Where ancient roads still lead somewhere — a field guide to the Middle East.

A letter from the Plan Desk.

By Layla Hashemi, Senior Editor for the Middle East. Issue Nº 16, Spring 2026.

The Middle East is older than the road. Petra was already a tourist attraction when the Romans showed up; Damascus and Jericho have been continuously inhabited for nine thousand years. The region invented writing, the wheel, the first cities, and the second-best coffee on Earth. Every country here is a palimpsest — Phoenician under Roman under Umayyad under Ottoman under whatever it calls itself today. The mistake most travellers make is treating it like a sampler — three countries in two weeks, a region in three. Don't. The Middle East rewards the patient: the medina you walk for three days before you find the riad you'll come back to for the next decade. The desert camp you stay long enough at to know which jackal calls at which hour. One country at a time. This page is the manual we wished existed when we started — everything we'd send a friend before their first trip to Amman, Istanbul or Marrakech, and a few things only useful on the fifth.

How to use this issue.

Read it like a magazine. Skim the chapter heads, dip into whatever pulls at you. Twelve chapters in order: countries, regions, when to go, itineraries, food, transport, budget, language, festivals, neighborhoods, packing, and the FAQ. The links inside take you to specific guides — 486 of them — for the deep work. The country tiles take you to the country sub-atlas; the festivals take you to the year-round calendar. The region cluster section explains why we group seventeen countries into five travel-shaped buckets — Levant, Gulf, Anatolia, Maghreb, Nile.

Twelve countries, the honest atlas.

The region's most-travelled twelve, sorted by guide depth not GDP or alphabet. Featured below: Jordan — the country we send first-timers to, every time. Click any tile for the full sub-atlas, or jump to the directory at /en/plan/itineraries/middle-east.

1. 

   Jordan — Amman — 72 guides — 8 to 12 days

   The honest first chapter for the region. Petra at dawn, Wadi Rum by the night fire, the Dead Sea on the way home. Visa on arrival, walkable, stable, and the Hashemite cuisine is the secret most guidebooks bury at the back.

2. UAE — Abu Dhabi — 64 guides — 5 to 8 days

   Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Three nights total — old Dubai by abra, Burj Khalifa for the photo, then the Louvre Abu Dhabi (Jean Nouvel) for the museum quarter on Saadiyat Island.

3. Saudi Arabia — Riyadh — 48 guides — 10 to 14 days

   The new e-visa frontier of Arabia. AlUla and Hegra are the Nabataean sister of Petra with a fraction of the crowds. Fly Riyadh in, Jeddah out.

4. Israel — Jerusalem — 56 guides — 8 to 12 days

   Old City Jerusalem — four quarters, four faiths, one square kilometre. Stay inside the walls. Tel Aviv as the modern counterweight; the Negev as the desert epilogue.

5. Egypt — Cairo — 58 guides — 8 to 12 days

   Cairo, the Nile slow, Luxor, Aswan. Skip the Hurghada package; do four nights on the river by felucca instead. Pyramid sunrise from the Marriott Mena House.

6. Morocco — Rabat — 78 guides — 9 to 14 days

   The first chapter for almost every traveller. Marrakech to Fes via the Atlas — start with one medina, never the whole country in a week. Riads, tagines, mint tea three pours.

7. Oman — Muscat — 36 guides — 8 to 12 days

   The slow Gulf. Muscat for the souks, the Hajar Mountains for the wadis, Wahiba Sands or the Musandam fjords for the last act. Self-drive country.

8. Qatar — Doha — 24 guides — 3 to 5 days

   The most refined stopover in the Gulf. I.M. Pei's Museum of Islamic Art is the building of the trip; the Souq Waqif is the night of it.

9. Turkey — Ankara — 68 guides — 10 to 14 days

   Istanbul long weekend, Cappadocia balloon dawn, the Lycian coast by gulet boat. Three weeks rewards more than two; stay in Karaköy, never Sultanahmet.

10. Lebanon — Beirut — 32 guides — 6 to 8 days

    Beirut nightlife is back. Day-trip to Byblos and Baalbek; weekend in the Chouf among the Maronite villages. Lebanese hospitality is its own travel attraction.

11. Bahrain — Manama — 18 guides — 3 to 4 days

    Pearl diving heritage, the F1 weekend, the most relaxed Gulf entry. Causeway from Saudi for the weekend break Saudis themselves take.

12. Kuwait — Kuwait City — 22 guides — 3 to 5 days

    Souq Mubarakiya, the Towers, the Grand Mosque. The least-visited Gulf capital and the easiest to walk in a single weekend.

The region in five clusters.

Borders are political; weather, food, and the wadi-road conditions are not. We group the Middle East the way travellers actually move through it — by climate, by season, by table.

01. The Levant.

Jordan, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria. The mediterranean rim of the Middle East — olive groves, Roman ruins, mezze tables that don't end. The most walkable, most history-dense quarter of the region. Best between March and May, again from September through November.

• Petra plus Wadi Rum (Jordan). Two days in Petra (sunrise and the back trail to the Monastery), one fire-lit night under the dunes. Add the Dead Sea on the way back to Amman. Visa on arrival, English ubiquitous, the easiest first Middle East trip there is.
• Old City Jerusalem (Israel/Palestine). Four quarters, four faiths, one square kilometre. Stay inside the walls; eat at Lina hummus before queues; walk the ramparts at dawn. The most intense ninety-minute walk anywhere on Earth.
• Beirut plus the cedars (Lebanon). Beirut's nightlife is back. Day-trip to Byblos and Baalbek; weekend in the Chouf among the Maronite villages. Wine in the Bekaa, swordfish in Batroun, sunset on the Corniche.

02. The Gulf.

UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman. Petrodollar megacities, ancient frankincense ports, ski slopes in malls and goat tracks in the Hajar Mountains. Four-hour layovers extended into four-day stopovers. November through March only — summer is unbearable.

• Dubai plus Abu Dhabi (UAE). Three nights total. Old Dubai by abra, Burj Khalifa for the photo, then the Louvre Abu Dhabi (Jean Nouvel built it; Saadiyat Island is the museum quarter). Skip the desert dinner if you only have two days.
• AlUla and Hegra (Saudi Arabia). The Saudi Arabia of the new e-visa. Hegra is the Nabataean sister of Petra with a fraction of the crowds. Stay at Banyan Tree, fly Riyadh in, Jeddah out.
• Oman, the slow Gulf. Muscat for the souks, then drive into the Hajar Mountains and finish at Wahiba Sands or the Musandam fjords. Self-drive country, four-wheel only off-tarmac. The traditional Gulf without the construction.

03. Anatolia and the Aegean.

Turkey is its own region — straddling Europe and Asia, Mediterranean and Black Sea, Hellenic and Ottoman past. The most-visited country in the region by a margin, and still under-explored east of Cappadocia.

• Istanbul long weekend. Three nights. Hagia Sophia, the Basilica Cistern, ferry to Kadıköy for the actual food. Stay in Karaköy or Cihangir, never Sultanahmet. The bridge between two continents you actually walk across.
• Cappadocia balloon dawn. Goreme valleys at sunrise from a wicker basket. Two nights minimum; cave hotel mandatory. Skip in winter — flights cancel weekly for wind. The most photogenic 06:00 of any trip.
• Lycian coast. Antalya to Fethiye by gulet boat — the four-day blue cruise with tiny coves and Roman tombs above the waterline. Kalkan and Kas as bookends. June, September, October.

04. The Maghreb.

Morocco, Tunisia, Algeria. The western edge of the Arab world — Berber, Andalusian, French. Atlas Mountains and Sahara on the same trip; the closest piece of the region to Europe and the easiest entry visa-wise.

• Imperial Morocco. Marrakech, Fes, Chefchaouen, Essaouira. Riads, tagines, and the wide quiet of the Atlas. Two weeks rewards more than ten days because of the road between cities. March, April, October, November.
• Sahara from Merzouga. Two nights in a luxury or basic Berber camp on the Erg Chebbi dunes. Camel in at sunset, Land Rover out at dawn. Marrakech is the gateway; do not try in summer.
• Tunisia plus Algeria. Roman ruins of Dougga and Timgad with almost nobody in them. Hammamet in shoulder season; couscous in the south. April or October only.

05. The Nile and the Red Sea.

Egypt and Sudan. The longest river in the world plus the Red Sea reefs. The continental hinge point — North Africa by geography, Middle East by everything else.

• Nile slow by felucca (Egypt). Cairo to Aswan by sleeper train, then four nights on the river by felucca, then Luxor for the Theban necropolis. Skip the Hurghada package; this is the better river trip.
• Sinai plus Red Sea (Egypt). Climb Sinai by moonlight, sleep at the monastery foot, then dive the Brothers Islands or Ras Mohammed. Dahab is the chilled-out base; Sharm if you want the resort.
• Sudan slow. Meroë pyramids with no fence and no crowd. The other Nile, the other Nubian heritage. Permits are required and the political situation is fluid — check the FCDO before booking.

When to go — heat vs shoulder.

The Middle East runs on heat, not rain. Two windows per region, sitting at opposite ends of the calendar depending on whether you are in the Gulf or the Levant. Here is the year, region by region — peak (P), shoulder (S), low (L), festival (F).

• Levant (Jordan, Israel, Lebanon). Peak Mar–May, Sep–Nov. Shoulder Feb, Jun. Low Jul–Aug (heat) and Dec–Jan (cold rain on the coast).
• Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman). Peak Nov–Mar. Shoulder Oct, Apr. Low May–Sep (45°C in the shade — do not plan a Gulf trip in summer).
• Anatolia (Turkey). Peak Apr–May, Sep–Oct. Shoulder Jun–Aug (hot but functional). Low Nov–Mar (Cappadocia balloons cancel weekly for wind).
• Maghreb (Morocco, Tunisia). Peak Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov. Shoulder May, Sep. Low Jun–Aug (Sahara is unreachable) and Dec–Feb (cold mountain nights).
• Nile / Red Sea (Egypt). Peak Mar–Apr, Oct–Nov. Shoulder Feb, May, Sep, Dec. Low Jun–Aug (45°C up the river).

The Gulf inverts the calendar.

November through March is the only honest window for Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat. June through September is 45°C in the shade, and there isn't any. Plan the inverse of your hemisphere instinct. Hotel rates triple in January and February — the regional snowbird season.

Ramadan slides through the year.

The lunar calendar moves Ramadan back about ten days every year. In 2026 it falls February through March — meaning the Levant and Maghreb peak shoulder is partly inside it. Iftar tables are extraordinary, but daytime restaurants close until sunset and museum hours shorten. Plan around it, not against it.

The shoulder is the actual peak.

April–May and October–November are the windows the editorial team books for itself. Light is gold, queues are half, prices are two-thirds. Peak summer in Europe is peak low season in the Middle East — the inverse of the Mediterranean rule.

Four itineraries worth stealing.

The plans we'd send to a friend, road-tested and updated each spring. Click for day-by-day. The full library lives at /en/plan/itineraries/middle-east.

10 days — Jordan loop, Petra to Wadi Rum to the Dead Sea.

The honest first Middle East trip. Visa on arrival, English ubiquitous, walkable archaeology. Cost tier $$. Built by Iris, October 2025.

1. Amman — 2 nights. Citadel, Roman theatre, Rainbow Street for falafel.
2. Jerash and the King's Highway — 1 night. Roman cardo at dawn, drive south slow.
3. Petra — 3 nights. Sunrise from Al-Khazneh; back trail to the Monastery on day two; Petra by Night on day three.
4. Wadi Rum — 2 nights. Bedouin camp, jeep canyon, Mars-set silence at midnight.
5. Dead Sea — 2 nights. Float, mud, and the long quiet drive back to Amman.

8 days — Istanbul plus Cappadocia, ottoman to fairy chimneys.

Two cities, one short flight, no rental car. The classic Turkey first-trip. Cost tier $$. Built by Layla, April 2025.

1. Istanbul — 4 nights. Karaköy hotel, Hagia Sophia at dawn, Kadıköy ferry, Bosphorus sunset.
2. Cappadocia (Goreme) — 3 nights. Cave hotel, balloon at sunrise, Ihlara Valley walk on day two.
3. Istanbul — 1 night. Late return, last meal at Çiya Sofrası, Atatürk dawn flight home.

14 days — Saudi Arabia, AlUla to Riyadh to Jeddah.

The new e-visa frontier. Hegra without the Petra crowds, contemporary art in Riyadh, coral old town in Jeddah. Cost tier $$$. Built by Marcus, March 2025.

1. Riyadh — 3 nights. Diriyah at dusk, Edge of the World 4×4, the National Museum.
2. AlUla and Hegra — 5 nights. Banyan Tree, Hegra Nabataean tombs by 4×4, Maraya mirror concert hall.
3. Yanbu and the Red Sea — 2 nights. Dive day, dolphin watch, drive to Jeddah at sunset.
4. Jeddah — 4 nights. Al-Balad UNESCO old town, fish lunch on the Corniche, Hajj-route mosque tour.

12 days — Egypt, Cairo to Aswan to Sinai.

The river plus the ruins plus the Red Sea. Old standard, recently re-routed. Cost tier $$. Built by Eli, November 2025.

1. Cairo — 3 nights. Pyramids at dawn from Marriott Mena House, Khan el-Khalili at evening prayer, Egyptian Museum's new wing.
2. Aswan — 2 nights. Philae temple, felucca to Elephantine, Old Cataract sunset gin.
3. Nile felucca — 3 nights. Aswan to Esna, sleeping on deck, crocodile spotting from the bow.
4. Luxor — 2 nights. Karnak at dawn, Valley of the Kings before 09:00, hot-air balloon over the Theban necropolis.
5. Sinai (Dahab) — 2 nights. Bedouin coast, Blue Hole dive, the long quiet drive back to Cairo.

Three more, by tag.

• 5 days, Dubai plus Abu Dhabi. Old Dubai by abra, Burj Khalifa, Louvre Abu Dhabi, one desert night. Built by Iris, January 2026.
• 10 days, Morocco imperial cities. Marrakech, Atlas, Aït Benhaddou, Merzouga Sahara, Fes. Built by Amani, March 2025.
• 7 days, Oman self-drive. Muscat, Nizwa souk, Jebel Akhdar, Wahiba Sands, Ras al-Jinz turtle reserve. Built by Marcus, February 2026.

Food and drink, country by country.

One immutable rule per kitchen. Order this, drink that, never make the obvious mistake.

• Levant — The mezze table is the meal. Hummus, baba ghanoush, tabbouleh, kibbeh, fattoush, makdous. Twelve small plates plus warm bread. Order half what you think; it always doubles. Pair: arak with two-to-one water and ice last.
• Egypt — Koshari is the office lunch. Rice, lentils, pasta, fried onions, tomato sauce. Five Egyptian pounds. Faster than McDonald's, and Cairo eats nothing else at noon on Tuesday. Pair: koshari with karkade hibiscus tea.
• Turkey — Breakfast is the showpiece. Kahvaltı means "before coffee" — twenty small dishes of cheese, olives, tomato, simit, honey, eggs. Sit two hours; that's the point. Pair: Turkish breakfast with çay in tulip glass.
• Morocco — The tagine is the meal. Slow-cooked lamb with prunes, chicken with preserved lemon, kefta with egg. Eaten with bread, never a fork. Sit on the floor; tear, don't cut. Pair: tagine kefta with mint tea, three pours.
• Persian — Saffron rice is the foundation. Tahdig (the crispy bottom layer), khoresh stew on top, and the whole table sharing one platter. Fesenjan with pomegranate-walnut is the dish to order. Pair: chelo kebab with doogh yoghurt drink.
• Gulf — Machboos is the rice you came for. Spiced biryani-style rice with chicken, lamb or fish, baharat-perfumed. Khaleeji households feed strangers without asking; do not refuse the second helping. Pair: machboos with karak chai.

Sleeper trains, Gulf carriers, desert highways.

The Middle East moves on Emirates and Qatar, on the Hejaz line's surviving fragments, and on long, smooth desert highways. Trains exist in Turkey, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Saudi Arabia — and almost nowhere else. Plan accordingly. Gulf carriers (Emirates, Qatar, Etihad, Saudia, Turkish) run hub-and-spoke schedules that make a single layover the cheapest way to combine two countries. Five-hour transit windows in DXB and DOH are long enough for a museum and dinner. Trains work brilliantly in Turkey (the fast YHT line), Egypt (the Cairo–Aswan sleeper), Morocco (Al Boraq, the Tangier–Casablanca TGV), Israel (Tel Aviv–Jerusalem, 32 minutes), and the new Haramain line in Saudi between Mecca and Medina. Self-drive is excellent in Oman, the UAE and Jordan and almost nowhere else — Cairo and Beirut traffic is for residents.

Door-to-door comparison.

• Istanbul to Ankara — YHT high-speed train 4h 15m, plane 1h 10m.
• Cairo to Aswan — sleeper train 12h 30m, plane 1h 20m.
• Casablanca to Tangier — Al Boraq TGV 2h 10m, plane 1h 10m.
• Marrakech to Fes — train 7h 00m, plane 1h 00m.
• Tel Aviv to Jerusalem — train 32 minutes, no plane needed.
• Dubai to Muscat — no train, plane 1h 10m or 4h drive (recommended).

Six routes worth knowing.

• Istanbul IST to Kayseri KYA (Cappadocia) — 1h 15m by Turkish or Pegasus.
• Cairo CAI to Aswan ASW — 12h 30m sleeper train, nightly. Book sleepers via Watania.
• Tel Aviv TLV to Jerusalem JRS — 32m by fast train, half-hourly.
• Marrakech RAK to Fes FEZ — 7h 00m by ONCF rail, daily. Al Boraq TGV connects.
• Riyadh RUH to Dammam DMM — 4h by SAR train, daily. The new Haramain serves Mecca and Medina.
• Dubai DXB to Abu Dhabi AUH — 1h 30m by E11 highway. Etihad bus runs hourly for $10.

Three Middle Easts, three budgets.

The region doesn't share a price list. Egypt and Morocco are among the cheapest in the world. The Gulf is among the most expensive. Plan for the actual country you're visiting, not a regional average.

Souk tier (Maghreb / Egypt / Levant) — $70 a day. Riads, shared service taxis, market food.

Bed $24 to $52. Food $10 to $18. Transit $8 to $14. Sights $10 to $15. Realistic across Morocco, Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia. Riads and boutique pensions are often cheaper than international hostels and three times as nice. Lunch in a Cairo koshari joint is two dollars; mint tea anywhere in the medina is fifty cents.

Boutique (Turkey / Israel / Oman) — $240 a day. Cave hotels, design hotels, mid-tier camps.

Bed $140 to $220. Food $45 to $70. Transit $25 to $40. Sights and driver $30 to $50. The middle tier where Turkey, Israel, Lebanon and shoulder-season Oman live. Strong design hospitality, good wine lists, English ubiquitous. The unavoidable tier for an Istanbul trip with a Cappadocia cave hotel; cheaper than a Bali honeymoon if you book six weeks out.

Editorial Gulf (UAE / SA / QA) — $1,100 a day. Burj, Banyan Tree, Mandarin Oriental class.

Bed $700 to $1,400. Food and drinks $120 to $250. Driver and guide $300 to $500. Lounge and spa $80 to $150. Gulf cities price in dollars and high season runs November to March. Worth it for two or three nights, not a whole trip — pair with Oman or Jordan for ballast. Banyan Tree AlUla, Bulgari Dubai, the Ritz Doha — three nights total, not seven.

Four phrases per dialect.

Arabic varies more by country than Spanish does by continent. The four words that move every meal forward, in the eight dialects you're most likely to need. Try them; locals notice.

• Pan-Arab · Modern Standard. As-salaamu alaykum (peace upon you, universal). Shukran (thank you). Min fadlak (please). Al-hisaab law samaht (the bill, please).
• Egypt · Masri. Ezzayak / Ezzayek (how are you, m / f). Alf shukr (a thousand thanks). Khalas (enough / done / okay). Karkade (hibiscus tea, hot or cold).
• Levant · Shami. Marhaba (hello, informal). Yislamu (thank you, warm). Habibi / Habibti (term of affection). Yalla (let's go / come on).
• Maroc · Darija. Salam (hello, universal). Bezzaf (a lot / very much). Lhsab afak (the bill, please). Atay bnaana (mint tea).
• Turkey · Türkçe. Merhaba (hello). Teşekkür ederim (thank you). Hesap lütfen (the bill, please). Çay (tea, in tulip glass).
• Hebrew · עברית. Shalom (hello / peace / goodbye). Toda raba (thank you very much). Heshbon bevakasha (the bill, please). Sababa (cool / no problem, slang).
• Persian · Farsi. Salaam (hello). Mamnoonam (thank you). Sorat-e-hesab lotfan (the bill, please). Ta'arof (the art of polite refusal — learn it).
• Khaleeji · Gulf Arabic. Hala wala (warm Gulf greeting). Mashkoor (thank you, formal). Yalla habibi (let's go, friend). Karak (sweet milky chai, the Gulf staple).

Festivals worth a detour.

Six dates that bend an itinerary. Book early; some sell out a year ahead, and Ramadan moves through the calendar by ten days a year.

• Ramadan — region-wide, February–March (lunar). The whole region observes. Restaurants close until sunset; the meal that breaks the fast is the social peak of the year. Travel during Ramadan is rewarding — but plan around it. Five stars.
• Tantora AlUla — Saudi Arabia, January. Six weeks of concerts, hot-air balloons, helicopter tours over the Nabataean tombs of Hegra. Saudi Arabia's flagship cultural event under the new tourism strategy. Five stars.
• Holy Week — Jerusalem, March/April. Catholic, Orthodox and Armenian processions through the four quarters. Book six months out; stay outside the Old City walls and walk in. Easter at the Holy Sepulchre is the religious event of a lifetime. Five stars.
• Fes Festival of World Sacred Music — Morocco, May/June. Sufi nights, Bab Boujloud. Nine days of qawwali, gospel, ney flute, fado in the medina courtyards. Tickets affordable, queues long, the 11pm courtyards are the show. Five stars.
• Cappadox — Cappadocia, October/November. Three days of contemporary music among the fairy chimneys. Smaller crowd than Istanbul, the most photogenic festival site on the planet. Four stars.
• Doha Cultural — Qatar, December. Late-night openings at the Museum of Islamic Art (I.M. Pei) and the National Museum of Qatar (Jean Nouvel). Year-end becomes the soft season for Gulf culture. Four stars.

Six neighbourhoods we trust.

Stay here. Eat here. Walk for two days before you do anything else.

• Karaköy — Istanbul. The old port neighbourhood across the Galata Bridge. Coffee roasters, design hotels, Mimar Sinan mosques on every other block. Walk to Sultanahmet across the bridge in twenty minutes — never stay in Sultanahmet itself. Why: Galata, walkable.
• Médina de Marrakech — Marrakech. Inside the walls. Riad with a courtyard pool, walk twenty minutes to Jemaa el-Fnaa, never look at a tourist bus again. Stay in a riad on a derb, not on the Jemaa itself. Why: riad, old city.
• Al-Balad — Jeddah. The UNESCO old town of Jeddah. Coral-stone houses with carved roshan windows, just back on the heritage list, the most atmospheric base in Saudi Arabia. The Red Sea coast is fifteen minutes by car. Why: UNESCO, coral.
• Mar Mikhael — Beirut. Beirut's loudest, latest, most reborn quarter. Wine bars in renovated French Mandate buildings, art galleries above. Walk down to the Corniche before the night starts. Why: nightlife, bistros.
• Mutrah — Muscat. The Corniche-front old town of Muscat. The souk inside is the best in the Gulf — frankincense, silver khanjar daggers, walls of myrrh. Stay nearby, walk to the souk at evening prayer. Why: souk, Corniche.
• Zamalek — Cairo. An island in the Nile. Tree-lined, cafés on every corner, Cairo as a city you'd want to live in. A taxi to the pyramids is twenty minutes either way; a felucca pier is ten on foot. Why: island, trees.

Pack for sun, dust, and mosques.

The region runs hot, dry, and modest. Trade the bright t-shirts for two long linen shirts you actually like — they'll work in mosques, in souks, and at midnight in Wadi Rum.

Heat, sun, modesty — mosque-ready, sun-safe.

• Long, loose linen trousers — never shorts in mosques or souks.
• Long-sleeve linen shirts (sun, mosque entry).
• A scarf or shemagh that doubles as headcover.
• Closed-toe walking shoes for ruins and old cities.
• Sandals you can slip off at every threshold.
• Wide-brim hat — Petra and Wadi Rum are exposed.
• Sunglasses with side coverage (desert glare).
• Tip: earth tones. Black absorbs heat; white shows dust. Sand, olive, ochre.

Bags and tech — carry-on first, adapters.

• Wheeled carry-on (most regional flights are tight on hold limits).
• Daypack with a 1.5L bladder for desert and ruins.
• Universal Type-A / C / G adapter.
• Headlamp (red filter for desert camps).
• Power bank 10,000 mAh — for long temple days.
• VPN installed before arrival in UAE / SA.
• Two USD $100 bills for visa-on-arrival fees.
• Tip: bring twice the cash you think; ATMs run out in Petra and AlUla.

Health and admin — don't get sick.

• Travel insurance with medical evacuation (mandatory).
• Photocopies of passport, visa, vaccination card.
• Israel-stamp awareness — Lebanon and Iran refuse entry with one.
• DEET 30%+ for the Nile and Sinai mosquitoes.
• Rehydration salts and broad-spectrum antibiotics.
• Modesty wrap (women) for surprise mosque visits.
• International driving permit if planning Oman or UAE rentals.
• Tip: never drink the tap water. Bottled or filtered, every time.

The questions, answered.

The eight questions every reader sends before a first Middle East trip. Updated April 2026.

Is the Middle East safe to travel right now?

The region is seventeen countries; the question is meaningless at that scale. Jordan, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi Arabia and Egypt have well-established tourism and have been stable for years. Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, Yemen and Syria require closer attention to current advisories. Check the UK FCDO and US State Department before booking, and again two weeks before travel.

Visas — what do I actually need for the Middle East?

Most countries are visa-on-arrival or e-visa for Western passports — Jordan, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Israel, Turkey, Morocco. Saudi Arabia introduced e-visas in 2019 and they are easy. Iran requires an authorisation code through a tour operator. Israel issues an entry slip on a separate sheet rather than stamping the passport — keep it.

Can I travel between Israel and Arab countries?

Yes, but plan the order. Israel does not stamp passports any more — entry is by separate slip — but Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Libya, Sudan, Algeria, Kuwait will refuse entry if they suspect you have been to Israel. Most countries (Jordan, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey) are fine. The land borders from Jordan to Israel are open and easy.

When is the best time to visit the Middle East?

Depends entirely on which country. Levant, Maghreb, Egypt are best March through May and October through November. The Gulf (UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman) is the inverse — November through March only; June through September is 45°C in the shade. Turkey is at its best April through May and September through October. Do not plan a Gulf trip in summer unless you are transiting.

Do I need to cover up as a woman in the Middle East?

It varies. Saudi Arabia and Iran still require modest dress in public; an abaya is no longer mandatory in Saudi but recommended in religious areas. Jordan, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon, UAE are relaxed in tourist zones — long trousers, covered shoulders in religious sites is the standard. Always carry a scarf for surprise mosque visits. Israel has no requirements.

Can I drink alcohol in the Middle East?

Saudi Arabia, Iran, Kuwait, Libya are dry. UAE, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman serve alcohol in licensed hotels and restaurants only — never in public. Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Egypt, Morocco, Turkey, Tunisia have full bars and wine lists. Lebanon makes excellent wine; Turkey makes the rakı the region drinks.

Is Ramadan a bad time to travel?

It is a different time, not a bad one. Daytime restaurants close in Muslim-majority countries until iftar; museum hours shorten; energy is lower until sunset. Iftar tables are extraordinary — the social peak of the year. Plan around it: hotel restaurants stay open, but expect a quieter daytime trip. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Morocco are most affected; Israel, Lebanon and Turkey less so.

Should I book a tour or go independent?

Independent works well for Jordan, UAE, Israel, Oman, Turkey, Morocco, Qatar, Bahrain. Driver-guides are cheap and worth it for Petra, Wadi Rum, AlUla and the Nile temples. Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Iran are easier with a specialist agent — Iran requires one for visas. Avoid global chain operators that subcontract everything; use local DMCs with offices on the ground.

Four more dispatches.

1. How to spend three days in Petra without burning out. Layla, 9 min read.
2. AlUla, the Saudi Arabia nobody told you about. Marcus, 11 min read.
3. Istanbul in four days, no Sultanahmet. Iris, 8 min read.
4. Wadi Rum at midnight — the silence nobody warns you about. Eli, 7 min read.

End of Issue Nº 16 — Middle East.

HowTo: Travel Edition. Issue Nº 016. Spring 2026. Published 25 April 2026. Field desk Marrakech / Amman / Muscat. 1,200 contributors strong.

Mezze table. Iftar at sunset. Petra at dawn. Oud and rosewater. Soft duffel only. Don't rush the medina.