By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated
Browse multi-country itineraries that combine Jerusalem, Petra, Wadi Rum, the Dead Sea, the Pyramids and Cairo in a single joined tour — border crossings, accommodation and guiding arranged. Packages typically run 10–21 days and span all three countries.
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Abraham Tours operates on both sides of the Israel–Jordan border, running guided Israel-and-Jordan packages from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. For the Egypt leg, they can advise on connecting independently or recommend Egyptian operator partners.
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Book accommodation in Petra, Aqaba, Amman, and Cairo. Booking.com covers the full range from budget guesthouses near the Petra Visitor Centre to luxury Dead Sea resort hotels on the Jordan side, and central Cairo hotels for the Pyramids extension.
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Combining Israel, Jordan and Egypt in a single journey is one of the most ambitious and rewarding itineraries in the world: ancient walled cities, the world’s most famous archaeological ruins, the Dead Sea, Petra’s rose-red rock, the Sinai coast, and the Pyramids of Giza — all within a few hundred kilometres of each other. This guide explains the route options, border crossing logistics, realistic time requirements and sample itinerary frameworks for 10-, 14- and 21-day trips.
If you are only combining two of the three countries, see our dedicated guides: Israel and Jordan 10-day itinerary and Israel and Egypt combined trip. For a single-day Petra excursion from Israel, see Petra from Israel.
Safety note: All three countries have distinct travel advisories that change regularly. Before booking, check your government’s current advice: travel.state.gov (US), gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice (UK), smartraveller.gov.au (Australia). This guide is for planning purposes; it cannot replace real-time government advisories.
| Details | |
|---|---|
| Countries | Israel → Jordan → Egypt (or reverse) |
| Duration | 10 days (rushed), 14 days (recommended), 21 days (in-depth) |
| Main crossings | Eilat–Aqaba (Wadi Araba); Aqaba–Nuweiba ferry; Taba–Eilat (land) |
| Jordan visa | Jordan Pass (buy online) or visa on arrival; ~$55 |
| Egypt visa | Visa on arrival (most Western passports); ~$25–35 USD cash |
| Israel ETA-IL | Required if flying in; ₪25; apply at iaa.gov.il ≥72 hours before |
| Key decision | Israel-first or Egypt-first; tour or independent |
Israel-first is the most popular structure because Ben Gurion has better international flight connections than Amman or Aqaba, and the southward progression from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea to Masada to Eilat is a logical geographic flow.
Egypt-first suits travellers whose home-country flights are better priced or routed via Cairo, or those who want to build toward the spiritual intensity of Jerusalem as a closing experience.
The Wadi Araba crossing (Israeli side: Yitzhak Rabin/Arava Peace Crossing; Jordanian side: Wadi Araba) is the most tourist-friendly of Israel’s three Jordan crossings. Located about 4 km from Eilat city centre, it is open daily — including Shabbat, when the northern Allenby Bridge has more restricted hours. Processing typically takes 45 minutes to 2 hours; allow more time on busy weekends or Israeli public holidays.
See our border crossings guide for full procedures and current hours.
The Aqaba–Nuweiba ferry (operated by Arab Bridge Maritime) crosses the Gulf of Aqaba between Aqaba port and Nuweiba on the Sinai Peninsula. The fast ferry takes approximately 90 minutes; the conventional (slow) ferry takes 3–4 hours. Schedules are seasonal and subject to change — book in advance at the Arab Bridge Maritime office or through a local operator in Aqaba.
Nuweiba is the entry point to South Sinai. From there you can travel south to Dahab or Sharm el-Sheikh by shared taxi or minibus, or connect by road toward Cairo (a long journey — consider flying instead for the Cairo leg).
Important: The Sinai Peninsula has an active travel advisory from most Western governments. South Sinai tourist areas (Dahab, Sharm el-Sheikh, Ras Mohammed) are typically assessed separately from North Sinai in government advisories. Check your government’s current guidance for South Sinai specifically before planning the ferry route.
The Taba crossing on the Red Sea coast (Israeli side: Eilat International Border Terminal; Egyptian side: Taba) is the land crossing used if you are combining the two countries by road rather than flying. It is a 9 km taxi ride from Eilat city centre. See our full Israel and Egypt combined trip guide for detailed Taba crossing procedures.
For most 14-day travellers, flying from Amman (AMM) to Cairo (CAI) is the cleanest way to connect Jordan and Egypt. Royal Jordanian operates multiple daily flights; journey time is approximately 1.5 hours. This avoids the long overland route through Sinai and removes the ferry variable from your itinerary.
This framework prioritises quality over quantity. Adjust based on your interests and pace.
| Days | Location | Key experiences |
|---|---|---|
| 1–3 | Jerusalem | Jerusalem Old City, Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Yad Vashem, Mount of Olives; day trip to Bethlehem |
| 4 | Dead Sea & Masada | Masada sunrise ascent + Dead Sea float at Ein Bokek in the afternoon |
| 5 | Eilat → Aqaba | Morning in Eilat; Wadi Araba border crossing (allow 2 hours); settle in Aqaba; Red Sea snorkelling from Aqaba South Beach or a boat |
| 6 | Wadi Rum | Full day in Wadi Rum — jeep tour, sandboarding, Bedouin camp overnight |
| 7–8 | Petra | Two days: Day 1 the Petra Basin (Siq, Treasury, Street of Facades, Royal Tombs); Day 2 the Monastery trail and/or Little Petra. One day is the minimum; two is much better |
| 9 | Amman | Citadel, Roman Theatre, Rainbow Street; fly evening to Cairo |
| 10–12 | Cairo + Giza | Pyramids of Giza (hire a licensed guide at the entrance); Grand Egyptian Museum (book tickets online in advance); Khan el-Khalili bazaar; Islamic Cairo; optional Nile Felucca at sunset |
| 13 | Luxor day trip or extension | Optional: fly Cairo → Luxor for Karnak Temple and Valley of the Kings; fly back Cairo evening (adds 1–2 days for a proper Luxor visit) |
| 14 | Fly home from Cairo | Cairo International Airport (CAI) has extensive international connections |
Ten days forces hard choices. This structure covers highlights only.
| Days | Location | Key experiences |
|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Jerusalem | Old City essential walk; Western Wall; single Masada or Dead Sea day trip |
| 3 | Eilat → Aqaba | Border crossing; Red Sea afternoon |
| 4 | Wadi Rum | Full day jeep tour; overnight camp |
| 5 | Petra | One full day in the Petra Basin (you will wish you had two) |
| 6 | Amman → Cairo | Morning Amman; afternoon flight to Cairo |
| 7–9 | Cairo + Giza | Pyramids (Day 7); Grand Egyptian Museum (Day 8); Islamic Cairo and Khan el-Khalili (Day 9) |
| 10 | Fly home | Cairo departure |
At 10 days, Galilee, Tel Aviv, Luxor and the Sinai coast simply do not fit. If these matter to you, add time or plan a follow-up trip.
Why a tour helps: Israeli travel operators cannot legally operate the Egypt leg of your itinerary. For a seamless 3-country trip, you have two options: (1) book a tour operator that partners with Egyptian counterparts or operates a combined package, or (2) book Israel-and-Jordan independently with one operator, and add Egypt separately with an Egyptian operator or as a self-guided city visit.
Abraham Tours operates multi-day Israel and Jordan packages from Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with Petra and Wadi Rum extensions, and can advise on connecting independently to Egypt. For Egypt specifically, international operators such as G Adventures, Intrepid Travel, and Explore! run Israel–Jordan–Egypt itineraries as single-package bookings.
TourRadar aggregates multi-country packages across operators — useful for comparing 10-day and 14-day options in one place.
For self-drive within Israel, see our car rental in Israel guide. Note that Israeli rental cars cannot be taken into Jordan or Egypt — you will arrange local transport from each crossing point.
Money: You will handle three currencies — Israeli Shekels (₪), Jordanian Dinars (JD), and Egyptian Pounds (EGP). USD cash is useful as a backup at borders. Bring sufficient USD cash for visa fees (Egypt: ~$25–35; Jordan on-arrival: ~$55). ATMs are reliable in cities in all three countries but less accessible near border crossings. Wise or Revolut cards reduce foreign-exchange fees across all three currencies.
Jordan Pass: If you are spending more than one night in Jordan and visiting three or more Jordan Tourism Board sites, the Jordan Pass typically saves money by bundling the visa fee with site entry fees including Petra. Buy it online at jordanpass.jo before reaching the Wadi Araba crossing.
ETA-IL (Israel): If flying into Ben Gurion, Israel’s Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA-IL) is required for most Western passport holders. Apply at iaa.gov.il at least 72 hours before departure. The fee is ₪25 (~$7). It covers re-entry, so one ETA-IL covers the full trip if you exit and re-enter Israel as part of a loop. See visa information for eligibility.
Safety: All three countries have travel advisories that are updated in real time. Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula and Jordan’s border regions adjacent to Syria in the far north have historically carried elevated advisory levels for certain areas. Cairo, central Jordan (Amman, Petra, Aqaba), and all standard tourist areas of Israel are generally accessible, but always check is-israel-safe and your home government’s advisories for Egypt and Jordan before finalising plans.
Flying vs overland for Cairo: Most travellers find it worth the flight cost to fly Amman → Cairo rather than doing the overland Sinai route, which is longer, more complex, and subject to Sinai-specific advisories. The flight is typically 1.5 hours and avoids the ferry and road variables entirely.
The most popular route starts in Israel (Tel Aviv or Jerusalem), works south to the Dead Sea and Masada, then crosses into Jordan at Eilat–Aqaba (Wadi Araba crossing). From Aqaba it heads north through Wadi Rum and Petra to Amman before flying to Cairo — or alternatively takes the Aqaba-to-Nuweiba ferry across to the Sinai Peninsula, which is the gateway to South Sinai and an overland route onward to Cairo. A second popular variant is Egypt-first: fly into Cairo, take the Pyramids and Luxor, cross Sinai to Israel via the Taba border near Eilat, and finish with Israel and Jordan. Most group tours use the Israel-first route because Ben Gurion Airport has better international connections.
Ten days is the tight minimum — expect to feel rushed. Fourteen days allows one proper stop per major region and is the most common recommendation for first-time visitors. Twenty-one days gives genuine depth in all three countries. If you have only 10 days, seriously consider cutting one country and doing it justice on a separate trip. Egypt alone — Pyramids, Luxor, Aswan — warrants a week; combining it with Israel and Jordan compresses each experience significantly.
Most Western passport holders can buy a Jordanian visa on arrival at the Wadi Araba crossing, or in advance via the Jordan Pass (which bundles the visa fee with entry to 40+ sites including Petra — usually the better deal). For Egypt, most Western passports qualify for a visa on arrival at international airports and at the Taba land border. If crossing into Egypt via the Nuweiba ferry from Aqaba, the same on-arrival visa is available in most cases. Verify current requirements for your specific nationality with the relevant embassies before travelling — policies change. Egyptian visa fees are typically $25–35 USD, payable in cash at the border.
Both Jordan and Egypt have normalised diplomatic relations with Israel and accept Israeli passport holders. Israeli stamps in a third-country (non-Israeli) passport do not cause problems at Jordanian or Egyptian border crossings. If you are concerned about onward travel after your trip to countries where evidence of Israel travel may cause complications, consult your government travel advisory and your embassy for country-specific, up-to-date guidance — policies vary by nationality and by destination country, and change over time.
The Wadi Araba crossing (Israeli side: Yitzhak Rabin/Arava crossing; Jordanian side: Wadi Araba/Aqaba) between Eilat and Aqaba is the most tourist-friendly of the three Israel–Jordan crossings and the one most commonly used by travellers heading to Petra and Wadi Rum. It is open daily, including on Shabbat (the Allenby Bridge crossing has more restricted Shabbat-era hours). The Jordan Pass can be purchased online before crossing and is accepted at this border.
Yes. The most used sea connection between Jordan and Egypt is the Aqaba–Nuweiba ferry, which crosses the Gulf of Aqaba in roughly 90 minutes on the fast-ferry or 3–4 hours on the slow ferry. Schedules fluctuate seasonally; book in advance and verify departure times directly with the operator (Arab Bridge Maritime is the main operator). The Nuweiba port is on the Sinai Peninsula, from which you can travel south to Dahab or Sharm el-Sheikh, or onward to Cairo by road. This is the classic "Jordan–Egypt overland" link for budget travellers. Check your government travel advisory for current Sinai safety information before choosing the Sinai route.
Independent travel is feasible for experienced travellers comfortable with Middle East logistics. However, the border-crossing paperwork, transport connections, and booking coordination across three countries mean most first-time visitors to the region find an organised tour significantly less stressful and ultimately comparable in cost for mid-range budgets. Tour operators handle the Wadi Araba crossing, the Jordan Pass, Jordan-side transport, and Egyptian logistics as a package. If going independent, book border-crossing transport in advance, carry USD cash for visa fees, and read the border-crossing section of this guide and our dedicated guides carefully before you go.
By The Visit Israel Editorial Team · Last updated