Trip Itinerary, Route, Costs & Tips

Trip Itinerary and Route

More details will be loaded here in due course but since this Hejaz Railway map so closely mirrored our route - I thought it would be apt to use it.

I departed from Jeddah to Madina and joined my brother there. We made Salam and prayed two-rakat at Masjid Nabawi before heading off.

Where the map shows Hadayya-in that region (150km from Madina) is a town of Khaybar which was occupied by the Jews in the time of our Beloved Prophet (Sallallahu-Alyhi-Wasallam).

Thereafter to Al-Ula and then Madain Saleh onward to Tabuk. From Tabuk, we diverted to the coast and toward Gulf of Aqaba on the way to Jordan.

From Aqaba- we headed headed to Amman, Jordan for a few days. Onwards to Damascus, Tartus, Homs, Latarkia to Halab/Aleppo back to Damascus and Amman, Jordan en-route to Jerusalem. From Jerusalem, it was straight drive through the Occupiers border, into and out of Jordan and into Saudi Arabia. Departing early from Jerusalem, we reached Tabuk by nightfall and then headed out early after Fajr to Madina for Zuhr and made it to Makkah for Maghreb.

1. Total duration of trip - 20 days
2. Total distance covered - 6'000 Km (excl Jerusalem - cars parked in Jordan)
3. Total cost per family- around US$5,000 including fuel, food, accommodation, visa - the whole lot.
4. Hotel cost - Alula (US$50 per night)
   
5. Hotel cost - Tabuk (US$50-75 per night)
6. Hotel cost - Amman, Jordan (US$75 per night)
7. Hotel Cost - Damascus, Syria (US$70 per night)
8. Hotel cost - Aleppo, Syria ($100 per night)
9. Hotel cost - Jerusalem, Palestine ($175 per night)
10. Fuel in Jordan and Syria is much more expensive than Saudi Arabia
11. Jordan has JD5 exit tax per person,
    
12. JD 20 car entry tax and mandatory vehicle insurance JD12-JD20 each time you enter by car - important factor that in when planning travel route as we exited Jordan to Syria/Jerusalem & Saudi (3 times - therefor JD240 for two cars for entry).
    
13. Servicing a car in Jordan is very expensive - a simple oil change costed JD60 for a GMC Acadia. Rather do any maintenance in Saudi Arabia before crossing the border or in Damascus (normal service on Toyota Prado costed US$60)
    
14. Syria also has mandatory insurance and exit tax of SYP200 per person (US$6)
    
15. The Zionist Occupiers (if you can get in) charge US$50 exit tax PER PERSON and the cost of the car from Amman to border is JD20, JD5 per person to get across to Zionist border and then from the other side to Jerusalem is US$100 per car for 30 minute ride.
16. Hotels

• Jordan Hotel - Dana Plaza Hotel
• Damascus Hotel - Europe Hotel (salamhotel@mail2world.com)
• Latakia Hotel - Stayed in seaside 3-bedroom Villa (US$200 per night)
• Aleppo Hotel - Riga Palace Hotel
• Jerusalem - Holy Land Hotel http://www.holylandhotel.com

Q: How did we get visas to Palestine?
A: Alhumdulillah, South African passport holders do NOT require visas from the Zionist Occupiers and are able to obtain entry at the border.

Q: Which route did we take to get to Palestine?
A: From Amman, Jordan - it is a 40 minute drive (JD20) to the King Hussein Bridge Border crossing into Palestine.

Q: What is the procedure for crossing the border?
A: Long story:-

• At the King Hussein border crossing, luggage scanned and clear Jordan customs, security and immigration control
• Be sure to remind Jordan immigration not to stamp your passport that you exited at that point as this will be a sure giveaway that you visited Zionist Occupiers and this will barr you from Makkah and most Muslim lands
• A secure bus takes you from King Hussein terminal through no-mans-land towards the Zionist Occupiers border of Al-Quds Palestine. Cost is JD5 per person plus they charge for luggage as well.
• Tip - pack light to prevent unnecessary searching and questions. DO NOT CARRY ANYTHING THAT YOU DO NOT HAVE TO - LEAVE STUFF IN STORAGE AT HOTEL IN JORDAN
  
• South Africans join the VIP queue at the immigration in the border
• Be sure to tell the officer NOT to stamp your passport - they will definitely ask why - perfectly acceptable to tell them that you wish to visit Saudi on pilgrimage and their stamp will bar you access.
• Be very polite - (they are also now more pleasant than 10 years ago when they kept me and my wife for 8 hours searching and questioning - the same happened to Moosa as well a year before that and they even stripped his electronic equipment).
• Aside from the crowds and queues (2 hours) - it took us another hour and we were out
• Once inside Palestine - expect costs to SOARRR
• Cost of car for 30 minute ride to Jerusalem is $75 and for a 10-seater van $120.
• Do not be too adventurous like us - we did not book the hotels in advance and scouted for it at all stops.