Taking a tour from Israel to Jordan is one of the easiest ways to fit Jordan into your Israel trip. To maximize your time and see more of Jordan outside of just Petra, I highly recommend going on a tour for three or more days. Jordan has so much more to offer than Petra, and you’ll want the extra days to see more. Here’s what to know before going on a three day Jordan tour.

Get on the right bus

It generally helps to get on the right tour bus. Tour companies will often have multiple buses going to the same pickup location, and many buses will be going to Jordan. Before boarding the bus, confirm the name of the tour and the tour company with the bus driver.

Pay the border fee in USD

The border fee is usually not included in the cost of your tour. You can either pay $65 USD or 250 shekels in cash. I recommend paying in USD, because at the time of writing, if you pay 250 shekels, this converts to about $72 USD. Paying in shekels is basically overpaying. Your guide will collect the border fee before you get to the border and will pay the border agents when you get there.

Be prepared for the border crossing

Crossing the border into Jordan can be a bit of a mess. When I did it, our guide did not give us any instructions, so it’s best to know the process before you go.

You’ll disembark your bus and go into the border security office for Israel. Here, you will receive your exit slip for Israel and your guide will handle the necessary fees. Then, exit the building and get your things from the tourist minibus. Wait for your group, and when everyone is done, you have to pay 5 shekels per person to ride the bigger bus to the Jordan side.

Once there, enter the Jordan border control office. You’ll present your passport and have to do a retinal scan. Then, you’ll get your visa and entry stamp for Jordan and your Jordan guide will meet you there.

This way, to Jordan!

Change money before leaving

During your three day Jordan tour, you will be so busy going from site to site that you probably won’t have the chance to change your money to Jordanian Dinar. I recommend getting some in Israel, or ordering some from your bank at home before you leave on your trip. There should be currency exchanges or even ATMs that will give other currencies in the bigger cities in Israel. Otherwise, you’ll just have to wait or ask your guide for an opportunity to get Jordanian Dinar.

Be ready for extra costs

The price of your tour is not all-inclusive. It will include transportation, accommodation, food, attraction entry fees and the cost for a tour guide and tourist police. There are a few other small fees that you will also be responsible for. The bus at the border crossing is one example. You’ll also need to pay if you want any drinks with your meals. This means water, soda, alcoholic beverages, etc. There is also an exit tax for Jordan, which costs 10 Jordanian dinar per person. It must be paid in dinar. It’s also customary to tip both the tour guide and the bus driver at the end of the tour.

All this delicious food is included, though!

Pack the right stuff

Your three day Jordan tour will involve lots of time outdoors, walking around and enjoying the highlights of Jordan. You’ll want to make sure you have comfortable, sturdy walking shoes. Hiking boots or shoes may even be the better route if you plan on doing any of the extra hikes in Petra. You’ll also want to bring layers of clothing as it can be warm to hot during the day, but cool off considerably during the night.

Glad to have had my favorite walking shoes and packable raincoat in Jordan

Winter may or may not be the best time to visit

There are some considerable pros and cons to doing a three day Jordan tour in winter. Winter is the off-season for tourism which means you don’t have to share the sites with big crowds of people. However, you also run the risk of it being too cold at night for the amazing experience of sleeping in a Bedouin camp in Wadi Rum. This is unfortunately what happened to us and I missed out on getting to see all the stars. It’s a risk you’ll have to weigh for yourself.

There are few people in the desert in winter!

Plan a day or two in Eilat, Israel

On the final day of your tour, you will be dropped off in the afternoon in Eilat, Israel- the southernmost city in Israel. There are gorgeous beaches along the Red Sea and lots of shopping in the area. Because of this, I recommend that you elect to depart from your tour group here and stay a night or two in Eilat. Trust me, after three jam-packed days in Jordan, it will be nice to have a short time of relaxation before continuing your Israel sightseeing.

You don’t want to miss out on the lovely Red Sea!

Find a friend to go with

Finally, if you are traveling solo, I recommend finding a friend to travel with. Doing the Jordan tour on your own means you’ll have to pay an extra fee, called the “single supplement”. Females also run the risk of being denied a chance to sleep in the Bedouin camp. For these reasons, you’ll want to find a friend to do your three day Jordan Tour with.

I love traveling with my best friend!

My husband and I went on a 3-day Jordan tour with Tourist Israel and while I enjoyed my time, there was a lot I wish I would have known before going. Things like the extra fees and the inability to sleep in the desert were disappointing but would have been less so if we had known about them before the tour.

Overall, I’m really glad we did this tour, as it took a lot of the headache out of having to plan this kind of trip on my own. By doing this tour, we got to see much more of Jordan than we would have if we’d gone without a tour. Enjoying the Roman ruins of Jerash and seeing the views over Mount Nebo were just a few of the amazing highlights this tour added to a Petra visit.

I hope this article can be helpful to you in preparing for your three day Jordan tour with Tourist Israel. You can find more about their Jordan tour options on their website.

Note: Thanks to Tourist Israel for offering a discounted price on their 3-day Jordan tour. As always, all opinions expressed are 100% my own.

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