Away With The Steiners

Crossing overland from Israel to Jordan (and the worst noise ever).

There aren’t all that many borders between countries in the Middle East open for travellers to cross easily. Fortunately however, the border between Israel and Jordan is one of the few. I am going to detail how to make the Allenby Bridge crossing from Jerusalem to Amman.

And, I’m going to tell you about the most terrifying noise you will ever hear at a Middle Eastern border checkpoint…

Coming from New Zealand we don’t experience many overland border crossings(!) and we were travelling full-time with our kids. Thus any that we did do we were thorough in planning ahead to make the crossing went as smoothly as possible.

Here is our review of making the Israel Jordan border crossing at Allenby Bridge – with kids – and some tips to make it easy for your trip too.

How to cross the Israel Jordan border at Allenby Bridge. Crossing the border from Israel to Jordan.
Waiting at the bus station in Jerusalem to head to the border crossing.

We crossed the border overland between Jerusalem to Amman in September 2019.

Border crossings between Israel and Jordan

There are three overland border crossing points between Israel and Jordan.

We crossed the Israel Jordan border from Jerusalem to Amman via the Allenby Bridge. This was the handiest crossing to Jerusalem and the most straightforward place on the Jordan side to pick up our pre-booked rental car was the Amman International Airport. The following details how to make the central crossing.

About Allenby Bridge

The Allenby Bridge is known officially in Jordan as the King Hussein Bridge. It is confusing when starting research about the different Israel – Jordan border crossings, as the northernmost crossing is called the ‘Sheikh Hussein’ crossing. The Allenby Bridge crosses the Jordan River near the city of Jericho, thus connecting the West Bank with Jordan.

On the Jordan side, Allenby Bridge is 57km away from Amman, is located in the southern Jordan Valley.

Getting to the border from Jerusalem

Options for getting from Jerusalem to the border on the Israel side are either by taxi or local bus. A taxi will be charged by distance for the approximately a 30 KM drive.

Bus #961 departs from outside Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. From Jerusalem Bus Station, you can also take buses 961, 966, or 967. We took bus number 967 which passes directly by the Allenby Bridge stop. It will drop you almost at the border, outside the first checkpoint with is approximately 2km from the border terminal. A bus ticket is 21.50ISL.

The bus stop for Bus 967 at Jerusalem Bus Station.
A bus ticket for 21.50 ILS from Jerusalem to Allenby Bridge.

From the checkpoint you will need to take a taxi to the Israel border and immigration.

Note: You are not allowed to walk the 2km distance. We were informed it was an ex-military area and unsafe to walk. It sounds like sometimes there are taxis waiting at the end of route 90 by the checkpoint, however there were none when we arrived. It is literally an armed control checkpoint and carpark in the middle of nowhere. Guards checked our passports and then called a taxi for us.

The worst noise ever

Firstly, this is not a usual part of the tips for making the crossing, but this is where we then experienced the worst noise you could hope to hear at a Middle Eastern checkpoint…

While we were waiting by the guard house at the checkpoint (in the literal middle of nowhere) we heard the worst noise ever. There was the almighty sound of an explosion – BANG – that resonated around the valley.

I leapt (also literally) up in the air. Guards stood up immediately as we grabbed the kids and ducked behind the planter box and shrubs in front of us. (I am not sure what I hoped the shrubs would protect us from, but that’s all well in hindsight).

The guards edged around the entrance, clutching their guns ready. A second later, the driver door of the lone truck parked in the carpark opened and the driver climbed down.

Smoke started to rise up from the back of the truck and he shouted to the guards.

It was a back truck tyre. It had exploded in the heat.

We stood up shakily from our spot behind the bush as the guards shrugged it off and headed back to their positions.

I don’t care how many times I have to tell myself it was just a tyre exploding. A border crossing checkpoint is NOT the place the noise of a tyre exploding will EVER sound ok!

Our taxi arrived a few minutes later and we jumped in and headed on for the Israel border point.

The near empty carpark and checkpoint building (shrubs and planter boxes included).

Crossing the border at Allenby Bridge

Entering the Allenby Terminal on the Israel side looks like any airport-style immigration terminal. A visa is required for entry into Jordan and cannot be purchased at the border. Security to enter the terminal includes bag checks and x-rays.

You need to pay the departure fee of 175 NIS and proceed to immigration. NIS and USD are accepted on the Israeli side. I don’t remember seeing a cashpoint terminal so I would recommend you carry cash. There is a small restaurant in the passenger hall selling basic snacks and drinks.

Through immigration, there is a lineup of buses outside. You need to take a bus from the Israel side of the border to the Jordan immigration terminal.  The bus ride is 15-20 minutes bus ride and costs 5 JD and 1.5 JD per bag.

Air conditioned bus from the Israel border side to Jordan immigration.

Getting from the border to Amman

After exiting immigration and entering Jordan, there are taxis available outside.

We were approached by several drivers and negotiated the best price we could for a fare to Amman International Airport. (From there we had pre-booked a rental car with Avis to pick up for our stay in Jordan).

A taxi journey from the border terminal to Amman takes about an hour and costs 25-35JD. A taxi journey to the airport is just over an hour.

There are also mini buses available from the terminal to Abdali Station in Amman. This is the notably cheapest option if you have time to wait. Buses will wait for enough passengers before departing.

Things to know before you cross Allenby Bridge

Where we stayed

Useful links for your travels in Middle East and beyond…

These are the companies we use while traveling fulltime as a family and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel. 

Read more about travel in the Middle East 

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