While an Israel trip is undoubtedly an incredible trip on its own, through the years, more and more travelers have decided to combine their visit to Israel with tours and trips in the neighboring countries of Egypt and Jordan. While both countries can be quite easily reached by short flights from Ben Gurion Airport, reaching them by land is also an option that has become quite popular recently, as it makes for a more affordable and environment-friendly alternative. Here, you will find everything you should know about land crossing from Israel to Egypt and Jordan.
Crossing from Israel to Egypt
Land crossing from Israel to Egypt is possible through only one crossing: the Taba Border Crossing, located not far from Eilat.
Getting to Taba Border Crossing
The border crossing is at the end of the southern coast of Eilat and can be easily reached by private vehicle or public transportation. In order to get here, tou can catch a taxi at a cost of about 50 ILS from the city center. The travel time is 10-15 minutes when there is no special traffic on the road.
You can also get there by bus: line 15 leaves from the central station of Eilat every 45 minutes to an hour. The line passes through several stations in the hotel area and then continues along the southern coast to the border crossing. The cost of the trip is 5.5 ILS and the travel time is about half an hour. The line that returns from the border crossing to the central station, bus number 16, takes a similar route.
Taba Border Crossing: operating hours
The crossing is active all year round, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except Yom Kippur and the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. On the eve of Yom Kippur, the crossing is closed at noon and reopens at 10:00 PM on the one day later, while during Eid al-Adha, the crossing is closed for 24 hours on the first day of the holiday.
It is also important to say that during the month of Ramadan, the crossing closes every evening at sunset on the Egyptian side, for about an hour to an hour and a half break in favor of the iftar meal that breaks the fast. Take this into account if you have a return flight waiting for you or some arrangement that you need to reach at a specified time.
Border crossing costs
On the Israeli side, you will pay 115 ILS (109 + 6 NIS commission).
On the Egyptian side, you will pay 405 Egyptian pounds in local currency and cash only. Those costs do not consider visa costs, which vary depending on your country of origin.
How long does it take to cross the border?
The crossing takes about half an hour to an hour if there is no special traffic. In order to avoid congestion, it is recommended to come early in the morning or late at night. During rush hours and on Israeli holidays (mainly Sukkot and Passover) and Muslim holidays (mainly on Eid al-Adha) there is a lot of traffic in the crossing and also in the tourist sites on the Sinai Peninsula beaches.
This includes several days before and after the holidays, as well as the summer holidays, which take place in the month of August.
Transportation from the border crossing
In Egypt, you can get around by taxis or buses, but we would highly recommend using taxies to get to your destination from the border. The taxi drivers are lining up right after the terminal’s exit, but it is highly recommended to book a taxi driver in advance, for your peace of mind, but also to make sure you will not be scammed without being able to bargain.
Crossing from Israel to Jordan
The border crossing between Israel and Jordan is quite similar to the crossing from Israel to Egypt. Here are the different border crossing options to Jordan:
Rabin Border Crossing (Araba crossing)
The Rabin Broder Crossing connects the cities of Eilat and Aqaba and is the much more popular land crossing to Jordan. Its hours of operation are Sunday through Thursday from six thirty in the morning to eight in the evening, and on Fridays and Saturdays from eight in the morning to eight in the evening. You can go through it by private car, by bus, and on foot (it is impossible to go through it by bicycle, motorcycle, or rented car).
Jordan River Border Crossing
The Jordan River terminal is located near Beit Shean in Israel and Irbid in Jordan. The hours of operation of the terminal are from Sunday to Thursday from seven in the morning to eight-thirty in the evening, and on Fridays and Saturdays from eight-thirty in the morning to six thirty in the evening. Remember to arrive about an hour before closing time. A parking lot is located near the terminal. This crossing is much less popular, because it is harder to find good transportation options after crossing to the Jordanian side.
Other important things to know
Each border crossing charges a fee, which depends on which country and which crossing you are departing from. In addition, you must obtain a visa before the land crossing. This can be done in any Jordanian embassy in the world. The visa can also be arranged through a travel agency if you’re going on an organized tour to Jordan.
Best sites to visit in Jordan and Egypt from Israel
Wadi Rum
Wadi Ram is considered one of the most beautiful and special national parks in the Middle East. This desert region, located next to the Arabian Peninsula, is decorated with granite cliffs and red dunes, which together give it a strange and spacey appearance that also led to its nickname “Valley of the Moon”. The wonderful setting is complemented by the local nomadic Bedouin tribes, who offer overnight stays, guided walking tours, jeep trips, and more, for the visitors of Wadi Rum.
Petra
The most famous tourist site in Jordan. This ancient city, which served as the capital of the Nabatean kingdom from 312 BC, is known mainly for its impressive burial palaces carved on red sandstone, which also earned it the nickname “the pink city”. It is amazing to discover that this ancient settlement was hidden for hundreds of years and was rediscovered only in the 19th century.
Giza
There are quite a few tourist sites in Egypt, but there will likely be a broad consensus that the pyramid complex in Giza is the most famous tourist site of all. In the pyramid complex, you will find the great pyramid of Khufu and also the famous Sphinx statue, which is 22 meters/72 feet tall.
The blue hole
About six kilometers/4 miles north of Dahab, is one of the most famous and desirable diving sites in the world. The ‘blue hole’ is a 130-meter/426 feet-deep hole, located in the coral reef on the site, right next to the beach. Between the hole and the open sea is a vertical wall 56 meters/183 feet deep, which creates the appearance of the famous hole, which can be clearly seen through the color differences in the water.
Saint Catherine’s Monastery
The most important religious site in Sinai and one of the most important in the world. According to the Bible, this is actually Mount Sinai, where Moses received the Tablets of the Covenant. In 527 AD, a Christian monastery by the name of Saint Cathrine was built on the site, and today it is the oldest monastery in the world that is still in operation. Over the years, many religious treasures have been found inside the monastery, which features the second-largest collection of treasures in the world after the Vatican.
