Eilat and fly ETM-TLV.
Day 13 Fly home OMG o'clock from TLV

The Petra/Wadi Rum day looks too tight. Petra is much more than the Treasury so I'd go for a full day and half day then travel to Wadi Rum in the afternoon. Wadi Rum to Amman is a fair drive too - maybe 4 hours or so? The Dead Sea Movenpick was a real treat.

 

[Flashback]

Like you, I like go-go-go, so ....

In Jordan, had a private tour (driver/guide 1 person) in 2013 by Jordan Select Tours recommended by friends and the experience was very good. Looks like they've morphed into Jordan Direct Tours. A private car/driver in a place like Jordan alleviates the problems of parking overnight, security of your belongings while you are at a monument etc, local road conditions stress etc.

I don't recall any hairy moments on the roads in Jordan. As I mentioned, a full day for Petra; you'll want to do the climbs up the hills behind the main complex for views and less-visited areas. Stay at one of the Jordanian Dead Sea hotels and take a dip. The Israeli resorts are way to the south and I'm not sure if any are on the actual sea, or some of the areas sectioned off at the south. Try to do Jerash, esp if you are into the Romans.

The RJ lounge at Amman airport was pretty good back then!

Inevitable Trip Report here.


I self-drove in Israel in 2018, TR here. Overall, I enjoyed Jordan more than Israel; as I commented in my TR, the people I encountered in Israel were (generalising) a bit brusque and New-Yorkish. Driving was a bit stressful in Israel, a lot of 'take-no-prisoners' attitudes and young guys in powerful cars tailgating etc etc. I thought a day trip to Jerusalem was enough (went by train). Again, I zipped around the highlights. No probs driving down the main road of the West Bank, along the Dead Sea shore. There's a security checkpoint along the way. From memory, I took the cable car up to Masada and walked down. No dawn for me!

Thanks, will have a read through.

Interesting, I saw in the new year in.. 2018 I think and thought the RJ lounge was rubbish! Funnily enough was only just talking to VPS about it on Sunday, about how rubbish it is for a hub lounge.

 

[Scarlett]

Haven’t been to Israel yet but we spent about a week in Jordan self drive and all self organised, in 2014. With an 18 month old. Nice place.

Amman was fine to walk around
Dead Sea visit and swimming was interesting. Nice resorts.
Petra - concur full day needed
Didn’t visit Wadi Rum, we just spent a couple of nights in Aqaba.
As @Happy Dude suggested, we spent the final night in Madaba and enjoyed it. Easy to get to AMM the next day.

We had a hire car, can’t remember from who, but it was pretty rubbish. Still got us around fine.