Is it safe to travel to Lebanon, Egypt and Jordan right now?

Israel launched a deadly attack on Lebanon this week as they attempt to eradicate the Hezbollah militant group in an escalation of their war with Hamas. 

The bombing resulted in the deaths of at least 700 people and European nationals are now being evacuated from Lebanon.

The UK and EU governments continue to advise against all travel to Lebanon while UK and EU nationals are urged to leave while commercial options remain available. 

Authorities also already warned against all but essential travel to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territories.

Travellers should also exercise caution when visiting some areas of neighbouring or nearby countries. 

Here’s what you need to know if you’re considering a trip to Lebanon, Egypt or Jordan.

Is it safe to travel to Lebanon right now?

Lebanon, which lies to the north of Israel and shares a border, is now fully embroiled in the deepening Israel-Hamas conflict. 

On 17 and 18 September 2024, thousands of pagers and walkie-talkies intended for use by Hezbollah exploded simultaneously across the country resulting in the deaths of 42 people, including at least 12 civilians.

Now, strikes that began on Monday have killed more than 700 people in the country. 

The UK’s Foreign Office (FCDO) has now upgraded its guidelines for Lebanon, advising against all travel and urging Britons to leave the country. 

It warns that there are ongoing mortar and artillery exchanges and airstrikes in Lebanon, primarily on the boundary with Israel but also in parts of the Beqaa Valley and some other locations north of the Litani river. 

“Tensions are high and events could escalate with little warning, which could affect or limit exit routes out of Lebanon. In the event of deterioration in the political or security situation, commercial routes out of Lebanon could be severely disrupted or cancelled at short notice, and roads across the country could be closed,” the advice now says. 

“The British embassy may be increasingly limited in the assistance that it can provide. If you are currently in Lebanon, you should leave now.”

The Australian, US and European governments including Ireland and France have also issued ‘no-go’ travel warnings for Lebanon.

Is it safe to travel to Egypt?

Although Egypt shares a border with Gaza and Israel, the country has not yet been drawn into the conflict.

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However, there are several parts of the country that are considered risky for tourists.

In terms of international travel, Egypt’s borders remain open and airlines and package holiday operators are continuing as normal in the country.

Most of Egypt’s major cities and key tourist sites are located far away from the border with Israel and Gaza.

Beach resort Sharm el-Sheikh is the nearest, but it is still over two-and-a-half hours’ drive away from the closest border town and more than five hours away from the Gaza border.

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Cairo, Alexandria, Hurghada and Luxor are located even further away.

However, the UK FCDO advises against all travel to some other parts of the country. 

This includes within 20km of the Egypt-Libya border – except for the town of El Salloum, where it advises against all but essential travel – and the North Sinai Governorate.

The FCDO advises against all but essential travel to the northern part of the South Sinai Governorate, beyond the St Catherine-Nuweibaa road, except for the coastal areas along the west and east of the peninsula.

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Its advice is the same for the Ismailiyah Governorate east of the Suez Canal, the Hala’ib Triangle, the Bir Tawil Trapezoid and the area west of the Nile Valley and Nile Delta regions, except for:

• Luxor, Qina, Aswan, Abu Simbel and the Valley of the Kings

• the Faiyum Governorate

• the coastal areas between the Nile Delta and Marsa Matruh

• the Marsa Matruh-Siwa road

• the oasis town of Siwa

• the Giza Governorate north-east of the Bahariya Oasis

• the road between Giza and Farafra (but FCDO advises against all but essential travel on the road between Bahariya and Siwa)

• Bahariya Oasis, Farafra, the White Desert and Black Desert

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) has updated the security status for Egypt to ‘high degree of caution’. 

It strongly advises against travel to the Governorate of North Sinai, which borders Israel and Gaza, including the Taba-Suez Road. It also warns against travel to Gaza via the Rafah border crossing.

The DFA advises arriving by air if travelling to Sharm el-Sheikh, Hurghada and immediate surrounds and Marsa Alam and immediate surrounds, and tourist areas along the Nile river (such as Luxor, Aswan and Abu Simbel).

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Is it safe to travel to Jordan?

Jordan shares a border with Israel and the West Bank (one of the Occupied Palestinian Territories) as well as with Syria.

The FCDO guidelines on travel to Jordan state that it “advises against all but essential travel to within 3km of Jordan’s border with Syria.”

It also warns that the risk of terrorism is high. 

“Terrorism attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places visited by foreign nationals, such as hotels, shopping malls, restaurants and tourist sites,” the advice reads. 

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Borders remain open and most tourist destinations in Jordan have been unaffected by the instability, but some flights to Amman and Aqaba airports have been affected. 

Wizz Air has suspended all its flights to and from Jordan (and Israel) “due to the escalating situation in the region”.

Austrian Airlines and United have cancelled flights to Amman from Vienna and Washington DC respectively.

If you have a package holiday booked and choose to cancel, you are unlikely to receive a refund unless the destination is in one of the FCDO’s ‘no-go’ areas. Check online for the advice given by your government.

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The Jordan Tourism Board previously released a statement emphasising that the country is a “safe and welcoming destination for tourists around the world.”

“Our commitment to ensuring the safety and wellbeing of all visitors remains unwavering,” the statement said.

“We want to reassure everyone that Jordan’s borders are open to tourists, and we are eager to share our extraordinary experiences with the world.”