Blessed with rugged hills cloaked in wildflowers in spring, archaeological sites from the early centuries of Christianity and ancient stone synagogues, the Lower Galilee – the part of northern Israel south of Rte 85 (linking Akko with the Sea of Galilee) – is hugely popular with hikers, cyclists, Israeli families (both Jewish and Arab) on holiday, Tel Aviv epicureans and, of .

Split between the West Bank, with its sun-baked hills, chaotic cities and ancient biblical sites, and Gaza, a war-ravaged strip of coastal land sealed on three sides by Israel and Egypt, the Palestinian Territories has long been an unorthodox stop on a Middle East itinerary. But while the West Bank often hits the headlines for the wrong reasons, it is a truly welcoming place.

Tiberias is one of Judaism's four holy cities, the burial place of venerated Jewish sages and a very popular base for Christians visiting holy sites around the Sea of Galilee. It's also one of the most aesthetically challenged resort towns in Israel, its sunbaked lakeside strip marred by 1970s architectural monstrosities.

Nazareth has come a long way since its days as a quiet Jewish village in Roman-ruled Galilee, so if you’re expecting bucolic rusticity, be prepared for a surprise. These days, Israel’s largest Arab city is a bustling mini-metropolis, with shop-lined thoroughfares, traffic jams and young men with a penchant for showing off at the wheel.