Israel, Jordan & Egypt: 20-Day Self-Launched Holy Land & Ancient Wonders Loop

Land at Ben Gurion (TLV) and take the Israel Railways train to Tel Aviv HaShalom/HaHagana (~25 min, £3.50) rather than a private transfer. Settle into a hostel in the Florentin/Neve Tzedek area. Spend the late afternoon on the beach promenade and wander the old port of Jaffa at sunset. Buy a Rav-Kav transit card at the airport or at a station — it covers buses and trains across Israel.

🚌Airport train TLV to Tel Aviv ~£3.50

🛏Hostel dorm in Florentin or Neve Tzedek (£18-25)

• →Jaffa old town & port walk
• →Tel Aviv beach promenade
• →Carmel Market (if arriving early)

Cheapest self-launched option: take an early Egged bus from Tel Aviv to Nazareth (~2 hr, ~£5) and visit the Basilica of the Annunciation (free) and St Joseph's Church on foot. Then local bus to Tiberias (~45 min, ~£2.50) on the Sea of Galilee and walk to Capernaum or take a taxi. Alternatively, and often better value, book a guided Galilee day tour from Tel Aviv on GetYourGuide (~£70-85 including entries) which covers Annunciation, Capernaum and the Mount of Beatitudes in one day. Overnight in Tiberias or back in Tel Aviv.

🚌Egged bus Tel Aviv–Nazareth–Tiberias ~£8 total

🛏Tiberias guesthouse or Tel Aviv hostel (£20-28)

• →Basilica of the Annunciation
• →St Joseph's Church
• →Capernaum ruins
• →Sea of Galilee shoreline
• →Optional baptism site (Yardenit, free entry)

Do this as a self-drive-by-bus day west-north along the coast: train from Tel Aviv to Caesarea-Pardes Hanna plus shuttle, or easier, a Caesarea + Haifa + Acre day tour (~£75) if you want the Roman theatre, hippodrome, Bahá'í Gardens and the Crusader halls in Acre explained. Independent version: train to Binyamina then local bus to Caesarea National Park (entry ~£8), continue by train to Haifa for the Bahá'í Gardens (free, book the free tour online), then train to Akko for the Crusader city and Turkish prison (combined ticket ~£10). Stay overnight in Acre's old city for atmosphere.

🚌Israel Railways coastal line ~£10 total, plus local buses

🛏Acre old-city guesthouse (£25-35)

• →Caesarea Roman theatre & hippodrome
• →Bahá'í Gardens, Haifa
• →Rosh Hanikra cable car & grottos (~£8)
• →Acre Crusader city & Turkish prison
• →Acre old-city souq at night

Take a bus from Jerusalem (base yourself there from tonight) — the Egged 486 from Jerusalem central bus station to Masada runs early morning (~1.5 hr, ~£6). Either hike the Snake Path at sunrise (free, 1 hr up) or take the cable car (~£12 return). Masada entry ~£8. Then bus onward to Ein Bokek public beach on the Dead Sea for a float (free beach, showers ~£2). Bring flip-flops — the salt crust is sharp. Return bus to Jerusalem (~£6).

🚌Egged bus 486 Jerusalem–Masada–Ein Bokek ~£12 return

🛏Jerusalem hostel near Jaffa Gate / Zion Square (£20-28)

• →Masada Snake Path sunrise hike or cable car
• →Masada palaces, bathhouse & synagogue
• →Float in the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek
• →Dead Sea mud & beach afternoon

Take an Arab bus from Jerusalem's Damascus Gate to Bethlehem (~30 min, ~£1.50) for Manger Square, the Church of the Nativity (free), the Milk Grotto and Shepherd's Field. Then a shared taxi to Jericho (~£4) for the Mount of Temptation cable car (~£10) and the Tel es-Sultan excavations. Note this is the Palestinian Territories — carry your passport, and check current travel advice before you go. Buses back to Jerusalem run until early evening.

🚌Arab bus + shared taxi Jerusalem–Bethlehem–Jericho ~£8

🛏Jerusalem hostel (£20-28)

• →Church of the Nativity & Manger Square
• →Milk Grotto
• →Shepherd's Field
• →Mount of Temptation cable car
• →Tel es-Sultan excavations, Jericho

Walk it yourself — the Old City is only 1 km across. Start at the Mount of Olives for the panorama, then downhill past Dominus Flevit, the Garden of Gethsemane and the Church of All Nations. Enter Lions' Gate for the Church of St Anne and the Pools of Bethesda (~£3), then the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (free). A free walking tour from Jaffa Gate runs most mornings if you want context. Evening: Machane Yehuda market for dinner.

🚌On foot + tram ~£2

🛏Jerusalem hostel (£20-28)

• →Mount of Olives viewpoint
• →Dominus Flevit & Garden of Gethsemane
• →Church of All Nations
• →Church of St Anne & Pools of Bethesda
• →Via Dolorosa & Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• →Machane Yehuda market

Second full day in Jerusalem: Western Wall and the Western Wall tunnels (book ahead, ~£8), the Byzantine Cardo and the Jewish Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, and the Tower of David museum (~£9). Afternoon: bus to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum (free, closed Saturdays) — allow 2-3 hours and arrive before 4 pm. Finish with the Mount of Olives at sunset if you missed it. Note: from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown most of Jewish Jerusalem shuts down.

🚌Light rail & buses ~£4

🛏Jerusalem hostel (£20-28)

• →Western Wall & tunnels
• →Byzantine Cardo & Jewish Quarter
• →Tower of David museum
• →Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum (free)
• →Mount of Olives sunset

Long travel day south. Take the Egged 444 bus from Jerusalem to Eilat (~4.5-5 hr, ~£17) or the cheaper-but-slower option via Be'er Sheva. Eilat is a resort town — hostels are pricey, so book ahead. Afternoon on the Red Sea beaches and the promenade; use it as a laundry/reset day before the Jordan crossing. Buy your Jordan Pass online tonight (~£70 for the 2-night version) — it covers your Jordan visa AND Petra entry, saving real money.

🚌Egged bus 444 Jerusalem–Eilat ~£17

🛏Eilat hostel (£25-35)

• →Red Sea beach & promenade
• →Eilat snorkelling from the shore (own gear)
• →Buy Jordan Pass online

Cross the Arava/Yitzhak Rabin border on foot (taxi from Eilat, ~£9) — it's a quiet, quick crossing; then a taxi to Aqaba (~£15-20, 20 min) or a shared taxi straight to Wadi Musa (~£30 split). Alternatively the JETT bus Aqaba–Wadi Musa runs most mornings (~£8). Afternoon: enter Petra with your Jordan Pass in the late afternoon when it's cooler and quieter, walk the Siq and see the Treasury. Overnight in Wadi Musa town (much cheaper than the tour's hotel block).

🚌Eilat taxi to border £9 + shared taxi to Wadi Musa £15-30

🛏Wadi Musa guesthouse/hostel (£15-22)

• →Arava border crossing on foot
• →Walk the Siq
• →The Treasury (Al-Khazneh)
• →Petra Street of Facades

Full independent day in Petra: hike the 800+ steps to the Monastery (Ad-Deir) early, then the Royal Tombs, the Roman theatre and the High Place of Sacrifice. Ignore anyone at the gate trying to sell you a 'ride to the Monastery' — your Jordan Pass ticket covers the whole site on foot. Optional: Little Petra (free, taxi ~£10 return) or Petra by Night on Mon/Wed/Thu evenings (~£12, buy at the visitor centre). Local guide for 2-3 hrs from the visitor centre ~£35 if you want one.

🚌On foot + taxi to Little Petra £10

🛏Wadi Musa guesthouse (£15-22)

• →Monastery hike
• →Royal Tombs & Roman theatre
• →High Place of Sacrifice
• →Optional Little Petra
• →Optional Petra by Night (~£12)

Shared taxi or minibus Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum village (~1.5-2 hr, ~£10-15). Book a 2-4 hr 4x4 desert tour with a Bedouin camp (~£30-40 including jeep and guide) through your guesthouse or GetYourGuide — see Lawrence's Spring, the sand dunes and the mushroom rock. If you're doing the full Sinai leg, sleep in a Bedouin camp (~£20-30 half board, book direct — far better value than the tour's arrangement) and cross to Egypt tomorrow morning.

🚌Minibus Wadi Musa–Wadi Rum ~£12 + desert jeep £30

🛏Wadi Rum Bedouin camp, half board (£20-30)

• →Wadi Rum 4x4 desert tour
• →Lawrence's Spring & sand dunes
• →Bedouin camp dinner and stargazing

Return to Aqaba (minibus ~£8) and take the Arab Bridge Maritime fast ferry Aqaba–Nuweiba (~£35-45, 1-2 hr, book at the port office). From Nuweiba, a shared minibus or taxi to St Catherine's village takes ~2.5 hr (~£15-20 shared). Overnight in a St Catherine's guesthouse. Alternative if the ferry is cancelled (it happens): cross the Arava border back into Eilat and take the Taba border on foot, then a taxi — but check the Egyptian visa situation first (Sinai-only stamp vs full visa, which you'll need for Cairo).

🚌Minibus to Aqaba £8 + ferry £40 + shared taxi £18

🛏St Catherine's guesthouse (£15-25)

• →Aqaba town & Red Sea
• →Aqaba–Nuweiba ferry crossing
• →St Catherine's village evening

Start the Mount Sinai hike at 1:30-2 am with a headtorch (essential) and warm layers — it's genuinely cold at the top. It's ~3 km up: camel path then 750 steps. Sunrise around 5-6 am, then down by 8 am for breakfast. Visit St Catherine's Monastery (opens 9 am, free — the Burning Bush and the ancient library/church). Then a minivan or shared taxi to Cairo (~6-8 hr, ~£20-25 shared, or ~£45 private). Collapse in a hostel in the Downtown/Islamic Cairo area.

🚌Shared minivan St Catherine's–Cairo ~£22

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel (£10-15)

• →Mount Sinai night hike & sunrise
• →St Catherine's Monastery
• →Burning Bush & Jethro's Well
• →Long transfer to Cairo

Take an Uber or the metro plus a bus to Giza (~£3). Giza plateau entry ~£5 plus the Great Pyramid interior ~£8 and the Sphinx. Then a taxi to Saqqara for Djoser's Step Pyramid (~£10 entry) and Memphis open-air museum (~£3). A private driver for the day via your hostel is ~£30-35 and worth it — public transport between Giza, Saqqara and Memphis is slow. Book a licensed guide on GetYourGuide if you want the history (~£40 for a half day). Camel rides on the plateau ~£8 — agree the price first.

🚌Uber + taxi day ~£15, or private driver ~£33

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel (£10-15)

• →Pyramids of Giza & the Sphinx
• →Great Pyramid interior
• →Saqqara Step Pyramid of Djoser
• →Memphis open-air museum & Ramses II statue

Morning at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir (~£9 entry; the Grand Egyptian Museum near Giza is now the headline act if you'd rather — ~£25 and book a slot). Afternoon: Uber to Coptic Cairo for the Hanging Church and Church of St Sergius (free), then the Citadel of Salah El Din and the Mosque of Mohammed Ali (~£4). Evening: Khan el-Khalili bazaar and a cheap koshari dinner (~£2).

🚌Uber across Cairo ~£6

🛏Downtown Cairo hostel (£10-15)

• →Egyptian Museum or Grand Egyptian Museum
• →Coptic Cairo churches
• →Citadel of Salah El Din & Mosque of Mohammed Ali
• →Khan el-Khalili bazaar

Day to relax around Cairo (Island of Zamalek, Al-Azhar Park ~£1.50) then board the overnight train from Cairo Ramses station. The Watania sleeper (single ~£55, double ~£75 per person including dinner and breakfast) leaves around 8-9 pm and arrives Aswan ~9 am. Book online ahead via the Watania/Egyptian National Railways site — it sells out. Cheaper alternative: daytime first-class seat ~£15 and a night in an Aswan hostel instead.

🚌Watania sleeper train Cairo–Aswan ~£55

🛏Overnight sleeper train

• →Free morning in Cairo
• →Al-Azhar Park
• →Overnight sleeper train to Aswan

Check in, then taxi/share taxi to the High Dam (~£2) and a boat out to Philae Temple (~£6 entry + ~£5 boat). Afternoon: take a public ferry to a Nubian village on Elephantine Island or a felucca sunset sail (~£8-10 per person for 1-2 hr, negotiate). Optional early start next morning for Abu Simbel — the shared minibus convoy leaves 4 am and costs ~£25-35 return with entry ~£10; book through your hostel.

🚌Taxis + boats ~£12

🛏Aswan hostel or budget Nile-view guesthouse (£12-20)

• →Aswan High Dam
• →Philae Temple
• →Felucca sunset sail
• →Nubian village / Elephantine Island
• →Optional Abu Simbel day trip

Skip the cruise ship and do it overland: a shared minibus or the local train Aswan–Kom Ombo (~1 hr, ~£2; Kom Ombo temple entry ~£5), continue to Edfu (~1 hr, ~£2) for the Temple of Horus (~£6, take a tuk-tuk from town ~£1.50), then train on to Luxor (~1.5 hr, ~£2.50). If you'd rather have the boat experience, 1-night budget Nile cruises Aswan–Luxor sell last-minute at the Aswan Corniche for ~£45-60 per person including meals — still far cheaper than the tour's package. Arrive Luxor, settle in on the West or East Bank.

🚌Local trains Aswan–Kom Ombo–Edfu–Luxor ~£7

🛏Luxor West Bank guesthouse (£12-18)

• →Kom Ombo temple (Sobek & Haroeris)
• →Temple of Horus at Edfu
• →Train journey down the Nile
• →Luxor Corniche evening

Cross the Nile by public ferry (~£0.30) and hire a bike (~£3) or a shared taxi for the West Bank: Valley of the Kings (~£14 for 3 tombs), Hatshepsut's Temple (~£6) and the Colossi of Memnon (free). Afternoon: Karnak Temple (~£9) and, if you have energy, Luxor Temple lit up at night (~£7). A licensed guide for the Valley of the Kings is ~£25 for two people and genuinely adds a lot — book via GetYourGuide.

🚌Ferry, bike hire and shared taxi ~£8

🛏Luxor guesthouse (£12-18)

• →Valley of the Kings (3 tombs)
• →Temple of Hatshepsut
• →Colossi of Memnon
• →Karnak Temple
• →Luxor Temple at night

Morning flight Luxor–Cairo (~£45-70 one way on EgyptAir/Nile Air, book ahead; the overnight train back is ~£15 but eats a day). If you have time before your flight, the Luxor Museum (~£8) or Medinet Habu (~£6) are worth it. Head to Cairo International (CAI) — Uber from Downtown ~£6 or the airport bus ~£1. Allow 3 hours before an international departure.

🚌Flight Luxor–Cairo ~£55 + Uber to CAI ~£6

🛏—

• →Luxor Museum or Medinet Habu (optional)
• →Domestic flight to Cairo