Israel is completely different to my fear-fuelled pre-conceptions I had.

It is beautiful and clean, the people were welcoming and friendly and there was no one walking around with massive guns like I thought they would be! I had an amazing time travelling around the country, soaking up the culture and history.

• Israel really is the holy land! It’s filled with historical, biblical sights and religious or not, there is no place like it. For me, I could feel strong energies in different places. The main ones being in Nazareth and Bethlehem.
• Similar to Egypt and Turkey, for me visiting Israel was another lesson in dismissing what is portrayed in the media and experiencing a country first hand to form my own beliefs.
• It was amazing to hear and see Muslim, Christian, Armenian and Jewish people living in peace and harmony. It was even more special visiting during December and seeing all faiths celebrating each other’s traditions.
• Palestine was such an eye opener for me and I highly recommend a visit there. I have written a blog about my trip there.

• 💰 Israeli currency is New Israeli Shekels (NIS). £1 = 4.49 NIS. 10-15% tipping is expected.
  
• 🚌 The transport system is called Egged. It’s frequent and affordable except on Friday and Saturdays due to the Sabbath. Similar to an Oyster card, you need to top up a Rav Kav card at a train or bus station.
  
• 🚕 You can hail a cab or use the app Gett to order taxis. Gett is similar to Uber and is metered.
  
• 🚗 We hired a car for the majority of our trip except no hire cars are covered in the West Bank which includes Bethlehem if you intend to visit there (which I strongly recommend you do).

Haifa (recommended 1-2 nights)

North of Israel, Haifa was my favourite place to visit. Not much to do, a few nice sights but the beaches were amazing. In November we swam in the water and shared the main beach with 2-3 other people.

Restaurants:

• Sderot Ben Gurion (street) there are heaps of great restaurants. I highly recommend Shtroudl for amazing local food.
• Beachfront cafes along Carmel Beach

Sights:

• Bahá’í Gardens
• Carmel Beach

Nazareth (day trip)

Known for the annunciation, Nazareth is a very holy place. Apart from the gorgeous church, there isn’t too much to see here. Lots of pilgrimages are taking place and it has great energy about it.

Restaurants:

• Alreda (voted best food in Israel)

Sights:

• Church of The Annunciation (where Angel Gabriel told Mary she would birth Jesus)
• Mary’s Well (also thought to be where The Annunciation took place)
• Nazareth Village

 Jerusalem (2-3 nights minimum)

A must visit location with so much to see and do. The old town has great markets and of course a lot of history. We did a free walking tour around the old city to learn about the four quarters.

Restaurants:

• Deja bu
• Karma (outside city centre, a car is needed)

Sights:

• Old City, entering in Jaffa Gate (there are 5 gates)
• Visit all 4 quarters in the old city (Muslim, Christian, Armenian and Jewish)
• Walk the stations of the cross on Via Dolorosa (30 mins needed)
• Church of John the Baptist
• Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• Church of Mary Magdalene
• Gethsemane
• Mount of Olives (great lookout over Jerusalem)
• Cenacle (where the last supper was held)
• The Garden Tomb

Bethlehem, Nazareth (day trip from Jerusalem)

Known as the birthplace of Jesus, Bethlehem is in the middle of the West Bank, Palestine. Tourists are warned not to enter the West Bank due to ongoing conflict with Israel and Palestine but I felt safe the whole time I was there. We were unable to drive our rental car there (uninsured for that area) and I thought it was because it wasn’t safe. I then learnt (and saw) it’s all just politics. People in Palestine were friendly and welcoming, they were polite and respectful. No guns, no violence, no signs of war. However, seeing the wall of separation was the most heartbreaking thing I experienced on this trip. Mostly because I was naive and didn’t know it existed. If you visit Bethlehem, please place your hands on the wall and pray for it’s removal. 
I have written a blog about my experiences in Palestine here.

Sights:

• Church of the Nativity (Jesus birthplace)
• Milk Grotto
• Manger Square
• Wall of Separation

Tel Aviv (2-3 nights)

Tel Aviv is where the airport is. It’s a modern city with great markets, food and beaches. It has a great nightlife too.

Restaurants & Nightlife:

• Cafe Puaa 
• Cafe Yaffo

• Sputnk
• Breakfast
• The alphabet
• Phi
• Teder

Sights:

• Old city
• Jaffa Flea Market
• Carmel Market
• Aviv or Jerusalem Beach (or any of the beaches close by)
• Old Port

If you are considering travelling to Israel and Jordan, I have written some tips about crossing the border here.

The information online was super confusing (and misleading) so I’m going to break down how to cross the border from Israel into Jordan, how much it costs and how long it takes.

There are 3 different check points you can cross from Israel into Jordan. We used The Allenby/King Hussein Bridge as it’s closest to Jerusalem. The others are Sheikh Hussein crossing /Northern Border and Wadi Araba Crossing/South Border.

• To cross the border by land at Allenby Bridge, you need to have a pre-approved visa. You cannot obtain a visa at the border.
• This can be done in 2-3 working days at any Jordanian embassy. You need to submit your passport during this time.
• You cannot drive yourself across the border and need to use the transport provided.
• Get a Jordan Pass which gives you free entry to most attractions/sites and to waive your visa fee.

Israel to Jordan

Getting from Jerusalem city centre to Allenby Bridge:

• The taxi takes you right up to the terminal which is similar to an airport departures.
• Hop out, walk through the departures. If you have suitcases they get given to security.

Allenby/King Hussein Bridge: Exiting Israel

• This is similar to immigration at an airport. First you need to pay your exit fee at the counter, then line up in the exit line. When called, present your exit receipt and exit ticket (both given when you pay your exit fee).
• You are then escorted to a bus. We waited almost 1 hour on the bus as it’s leaves when it’s full. The time waiting will depend on how busy the border is.

Allenby Bridge to the Jordanian Border

• The bus will drive you across ‘no mans land’ to the Jordan border entry. The bus fee is to be paid in cash but can be paid in any currency (JOD, GBP, USD, INS).

Jordan Border Entry

• It’s well worth getting a Jordan Pass which includes your entry visa and entry to 40 main attractions across Jordan. It includes sights like Petra, Wadi Rum and Jerash. You need to have organised this prior to your arrival

Jordan Border to Amman

• We took a taxi from the border into Amman. We negotiated the price before we got in the taxi. We read there is a transfer but did not see it when we were there.

Total time: 2 hours from Jerusalem city to Amman cityTotal trip cost: £144 per person including the Jordan pass.  

While the border crossing seemed confusing, it was very quiet when we were there and we were able to navigate our way through. If you have cash, your pre approved visa and your Jordan Pass, it should be seamless. We were not questioned about our time in Israel.

Amman, Jordan to Jerusalem, Israel

• We took a taxi from Amman to the border. We negotiated the price before we got in the taxi. There is also transfer bus from Amman 11 JOD per person and is run by Jett
• TIP: Get there early. The border opens 8am-1:30pm on Saturday. We arrived at 7:40am and were seen straight away (before bus loads of people arrived). 

Exiting Jordan

• Fill out an exit ticket with your name and passport information. Hand in your passport, exit ticket and exit fee receipt. 
• Your passport gets handed back to you on the bus so no need to worry when boarding the bus but DO NOT allow the bus to leave without your passport in your hand.
• Once on the bus, you will need to pay the 7 Jordanian Dinars for yourself + bags if you have any.

Getting from Allenby Bridge to Jerusalem city centre

• There is a local bus (can see timetable through Egged) however when we crossed it was Saturday and there were no buses running.
• We booked a private transfer through Get Transfer which cost £100 for all 4 of us in an SUV.

Total time: 2 hours, 10 minutes from Amman to Jerusalem
Total trip cost: £89 per person