Self-Launched Israel & Jordan: 12-Day Holy Land Adventure

Fly into Ben Gurion Airport and take the direct train to Tel Aviv HaHagana station (~£4, 20 mins). Check into a hostel in the trendy Florentin or Rothschild area. Spend your first evening wandering the beachfront promenade, sampling street food at a shawarma stand, and soaking up the city's famous buzz.

🚌Train from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv (Rakevet Israel), ~£4

🛏Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv or Generator Tel Aviv — dorm from ~£22/night, private from ~£60/night

• →Take the train from Ben Gurion Airport to central Tel Aviv (~£4)
• →Walk the beachfront promenade at sunset
• →Sample local street food — falafel, hummus, shawarma
• →Explore the bustling Carmel Market (HaCarmel shuk)
• →Wander through the Neve Tzedek neighbourhood

Take an early bus north from Tel Aviv's Central Bus Station to Caesarea (Egged/Kavim bus, ~£5). Explore the Roman amphitheatre and Crusader port ruins. Continue by bus to Haifa (~£4) and walk up to the stunning Bahá'í Gardens. Finish with a late afternoon bus to Acre (~£3) to explore the Crusader tunnels, Ottoman old city and seafront walls. Stay overnight in Acre or return to Haifa.

🚌Egged/Kavim buses: Tel Aviv → Caesarea → Haifa → Rosh HaNikra → Acre, ~£12 total

🛏Akko Gate Hostel, Acre — dorm from ~£18/night

• →Tour the ancient Roman port city of Caesarea — book entry direct (£10)
• →Visit the UNESCO-listed Bahá'í Gardens in Haifa (free, guided tours bookable via GetYourGuide)
• →Walk the white sea caves of Rosh HaNikra (cable car entry ~£12, book direct)
• →Explore Acre's 12th-century Crusader tunnels, Ottoman bazaar and British Mandate buildings (entry ~£10)

Head east by bus from Acre to Nazareth (~£5, 1 hr) and visit the Church of the Annunciation and Church of St. Joseph — both free to enter. Take a local bus or shared taxi (sherut) to the Sea of Galilee (~£6) and visit Capernaum, the Church of the Multiplication and the Yardenit baptismal site. Overnight in Tiberias.

🚌Bus Acre → Nazareth (~£5), sherut/bus Nazareth → Tiberias (~£6), local buses around the lake (~£5)

🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in Tiberias — from ~£20/night dorm

• →Visit the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth (free entry)
• →Visit the Church of St. Joseph, Nazareth (free entry)
• →Stop at Megiddo National Park — book direct (~£8)
• →Visit the Church of the Multiplication at Tabgha (free)
• →See the Yardenit baptismal site on the Jordan River (free)

Rent a car for the day (from ~£35) from Tiberias or join a self-booked day tour via GetYourGuide (~£45pp) to reach the Golan Heights — public transport here is very limited. Visit the excavated Talmudic village at Katzrin and the Golan Antiquities Museum, then drive to Mount Bental for panoramic views into Syria and the eerie Soviet-era bunkers. Optional: dip into the thermal pools at Hamat Gader.

🚌Car hire from Tiberias (~£35/day) or Golan Heights day tour via GetYourGuide (~£45pp)

🛏Return to Tiberias or budget guesthouse in the Golan — from ~£20/night

• →Explore the Talmudic village at Katzrin and Golan Antiquities Museum (entry ~£8)
• →Visit Mount Bental and the former Syrian bunkers (free)
• →Optional: Hamat Gader hot springs (entry ~£18, book direct)
• →Optional: Shalom Observatory viewpoint (free)

Take the train back to Tel Aviv (£8, ~1.5 hrs from Tiberias via connections). This is your free day to explore at your own pace. Lounge on the beach, browse the Jaffa flea market, wander the Bauhaus 'White City' streets, or visit the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (£12). The old port of Jaffa is a short walk or bus ride from most hostels.

🚌Train Tiberias/North → Tel Aviv, ~£8

🛏Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv or similar — dorm from ~£22/night

• →Relax on Tel Aviv's beaches (free)
• →Explore Jaffa's flea market and Old Port (free)
• →Visit the Tel Aviv Museum of Art (~£12, book direct)
• →Stroll Rothschild Boulevard and admire Bauhaus architecture (free)
• →Browse Carmel Market and try the street food scene (budget £10-15)

Take a bus from Tel Aviv to Eilat (~£15, 4 hrs via Egged) and cross the border at the Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba crossing into Aqaba, Jordan (visa on arrival available for most nationalities, ~£30). Walk the short distance into Aqaba town and explore the 16th-century Mamluk Castle (free). Book a shared jeep or self-booked Wadi Rum jeep tour (~£25-35pp) for the late afternoon. Sleep under the stars in a Bedouin desert camp.

🚌Egged bus Tel Aviv → Eilat (~£15), taxi/walk border crossing, minibus or JETT bus Aqaba → Wadi Rum (~£8)

🛏Wadi Rum Bedouin desert camp — from ~£25/night (many include dinner)

• →Bus Tel Aviv → Eilat, then walk across the Wadi Araba border crossing
• →Explore Aqaba's waterfront and the Mamluk Castle (free)
• →Jeep tour through Wadi Rum — book via GetYourGuide or direct with local operators (~£30pp)
• →See the Seven Pillars of Wisdom rock formation
• →Optional: snorkelling at Aqaba's coral reefs (~£10 equipment hire)

Rise early in Wadi Rum and take a shared taxi or minibus north to Petra (~2 hrs, £10-15). Purchase your Petra entry ticket at the gate (1-day pass ~£44, 2-day pass ~£50 — the 2-day pass is excellent value). Walk the Siq canyon to the iconic Treasury, then continue to the Obelisk Tomb, the Roman theatre, and the ancient colonnaded street. Stay the night in Wadi Musa, the town adjacent to Petra.

🚌Shared taxi or JETT minibus Wadi Rum → Wadi Musa/Petra (~£12)

🛏Budget guesthouse in Wadi Musa — from ~£20/night (try Rocky Mountain Hotel or Valentine Inn)

• →Enter Petra through the Siq gorge — buy 2-day entry pass at the gate (~£50)
• →Visit the Treasury (Al-Khazneh) — the iconic rose-red facade
• →Explore the Obelisk Tomb and Bab el-Siq triclinium
• →Walk the colonnaded Roman street to the Great Temple
• →Visit the Petra Theatre
• →Optional: arrive on horseback from the entrance (~£8 tip-based)

Use your second day of the Petra 2-day pass to explore further. Hike the 800 rock-cut steps to the Monastery (Al-Dayr) — one of the most rewarding hikes in the Middle East. Visit the Byzantine Church with its incredible mosaics, the Qasr Al-Bint temple, and browse handmade goods at the Bedouin market. The Petra Museum near the gate is free with your ticket.

🚌Walking within Petra (entry pass covers all sites)

🛏Guesthouse in Wadi Musa — from ~£20/night

• →Hike to the Petra Monastery (Al-Dayr) — 45-min climb, stunning views (included in pass)
• →Visit the Great Temple ruins
• →Explore the Byzantine Church and its mosaic floors
• →Visit Qasr Al-Bint temple
• →Browse the Bedouin Market for handmade souvenirs
• →Visit the Petra Museum (included with entry)

Travel from Wadi Musa back to Aqaba by shared taxi (~£12), then cross back into Israel at the Yitzhak Rabin border crossing into Eilat. Take an Egged bus from Eilat to Jerusalem (~£15, 4.5 hrs). Check into a hostel in the Muslim Quarter or near Jaffa Gate for maximum Old City access. Spend the evening strolling the atmospheric alleyways and visiting Machane Yehuda market.

🚌Shared taxi to Aqaba (~£12), border crossing, Egged bus Eilat → Jerusalem (~£15)

🛏Abraham Hostel Jerusalem or The Post Hostel — dorm from ~£20/night

• →Shared taxi Wadi Musa → Aqaba (~£12)
• →Cross the Wadi Araba border back into Israel at Eilat
• →Bus Eilat → Jerusalem Central Bus Station (~£15)
• →Explore Machane Yehuda market in the evening (free)
• →Wander the Old City lanes at dusk (free)

Join a self-booked day tour or take public buses from Jerusalem to Masada and the Dead Sea (Egged bus 486 to Ein Gedi, ~£8). Take the cable car to the summit of Masada fortress (~£15 return, book direct or via GetYourGuide). Explore the palace complex and learn about the famous siege. Afterwards, stop at Ein Gedi or the public beaches at Ein Bokek to float in the Dead Sea (free on public beaches). Stop at Qumran caves on the way back (~£8 entry).

🚌Egged bus 486 Jerusalem → Ein Gedi → Masada → Ein Bokek, ~£8 each way

🛏Return to Abraham Hostel Jerusalem — dorm from ~£20/night

• →Bus Jerusalem → Masada (~£8 via Dead Sea route)
• →Cable car to Masada summit (~£15 return, book direct)
• →Tour the Masada palace-fortress and Roman siege ramp
• →Float in the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek public beach (free)
• →Visit Qumran — site of the Dead Sea Scrolls (~£8 entry)
• →Stop at the Inn of the Good Samaritan (optional, ~£5)

Dedicate a full day to the Old City. Start at the Mount of Olives for the classic panoramic view over Jerusalem. Walk down through the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations (free). Enter the Jewish Quarter to see the Western Wall (free) and Byzantine Cardo. Walk the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. In the afternoon, take a bus or taxi to Yad VaShem Holocaust Museum on the western outskirts — free entry but book timed slots in advance online.

🚌Walking within the Old City; bus/taxi to Yad VaShem (~£5 return)

🛏Abraham Hostel Jerusalem — dorm from ~£20/night

• →Panoramic view from Mount Scopus and Mount of Olives (free)
• →Visit the Garden of Gethsemane and Church of All Nations (free)
• →Walk through the Jewish Quarter and see the Byzantine Cardo (free)
• →Visit the Western Wall plaza (free)
• →Walk the Via Dolorosa (free)
• →Visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (free)
• →Visit Yad VaShem Holocaust Museum — pre-book free timed entry online
• →Browse the Old City bazaar (free)

Your final morning is free for last-minute exploration — revisit a favourite spot, pick up souvenirs in the Old City's Christian Quarter, or enjoy a leisurely Israeli breakfast. Take a sherut (shared taxi) or bus to Ben Gurion Airport (~£10-15 by sherut from Jerusalem, ~1 hr). Allow extra time at security, as Israeli airport security is thorough.

🚌Sherut shared taxi Jerusalem → Ben Gurion Airport (~£10-15, ~1 hr)

🛏Check out — no accommodation needed

• →Last-minute souvenir shopping in the Old City or Machane Yehuda market
• →Enjoy a classic Israeli breakfast — shakshuka, hummus, fresh bread
• →Revisit favourite sites or parks
• →Sherut (shared taxi) from Jerusalem to Ben Gurion Airport (~£10-15)