Hiking in Israel is very common.
We have an abundance of clearly marked hiking trails, ranging in a variety of lengths and difficulty levels.
Here’s a brief guide:
Trail Markings
The first thing you need to know about hiking in Israel, is that the trails are NOT color coded.
Our trail markers are designated by two white lines, with another color in between them. Just because that color is green, does NOT mean that the trail is an easy trail. Very different from skiing.
The colors are like letters. If you’re on trail X, all that means is that you’re not on trail Y or trail Z. Same with our colors.
If you’re on the green trail, it just means that you’re not on the orange trail or the blue trail or the black trail.
It’s more like an address, if anything. Is 17th avenue a harder walk than 15th avenue? Maybe, but the fact that 17 is a larger number than 15 doesn’t have anything to do with it.
Same with our trail markers.
Now that we have that out of the way, trail markers in Israel are very clear and are easy to spot. They are varying distances from each other, depending on the trail. In a difficult section of trail, they will be closer together and easy to spot. When you’re on an easy section, just walking straight, on a well defined path, they’ll be few and far between.
Friendliness
Being friendly while hiking is a must.
Say hi to those passing you by. You’ll quickly make new friends.
Don’t be shy – if you have a question about the continuation of the trail, ask! Especially if the people are going in the opposite direction as you…they’ve just come from where you’re going! Hikers are usually very nice and will gladly answer your questions.
Research Your Hiking Trail
Nowadays there are so many resources to use online, that you can find quite a lot of information about the different trails.
Make sure you know which trail you’re following. A lot of times different trails meet up, intersect, and diverge, so make sure if you’re hiking the red trail, that you stay on the red trail.
Sometimes a hike will encompass multiple trails. You might start off on the red trail, connect to the green, before finishing off on the blue. And this is perfectly normal! But it means you need to make sure you know which trail you’re supposed to be on and when.
My suggestion – download, or screenshot the instructions you’re hiking with onto your computer, or maybe even print them out if possible. This way even without an internet connection you still have your instructions and know where you’re going.
This is also important so you know how long the trail is and what you’ll encounter along the way. It’ll help you decide what you need to bring with you on your hike.
What You’ll Need for Hiking in Israel
There are a few basics, that no matter how short or long the trail, that you’ll need to take with you.
The first — WATER. Lots of water. So much water. It’s better to finish your hike with spare water than to not have enough water for your hike. I always take 2-3 liters with me MINIMUM. Even if I’m only going to be hiking for an hour. That might be a little overkill, but better safe than sorry. Yes, it starts out heavy, especially if you’re doing a long hike and are taking 5 liters of water with your, in addition to food and other essentials, but it also encourages you to drink!
The second — a hat. The biggest hat you can find. It’ll protect your face and neck from getting sunburnt. So important here. Especially in the summer. And sunscreen.
The third — proper shoes for the trail. Needless to say going hiking in high heels is likely not the brightest of ideas. Proper hiking shoes/sandals would be the best choice. And sandals only if your hike involves water. Other than that, shoes are generally safer for the toes.
The fourth — toilet paper, wet wipes/hand sanitizer, and a plastic bag. It’s very likely that this is what your restroom is going to look like while hiking.
The fifth — snacks and a plastic bag.
The plastic bag in 4 and 5 is your garbage bag. Don’t leave toilet paper, wet wipes, snack wrappers, or anything else…
Anything else you may need will depend on the hike you’ve chosen to do.
When to go Hiking in Israel
Israel has great hiking weather year round, you just need to know where the proper hiking spots are.
For example, desert hikes are fantastic for the winter, and a really dumb idea in the summer. On the other hand, there are flood warnings in the desert when it rains in the winter. So you need to make sure you’re not only on top of which trail you want to be hiking, but understand when it’s appropriate and when it isn’t.
Generally speaking, spring and autumn are the best weather for hiking, since it’s cooler than the summer, and not yet raining.
During the summer, we have a lot of springs, streams, and waterfalls that you can hike to and enjoy.
So unfortunately, there’s no one size fits all answer to when to go hiking in Israel – it really depends on the trail you’ve chosen.
Resources for Hiking in Israel
The website AllTrails has a comprehensive list of hiking paths in Israel, from shorter hikes to full treks.
And TouristIsrael is also a great resource.
What’s your favorite hike in Israel?? Let me know in the comments!