First time in the Middle East (1 week)

I agree - a week is not nearly enough. :) I am headed to Jordan alone for 7 nights. I decided Israel needed more time and I might be likely to only go there once. So it has to wait. I thought I could come a bit closer to seeing Jordan highlights in a week. So I am no help. Hopefully you can go back for more later!

I saw your post! Good luck in Jordan. I would love to stay longer in Jordan but I’ll actually be coming from Italy and Greece on this same trip (hence me only having 8 nights in Jerusalem) before arriving in Jerusalem so I can forgive myself for missing the Roman ruins of Jeresh (super cool btw!, still jealous).

We have a little overlap with our trips (Dead Sea, Petra, night in Wadi Rum). The Middle East is super compact in this area hahaha.

I've been in June twice---not a huge deal for me, but I live in the South! I found the weather fine, but hotter in Jordan! Have you considered flying into Israel and out of Jordan to avoid crossing back in? Just a thought, we did that our second trip and it was much more efficient use of our time. Pay attention to the methods for getting across the border, it's not necessarily easy---and I was berated by an Israeli IDF member when crossing as I was trying to film her harassing a Jordanian woman. A bit tense!! Taking an organized tour is something we have never done until our trips to Israel and Jordan, and it can be a time saver, as well as getting a good narrative of history that you might not read when visiting a particular site yourself.

We thought we'd only visit Israel once, too! That is, until we visited and then couldn't wait to go back! We wanted to get both sides and better understand the Israeli/Palestine conflict, so we've gone on a tour that gives a good immersion in Palestine culture and their side of the conflict, including visiting two refugee camps (we think Rick would approve!!) and an Israeli slanted tour. Check out some readings on https://greenolivetours.com. We know the owner, a Scottish Jew, whose company is an Israeli/Palestinian cooperative---what an eye opener!! We've heard Miko Peled speak---check out his book "The Generals Son." We feel we've gotten a good basic knowledge of the conflict--we actually stayed overnight in the home of a Palestinian CHRISTIAN family! Lots to learn in Israel/Palestine and Jordan--it's really overwhelming and I need to visit for the third time! Have a wonderful trip!!

So true - you just can’t see everything! Choices are always required. :)

Kathy, I have friends who were in Israel in March, 2020, and barely made it home although they didn’t miss any of their scheduled tour. They also thought it would be their “one and only” but have just signed on for a second tour in November. :) I am pretty sure I will need more than a week when I go!

Sounds okay. Jerusalem weather's about the same from mid-June through mid-September. Hot in the sun, usually comfortable in the shade because of the low humidity. The problem is finding the shade. Masada and the Dead Sea are usually hotter and there's almost no shade. Not much shade in Petra or Wadi Rum either. Take all possible precautions against sunburn, sunstroke and dehydration.

Is there a tour to Petra from Jerusalem? It's a 4 hour drive to the border crossing at Eilat/Aqaba which usually takes some time and then another couple hours drive to Petra.

Which day of the week do you arrive?

Will you have a lot of luggage? Are you taking it all with you to Jordan?

I have been to Israel once and you need four days to explore Jerusalem. Not sure about going to Jordan in the middle of the trip. Have you researched getting into Jordan via the Allenby bridge and returning to Israel?

Also, currently Israel is closed to foreign travel due to the new variant. My wife and I have a tour of Israel and Jordan in March and are not sure we will be able to go.

YES I will 100% be making full use of water bottles and sun screen, and anything they give me to put over my head in the desert hahaha. Israel is still a modern country so I shouldn’t have a problem obtaining sun screen from a store right? And the drinking water is safe like in Europe right?

I haven’t really done any research on getting into and out of Jordan minus getting a visa, but it was always from the perspective of me taking a tour because I can be lazy (especially after a 5 week trip).
Flying out of Jordan can be a good idea, but if I were to go to Jordan in the same way I’m going to Jerusalem, I would really only have one additional day and even with that extra time, I feel like I could see more on 2 days on a tour vs 3 days by myself.

I’ll be taking only myself, money + passport, and some sunscreen + water when I see Jordan. My stuff will all be stored at the hostel/hotel in Jerusalem for the one night I’m spending over in Jordan. I don’t have a lot of luggage minus a carry on bag/backpack so I can always bring a change of clothes without it weighing me down while I’m exploring the desert.

Also are some days worse than others to arrive? Minus holidays of course.

You can buy sunscreen in pharmacies and supermarkets, not sure about minimarkets/grocery stores. You're likely to find that the packaging is all in Hebrew - so ask an employee for help. Most everybody speaks English. Bring a sun hat. NO one will "give you something" and you'll want it in Jerusalem too. Drinking water is safe but often doesn't taste good. You can buy bottled water everywhere.

If you want to fly out of Jordan (Turkish Air would be best for into Tel Aviv and out of Amman), you would have to take all your luggage with you to Jordan . . . . and get from Petra to Amman - several hours' drive. I still don't understand how you're going to get from Jerusalem to Jordan and back to Jerusalem - especially since you will only spend one night in Jordan.

The sabbath (Shabbat) begins just before sunset on Friday and ends an hour or so after sundown on Saturday. Many sights have limited hours (or are closed) on Fri/Sat. The only public transportation is by taxi. Almost all stores outside the Old City close early on Friday and reopen on Sunday. Most restaurants are closed on Shabbat as well.

I always fly from Ben Gurion to Amman. The border crossing is notoriously time consuming. The airport is also crazy.

Four full days in Jerusalem? You’ll get bored. At least visit Tel Aviv one day.

Emily, how can you say that? 🙀😊 Let me know when you're next in town and I'll show you some of Jerusalem's delights. What would you recommend in Tel Aviv that is special?

We were in Jordan pre COVID, Jan 2020. We also enjoyed the Citadel in Amman, the ancient city of Jerash,
and Mt.Nebo. We flew to Amman from Cairo after touring Egypt.