BootsnAll Travel Community

Two friends and I are off to the Holy Land next week for 6 days. Flights and accommodation are already booked: El Al from Heathrow, and a good deal on a nice hotel in West Jerusalem. All that’s left to do is work out what to do!

Specifically, I’d appreciate advice on whether seeing Petra is going to be feasible in the time we’ve got. If it takes 7 hours each way from Jerusalem then we’d have to take at least 2 of our 6 days to go there, which is a good chunk. Is it worthwhile, or should we save it for another time?

Obviously with things sadly kicking off again at the moment, knowing whether it’s a good idea to spend much time in the West Bank (or Israel) would be useful.

Other advice also appreciated! I’ve had a browse through the forum and have an LP to read when we’re over there.

Cheers,

Hi Chris,
I'm surprised no one has responded to this. I don't want to tell you whether or not it's worth the time to visit Petra or not, since I don't know what you want to see in Israel, and I personally have only been to Jerusalem.

My advice... if you are pressed for time, you can fly between Tel Aviv to Amman. Of course than will cost more but would probably save you valuable time. From Amman it is a good couple of hours via car or bus to Petra. You could do Petra in one full day. Petra is AMAZING.

You can even search for flights at the last minute . We found decent fares just a couple days prior. Good luck!

i dont think you have time...6 solid days in israel is plenty of time to rent a car drive to tel aviv, dead sea, and some of the highlights of israel...if you are strictly talking jerusalem...you have the kotel for starters...walking around the four old quarters (armenian, jewish, christian and muslim)...note you cannot go to the dome on the rock as far as I know...it is strictly off limits...

israel is the size of new jersey...you have the negev in the south and mountains in the golan heights in the north..you have yad vashem (holocaust museum, extremely powerful, expect to cry)...i mean i could basically list my birthright trip and the places we went because a lot of them were the big highlights of israel...make sure you walk down ben yehuda street in jerusalem...it is touristy and overpriced but it is a scene every night...

tel aviv nightlife is supposed to be amazing in term of music, clubs etc..i only had the pleasure of going to lounge type establishments...

Haifa is on the sea and really pretty

Jaffa as well...you can see the parliament of Israel (forgetting the name so bad)

also in tel aviv you can see yitzak rabim memorial...

golda meir's burial (i think is in jerusalem)

Thanks for the replies. I think we'll probably give Petra a miss this time even though I'd love to go there someday. We want to be in Jerusalem over Easter anyway so that restricts the time available by a lot.

Plenty to do just in Israel I suspect! Ciao for now...