It is very difficult to give a precise answer as much depends on your personal circusmtances and the prevailing security situation at the time. Make sure your passport and any other papers are absolutely in order and follow the tourist or foreign travel advisories. At the Allenby Bridge, there is a travel company which will facilitate the crossing. It is not that cheap but I have found it invaluable. Don't forget you can also visit the Dead Sea in Jordan and the sunsets are spectacular.

Posted Apr 18, 2011

After leaving Lebanon there is no problem later to travel to Jordan and Israel. Visit www.general-security.gov.lb but  also www.lebanonroad.blogspot.com have information on planning a trip to Lebanon

Posted Apr 19, 2011

Going to Lebanon is a great trip, people are very helpful and friendly, check if you can travel from Beyrouth to Israel directly because as far as I know a passeport stamped in Lebanon can cause you a refusal to visit Israel, that is if you are of Lebanese origins, check with the Lebanese embassy or your travel agency.

Posted Apr 19, 2011

If you are going to Israel last, there shouldn't be any problems with a passport stamped from other countries, especially since I assume you have a Canadian passport (it's always good to confirm with your travel agent).  If you fly in or out of Tel Aviv just be prepared for questioning by security.  They sometimes will ask additional questions to those who have traveled to countries that have conflicts with Israel.

Posted Apr 19, 2011

Hello.  My experience last year was a friend (American) in our group wanted to take us to Beirut from Amman with her but she wouldn't have been allowed in since she had an Israeli stamp in her passport.  The rest of us went and I can say they checked each and every page of our passports.  So I'd double check.  You'll love Jordan and Lebanon.  We had an amazing time!

Posted Apr 19, 2011

I am also headed to Turkey, Beirut and Damascus/Syria in June.  Going into Israel last is probably a wise idea since you might be able to avoid some security issues at the border that way.  Jordan is full of lovely people from the far Northern town of Zera'a to the south in Petra which, despite being rather touristy, shouldn't be missed!  There are wonderful strange little hotels/hostels set up around the gates of the old city on road leading in...usually in the basements of old gas stations!  very strange, but accomodating.... also...you must try METLUBA....or "upside down" which is a regional dish of rice, chicken and cauliflower.  Also, there is a famous bakery in Amman called "Atta Ali" which has baklava/kunafa TO DIE FOR.....Beirut has a great underground music scene and lots of interesting galleries/artists.  I'll see you there!

Posted Apr 19, 2011

Dear J -

I was just in Israel and I can tell you what our guide said: after visiting Israel, you cannot go to Lebanon or Syria with the Israeli stamp in your passport, but the other way around is fine. Be prepared for extra questioning/security on the way into Israel if they see you have been to those countries.

And also, just to make it clear, you can only cross between Jordan and Israel. Lebanon and Syria do of course border Israel in the North, but these are highly-controlled, militarized borders with absolutely no check points.

Good luck and I hope you make it to all of these countries!

Posted Apr 21, 2011

I can't answer the passport question because I didn't go to Israel this time, but it seems well answered.  As to Jordan, I loved every minute.  Amman is a beehive of new construction but it's not touristy and has great sites.  We also went to Jerash.  The site is amazing but a lot of the preservation and reconstruction was not up to standards.  But it was still a great place to just wander and imagine yourself in a great Roman city.  The baptistry site and Mount Nebo were refreshingly not touristy but also not yet well prepared for visitors.  You need to do your historical homework first but definitely rewarding. 

Posted Apr 24, 2011

I'm living in Israel now and have traveled here twice before. I have a US passport.  I've never heard of anyone having trouble entering Israel with a Canadian passport just because you have stamps from Muslim countries.  Maybe the Lebanon stamp will cause them to ask you more questions than they otherwise would, but I'm sure there won't be any trouble.  When I entered the country the past two times, I had stamps from Muslim countries in my passport and got very different reactions.  The first time I had stamps only from Egypt and Oman, and this is what I think triggered a secondary screening, where a very nice security officer pulled me aside and asked me maybe ten minutes of questions and went through a notebook I had.  This past time when I entered, I had stamps from several other Muslim countries, but the passport control agent just flipped through the pages casually while he asked me a few questions, and that was it.  The whole process took under a minute.  In Israel, you never know.

Posted May 06, 2011