Highlights of the Holyland and Petra — Self-Launched 9-Day Israel & Jordan Route
9 days · Israel & Jordan
Click Tours charges £1,890
No-markup version: ~£1,265 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of Click Tours' fully guided 9-day Holyland and Petra loop: Tel Aviv → Masada and the Dead Sea → Jerusalem's Old City → Galilee and the Golan → Acre, Haifa and Caesarea → Eilat → Petra and Aqaba → home. Instead of a coach, early hotel pickups and a day-trip dash to Petra, you use sheruts (shared taxis), local buses, and (optionally) one cheap domestic flight to Eilat, and give Petra a proper overnight in Wadi Musa. All costs are rough per-person estimates in GBP at budget/backpacker level, excluding international flights.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tel Aviv / Jaffa
Tel Aviv
Land at Ben Gurion (Terminal 3) and take the Israel Railways train from the airport to Tel Aviv HaHagana or HaShalom (~£3.50, 20 min) rather than a private transfer. Check into a hostel or budget hotel in the centre, then walk the beach promenade and take a bus south to Jaffa for sunset over the old port and the flea market lanes. Buy a Rav-Kav transit card at the airport or Central Bus Station — it covers buses and trains across Israel and saves you a lot versus single tickets.
🚌Airport train to Tel Aviv ~£3.50; local buses ~£1.50 each
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in central Tel Aviv, £28-40/night
- →Jaffa old port and flea market
- →Tel Aviv beach promenade
- →Rav-Kav card setup
Masada sunrise, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea
Masada / Dead Sea
Skip the coach: take the 06:00-ish Egged bus (line 444/486 from Tel Aviv Central Bus Station) toward the Dead Sea and get off at Masada, or book a GetYourGuide day trip if you want door-to-door (~£65-85). Climb the Snake Path on foot (~£6 entry, ~1 hour up) or take the cable car (~£12) for Herod's palaces, the synagogue and cisterns. Continue by local bus to Ein Gedi for a short oasis hike, then to Ein Bokek public beach for a free float and mud. Bring old swimwear and a towel.
🚌Egged bus Tel Aviv-Masada-Ein Bokek return ~£15; cable car optional £12
🛏Return to Tel Aviv hostel or budget guesthouse, £28-40/night
- →Masada Snake Path climb or cable car
- →Masada excavations and Herod's palaces
- →Ein Gedi oasis hike
- →Dead Sea float and black mud at Ein Bokek
Jerusalem: Israel Museum, Yad Vashem and Bethlehem
Jerusalem
Take the bus or train to Jerusalem (~£4.50, 1 hr) and settle into a hostel near the Old City or the Mahane Yehuda area. Morning at the Israel Museum for the Shrine of the Book and Dead Sea Scrolls plus the Herodian Jerusalem model (~£11). Afternoon at Yad Vashem (free, pre-book the online slot). For Bethlehem, take the 231/234 Arab bus from Damascus Gate (~£1.50) to Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity — allow time at the checkpoint on return.
🚌Bus Tel Aviv-Jerusalem ~£4.50; local buses ~£1.50 each
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Jerusalem, £25-38/night
- →Israel Museum and Shrine of the Book
- →Herodian Jerusalem model
- →Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial (free)
- →Church of the Nativity and Manger Square, Bethlehem
Jerusalem Old City on foot
Jerusalem
A full walking day with no transport needed: enter through Jaffa Gate or Lions' Gate for Temple Mount (check opening hours — closed to non-Muslims on some days), the Western Wall, and the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Climb to Mount Zion for King David's Tomb and the Room of the Last Supper, then cross the Kidron Valley to the Mount of Olives viewpoint and the Garden of Gethsemane. Finish with dinner and a wander through Mahane Yehuda market. A free tip-based walking tour (~£10-15 tip) is a cheap stand-in for the guide.
🚌All on foot; 1-2 local buses ~£3
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Jerusalem, £25-38/night
- →Temple Mount and Western Wall
- →Via Dolorosa and Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- →Mount Zion and Room of the Last Supper
- →Mount of Olives and Garden of Gethsemane
- →Mahane Yehuda market
- →Optional tip-based Old City walking tour
Jericho, Beit She'an and the Sea of Galilee
Tiberias
Hire a car for two days (from Jerusalem or Tel Aviv, ~£35-45/day plus fuel) or use buses: to Jericho via the 948/961 from Damascus Gate for the Tel es-Sultan tell and Hisham's Palace, then north on Route 90 to Beit She'an for the Roman-Byzantine excavations (~£12). Continue to Tiberias for a lakeside guesthouse. Swap the Golan winery tour for a self-booked tasting at a Galilee winery (~£15-20) or use the time at the Mount of Beatitudes instead.
🚌Two-day car hire split ~£25/day pp with fuel, or buses ~£12
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Tiberias, £30-40/night
- →Jericho Tel es-Sultan and Hisham's Palace
- →Beit She'an archaeological park
- →Self-booked Galilee winery tasting
- →Tiberias lakeside evening
Capernaum, Mount of Beatitudes, Tabgha and Nazareth
Nazareth
Drive or bus around the north shore: Capernaum's ancient synagogue and St Peter's house (~£4), the Mount of Beatitudes, and Tabgha's loaves-and-fishes mosaic. Optional hour-long wooden boat ride on the Sea of Galilee (~£12, book at the dock in Tiberias). Afternoon to Nazareth for the Basilica of the Annunciation, Mary's Well and the market, then either overnight in Nazareth or press on toward Acre/Haifa to shorten tomorrow's drive.
🚌Car hire day 2 or local buses ~£8; boat ride ~£12 extra
🛏Budget guesthouse in Nazareth or Haifa, £25-35/night
- →Capernaum synagogue ruins
- →Mount of Beatitudes
- →Tabgha mosaics
- →Sea of Galilee boat ride (optional)
- →Nazareth Basilica of the Annunciation
Acre, Haifa and Caesarea, then south to Eilat
Eilat
Early start: Acre's Crusader halls and tunnels (~£10), then Mount Carmel in Haifa for the Baha'i Shrine and Persian Garden terraces (free), and Caesarea's Roman theatre and Crusader fortress (~£10). Return the car and take the evening bus (Egged 990/394, ~£22, 4-5 hrs) or a cheap domestic flight Tel Aviv–Eilat (~£45-70 booked ahead) to Eilat. Overnight in Eilat before an early Jordan crossing.
🚌Car hire return + fuel ~£20; night bus to Eilat ~£22 or domestic flight ~£50
🛏Budget hotel or hostel in Eilat, £30-40/night
- →Acre Crusader stronghold and tunnels
- →Baha'i Shrine and Persian Garden, Haifa
- →Caesarea Roman theatre and Crusader fortress
Cross to Petra via Aqaba and overnight in Wadi Musa
Petra / Wadi Musa
Cross the Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba border on foot from Eilat (~£7 exit fee, ~20 min by local taxi to the crossing) and take a Jordanian taxi or the JETT/Trust bus to Petra (~£15-20, 2 hrs via Aqaba). Buy the Jordan Pass online before arrival (from ~£60 — it bundles the £10 visa waiver with Petra entry) and enter Petra in the afternoon through the Siq to the Treasury, with the tombs, amphitheatre and Moses Spring. Note: this replaces the operator's single-day dash — you get a full afternoon plus the option of Petra by Night (Mon/Wed/Thu, ~£15).
🚌Border taxi ~£5, Jordan bus/taxi to Petra ~£18, exit fee ~£7
🛏Guesthouse or budget hotel in Wadi Musa, £18-28/night
- →Arava border crossing on foot
- →Petra through the Siq to the Treasury
- →Petra tombs, monuments and amphitheatre
- →Moses Spring
- →Petra by Night (optional, ~£15)
Petra morning, Aqaba and return to Tel Aviv
Petra / Aqaba / Tel Aviv
Use your Jordan Pass for a second Petra entry in the morning — climb to the Monastery or the High Place of Sacrifice before the heat. Late morning, take a minibus or shared taxi to Aqaba (~£8) for a quick look at the Red Sea corniche and a swim, then cross back to Eilat. From Eilat take the bus or a booked domestic flight to Tel Aviv/Ben Gurion for departure (allow 3 hrs minimum before an international flight; border queues can add time).
🚌Petra-Aqaba minibus ~£8, Aqaba-Eilat taxi ~£5, Eilat-Tel Aviv bus ~£22 or flight ~£50
🛏None (departure day) — or one final budget hotel night in Tel Aviv if flying next morning, £30-40
- →Petra Monastery hike or High Place of Sacrifice
- →Aqaba corniche and Red Sea swim
- →Return border crossing to Eilat
Self-launched vs. Click Tours
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Click Tours | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£1,265 | £1,890 |
| Duration | 9 days | 9 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £625 per person (33%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Click Tours-style trips? Check them out here.~£1,265
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
Customise with Tour BusterCreated by
Travel Crew
0 trips
Frequently asked questions
How much does Highlights of the Holyland and Petra — Self-Launched 9-Day Israel & Jordan Route cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £1,265 per person for 9 days in Israel & Jordan. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with Click Tours?+
Yes — Click Tours charges around £1,890 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £1,265 — a saving of roughly £625 (33%) per person.
How long is the Israel & Jordan trip?+
This itinerary runs 9 days, covering 9 day-by-day stops through Israel & Jordan.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, adventure, hiking trip through Israel & Jordan, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
Drop your comment below — if you've done a similar route, tell us what worked, what you'd add, or what you'd skip.
No comments yet — be the first to share your take.
Sign in to leave a comment.