The city of Haifa is well known for its diversity and the many religions of the people inhabiting the city. It is home to many different types of Jews, Christians, and Muslims, and so many more religions. Not only that, Haifa is one of the few cities with nature interspersed between the neighborhoods of the city.
So what should you see in a day in Haifa?
In No Particular Order…
Wadi Siah
A lovely hike that takes you down the ravine, alongside nature, springs, history, and an abandoned orchard before you hit the end of the trail and then take a bus or taxi back up to your starting point, or to your next location. It’s a pretty easy hike at a gentle downhill slope, with lots of shade for at least the first half of the journey, if not longer.
It’s about 2 kilometers, so the walking itself should take you no more than an hour. But! It should take you more than an hour if you’re doing it “right”.
Stop and relax under a tree, hang out at one of the springs, or have a picnic in the old orchard.
If you’re lucky, you’ll run into a lovely group of Carmelites at the ruins there next to the first spring. They belong to the Carmelite Church up at the top of the mountain, and the ruins you’ll see on the hike are the remains of their first church from the time of the Crusades. Father Cornelius is there every morning at 5 or so AM, and on Saturdays he’s there with a group of people all day. They were very nice and welcoming, and I’m sure that if you run into them, they’ll be very welcoming of you as well.
The Bahai Gardens
The gardens are likely the most famous stop in Haifa. Most tour groups stop at the observation point at the top of the gardens for a quick photo shoot when in the area. But there’s so much more to it than that.
Check their website for their opening hours, and when they have guided tours offered. They offer tours every day when not in the midst of a pandemic, so check their site for details.
The tour is about 45 minutes long, and you don’t need to register in advance, just show up on time and enjoy.
Stella Maris
This is the modern day church and monastery for the Carmelite order. The complex is rather large, but the area we’re allowed into is small. Just the church. But it’s still worth visiting. The paintings on the dome are incredible.
Elijah’s Cave
Elijah is a prophet in Judaism, who plays an important role in Christianity as well. There’s a cave not far from Stella Maris that’s called Elijah’s cave, and it’s a Jewish religious prayer site. It might be interesting to check out, especially if you’re not Jewish and are wondering what that means and what that looks like!
The German Colony
The German Colony is a street full of buildings from the mid-late 1800’s that were built by the Templers – German Protestants who believed that the messiah is about to arrive and that they need to get back to their roots and live as Jesus lived in order to help speed up his return. This is the first colony they set up in Israel, out of 6 or 7 that were built here. There are 2 in Tel Aviv-Jaffa, and one in Jerusalem that are popular to visit as well.
Here in Haifa the area is now full of upscale shops and restaurants, and is very popular among Israelis on the weekends.
Wadi Nisnas
This is an outdoor market sort of area with just a bit of everything in the area. In addition to being a market in which you can find all sorts of odds and ends, from produce stores to restaurants to toy stores and more, it’s also an open air museum. The concept is simple. Art in all it’s forms should be accessible to everyone, no matter what their socioeconomic status. So there’s art on the walls. Not just murals and drawings, also sculptures and poetry.
Haifa Port and Turkish Market
The market isn’t really a market per say, but more of a complex with lots of restaurants and shops, and is relatively close to the Templer Colony.
The port is just across the street, and this area is younger as there’s a university campus there, with lots of bars, pubs, and restaurants. There’s also a lot of street art, so look into a street art tour if that’s something that interests you.
Museums in the City
Haifa is a city with a multitude of museums, so many that they deserve their own blog post. No matter what your interest, you’ll find a museum in the city that’s right for you.
How do I get to Haifa?
My recommendation? By train. There are 4 train stations in Haifa that connect to Tel Aviv and run pretty regularly. And the public transportation in Haifa is pretty decent, so you should be able to get around rather well and really get a local experience.
Check out my post on public transportation here in Israel for more details on how the system works.
Once in Haifa, a lot of these places are within walking distance of each other, though, it will be quite a lot of walking. If done right though, it can all be downhill!
The best part, even if you take a taxi or two, on your way back on the train you can sleep the entire way since you’re not driving 🙂
Renting a car is always an option, and parking in Haifa is easier than in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, generally speaking. But I generally try to avoid parking issues and getting stuck in traffic (another fantastic reason to take the train).
Have you been to Haifa?
What’s your favorite spot?
Let me know in the comments below!