World Borders: How to Get From Israel to Jordan (Yitzhak Rabin/ Wadi Araba Border Crossing)

World Borders: How to Get From Israel to Jordan (Yitzhak Rabin/ Wadi Araba Border Crossing)

World Borders: How to Get From Israel to Jordan (Yitzhak Rabin/ Wadi Araba Border Crossing)

In my ongoing world borders series, I cover the real life borders I cross on my crazy journeys. I mentioned before how to get from Jordan to Israel at Sheik Hussein and how to get from Israel to Palestine (to Bethlehem) this time, I go the other way as I detail How to Get From Israel to Jordan (Yitzhak Rabin/ Wadi Araba Border Crossing). This is quite an important one, and I get asked regularly about it – mainly because of visa/passport issues. This post will provide information to ensure you don’t get any stamps and pass the border easily, which even a few fellow travel bloggers once worried about.

Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing

Yitzhak Rabin Border Crossing

Getting from Tel Aviv to Eilat
OK so when we did the Yitshak Rabin crossing, the night before we were based in Tel Aviv (not a great city I may add – one of the few that I didn’t really like much from my travels).

Leaving Tel Aviv bus station, Israel.

Leaving Tel Aviv bus station, Israel.

We headed to the main bus station in Tel Aviv and got an early bus heading for Eilat. The bus cost 78 Shekels and left at 7.30 am.

Bus from Tel Aviv to Eilat - but we got off for Yitzhak Rabin.

Bus from Tel Aviv to Eilat – but we got off for Yitzhak Rabin.

The bus made a stop half way for food (grabbed a quick falafel) and then down towards Eilat.

Quick stop off between Tel Aviv and Eilat.

Quick stop off between Tel Aviv and Eilat.

The important thing if you are going this way is to note that you DO NOT go all the way to Eilat. You need to get out early, and quite frankly, you need to get out by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere. It’s a walk of about 1-2 kilometres from here down to the border.

Follow the signs down to the border...

Follow the signs down to the border…

Follow the signs down to the border...

Follow the signs down to the border…

Navigation is simple – follow the signs to Yitshak Rabin border. If you don’t fancy walking it in the heat, you can also get a taxi. We were happy to walk it. There are almost no people about and the walk is kind of in desert vegetation with roads through it.

Walking down to the exit point for Israel at Yitzhak Rabin.

Walking down to the exit point for Israel at Yitzhak Rabin.

Leaving Israel at Yitshak Rabin
OK so the MOST important thing for you to remember here is never get a stamp on your passport, whether an exit or an entry stamp for either Israel, Jordan, Egypt etc.

Get your exit stamp on a separate piece of card.

Get your exit stamp on a separate piece of card.

Get your exit stamp on a separate piece of card.

Get your exit stamp on a separate piece of card.

So make sure to tell the guard this as they get ready to do your exit stamp. They will simply put it on the same piece of card that you used to arrive in Israel (which if you read my post, we arrived overland from Jordan and got our stamps on a separate sheet of card). The guards will gladly do it as they know the score.

Ouch! Expensive departure tax...

Ouch! Expensive departure tax…

Then you also need to pay your departure fee (in Israeli shekels), it was 90 shekels when we were there (September 2013). You get a receipt for this.

Goodbye Israel.

Goodbye Israel.

Walking Across the Border
After you have your Israeli exit stamps and paid your tax, one of the guards will check it and let you go. There is also a quick bag check. The walk to the Jordan point takes about 2 minutes, as you can see, it’s pretty close!

The walk between Israel and Jordan.

The walk between Israel and Jordan.

The walk between Israel and Jordan.

The walk between Israel and Jordan.

Arrival in Jordan at Aqaba
On arrival in Jordan at the border point make sure you again ask for the stamps to be placed on a separate sheet. Again, the border guards are fully aware of the situation and will be happy to oblige. You get stamped into Jordan without a charge and there may be a quick bag search (we didn’t get our bags checked though).

border Jordan

Arrival in Jordan

My many Jordan stamps on a separate piece of card.

My many Jordan stamps on a separate piece of card.

After that you can either walk into Aqaba, which in the heat for a few kilometres is probably not worth it, so get a taxi for about 10 Dinars straight into town. Aqaba didn’t seem to be too busy, so we just turned up at the Alshula Hotel and got a balcony room no problem.

Taxi to Aqaba.

Taxi to Aqaba.

Where do you go from here?
OK so on arrival in Aqaba there are a load of cool things to do – Jordan is great, and you are also almost on a “5 country border” here. Just south is Saudi Arabia, across the water is Egypt and Israel and just to the west is the West Bank, Palestine. Plus you’re in Jordan, so that’s 5! You can also hop on one of the red sea cruises exploring the River Nile, tour the UNESCO World Heritage Site that is Petra, spend a night or two camping in the Wadi Rum desert or just enjoy the sights of Aqaba.

You'll not be short of things to do in Jordan...

You’ll not be short of things to do in Jordan…

On a final note – happy border crossing and remember don’t get stamped 😉

Here are my videos from the Yitshak Rabin border crossing:

3 thoughts on “World Borders: How to Get From Israel to Jordan (Yitzhak Rabin/ Wadi Araba Border Crossing)

  • you are the first person i hear saying tel aviv wasn’t good …

    did you really stay just one day? tel aviv is a vibrating city with a lot of night life, cool people and just a cool vibe.

    sorry you didnt feel and see that!

  • Hi Rene – we stayed 2 nights in total. I loved the rest of Israel though and Jaffa was cool as you may have read – Jaffa – But apart from a quick beach and market visit, we found Tel Aviv just too over the top and touristy yet glossing over the rubbish on the streets and the horrible buildings which we all know Israel has money to rebuild. It felt at times, like the locals haven’t moved on from the 90s. But the rest of Israel – top notch. It was only Tel Aviv we didn’t enjoy. Each to their own! Safe travels. Jonny

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