Crossing the Wadi Araba border from Israel to Jordan
Updated 16 June 2023
Enter Jordan from Eilat, Israel
More and more people combine their journey in Jordan with a trip in Israel. (Or rather fly to Tel Aviv or Eilat to immediately travel to Jordan). And therefore enter Jordan by crossing the Wadi Araba border from Eilat to Aqaba. This border is also called the Yitzhak Rabin border.
I get many questions from my guests about how to cross this border and how it works with the visa. Because of these questions I collected the latest information and put it together in this overview. And as you are reading this, you are probably searching for this information.
Firstly I will inform you about how to travel inside Israel. To start with traveling from Tel Aviv to the Wadi Araba border. Subsequently from Ramon Airport to this border. Secondly you can read about the procedure to cross the border and get your visa for Jordan. Finally I share how to get to Aqaba, Wadi Musa|Petra or Wadi Rum from the Jordanian side of the border. That is to say, either by bus or taxi.
Flying to Tel Aviv
There are many airlines with flights to the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv. It’s located in the north of Israel, still 25 km east from the city of Tel Aviv. And 225 km north of the Wadi Araba border in the far south of Israel.
How to get from Tel Aviv to Eilat or the Wadi Araba border by bus
From Tel Aviv you can take the Egged bus 390 from Tel Aviv New Bus station; HaHagana Train Station or the Egged bus 394 evening and night bus from Tel Aviv New Bus station: Ha-Hagana Train station. The transfer will take about five to five and a half hour to bring you to Eilat CBS, Central Bus Station. In addition, when you want to go direct to the border crossing, alight at the Eilat Yitzhak Rabin Border Terminal bus stop. From there you walk the 1500 meter to the Border Terminal.
Please make your reservation for the bus at your requested time to be sure of a seat. Especially in the high season months as in March, April, May, September, October and November it’s possible that the buses are fully booked.
Flying to Ramon International Airport
Next to the international airport in the north there is the , in January 2019 opened, Ramon International airport in the south of Israel. It’s located 20 km north of Eilat and the Wadi Araba border crossing.
How to get from Ramon airport by bus to Eilat
You can take the Egged bus No. 30 from Ramon Airport to Eilat. Look up the departure times on the Egged website.* The bus is outside of the arrivals terminal. The bus driver is selling the tickets, 4,5 Shekels (NIS). The bus will bring you, with a few stops on the way, within half an hour to the bus station in Eilat.
*In addition, when you are in Jordan and you want to check the Egged bus website you need a VPN because the website is blocked for Jordanian ip addresses.
How to get from Ramon airport to the border
By bus
First of all you take bus 30 from Ramon Airport. Either you alight at the Eilat Yitzhak Rabin Border Terminal bus stop and walk the 1500 meter to the Border Terminal.
Or go the the bus station in Eilat and take a taxi** from there to the border crossing. For two people with suitcases the price will be around 10 USD. For four people with suitcases the price will be around 15 USD. As they add for the third and fourth person and for additional suitcases as well.
By taxi
For sure there will be taxi’s at the airport but you can also arrange a taxi by sending a Whatsapp message to taxi driver Hector**. You can reach him via +972 54-621-3456. The price for two persons, with two suitcases who make an early booking is 25 USD. For four persons with an early booking and 4 suitcases, the price is 30 USD.
Book your room in Wadi Musa|Petra
While you are learning how to travel to Jordan from Israel to Jordan you are probably also looking for a nice accommodation in Wadi Musa|Petra.
What to think of the cosy bed and breakfast Petra Fig Tree Villa for your overnights to unlock the secrets of Petra’s hidden world. For Petra visitors, foodies, bird and nature lovers, peace seekers and hiking enthusiasts.
On walking distance from the New wonder of the World Petra.
Or in Beit al Taybeh Guesthouse
If you are travelling by rental car you could also stay in our other accommodation. Beit al Taybeh Guesthouse. An authentic family house on the lower slope of the village of At Taybeh. It’s just a ten km ride from the parking of the Petra visitor centre.
Crossing the border
After you’ve paid your departure tax (108 Shekel) with credit card or cash on the Israeli side you just walk to Jordan.
Operating hours of the border
- Sunday to Thursday from 6:30 am to 20:00 pm
- Friday and Saturday from 8:00 am to 20:00 pm.
Wadi Araba border crossing closes on Islamic New Years day and Yom Kippur.
The border is closed from noon time, 12:00 on the 24th of September. And closed on the 25th of September 2023.
Islamic New Year 2024 in Jordan will be on Sunday 7 July.
Crossing the Wadi Araba border with an Israeli passport
Be aware that when you are crossing the border with an Israeli passport, you need a special manifest! You can arrange this, before crossing this border, via Jordanian travel agent Aqaba Inner Space. They will arrange a manifest and a representative will wait for you on the Jordanian site.
Getting your Jordanian visa at the Wadi Araba border
Aqaba is part of ASEZA, Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority. On their website you can find their regulations to cross the Wadi Araba border. And the visa formalities.
You can get a visa upon arrival if you come from a country that is not on the list of restricted countries who need a prior approval.
Be aware that when you have an Israeli passport you need a special manifest to cross the border! You can arrange this, before crossing this border, via a Jordanian travel agent in Aqaba. They will arrange a manifest and a representative will wait for you on the Jordanian site. If you are working in Israel and you want to cross this border your working permit should still be valid!
They will give you a document that you need to fill in; the manifest.
Keep this with you and have it stamped when you visit Petra. Because you have to show the manifest when you leave Jordan via the same border. As a result they can see how many days you stayed and that you’ve visited Petra.
It depends of the amount of nights you stay in Jordan and the exit point whether you have to pay for your visa. This will be checked when you leave the country. So no payment needed when you enter Jordan!
Leaving Jordan via the Eilat/Aqaba border
- Three nights or more. If you leave via the same crossing and stayed three nights or more in Jordan, you don’t need to pay for the visa and you don’t need to pay the exit fee.
- Two nights. If you leave via the same crossing and stayed two nights you only pay the exit fee (of 10 JOD) when you leave Jordan via the Wadi Araba border back to Israel.
- One night. If you leave via the same crossing and stay only one night in Jordan, you will pay the normal amount of 40 JOD for the visa and the exit fee (is 10 JOD) when you leave Jordan via the Wadi Araba border back to Israel.
Rules to enter Israel
On this website of the Israeli government you can find the rules for entering Israel and the form you have to fill in within 10 days of your crossing.
Leaving Jordan via another border then the Eilat/Aqaba border
If you leave via another exit point (border or airport) the procedures of the departing border will be applied. Practically this means that you don’t pay for your visa neither for your exit fee as I understood from my guests.
Get around in Jordan from the Wadi Araba border
By bus (and taxi) from the Wadi Araba border to Wadi Musa|Petra
At the border is a sign with the taxi prices. The taxi to Aqaba city will be 11 JOD. From the bus station you take the local bus to Wadi Musa. There are no time tables for the buses so ask for the bus to Wadi Musa|Petra and the driver will tell you around what time he will leave. The bus driver will wait until the bus is full before he departs. As a result it’s possible that the bus leaves more late (or early) then announced by the driver!
The last bus will leave Aqaba around 15.30 or 16.00. After about 2,5 hours you’ll arrive at the bus station in Wadi Musa. Depending on the location of your accommodation you can walk to your hotel or take a taxi.
By taxi from the Wadi Araba border to Wadi Musa|Petra
You can arrange a taxi upfront to wait for you at the border and bring you in two hours to Wadi Musa|Petra. The price for this transfer is 55 JOD. (To be picked up at the border cost more than to be dropped at the border).
Taxi fares for the Golden Triangle
The three mainplaces to visit from the Wadi Araba border are Petra in Wadi Musa, the Wadi Rum desert and Aqaba with it’s beaches. These three together form the Golden Triangle. Some people just make this round when they visit Jordan from Israel. So here you can find the taxi fares.
- The Wadi Araba border to Wadi Musa 55 JOD
- Petra|Wadi Musa to Wadi Rum 40 JOD
- Wadi Rum to Wadi Araba border 30 JOD
Total price transfers 125 JOD
- The Wadi Araba border to Wadi Rum 40 JOD
- Wadi Rum to Wadi Musa 40 JOD
- Petra|Wadi Musa to Wadi Araba border 45 JOD
Total price transfers 125 JOD
Book your transfers with Saleh Helalat
If you are in need of a reliable taxi driver you can get in touch with Saleh Helalat. Via his Facebookpage or his number +962 7 7926 7640 on Whatsapp.
Saleh does all the transfers of the bed and breakfast guests to their great satisfaction. He speaks English and loves to tell you about his beloved Jordan.
He will arrange your transfers in the Golden Triangle or any other transfer in Jordan. Just send him your travel itinerary for a quote.
Updated 16-6-2023