Hi!
Does anyone have experience with travelling in Israel in July? I found very cheap tickets, but have started thinking that the weather might simply be to hot! I don't have any specific plans on what I want to do or se, so maybe it would be possible to choose my activities according to the heat? But of course I would like to do stuff, and se the big things and not just sit in an air-conditioned hotel:)
Hope someone out there has advice and experience to share with me:)
Thank a lot!
Eline
Hi there,
I have experience of being in Israel in July and must admit I found it unpleasantly hot. However, I'm not a fan of the heat and burn easily because of being pale-skinned so my idea of "hot" is probably different to that of people who CAN handle the heat! I was there from around 10 July onwards and found it unbearable, although it WAS slightly cooler than Jordan (where I was immediately before entering Israel). Jordan was 35 degrees celcius so I would guess that Israel and the West Bank was 30 or 32, but on the day I visited Jericho I was warned in advance that the temperature would be 40 degrees and I believe it was. I found Jericho hotter than Jordan but, thankfully, many of the more touristy places have AC.
As for advice, I'd suggest that you carry a large supply of water with you.
NEVER head into desert areas (or even Jericho) without at least 1 bottle of water.
Never head into the desert without a guide. It's very easy to get lost and disorientated in remote desert areas and it could be a long time before you are found!
Wear a wide-rimmed hat or some other light-coloured head covering, try to avoid wearing nylon - cotton clothes are more practical and comfortable.
Sunglasses help, the sun gets extremely bright.
If you burn easily (like me!) then be sure to apply sun cream before heading out for the day.
Try to avoid very heavy or fatty meals. I found that they just made me feel more sickly in the heat.
Instead, I suggest eating lots of fresh fruits.
If the heat bothers you very much, try to avoid going out in the afternoon. Mornings and evenings are slightly cooler.
If I think of other advice I'll post it on here! Hope you have a good trip. :)
Hi,
The weather can vary but expect mid to high 30s. Tel Aviv will be very humid and only stay there in a place with aircon. Jerusalem is usually 2-3 degrees cooler than Tel Aviv, being in the hills/mountains. There it can cool down to a pleasant temperature at night (can but no promises) and there can be a breeze. Also the north is cooler but Haifa is also very humid and very hilly so you get hot and sticky quickly. The south can be very hot. It is a dry heat (outside of those cities) which I find more bearable.
Having said the above I've been back many times at that time of the year and its fine, most places indoors have aircon and in the older cities the sotne work is cooling - ie I find the old city in Jerusalem is never too hot.
As nomad said carry water with you, the tap water is fine to drink so you can fill it up as you go along, weear sun-screen and cover your head. Try mixing your days between crazy days out sign-seeing and relaxed days on the beach. Definately enjoy the evenings. Avoid long walks in the day and you'll be fine, you'll also probably start aclimatising pretty soon and find it doesn't bother you too much (well maybe thats me).
So in short don't spend too much time in Tel Aviv, except for beach days, try to stay in Jerusalem or the north. Stay out late at night and have an afternoon siesta, enjoy a breeze when it comes along and drink lots of water! Oh don't drink too much on your first couple of nights at least the dehydration will make your hangover unbearable the next day!
Oh and you may want to take mousturiser, I find the dry heat coupled with the airconditioning really drys my skin out! if you have more specific questions do ask.
don't let the heat scare you off! yes it will be hot then, but if that's the time you have to visit then go for it! when you book accommodations just make sure you get AC! :)
One thing that none of the other posters has suggested, thought of or considered is suitable clothing.
I'm guessing from your name that you are female. Don't make the mistake of thinking "oh, it's so boiling hot, I can't bear to cover up". The worst possible thing you can wear, and I'm not talking in terms of modesty for religious or cultural reasons, is an almost nonexistent top with spaghetti straps, bare midriff and micro-shorts... Unless you want to turn the colour of a tomato, and spend every day after your first writhing in agony with serious sunburn, you must cover up. Loose, thin cotton trousers or skirt, and a loose, thin, cotton top, are ideal, as well as a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses. And use a high-factor suntan lotion.
Take it easy, drink plenty of water - not sugary drinks - and spend as much time as possible in the shade. You'll go home feeling healthy and relaxed, rather than peeling, or even covered in blisters: I've seen that happen to a participant in a group tour that I went on many years ago - a big, fat, pasty-white male who rushed, or rather waddled, down to the beach on the first day, lay there totally unprotected without even suntan lotion, while the other members of the group engaged in more sensible pursuits. He spent the rest of the trip unable to do anything because he was one mass of huge blisters. Not a pretty sight, and it must have been agony for him. Ugh!!!!
Well said Shuffaluff - we all forgot the obvious! At that time of year you can burn within 20 minutes - if you're a north european/american etc white person!! and yes as above the move you cover the cooler you feel, when I'm in the dessert a jalabia is all I can bear to wear!!
It's going to be painfully hot. The summer is certainly not the more pleasant time of the year to visit Israel, even though after 5pm there's a fresh breeze and a very nice party atmosphere on the street. There are still many tourists visiting during that time of the year so it's not impossible, just be aware you will be tired and you'll need an air-con room.
My rule of thumb is the desert in winter/early spring and Jerusalem and the north such as the Golan heights and Tsefat in summer. Steer clear of the Jordan valley unless in an a/c car.
I advise you not even to think of walking in the desert unless you are part of well guided group. It is difficult to carry enough water to replace the liquids you lose whilst walking.
If you do hike there, cover up as Shuffaluff advises with a peaked hat. You will need to drink around 2 litres per hour of walking. Sunstroke is a very real risk.
It is going to be very hot. I was just there last week and in Tel Aviv it was 90 degrees. If you want, check out my travel blogs at http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog/allieadventures/8/tpod.html.
Allison