Akko
While they don’t match the scale of Haifa's strikingly steep Baha’i Gardens, these formal gardens are utterly picturesque, with meticulously tended flower…
Must-see attractions in Israel
Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent
Nazareth
Built between 1906 and 1923, this neo-Gothic church, with commanding views of Nazareth, has a clean, almost luminescent limestone interior whose delicate…
Nazareth
If you've ever been curious about day-to-day life in Nazareth in the time of Jesus, consider stopping by this recreation of a 1st-century Galilean…
Haifa
This museum, founded in 1953, covers five millennia of maritime history across its three floors, from barnacle-clung amphorae to Israel's recent naval…
Caesarea
The original 9th-century walls enclosing this fortified Arab city were bulked out into a Crusader fortress by King Louis IX of France (St Louis), better…
Upper Galilee & Golan
Run by the Kadosh family for seven generations, this microdairy produces minuscule quantities of deliciously sharp, salty gvina Tzfatit (Tsfat-style…
Tiberias
Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (1135–1204) – better known by his acronym, the Rambam – was a Cordova-born polymath famous for his rationalist approach to religion…
Golan Heights
To get a sense of life during the Talmudic period (3rd to 6th centuries) when the Golan had dozens of Jewish villages, drop by this partly reconstructed…
Sea of Galilee
Located in the northeastern corner of the Sea of Galilee, the spring-fed streams and jungle-like wetlands of this reserve are ideal for a refreshing …
Israel
Visitors arrive at Latrun Monastery not only for peaceful contemplation and a peep into the church, but also the chance to buy olive oil and wine made by…
Yad Layeled Children’s Memorial Museum
North Coast
This powerful memorial to the 1.5 million Jewish children killed in the Holocaust is housed in a circular building, intended to symbolically unify their…
Eilat
This privately run beach is famous for its abundant shade trees, free-range peacocks and resident pod of semi-wild bottlenose dolphins. Originally from…
Upper Galilee & Golan
If you’ve ever wondered how Shabbat, Havdalah and Hanukkah candles are dipped, decorated and braided, drop by to watch an expert candlemaker at work – she…
Tiberias
This rare Crusader church – administered by Koinonia Giovanni Battista, a Catholic community based in Italy – has a peaceful, grapevine-shaded courtyard…
Israel
This picturesque coastal park contains the ruins of a Crusader castle that becomes the venue for open-air concerts during summer weekends. There are some…
Israel
Thousands of spindly stalactites hang within this 4800-sq-metre cave, with illuminations in blue and violet adding to the sense of enchantment. A short…
Upper Galilee & Golan
Near the southern tip of Citadel Park, the ruins of one of the citadel's inner walls can be seen along Chativat Yiftach St. From there, a path and stairs…
Israel
More than 380 of Israel's major sights are shrunk to Lilliputian proportions at this cheerful and child-friendly amusement park. Pathways lead you among…
Tiberias
Back in Roman times, the fame of Tiberias’ hot springs was such that in 110 CE the Emperor Trajan struck a coin dedicated to them – it depicted Hygeia …
Nazareth
Built in the late 1700s by Sheikh Abdullah Al Fahum – his tomb can be seen through a glass door off the sanctuary – this mosque is known for its long…
The Negev
The smallest but best-preserved Nabataean city in Israel, Mamshit was established in the 1st century BCE; in the 4th century, it became the only fully…
Upper Galilee & Golan
Dalton produces some excellent, award-winning wines. Three or four of them can be sampled for 20NIS in a log-cabin-style tasting centre (the modern…
North Coast
About 5km north of Nahariya, Akhziv National Park has broad lawns, traces of a Phoenician port, and a small, shallow, family-friendly beach. Changing…
Ein Gedi
Situated about midway between the Wadi David and Wadi Arugot ticket offices, this 5th-century-CE synagogue sports a superb mosaic floor decorated with the…
North Coast
Glimpse into the creative mind of Marcel Janco at this 1983-built museum dedicated to his life and works. It was Janco’s idea to establish this community…
Upper Galilee & Golan
Run by the same family for six generations, this small dairy takes about 80,000 litres of sheep’s milk a year and turns it into delicious cheeses,…
Golan Heights
The orchards here grow four kinds of cherries, three kinds of plums and five kinds of mulberries as well as blueberries, blackberries, raspberries and…
North Coast
Striking displays and short films relate the struggles of early Zionist pioneers: fleeing pogroms in their homelands, escaping Ottoman detection on their…
Golan Heights
A true boutique operation, Bahat – housed in a one-time plastic-sandal factory – produces just 20,000 bottles of wine a year, including port (first sold…
Tiberias
Rabbi Akiva, a leading Mishnaic sage (and teacher of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess), played a major role in establishing rabbinic (ie post–Second Temple)…
Upper Galilee & Golan
Site of a well-to-do village from the 1st to the 7th centuries AD, Bar’am National Park is best known for its impressive Talmudic-period synagogue,…
Upper Galilee & Golan
Perched on the upper slopes of the hill southwest of HaRishonim St – the one with the red-and-white antenna tower on top – this lookout offers spectacular…
Israel
This 2.5-sq-km reserve is the best place in Israel to get a sense of what the natural and agricultural landscapes of the Holy Land looked like back in…
Nazareth
Hidden away in an alleyway off the souq, this humble Crusader-era structure, now a Catholic church, stands on the site of the synagogue where it is…
Israel
The centrepiece of this Benedictine complex is the grand, vaulted Church of the Resurrection, which dates to the mid-12th century. This Crusader-era…
Akko
This extraordinary underground passageway, 350m long, was built by the Knights Templar (a Christian military order) to connect their main fortress, just…
The Negev
Built in 1915, the train station compound now houses a fascinating photo exhibit on Ottoman- and Mandate-era Be'er Sheva, including the town's capture by…
The Negev
Established in 1991 to provide income for Bedouin women and to preserve traditional wool spinning and hand-loom weaving techniques, this social enterprise…
Akko
Built in 1780 by Al Jazzar and in use until the 1940s, this richly ornamented marble and tile hammam now plays host to a 30-minute multimedia show about…
Tel Aviv
Nothing to do with Independence Hall on the other side of town, this beautiful seafront park is great for its Mediterranean views and plenty of grass to…
