Israel & Jordan Self-Launched: Ancient Sites & Epic Nights

Land at Ben Gurion Airport and take the Nesher shared sherut (about £12) or the train to Yitzhak Navon station then the light rail (about £4) into the city. Check into a hostel in the Nachlaot or Downtown area — Abraham Hostel and Cinema Hostel are the classic backpacker picks with dorm beds and a sociable bar. Keep your B2 visa slip from passport control — Israeli hotels are required to see it or charge an extra 17% VAT. Shake off jet lag with a sunset wander through the Old City's rooftops, then head to Machane Yehuda market as the stalls turn into bars (Ben Sira and the alley bars behind the shuk are the local ritual). Wrap up with hummus and a Goldstar at a spot on Jaffa Street.

🚌Nesher shared sherut from airport, ~£12; light rail/walking in the city, ~£4

🛏Hostel dorm in Nachlaot/Downtown (e.g. Abraham Hostel Jerusalem, £16–22/night)

• →Nesher sherut transfer from Ben Gurion Airport
• →Sunset walk to Old City viewpoints
• →Machane Yehuda market evening bar scene

Do the group tour's Old City walk yourself with a self-guided audio route or a GetYourGuide small-group walking tour (approx £22–30, 3–4 hrs). Start at Lion's Gate and follow the Via Dolorosa's Stations of the Cross to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, then cut through the souk to the Western Wall — go early (7–8am) to avoid crowds and the worst of the heat. Dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered, and a scarf for women at religious sites. Afternoon: Yehuda Market food walk — graze on halva, rugelach, sabich and knafeh (budget £10–12), then a craft beer at one of the shuk's microbreweries. Optional add-ons in the same area: City of David and Hezekiah's Tunnel (about 25 ILS / £5) and the Garden Tomb. Friday afternoons and Saturdays are Shabbat — many Jewish Quarter sites, buses and much of West Jerusalem shut down from Friday sunset.

🚌All on foot; light rail ~£1.50 if needed

🛏Hostel dorm in Nachlaot/Downtown (£16–22/night)

• →Self-guided or small-group Old City walking tour
• →Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Western Wall
• →Mahane Yehuda market food crawl and craft beer
• →Optional: Hezekiah's Tunnel, City of David

Cross via the northern Sheikh Hussein / Beit She'an crossing (Jordan River Crossing) rather than Allenby — it's the standard route for Wadi Rum. Book a Wadi Rum camp package that includes border-side pickup: many camps on Booking.com or GetYourGuide run shared transfers from the crossing for about £25–35 one-way. Sort Israeli exit formalities first (exit fee ~187 ILS cash or card — no ATMs at the crossing, only currency kiosks), take the short shuttle bus between the two border buildings (~5 ILS), then the Jordanian side where most nationalities get a visa on arrival; confirm your nationality's rules beforehand and carry cash for any fees. From the border it's roughly 3 hours south by shared taxi/van to Rum Village. From there, a 4x4 jeep excursion through the desert (2–3 hrs, included in most camp packages or ~£26 standalone) with stops at Lawrence's Spring, the Khazali canyon and the big dunes. Traditional zarb dinner and a night under the stars at the camp.

🚌Shared van/taxi from border to Rum Village, ~£25–35; 4x4 in-desert transfers included

🛏Bedouin desert camp, shared tent or basic private bubble/tent (£20–30 incl. dinner and breakfast)

• →Sheikh Hussein/Beit She'an border crossing
• →Wadi Rum 4x4 jeep excursion
• →Bedouin camp overnight with traditional dinner
• →Optional: stargazing and tea around the fire

Get a shared van or the camp's transfer from Wadi Rum to Wadi Musa (about 2 hrs, £12–18 shared). Buy your Petra ticket directly: the 1-day pass is roughly 50 JOD (~£55), 2-day is 55 JOD. Booking through the official Jordan Pass before you arrive can bundle the visa fee with entry — worth checking whether your nationality qualifies. Enter at opening (6am in summer, 7am winter) to walk the Siq before the heat and the tour buses. Through the 1.2km gorge to the Treasury, then the Street of Facades, the Theatre, and the climb of roughly 800 steps up to the Monastery — the best payoff of the day. Pack 2+ litres of water; refills are available cheaply from Bedouin stalls. Fix a guide for 2–3 hours at the ticket office (about 50 JOD for a group, much less if you split it with other travellers) if you want the history. Evening: Petra by Night (30 JOD, Mondays/Wednesdays/Thursdays) — candlelit Siq walk with tea and music; genuinely worth it if it falls on your night.

🚌Shared van Wadi Rum → Wadi Musa, ~£12–18

🛏Guesthouse/hostel in Wadi Musa (£15–22/night)

• →Petra entry and Siq walk
• →Monastery hike (~800 steps)
• →Optional: 2–3 hr local guide
• →Optional: Petra by Night (30 JOD)

Take a JETT bus or shared service taxi from Wadi Musa to Amman (about 3.5–4 hrs; JETT ~10–12 JOD, shared taxi ~8–10 JOD per seat). Check into a hostel in Downtown/Jabal Amman — the Jordanian Hostel and Nomads Hostel area is good value. Afternoon: walk the Citadel (2 JOD entry) for the Temple of Hercules and Umayyad Palace, then the Roman Theatre (2 JOD) just below Hashemite Plaza. Graze the downtown falafel institutions (Hashem is the famous one, cheap and excellent). Evening: Rainbow Street — cafés, bookshops, shisha and rooftop bars; Books@Cafe is a long-standing traveller hangout. If you want a guide, a GetYourGuide Amman city tour is roughly £30.

🚌JETT coach or shared service taxi from Wadi Musa, ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm in Downtown Amman (£12–18/night)

• →Amman Citadel and Temple of Hercules
• →Roman Theatre
• →Downtown falafel crawl
• →Rainbow Street night out

Cross back over the Allenby/King Hussein Bridge. Sort your Jordan exit (overland exit tax ~10 JOD) and the shuttle between the two border buildings (about 7 JOD per person plus 2 JOD per bag, cash), then Israeli entry formalities. Rather than a private van, book a shared Dead Sea + Bethlehem day tour (GetYourGuide/Klook, about £60–75 including transport and a Dead Sea beach entry) that ends in Jerusalem or Tel Aviv — or DIY it: a shared taxi to the Dead Sea public/beach area (Ein Bokek or Kalia, ~£12–18), float for an hour (bring flip-flops, don't shave that day, keep the water out of your eyes), then a bus to Bethlehem (cross the checkpoint on foot) for the Church of the Nativity and a look at Banksy's Walled Off Hotel and the separation wall art. Continue to Tel Aviv by bus or train (1–1.5 hrs, ~£5–8).

🚌Shared tour or buses between Dead Sea, Bethlehem and Tel Aviv, ~£25–40

🛏Hostel dorm near the beach or Florentin, Tel Aviv (£25–35/night)

• →Float in the Dead Sea
• →Bethlehem Church of the Nativity
• →Walled Off Hotel and separation wall street art

Full free day. Morning swim and coffee on Gordon or Bograshov beach; walk the Tayelet promenade south to Jaffa's old port and the flea market. Free walking tours of Jaffa run most mornings (tip-based, ~£8–10 tip). Afternoon: indie art, vintage shops and murals in Florentin, then the Nachalat Binyamin craft market (Tue/Fri) and Carmel Market for a food crawl — sabich at HaKosem, bourekas, and fresh juice. Optional day trip: Caesarea and Haifa by train (Caesarea is a short bus/taxi from Caesarea-Pardes Hanna station, ~£10 total return) — allow 6–7 hrs. Finish with sunset drinks at a beach bar, then a night out on Rothschild or Dizengoff; Tel Aviv's bars run late and Thursday/Friday nights are the big ones.

🚌Walking, bikes or local buses ~£6; optional Caesarea train ~£10

🛏Hostel dorm near the beach or Florentin (£25–35/night)

• →Beach day and Tayelet promenade walk
• →Jaffa old port and flea market
• →Florentin street art walk
• →Optional: Caesarea and Haifa day trip
• →Beach bar sunset

Check out and head to Ben Gurion Airport — the train from Tel Aviv HaHagana or Hashalom to the airport is about £4 and takes 15–20 minutes, which is far cheaper than a taxi (~£35–45). Budget extra security time at Ben Gurion: Israeli exit security interviews can add 1–2 hours, so arrive 3 hours before an international flight. If you have a late flight, leave your bag at the hostel and squeeze in a final beach swim or a last shakshuka.

🚌Israel Railways to the airport, ~£4

• →Train to Ben Gurion Airport
• →Final beach walk or market breakfast