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 people travel during 2-3 months of the year. And here in Israel, we’re no exception.
Advantages
The beach.
We have some amazing beaches all along the coastline of Israel. The most famous are the beaches of Tel Aviv, but any beach will be worth your while.
Water
Besides the beach, we’ve got water hikes, rafting down the Jordan river, and waterfalls here in Israel for you to enjoy!
Lots of sunlight.
This is good for multiple reasons.
First, a lot of people come here wanting to get a tan. You don’t need to lay on the beach in order to tan here in Israel, just touring outdoors will do the trick!
Second, with a lot of daylight, you can see and do a lot more than you can in the winter.
Third, and maybe this is even it’s own category:
the sunset.
During the winter by the time you’re done exploring for the day it’s already dark out. During the summer, you explore all day, rest a little at the hotel/airBNB, and then head out to watch the sunset into the Mediterranean Sea. What’s not to love?
It’s not cold.
As someone who grew up in Miami, FL and moved to Israel, I’m not used to the cold. I don’t know how to deal with temperatures below 70F/20C (approximately). During the summer, this isn’t generally an issue. That being said, if you’re going to be in Jerusalem or in the north, at night it does get a bit chilly sometimes. Even in the summer. Again, chilly = below 70F/20C. I always bring something long with me for the evenings.
Disadvantages
It’s crowded. Very, very crowded. This is peak tourist season here in Israel.
And it’s hot. Very, very hot.
Especially in August.
The worst tour I’ve ever guided was in August. I was guiding in the Old City of Jaffa, a 2 hour tour. It was so ridiculously hot outside that we basically met, went to the ice cream shop, and sat and ate ice cream. I told the group about Jaffa and the surroundings at the ice cream shop. And then we ended the tour. It was awful. Well, not the ice cream. The ice cream was delicious. But if you can at all avoid it, don’t come in August.
Conclusions
Overall, the advantages of visiting Israel in the summer definitely outweigh the disadvantages. Just be prepared for the heat.
And don’t forget to bring a reusable water bottle with you! It’s silly to buy water all the time when you can just fill up from the tap or from water fountains.