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 […]
The Jewish Holidays can prove to be difficult to navigate, especially when you’re not used to being in Israel for them. Here’s a breakdown of the “High Holidays” – 1. Rosh HaShanah Rosh HaShanah is the Jewish New Year. It generally entails most businesses being closed, family gatherings, and going to pray at the local
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
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The Old City of Jerusalem is probably THE TOP ATTRACTION in the State of Israel. So what’s there to do in the Old City? The 4 Quarters of the Old City of Jerusalem The city is divided into 4 quarters. Here, quarters is another word for neighborhoods. They are not equal in size as you’d
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During these pandemic times, the face of the travel industry has changed drastically. It’ll take years for things to get fully back to the way they were in the summer of 2019. And as we’ve seen in Israel, and in other places around the world, Virtual Travel has started. Meaning, virtual tours of different sites,
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At the end of July I stayed in a beautiful cabin in the Eastern Galilee. The place is called Bayit BaTeva, which literally translates to House in Nature. There are 4 cabins available at Bayit BaTeva, and they’re building a 5th, which is very exciting. The complex is located in the Hula Valley, on a
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Ramat HaNadiv Gardens are located in the town of Zichron Yaakov on the southern part of the Carmel Mountain Range in Israel, and it’s a site that in 5 years of guiding, I’ve been to only once or twice with groups. Generally speaking, this isn’t a site that makes it onto peoples 1st time in
The Yehudiya Waterfall is a place you most certainly won’t find on your typical Israel itinerary. The closest I’ve come so far was with 2 Birthright groups. Yes, I’ve only been here twice since starting to guide in 2015. And even then, we did the water hike, where you hike in the Yehudiya Stream, but
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Ein Gedi is an underrated site for tourism here in Israel. It’s usually listed on an itinerary as “time permitting” – and usually time does NOT permit when trying to do it on the same day as Masada and the Dead Sea. If it does it’s because you’re getting a very early start and likely
Masada is a MUST when visiting Israel. It’s one of the first questions people ask when you tell them you’re coming here. Oh, are you going to Masada? Well, if you are, then you’ll need to get both up and down from the mountain, and there are multiple options. Let’s see what they are. Getting
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How to best utilize your time depends on what that means to you.
As I see it, there are 2 options:
1. DIY, all the research, all the planning, everything is on you.
2. Hire a licensed tour guide to plan your vacation for you
Which option best suits you?
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I can’t say anything about the public transportation system in Israel in general terms. The functionality and ease of use really depend on where you are in the country. So lets get working: When Should I Use Public Transportation in Israel? In the large cities, such as Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, and Haifa, the public transportation
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Just as driving in Israel is…interesting, so is parking. Generally speaking, the smaller the town, the easier parking will be. Not only finding a parking spot, but just understanding the parking instructions is easier the smaller the place is. Lets break down parking into different categories. Parking in the City Parking in a city is
Driving in Israel is very…interesting. Ask anyone who first learned to drive in any country that isn’t Israel what they think of driving here. Sometimes it’s downright terrifying. As nice and friendly as Israelis are on the streets, they’re the complete opposite when you put them behind the wheel. One of the things that I
Here is a 5-day itinerary for Israel to help you get started in your planning. Now you might be wondering how much can you really see in 5 days? Plenty. Day 1 Start off in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Explore the Old City of Jaffa, wander the alleyways, and stroll the streets of Tel Aviv. You can
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After you’ve decided when to come to Israel and how long you’ll be staying, one of the biggest obstacles to planning a tour on your own is figuring out exactly how much time you need at the different sites you want to visit while in Israel. Sometimes you’ll find this information on the various websites
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Before we get into what to bring to the Dead Sea, a word of warning. Heading to the Dead Sea is just like heading out to any beach in this respect. Whenever going to the beach you always want to minimize the amount of things you’re bringing with you. This is always good advice because
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The Dead Sea is unlike any other beach I’ve been to, and things work differently when in the water here. Therefore, I have here some Dead Sea tips for floating in the Dead Sea. Tips for Proper Floating in the Dead Sea Walk into the Dead Sea until the water is around knee-high – this
Interested in heading to the Dead Sea while you’re in Israel? Here are a few Dead Sea tips that will help you decide which beach to go to. I’ve got separate posts about what to bring with you to the Dead Sea and some Dos and Donts for going into the water. Most people head
In addition to when to come to Israel, how much time you plan on spending here is also an important thing to think about when planning your trip. How much time you need and how much time you can afford to allow yourself are sometimes two completely different things. Now, any amount of time is
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Wondering what to see in Tel Aviv? The Jaffa port and the Old City of Jaffa are a fantastic place to start. The port is one of the oldest ports in the world. Even though it no longer functions as a port, it still functions as a harbor for the fishermen who still head out
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Do I NEED a tour guide in Israel? Nothing in Israel is as simple as a Yes or No, and this is no exception. It all depends on HOW you like to travel. If you’re an explore every single alleyway, do a lot of window shopping, and relax by the beach half the day sort
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Visiting Israel in the spring? March, April, and May are the spring months, and they make for a very interesting visit here in Israel. Advantages Holidays Not just Jewish holidays this time. Christian holidays as well. Jewishly speaking, we have the holiday of Passover in April usually. Sometimes it even coincides with the Christian holiday
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Thinking of visiting Israel in the winter? The winter months are December, January, and February. Besides Winter Break, when everyone is traveling, things are relatively quiet in Israel making this a good time to come if you can. Advantages Quiet Winter is generally the lull in tourism. Winter Break is short, only 2-3 weeks long,
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Thinking of visiting Israel in the fall? We’re talking about September-October-November officially speaking. Advantages The Weather It’s nowhere near as hot as it is in the summer. The cooler weather makes it much more pleasant to be traveling, exploring, seeing, and doing. It’s still daylight savings, so the sun is still setting relatively late, though
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Thinking of visiting Israel in the summer? A lot of times people have no choice but to travel in the summer. It’s when the kids are off of school. It’s when you can take the most vacation time. Or maybe it’s when the people you’re going to visit are free. For so many reasons, most
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So I’m asking you now, when do you want to visit Israel? This is the first question I ask myself when I’m trying to plan a trip to a different country. WHEN do I want to visit. I know when I CAN visit, when I’m free to travel, and then I do my best to
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