This travel guide is full of tips on how to plan your next holiday in the Middle East. This part of the world is famous for the biblical landmarks, windswept desert dunes and oases, colourful mosques and the Turkish hammams. The Middle East is where bargaining is just a way of life and visiting the lively bazaars feels like a must. It’s also a perfect destination for diving in the Red Sea or taking the salty and muddy baths around the Dead Sea.
The Middle East is the birthplace of the three of the world’s oldest religions Judaism, Christianity and Islam. For the same reason, for years, it has been the centre of the global tension, religious wars and political disputes. The region is particularly rich in the crude oil what makes the countries around the Persian Gulf economically advanced.
Table of Contents
What to Visit in The Middle East
Israel 
Jordan
The Middle East is the region which connects three continents: Asia (the western parts), Europe (European part of Turkey) and Africa (the Northern Egypt). The area covers around 7,207,575 square km and its population is over 371 million people.
Other Things to See in The Middle East
When travelling to the Middle East, it’s worth seeing the Pyramids of Giza and taking the Nile River cruise. On the other hand, visiting the holy places like Jerusalem, Petra, the Blue Mosque and the world’s tallest building of Burj Khalifa are the must. The truth is you can’t miss an opportunity of floating in the Dead Sea and spending the night under the stars in Wadi Rum Desert. If you’re not afraid of heights, the balloon ride over the Cappadocia will certainly leave you speechless.
Don’t leave Middle East without seeing:
- Pyramids of Giza in Egypt
- Nile River Cruise – Luxor
- Jerusalem – holy place in Israel
- Petra – archaeological site in Jordan
- Blue Mosque – Muslim place in Istanbul
- Burj Khalifa – world’s tallest building
- Dead Sea – salty baths in Jordan or Israel
- Wadi Rum Desert – hiking in Jordan
- Cappadocia – hot balloon ride
Read more: The Most Beautiful Places in the Middle East
Hiking in the Middle East
When you think of the Middle East, the desert instantly comes to mind. In fact, the dry sandy land makes up 99% of the area. The biggest desert in the Middle East is the Arabian Desert covering almost the entire Arabian Peninsula. Other famous deserts in the Middle East are The Empty Quarter (known as the Rub’ al Khali and being the large part of the Arabian Desert), Wadi Rum in Jordan, the Sahara Desert in the Northern Africa, the Sinai Desert and the Libyan Desert.
Mountains in The Middle East
The highest peak in the Middle East is the Mount Damavand (5,600 m) in the Alborz (Elburs) Mountains which also in an active volcano located in Iran. There are many mountains in the Middle East but the major ones include:
- Hijaz and Asir (Saudi Arabia, the Red Sea)
- Caucasus (Black, Caspian Sea)
- Alborz – Elburs (Iran, Caspian Sea)
- Hadramaut (Yemen)
- Hindu Kush (Afghanistan, Pakistan)
- Parim (Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, China)
- Taurus (Turkey, Iran, Iraq)
- Tian Shan (Kyrgyzstan, China)
- Zagros (Iran, Iraq)
- Atlas (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia)
The Hiking Trails in The Middle East
The best hiking trails in the Middle East are Dana to Petra Hike and Wadi Rum in Jordan, Jesus Trail Nazareth to the Galilee Sea, Oman’s Grand Canyon from rom the plateau to Jebel Shams’ summit, Wadi Shab, Wadi Ghul and Wadi Bani Khalid treks in Oman, Lebanon Mountain Trail, Masuleh Waterfall in Iran, Ihlara Valley and Ihlara Gorge treks in Turkey, The Shawka Dam Loop in the UAE, Sinai Trail in Egypt, Agios Theodoros – Asinou Trail in Cyprus.
Read more: The Best Hiking Trails in The Middle East
Beaches in the Middle East
The Middle East is surrounded by the waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea, the Dead Sea, the Black Sea, the Arabian Sea, the Caspian Sea and the Aral Sea. The biggest gulf in the Middle East is the Persian Gulf extending through the Oman Gulf and right into the Indian Ocean.
The best islands in the Middle East are the Arwad Island in Syria, Failaka Island in Kuwait, Palm Island in Lebanon, Pharaoh’s Island in Egypt, Socotra Island in Yemen and the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai.
The best beaches in the Middle East are the ones in Dahab in Egypt, Oludeniz in Turkey, the Dead Sea in Jordan, Israel and West Bank, Tyre in Lebanon, Kite Beach in Dubai (UAE), Salalah in Oman, Nissi in Cyprus, Saadiyat in Abu Dhabi (UAE), Djerba in Tunisia.
Read more: Top Beaches and Islands in the Middle East
Where to Stay in The Middle East
If you plan your trip to the Middle East, there are 18 countries (13 out of 18 are Arab ones) to consider: Bahrain, Cyprus, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Northern Cyprus, Oman, State of Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
There are, however, some areas in the Middle East you should avoid at all cost. Following the FCO advice, you mustn’t travel to: North Sinai in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Gaza in Israel, Syria and Yemen. It’s because those countries are dangerous for reasons such as political instability, terrorism, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
When coming to visit the Middle East, it’s good to know that 13 out of 18 countries are the Arab ones. The Arab World included 22 countries which form the Arab League. Those countries are: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Djibouti, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Oman, Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates and Yemen.
Read more: Facts about Arabs and the Arab World
What to Eat in The Middle East
How to Get Around The Middle East
Middle East Travel Guide – Cost and Budget
If you’re backpacking the Middle East, the cheapest countries to travel are Armenia, Georgia and Syria. That’s where your daily budget should be around £15 which basically covers a night in the hostel (£3 to £13), the food cost (£1 to £7) and local transport (up to £2).
If you travel to the Middle East on the mid – range budget, best countries to visit are: Turkey, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Jordan, Cyprus and Egypt. That’s where you’re likely to spend between £40 to £90 a day. The standard hotel room cost from £20 to £40 and food should be between £10 and £20.
Middle East can be expensive. In fact, it’s the most expensive part of Asia. If you want luxury in the Middle East, you should travel to counties like Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia or Oman where you end up paying between £180 and £300 a day. The standard hotel price in Abu Dhabi or Dubai may cost you up to £130 per night. The price of food in the Middle East can be anything between £20 and £30 per day.
| Hotel | Food | Transport | Attractions | Avg Daily Cost | |
| Backpacker | £3-£13 | £1-£7 | £0,5-£2 | £3-£7 | £12-£15 |
| Mid-Range | £20-£45 | £5-£25 | £2-£20 | £5-£15 | £35-£90 |
| Luxury | £80-£130 | £20-£30 | £10-£25 | £15-£30 | £180-£300 |
Middle East Travel Guide – Best Time to Visit
The Middle East is located in the Northern hemisphere and follows the seasonal weather patterns. In the Middle East the summer is from June to August, autumn from September to November, winter from December to February and spring from March to May.
Autumn, Winter, Spring in the Middle East
Best time to go to the Middle East is between October to April during both, the winter and shoulder months. In most Arab countries you’ll get to enjoy the nice weather, perfect to stay on the beach (up to 25°C)
Generally, the spring and autumn in the Middle East are the most popular months to travel to countries like Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Yemen. You should plan your trip either between March to May or September to November. In contrast, the high season along the Mediterranean and Turkish coastline is between June and August during summer making it a good time to travel.
Summer in the Middle East
Basically, the summer in the Middle East runs from June to August and those months should be avoided as temperatures during the day are simply too much to handle (over 30°C).
High Season (Dec – Feb)
- Best to go to the Arab countries (warm winter)
- Wet winter in Mediterranean and Turkey
Shoulder Season (Mar – May & Sep – Nov)
- Perfect to travel to Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Syria and Yemen
- New Year’s Celebration in Iran – Nowruz in March
Low Season (Jun – Aug)
- Hot summer in Arab countries best avoided
- High season in the Mediterranean and Turkey
Middle East Travel Guide – Average Monthly Temperatures
The climate in the Middle East is pretty consistent with extremely hot summers and pleasantly warm winters. The Middle East is the hottest in summer from June to August. Those months bring extremely hot temperatures between 29°C and 31°C with July being the hottest.
The Middle East is the coldest during winter from December to February. Those months bring plenty of sunshine and mild temperatures up to 13°C during the day with January being the coldest. Please find the average daily temperatures in the Middle East in the table below.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Avg °C | 12 | 13 | 17 | 22 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 30 | 27 | 23 | 17 | 13 |
Middle East Travel Guide – Average Monthly Precipitation
The rainfall in the Middle East is almost nonexistent with plenty of sunny weather all year around. That’s because most Arab countries have a semi – arid climate and plenty of the desert terrains.
The countries where you get to see a lot of rain are located especially around the Mediterranean and Turkish coastline. Places like Saudi Arabia, Northern Turkey, Iraq, Iran, Syria, Israel and Jordan are cold in winter and the snow can be found in the mountains.
In the Middle East it rains the most from January to April with roughly 22 mm to 24 mm of rainfall per month. To be honest, the rain in the Middle East is a blessing, it doesn’t last long and brings relief from the heat. The Middle East doesn’t see a lot of rain in summer (June to August) but it’s definitely too hot to travel.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Rainfall (mm) | 22 | 20 | 24 | 23 | 13 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 19 |
Middle East Travel Guide – Practical Information
The tips used in this travel guide will certainly help you during your travels to the Middle East. For more information on language and local time, religion, electricity plug, internet, currency, visa, safety and health matters in the Middle East, just follow my comments below.
Population and Language – Over 371 million people live in the Middle East. There are 60 languages spoken and 6 official ones: Arabic, Greek, Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian, Turkish. English and French are widely spoken.
Religion – 97% Muslim, 2% Christians, 1% Jewish.
Local Time – There are 4 time zones in the Middle East from UTC+2 hours to UTC+4 hours. Iran sets their standard time as UTC+3,5 hours.
Electricity – Most countries in the Middle East run on 220/230V voltage (120V in Liberia, 127/230V in Lybia and 110/220V in Saudi Arabia). There is 50/60Hz and the three round pin plug type A, B, C, D, F, G, H, J.
Internet – The access to the internet in the Middle East is easy. Most of the hotels will provide you with a free wi-fi. In the countryside the internet might be a bit of a problem but it’s always recommended to buy a cheap local sim card and mobile internet on arrival.
Money and Currency in the Middle East
Money – In the Middle East the ATMs are widely available in the big cities but outside it’s good to have some cash. You can pay for almost anything with your Debit and Credit Cards such as the MasterCard, Maestro, Cirrus, Visa, Visa Electron. The AMTs in Iran will not accept the foreign cards so only cash will be needed there.
Currency – There are around 17 local currencies in the Middle East. The US dollar ($) is widely accepted.
Visa Requirements for the Middle East
Visa – the UK and EU citizens need to apply for a visa when entering some countries in the Middle East. The visa fee varies and depends where exactly you want to travel. The British and Polish citizens DON’T need a visa for the following countries in the Middle East:
- Bahrain (eVisa for 14 days)
- Cyprus (Schengen Zone)
- Egypt (eVisa for 30 days), except for Sharm el Sheikh, Taba, Saint Catherine where you don’t need to apply for the visa if staying max 15 days (your passport will be stamped at the airport).
- Iran (PL-visa on arrival for 30 days)
- Israel (30 days)
- Jordan (visa on arrival)
- Kuwait (eVisa for 3 months)
- Lebanon (visa on arrival for 1 month)
- Northern Cyprus (3 months)
- Oman (eVisa for 30 days)
- Palestine
- Qatar (PL-90 days, GB-30 days)
- Saudi Arabia (eVisa for 90 days)
- Turkey (Schengen Zone)
- UAE (PL-90 days, GB-30 days).
Safety and Emergency in the Middle East
Safety Travelling in the Middle East is generally safe. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advise against all travel to the following areas: North Sinai in Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Gaza in Israel, Syria and Yemen. The rest of the Middle East has a political stability but local scams such as pick-pocketing and stealing may happen.
Health and Travel Vaccinations in the Middle East
Health – The World Health Organization recommends that all travelers are covered for diphtheria, tetanus, measles, mumps, rubella and polio, hepatitis B, hepatitis A regardless of their destination.
Additional recommended vaccinations for Asia – rabies and typhoid,malaria, cholera, Japanese encephalitis, meningococcal meningitis, tick-borne encephalitis, tuberculosis.