Traveling From Palestine to Jordan

Traveling From Palestine to Jordan: During your stay in Palestine, you may find you want to travel to Jordan as well, especially if you have not seen the famous sites of Petra, Jerash, Wadi Rum, and Aqaba, just to name a few.

Unfortunately, this is easier said than done. Though Jordan maintains relations with both Israel and Palestine, this has not eased harsh security measures, and travel within the West Bank is intentionally lengthy and arduous.

However, despite these obstacles, this may be the most opportune time for international participants to spend some time touring Jordan while already abroad in Palestine. Read below for our recommendations on how best to navigate travel between the two.

Shared Borders, Difficult Crossings

Though Palestine and Jordan share a border, this unfortunately does not translate into an easy crossing. In reality, travel between Jordan and Palestine is expensive and very tricky, and can potentially put your visa status into questionable territory.

From Palestine there are four different routes in which you may reach Jordan, three of which are land crossings;

The fourth is via the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.
The most direct land crossing from Hebron is known as Allenby Bridge on the Palestinian side of the border and King Hussein on the Jordanian side.
The Jordan River Crossing is located in the north, known as Sheikh Hussein on the Jordanian side; it’s extremely important on your return to make the distinction between the King Hussein and Sheikh Hussein border crossings.
Finally, in the southern-most tip of Israel-Palestine and just a stone’s throw from Aqaba is the Yitzhak Rabin Crossing, known as Wadi Araba on the Jordanian side.

Jordanian Visa Restrictions

From Hebron, West Bank you will take a shared taxi to Jerusalem, and from there you may decide between the four different routes. However, you must obtain a Jordanian visa in advance prior to using the Allenby/King Hussein or Yitzhak Rabin/Wadi Araba crossings as visas upon arrival are not issued at these land borders. The only location besides Amman’s Queen Alia Airport in which you can acquire a visa on arrival is in the north at the Jordan River/Sheikh Hussein Crossing.

Please also note, the land crossings tend to be more expensive and arduous for travelers to access, and we at the Center advise against them especially for participants midway through their programs.

Allenby Bridge Crossing and Return

Returning through the King Hussein and Allenby Bridge Crossing after having spent time in Jordan, however long or short, is risky. There is a 30 percent chance you will be denied re-entry into Palestine at this crossing, and you will more than likely face long wait times, heightened suspicions, and repetitive questioning from Israeli border control.

If you are unable to return to Palestine after attempting to access this border crossing, you will not be refunded the tuition you paid to the Excellence Center and will subsequently need to scramble to find accommodations back in Jordan. By using this crossing point, you run the risk of jeopardizing continuing your experience and program back in Hebron.

Accessing Jordan Via Ben Gurion

Besides the land crossings, you can also travel from Palestine to Jordan via the Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv. Security measures here are much less severe as this airport is used mainly by tourists, making your re-entry into Palestine easier and more straightforward.

While this presents much less hustle and risk, it’s unfortunately also the most expensive route. Tickets from Tel Aviv to Amman, though only a short distance of around 100 miles away, typically cost around 600 USD. Once you’ve arrived in Amman, you must then also arrange for transport to your final destination.

Also keep in mind that as a foreigner, entrance into historic cultural sites such as Petra are expensive. If you are able to afford this route as well as the following expenses in Jordan, we recommend using this route to avoid any potential complications on your return.

Final Remarks

Jordan and Palestine share a lot of similar characteristics, and they are both home to some of humanity’s oldest and most important cultural and historic sites. Having traveled such a long way from their countries of origins, this might be an opportune moment for many participants to travel to Jordan from Palestine.

Despite their close proximity, though, traveling to Jordan from Palestine can be extremely tricky, expensive, or both. However beneficial this opportunity might be, it may be best to delay traveling to Jordan until after your program is completed to avoid any unexpected disruptions or expenses. That said, the careful and meticulous traveler should be able to traverse this border with ease.