HOW TO MAKE YOUR FIRST TRAVEL IN ISRAEL

Update for September 2026: This article preserves the itinerary we personally traveled in 2018. The regional security situation has changed fundamentally since then. Current official travel advice is substantially more restrictive, and this route should not be treated as a current travel recommendation without checking security conditions, road access, border crossings, flights, and attraction status immediately before travel.

ISRAEL, called “Holy Land”, is one of the most unique places on Earth. It has many things that can’t be found or seen anywhere else. Many people go to visit this country for various reasons and often don’t realize where actually are they going. Of course, if they feel satisfied, that’s ok. But if they really want to dig deeper and make their trip more meaningful, they definitely need to be prepared in advance with more knowledge about this place. And I would recommend a basic Israel itinerary, which could cover the key destinations of this amazing country best.

I don’t know whether history and geography have been your favorite subjects at school. If not, maybe Israel would make you love them? But if yes, you can dive into the secrets of this land, exploring a whole new world like in a time machine. Israel’s history is one of the longest in the world. Geographically Israel is considered “in the center of the world” too, being located in the best position between Europe, Asia, and Africa. And about the religion… here the Bible has different dimensions since you can see the real scenes of its stories.

So, a really meaningful trip to Israel is something that you have to prepare earlier, and actually, it can be a very exciting time. Which destinations would you choose? How to draw your route?

GEOGRAPHY

Look at the map of Israel. It is a very small country, prolonged from north to south. You can notice four main zones- North, Central and South, and West (although these zones don’t exactly fit the administrative divisions of Israel, for traveler’s and geographical point of view such dividing is proper for drawing a route of a trip).

The North zone is around Haifa and Sea of Galilee. The Central- Jerusalem and the Palestinian territories (West Bank). South- the wilderness, which is south of Beersheba, Negev desert to Eilat. And the West- Tel Aviv and the Mediterranean coast. Thus the best route would be like a circle (or better- like an oval), starting from Tel Aviv (since there is the main airport of the country) and ending again there.

HISTORY

Israel has thousands of years of history. Part of it is written in the Bible, thus adding a more special view to this Book. Researching this long history in details may take years to study, so here it can be summarized in time periods:

– Early Canaan period: unknown – to 20th century BC
– Era of the Patriarchs: 20th to 18th century BC
– Middle Canaan period: 18th to 15th century BC
– Late Canaan period (Era of the Judges): 15th century to 1044 BC
– Israel Kingdom of David and Solomon: 1044 BC to 964 BC
– Divided Israel Kingdom: 964 BC to 722 BC
– Late Judah and Assyrian period: 722 BC to 586 BC
– Neo-Babylonian period: 586 BC to 538 BC
– Persian period: 538 BC to 332 BC
– Early Hellenistic (Macedonian and Ptolemaic) period: 332 BC to 198 BC
– Late Hellenistic (Seleucid and Hasmonean) period: 198 BC to 64 BC
– Early Roman (Herodian) period: 64 BC to 70 AD
– Late Roman period: 70 to 395
– Byzantine and Sasanid period: 395 to 642
– Early Arabian (Rashidun, Ummayad, and Abbasid) period: 642 to 964
– Fatimid period: 964 to 1099
– Latin (Crusades) period: 1099 to 1199
– Ayubid and Mamluk period: 1199 to 1516
– Ottoman period: 1516 to 1917
– British period: 1917 to 1948
– Modern Israel: 1948 until now.

And most of the destinations in Israel have their signs and remains from many of these periods. So, if you are a more systematic person, I would advise to make this timeline scheme and take with you. I even made a chronological list of events for every destination, so when I visited them, I knew more about what the destination is. And another thing that I really recommend: read the Bible! Doesn’t matter if you are a believer or not, just read it like a history book, thus you can be ready to see the scenes from the Bible stories in real.

POLITICAL SITUATION AND SECURITY CONTEXT

Israel and the Palestinian territories have a complex political, legal, and security situation. The West Bank, East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip have different practical conditions of access and administration, while the United Nations refers to the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip collectively as the Occupied Palestinian Territory. For travelers, the most important point is that access rules and security conditions can differ greatly between these areas and can change quickly.

As of September 2026, the security situation remains volatile. Several major government travel advisories recommend reconsidering travel to Israel and advise against travel to some border areas and much or all of the West Bank and Gaza. Travelers should therefore check the current official advice issued for their own nationality immediately before planning a trip.

OUR 2018 ISRAEL ITINERARY- OUR EXPERIENCE

So, based on this, how can you draw your route for your travel in Israel? I planned it months before I go there with my wife and two kids, then we accomplished it successfully, diving really deep in the reality of Israel and its destinations. The result was an amazing trip, which not just enriched our experience, but changed our lives, just like in a movie.

We made a 12 days Israel itinerary, starting from Tel Aviv and ending again there. It was our route: Tel Aviv – Caesaria – Haifa – Mt Carmel – Tel Megiddo – Nazareth – Tiberias, and Sea of Galilee circle. Then- Mt Tabor – Beit Shean – Jordan River baptism site – Jerusalem. Only in Jerusalem (and around) itself, we stayed 6 days, then proceeded to the south of Israel: Qumran – Ein Gedi – Dead Sea coast – Eilat, and finally we back to Tel Aviv. This route reflects the conditions during our 2018 journey. In 2026, some of its sections—particularly those involving the West Bank and other security-sensitive areas—require a new assessment shortly before travel.

There were few more destinations that we couldn’t visit: Mt Herodion, Hebron, Massada fortress and Timna park. At the time, we planned to include them in another trip in the future. Today, their current access and security conditions should be checked separately before planning a visit.

ROUTE DESTINATIONS

Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is one of Israel’s main metropolitan and economic centers and the country’s principal Mediterranean city. It is a modern city, famous with its Mediterranean beaches, young tourists’ life and tolerance to various groups of people. However, as everywhere in the country, there is a historic site here too- the ancient town of Jaffa.

The main places of interest here are:

– Jaffa town

Located on a hill near the sea coast, it has been an ancient port since the Early Canaan period. Its old stone houses and narrow streets (in some places the narrow streets are covered above like tunnels) take us back many centuries ago. There are two Bible storied happened here: Jaffa was the port, from where Jonah took a ship to escape from God’s order to preach in Nineveh around 850 BC, therefore he has been swallowed by a whale. It is memorized by a fountain whale on the southern Jaffa street. And the other story is the house, where apostle Peter has lived for a few years- the house of Simon the Tanner. There God gave a vision to Peter about many animals that he has to eat, representing the Gentiles, to whom the Gospel has to be preached.

– Flea market

This is an open street market northeast of Jaffa, a nice place for walking, shopping and enjoying an “old town atmosphere” with its art influence.

– Neve Tzedek

This is the oldest quarter of the modern Tel Aviv, with houses built at the end of the Ottoman rule. A nice and quiet place for walking.

– Rothschild Boulevard

One of the central boulevards of Tel Aviv, with a garden alley in the middle, best representing the cityscape of the center.

– Rabin Square

The main square of the city, in its northern part.

– The beaches

Tel Aviv has an excellent and beautiful beach stripe. The sea water is clean, however, there are jellyfishes sometimes. We haven’t seen them, so we enjoyed a nice time playing there.

Caesarea

It is a famous Roman port city, flourished mainly from 1st century BC to 5th century AD. Again, there are few Bible stories (from the New Testament) happened there: this is the city of the Roman centurion Cornelius, one of the first Gentile Christians. The apostles Peter and Paul spent a few years in this place, serving to the early church, being in prison or just as a starting point for their missionary trips.

Haifa

It is a new city. The city itself doesn’t have some ancient history. Its most famous place of interest is the beautiful Bahaii gardens– rich decorated gardens with fountains, stairs, and shrines on the northern slope of Mt.Carmel. There are also nice beaches on the Mediterranean coast.

The more ancient sites of Haifa start from Mt. Carmel

Mt. Carmel

It is a low mountain range, located between the Mediterranean coast at Haifa, and prolonged southeast to the middle of Israel. Although the mountain is not high (its highest peak is a little more than only 500 m altitude), but it is very beautiful, steep in some places, with wide panoramas in all directions, and rich with ancient history.
Mt.Carmel is mostly famous with the Biblical events, related with the prophet Elijah. It has been in the ancient kingdom of Northern Israel, where Elijah has lived and served. 20 centuries after Elijah Mt Carmel has been a place for Crusader’s activities when many Catholic churches and chapels were built.
There is a road, starting from Haifa, following the summit of the mountain and finally descending to Yokneam, Menashe area, and Tel Megiddo. And there are few points of interest on this road:

– Elijah’s cave

It is a cavern on the slope of Mt.Carmel, where it is believed that prophet Elijah has lived, hiding from King Ahab and Queen Jezebel

– The Chapel Stella Maris

It is a small chapel from Crusader’s era with great views to the Mediterranean Sea.

– University of Haifa

This university is located in some of the highest points of Mt.Carmel, it offers a great panoramic view to almost whole North Israel. The most interesting part of the university is its Museum. It is really worth to visit since it can give you a lot of information about the area that you travel around.

– Mukhraqa monastery

The monastery is built in the place, where the prophet Elijah arranged a contest between Baal’s prophets and himself, which is actually to prove who is the real God. Baal is known as a “thunder-god”, so Elijah challenged his prophets to require from Baal to ignite an offering by thunder. They pray to him the whole day and nothing happened. Then Elijah prays to God Jehovah, He ignites the offering, thus He is proven among the people. Then Elijah kills all the false prophets of Baal. Centuries later a monastery is built in this place, in memory of this event.

Tel Megiddo

It is one of the many ancient city remains in Israel. What makes it different, is that this is actually the famous Armageddon, the symbol of the future Apocalypse and the end of the world.

Nazareth

This city is best known as the hometown of Jesus. Now it is mainly an Arab city, with significant Christian and Muslim population. There are a lot of churches and almost no ancient remains from the time of Jesus. Anyway, it is still worth to visit, at least for its good location on the hills, giving an image of the environment, where the ancient Nazareth has been. And in my opinion for the goal of such kind of trip, the best place to visit in Nazareth is its Ancient Nazareth Village- an open-air museum, reconstructing the city in the time of Jesus.

Sea of Galilee

It is a beautiful lake, one of the landmarks of North Israel and one of the symbols of Christianity. The lake is best known with the life and ministry of Jesus and His disciples. Dozens of New Testament stories happened here, and we all can see the scenes and environment of these stories, thus we can have more real and clear image of them.

The best exploration of the Sea of Galilee is to make a circle on the road around it, which is around 60 km long. This ring road passes by few destinations to visit, following the clockwise direction:

– Tiberias

The biggest city of the lake coast, starting and ending point of the lake circle route.

– Magdala

An ancient town, birthplace of Maria Magdalena.

– Genosar

A town with the Museum of the Galilean boat- a 2000-years discovered fisher’s boat, same as the one used by Jesus and His disciples (or maybe even that one!). There is a small wharf for tourist cruises on the lake.

– Chorazin

A city high on the northwestern hills over the lake, where Jesus has served. One of the three condemned for their disbelief cities.

– Mount of Beatitudes

A plain place on the northwestern slopes over the lake, where Jesus preached His “Sermon of the mountain”. There is a Christian monastery built there now.

– Tabgha

A place under the Mount of Beatitudes, where Jesus two times multiplied food for His few thousand listeners.

– Capernaum

The most important Biblical city of Galilee, where Jesus lived and served. One of the three condemned for their disbelief cities.

– Bethsaida

The birthplace of apostles Peter and Andrew, where Jesus also actively served. One of the three condemned for their disbelief cities.

– Kursi

A place on the east coast of the lake, known with the story of the rabid man, living in a cemetery, from whom Jesus cast out many demons, sending them into a drove of pigs, which then run into the lake and drown. Now this place is a favorite camping site of the local people.

Mt Tabor

A steep, significant among the other heights around mountain, which is probably the place, where Jesus changed His image into a man with white clothes and talked with Elijah and Moses. Although its name is not mentioned in the Bible, following the Biblical text, only this mountain fits in the description. Now there is a monastery on its top. Mt.Tabor is also a favorite place for paragliding.

Beit Shean

It is an ancient city, best known as the place where the Philistines hang king Saul’s and his son’s bodies on the city wall after a defeating battle.

Jordan River baptism site

Jordan River has great geographical, historical, and religious importance. Near the northern end of the Dead Sea, two major Christian pilgrimage sites face each other across the river: Qasr al-Yahud on the western bank and Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas) on the eastern bank in Jordan. Both are associated by Christian tradition with the baptism of Jesus, while UNESCO notes that the majority of Christian denominations accept Al-Maghtas as the authentic baptism location.

Update for 2026: Qasr al-Yahud currently requires advance registration, and opening hours and access can change according to security instructions, so check the Israel Nature and Parks Authority before going.

Jerusalem

Israel designates Jerusalem as its capital, and its principal state institutions are located there. However, the status of Jerusalem, especially East Jerusalem, remains internationally disputed. Beyond politics, Jerusalem can feel like a kind of a capital of the world because of its extraordinary religious and historical importance. Jerusalem is so full of places of interest, that the time, worth to spend there is almost long as the time for all other destination together! Thus actually this city is a must for every Israel itinerary.

Jerusalem has distinct western and eastern sectors, although there is no ordinary border crossing between them. Israel administers East Jerusalem as part of the unified Jerusalem municipality and regards the complete city as its capital, while the United Nations considers East Jerusalem part of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. The architectural, demographic, and cultural differences between the eastern and western parts remain clearly visible, and many of the most important historic and religious sites are in or around the Old City in East Jerusalem.

In fact, maybe a whole month can be not enough to explore all the points of interest in Jerusalem in details, But at least I can recommend the most important of them:

– The Western (Wailing) Wall

It is one of the symbols of Israel. The lowest stones of the wall (which are the largest stones) are remains of the Second Temple period, therefore the Wall is considered holy by the Jews.

– Davidson center

It is an archeological complex, located around the Southern Wall of the Temple Mount, presenting remains from various time periods, since more than 2000 years.

– The Western Wall Tunnels

There are various layers of constructions on the Western Wall, as well as more ancient water tunnels, built by King Hezekiah (more than 2700 years ago), The Tunnels are formed by the empty corridors between the layers, and are connected with the water tunnels.

– Temple Mount (Moriah)

This is the holiest place on Earth. Initially, it was chosen by God to test Abraham (in 19th century BC). Then here were built the First (996-586BC) and the Second (516BC-70AD) temples. Later many empires and civilizations have tried to grad this place. Currently, it is taken and claimed by Islam, under which rule its two important buildings were built: the Dome of the Rock- one of the symbols of Jerusalem, significant with its golden dome; and Al-Aqsa mosque.

– Zion- The City of David and the Tower of David

A historical complex, built by Ottomans, partly recovered the ancient city of King David. 3000 years ago Zion was the place of the King, and until now it represents the Jewish reign over the Holy City and Land. Now the Tower of David is turned into a Historical Museum, presenting all the historical periods of Jerusalem.

– Old City

This is the old part of Jerusalem- a typical “Old town complex”, with its streets, shops, museums, religious buildings, and memorials. It is surrounded by walls with gates, just like during the ancient times. The walls were built by Ottomans a few centuries ago. It is a nice place for walking in an ancient atmosphere and for shopping. The most famous street route, called Via Dolorosa, represent (according to the traditions) the last route of Jesus from the Roman court to the cross in Golgotha (although according to the Bible and history, the real route of Jesus has been different).

– Church of Holy Sepulchre

It is a big Orthodox church, inside the Old City, built in the place, traditionally considered as “Golgotha”, where Jesus was crucified and buried. However, the place is not corresponding with the Biblical text, which points to a different location of Golgotha- outside of the Old City.

– Mount of Olives

A higher hill, east of the Old City. The place, where Jesus ascended to the Heavens, and where He will back again. Now its western slope is mainly covered by cemeteries, set there for reasons, deeply related with the Biblical texts and their interpretations.

– Garden of Gethsemane

A garden, located on the western foot of the Mount of Olives, mostly known as the place, where Jesus has been arrested.

– Garden Tomb

It is another garden, northwest of the Old City, where few tombs were discovered, and one of the tombs was empty. This is the place, which exactly fits the explanation of Golgotha and the grave, where Jesus has been buried and resurrected. Now it is managed by a Protestant organization.

– Israel Museum

This is the largest Museum in Israel. It is located in the Western part of Jerusalem and presents the richest collection of historical, cultural and modern life artifacts. There are two important sites beside the Museum: the 1st century model of Jerusalem, and the Shrine of the Book.

– Yad Vashem

It is a large complex in Western Jerusalem, dedicated to the Holocaust. Its main site is the Holocaust Museum, giving a detailed historical presentation of all the events, related to this horrible for the Jews time.

Bethlehem and Herodion

Bethlehem is most known as the place of Jesus’ birth. Now it is an Arab Palestinian town near Jerusalem. Its main site is the Church of Nativity, considered as the exact place, where Jesus was born.
Further southeast of Bethlehem is Herodion- a prominent cone-shaped hill with remains of a palace-fortress built by King Herod and associated with his burial place. It is now a National Park.

Hebron

It is a city south of Jerusalem, in West Bank territory, mostly related to Abraham, who spends much of his life in the surrounding area. There is Machpelah- a cave turned into a family grave of Abraham and his family. There is an ancient prayer building, dated back to King Herod’s period (the oldest functioning building in the world) and Ibrahimi mosque, built as an extension of the Herod’s building.

Qumran

It is a site in the wilderness northwest of Dead Sea, best known for the ancient manuscripts, discovered there. Some of these manuscripts contain books from the Old Testament and now are preserved in the Shrine of the Book in Israel Museum. There has been an ancient village in this place, and there are few caves on the rocky slopes, where the manuscripts were hidden.

Ein-Gedi

Further south on the road beside the Dead Sea is Ein-Gedi, a nature reserve in the wilderness, mostly known with its streams and waterfalls, as well as a place, where David has hidden from Saul, who have persecuted him. This is one of the most beautiful natural sites of Israel.

Dead Sea

The Dead Sea shoreline is the lowest exposed land area on Earth. Its water level continues to fall; on August 31, 2026, the Israel Water Authority measured the surface at 441.33 m below mean sea level. The Dead Sea is actually a lake, where Jordan river finishes its way from the north. It is well known with its extreme salty water (some of the saltiest waters in the world). The water is so salty and thick, that even strong wind can’t raise high waves. Well known for the attraction of laying on the water and reading a newspaper, without drowning down. Wandering on the coast of this unique body of water, as well as reaching some unreal-looking places like Salt Island Tree is a fantastic experience that can’t be found anywhere else on the Earth. 

Massada

It is an ancient fortress, built on a hill near the Dead Sea by King Herod. Its location makes it a place with stunning views to the area around. Today it is turned into a National Park.

Timna park

Further south in Israel, the wilderness of Judean desert, as well as the deserts of Negev, Paran, and Zin proceed to the Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea. There is a hilly area near the Gulf, used by King Solomon as a copper mine site. Today its remains, as well as the mysterious landscape, make this place a worth to visit destination.

Eilat

This is the southernmost point of Israel, on the Gulf of Aqaba coast. Now it is a modern sea resort, presenting mainly some of the purest waters in the world and their coral reefs.

OUR 2018 ISRAEL ITINERARY, DAY BY DAY:

Researching in advance all these destinations, we made a draft Israel itinerary, trying to reach as many of them as possible. Here is the route that we actually traveled in 2018. I also explain where our original plan differed from what we finally did. The route below should be read as firsthand historical experience; anyone considering a similar journey today must adapt it to current security, access, and transport conditions.

Day 1: We arrived in Tel Aviv. Then we visited Jaffa and Flea market, and finally, since we came there in Summer)- enjoyed the beach of Tel Aviv. However, you can not only go to the beach but also enjoy the nightlife of the city.

Day 2: Tel Aviv – Caesarea – Haifa. We rent a car, passed through Neve Tzedek, Rothschild Boulevard and Rabin Square, then proceeded to Caesarea. In Caesarea, we stopped for almost 2 hours. Finally, we arrived in Haifa and visited Elijah’s Cave. However, you can arrange this part of the itinerary better, visiting Neve Tzedek, Rothschild Boulevard and Rabin Square in Tel Aviv on the previous day (depending on the time of your arrival), then go earlier to Caesarea and Haifa. Thus you can visit Bahaii Gardens in the afternoon (which we couldn’t visit, but at least enjoyed their evening view from outside).

Day 3: Haifa – Mt Carmel – Tel Megiddo – Nazareth – Tiberias. In the morning we departed from Haifa, passing on the Mt Carmel main road. We stopped at Stella Maris Chapel, Haifa University and Mukhraqa monastery. Later we visited Tel Megiddo and at afternoon- Nazareth. Finally, in the evening we arrived in Tiberias. During this section of the route, if you want to visit all of these destinations within one day, you have to leave Haifa earlier, especially for theAncient Nazareth Village, which is scheduled for afternoon.

Day 4: Tiberias- Sea of Galilee circle- Tiberias. This day we made the whole circle around the Sea of Galilee, exploring one by one all its destinations.

Day 5: Tiberias- Mt Tabor – Beit Shean – Jordan River baptism site- Jerusalem. In the morning we visited Mt Tabor, then Beit Shean. From there we entered Palestinian territory of West Bank, driving on a beautiful panoramic road near the west bank of Jordan river. We visited the Jordan River baptism site (although we were late, so we couldn’t explore it and back there on the next day), then finally arrived in Jerusalem.

2026 note: This section of our route passed through the West Bank. Current conditions are substantially different from those during our 2018 trip, with security incidents, checkpoints, road restrictions, and access changes possible at short notice. Government travel advisories currently apply elevated warnings to the West Bank, although the exact advice varies by country and area. Check the latest official guidance for your nationality and the current route conditions before considering this part of the itinerary.

Day 6: Jerusalem. Explore the Old city: the Western wall, Davidson center, the Tunnels, Temple Mount (Moriah), Mount of Olives, Gethsemane and Via Dolorosa route in the Old city streets- to the Church of Holy Sepulchre. This is the route that we should pass. Instead, we back to Jordan River baptism site and visited the nearby Qumran. Finally, we only walked in the center of the Western part of Jerusalem, as well as in a panoramic park, called Promenade.

Access to sensitive religious sites in Jerusalem, particularly the Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif area, can be restricted or changed at short notice for security or religious reasons. Check the current access rules on the day of your visit.

Day 7: Jerusalem. Proceed to explore the Old city: Zion, the Tower of David and around. Finally- the Garden Tomb. On that day we passed the plan of Day 6.

Day 8: Jerusalem: Museum’s day. Visit the largest museum in the country- Israel Museum. You need at least 4-5 hours to explore it well. The other time you can spend walking in the center of the Western part of Jerusalem. About us: we combined the itineraries of Day 7 and 8. Thus we had less time for Israel Museum, but it was still ok for us.

Day 9: Jerusalem: Yad Vashem Holocaust complex, and some other remaining places, such as the Promenade and the Bible Zoo. About us: we visited only the Tunnels of the Western Wall, and the Museum of the Biblical lands (it was a good extension to the Museum of Israel, which we hadn’t enough time to explore better).

Day 10: A trip to the south: Bethlehem, Herodion and Hebron. About us: actually that day we visited Yad Vashem and Bethlehem. We missed Herodion and Hebron.

2026 note: Bethlehem, Herodion, and Hebron are in or reached through the West Bank, where access, checkpoint status, and security conditions can change rapidly. Different government travel advisories apply different levels of warning to individual parts of the West Bank, so check the latest official advice for your nationality and current local conditions before considering this route.

Day 11: A day of Dead Sea. From Jerusalem descend to the Dead Sea and stop in Qumran, Ein-Gedi, Ein-Bokek resort, and Massada fortress. About us: actually, we have already visited Qumran, so we proceeded further south. But we skipped Massada and arrived the same day in Eilat, skipping also Timna park.

Day 12: Proceed further south. From Ein-Bokek cross the desert and visit Timna park. Finally, arrive in Eilat. About us: on that day we enjoyed the Red Sea in the morning, then back to Tel Aviv, thus making the itinerary one day shorter.

Day 13: Eilat. Enjoy the beautiful Red Sea, its coral reefs and clear water. About us: we should enjoy the Red Sea too, instead, we left Israel in the afternoon.

Day 14: Back to Tel Aviv. End of the trip.

So, even if you don’t visit all the destinations and fully follow the suggested Israel itinerary, or just if you have less time for a trip in Israel, you can still make a good journey there. Just emphasize the following destinations: Jerusalem (of course!), Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. We personally plan to make another trip, this time in Southern Israel, Egypt and Jordan, thus we can visit the destinations that we missed.

POSSIBLE EXTENSIONS FROM OUR ORIGINAL ITINERARY

When we planned this trip, we also considered several possible extensions:

• From the Sea of Galilee, further north toward Mt Hermon and the Golan Heights.
• Into the northern and central West Bank, including Nablus, Ramallah, and Bethel.

These were route ideas from our original planning. They should not be treated as current recommendations in 2026: security conditions and access restrictions must be checked separately before considering any of these areas.

THE WEATHER IN ISRAEL DURING SUMMER

We were in Israel in Summer. So, as you can expect, it was most of the time very hot. The hottest part of Israel is the Sea of Galilee, Jordan river valley, Dead Sea area and the southern deserts. The temperature often rises over 40°C and even at evening, it is hot. But Jerusalem, located around 600 m altitude above the sea level was different. In the daytime it was hot, but at evening and night it was very cool and fresh, it was a real pleasure to relax outside during that time.

ENTRY REGULATIONS

Entry requirements depend on nationality. Travelers from visa-exempt countries are required to obtain an ETA-IL electronic travel authorization before traveling to Israel. This requirement has applied since January 1, 2025. An approved ETA-IL allows visits of up to 90 days per stay and is valid for up to two years or until the passport expires, whichever comes first. The current application fee is 25 NIS. Travelers who are not visa-exempt should check the visa requirements that apply to their nationality.

Since 2013 Israel doesn’t put stamps on the passports of the visitors, but only gives blue entry tickets (which you must keep with yourself during your stay in Israel). When you leave Israel, they collect your blue tickets and give you a red exit ticket. And since some Muslim countries (such as Iran, Yemen and few more) don’t allow entry to visitors, who have been in Israel before, by removing the stamps Israel helps the tourists to hide all signs of their Israeli trip. See more info here.

CURRENCY, MONEY CHANGE AND COST

The official currency of Israel is the New Israeli Shekel (ILS or NIS). Exchange rates change continuously, so check the current rate shortly before or during your trip. Money changing is easy since there are a lot of change offices in the cities. So this is not a problem. But maybe the biggest problem is the cost of everything. Israel is one of the most expensive countries in the world. A simple lunch of hamburger, chips, and coke can be around 30-40 NIS. Hotels are expensive too. A budget place to sleep is usually more than 300-400 NIS per night. However, in the Palestinian territories, the prices are much lower. Still expensive, but not as the rest of the country,

TRANSPORT

There are few main ways of transport in Israel unless you arrange your Israel itinerary with a travel organized group.

Bus

All buses are numbered. Not only those, which are within the cities but the intercity buses too.

Public transport payment in Israel is now more flexible. Rav-Kav remains widely used, but travelers can also use supported mobile payment apps, and credit-card payment is available on selected services. Check the current payment options and fares for the specific bus, rail, or light-rail service you plan to use.

Light Rail in Jerusalem

Jerusalem’s light rail is a convenient urban transport system that now crosses a much larger part of the city. The current L1 route runs from Neve Yaakov in the north to Hadassah Ein Kerem in the south. Use Rav-Kav or the supported payment and ticketing options, and always validate your fare as required.

Train

There is also a train network in Israel, which can also be used as a convenient way of transport, especially near the western Mediterranean coast. It connects the main cities in the country: Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, and Beersheba.

We used the train transport in Tel Aviv, between Ben Gurion airport and Holon district (south of the center). Israel Railways provides suburban and intercity train service through the Tel Aviv metropolitan area. In addition, since August 2023, Tel Aviv has had a separate light-rail system: the Dankal Red Line, which runs partly underground through the metropolitan area. Buying a ticket is easy, just from every station’s kiosk. The stations in Tel Aviv were very nice, there is even a piano in every station that we have been, where everybody can play, just for relax.

Car rental

Rent a car in Israel is very convenient, and actually not very expensive, especially if you are a few people together, to share the cost. A small car was perfect for my family, finally, it was even cheaper than the bus transport. There are many rental car companies, from which some bigger ones are: Hertz, Shlomo Sixt, Budget, Alamo and Cal Auto. We rent a car from Cal Auto because their price was the cheapest. One-way rentals are possible with many companies, but an additional drop-off fee may apply depending on the company, rental length, and locations, especially for rentals to or from Eilat. Check this when booking.

During our trip, we picked up a car from Cal Auto in Tel Aviv for 5 days and dropped it in Cal Auto Jerusalem. Then we used only local transport in Jerusalem, and finally again picked up from Jerusalem, traveled to Eilat, back to Tel Aviv and dropped the car there.

When you add fuel, there are no workers in some petrol stations, so you have to use a credit card, add your name and local ID card. But of course, since you are a tourist, you don’t have a local ID card. We had such experience, and fortunately, other local drivers helped us using our credit card, but their ID card No.

Taxi

The legal taxis are very correct and the taxi drivers are very polite. However, not all taxis are real and legal. Before you get in the taxi, look whether it has a taxi meter, invoice device, and GPS. Even without a taxi meter, they are usually still legal, but you have to discuss the price first. And again, concerning the price, taxis are more proper for small groups of few people to share the cost- in such case the price is not more expensive than the city bus transport.

Check out your flight information for reaching and leaving Israel:

SHABBAT

Shabbat is the Jewish weekly day of rest. It begins around sunset on Friday and ends after sunset on Saturday, so the exact times change throughout the year.

Regular public transport and many businesses reduce or stop service during Shabbat, but the situation differs by city and type of business. In Tel Aviv, for example, many restaurants, bars, and cafes remain open, and a free weekend transport network operates alongside taxis, shared taxis, bikes, scooters, and car-sharing services.

You should still plan ahead for Shabbat, especially for intercity travel, museums, shops, supermarkets, and destinations outside the main secular urban areas. Check the current timetable and opening hours rather than assuming either that everything will be closed or that normal weekday service will operate.

Jerusalem- praying people on the Western Wall

FOOD

The food in Israel follows the two main culture groups: Jewish and Palestinian Arab. There are a lot of street fast food with hamburgers, chips, tomato and some other things of this kind. The Palestinian food is more Arabic- there are a lot of doners and falafels on the street. The larger restaurants offer mainly European food, especially in the Jewish areas. For the vegetarians- they also have a lot of choices, not only in the restaurants but also in the fast foods.

ACCOMMODATION

The hotels and even hostels in Israel are quite expensive, starting from around 200 NIS (the cheapest ones). We personally used mainly AirBnB. It was not only a slightly cheaper, but also we have an opportunity to make a closer contact with their hosts, and to know more about local people’s life. Thus AirBnB accommodation was not just for sleep and relax, but it became an active part of the trip.

Check out your accommodation options in Israel here:

Booking.com

MOBILE SIM CARDS

There are various kinds of Mobile SIM cards. We personally used a local SIM card for 100 NIS (honestly I forgot which mobile operator), which included 50 NIS for the card itself and 50 NIS for 15 GB/30 days mobile internet and unlimited phone calls within Israel only. It was completely enough for us, enough for such kind of trip. So you just can ask for such kind of SIM cards in any mobile shop (be aware to buy a prepaid card). For more information, you can see here.

SCAMS AND SAFETY

The security situation today is fundamentally different from what we experienced during our 2018 trip. As of September 2026, the regional situation remains volatile, and current government travel advisories apply elevated warnings to Israel, with stronger restrictions for some border areas and other higher-risk zones. Conditions can change quickly, including airspace availability, road access, public transport, border crossings, and local security restrictions. Travelers should check the latest official travel advice issued for their own nationality and follow current local emergency instructions rather than relying on the conditions described in this article.

You can see soldiers (men and women) with guns walk free on the streets. We even saw a soldier, playing with friends in Ein-Gedi waterfalls, almost naked (only wearing swimming shorts), but holding his gun. Actually, those soldiers really contribute a lot to the safety.

Travel in the West Bank requires separate planning from travel inside Israel. Access conditions, checkpoints, road restrictions, curfews, military or security operations, and local security risks can change quickly. Current government travel advisories apply elevated warnings to the West Bank, although the exact advice varies by country and by area. Travelers should check the latest official guidance for their nationality, current checkpoint and road conditions, and local security developments before entering the area.

Be aware of false taxis. We had such a problem in Jerusalem. After two times getting an Israeli taxi, very satisfied of their service, on the next day we got another “taxi”, completely unaware that it may be false (at that time we didn’t have such experience). We even forgot to discuss the price. So when we arrived at our destination (it was from the Old City to Israel Museum, which normally should be around 40-45 NIS, he required from us 90 NIS. We didn’t have the exact sum, so I gave him a banknote of 200 NIS, expecting him to back 110. He grabbed the 200 NIS, put it somewhere, then took out another banknote of 20 NIS and told us that I gave him only 20 NIS and have to give him more 70 NIS! After a quarrel, which became more and more serious, I began to worry about the safety of my family, so we just gave up the case and went out of his car.

COSTS AND FINAL CONCLUSION

So, what is the final conclusion and cost for an Israel itinerary like this?

The prices below are what we personally paid during our 2018 trip. They are preserved as historical travel information and should not be used as current 2026 prices.

Accommodation: We used mainly Airbnb accommodation. Average cost (usually per room, not per person)- around 200-250 NIS/night

Car rental: 750 NIS for 5 days, then 480 NIS for 3 days

Fuel: around 1000 NIS for 1500 km total

Food: We mostly ate simple food from the local supermarkets, only sometimes in a restaurant or fast food. Average per person: around 100-150 NIS/day

Additional transport:
– City bus: around 7 NIS per person/one bus
– Taxi: In Jerusalem- from Old City to Israel Museum should be around 40-45 NIS, from Old City to Yad Vashem- 65-70 NIS
– Train (in Tel Aviv): around 9,50 NIS (from Ben Gurion airport to Holon district)
– Light rail (in Jerusalem): 5.90 NIS per person

Destinations entrance fees: it was relatively cheap. Many of the destinations were free. For other destinations like Caesarea, Tel Megiddo, Capernaum, Chorazin, Beit Shean, Qumran, Ein-Gedi, Israel Museum, Tower of David and some more, there were entrance fees, mostly between 20 and 50 NIS.

SIM card: 100 NIS total

Finally, for us, the result was a great and meaningful trip and one of our most memorable travel experiences. This article preserves that journey as we experienced it in 2018, while any future trip should be planned according to the security, access, and transport conditions that exist at the time.

Check out some travel, history and reality books about Israel:

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Krasen and Ying Ying

Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually.

So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration.

And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality.

Enjoy!

Krasen and Ying Ying

Hi, we are Krasen and Ying Ying. Krasen is from Bulgaria, and Ying Ying is from China. We are passionate about geography and history, and we believe that the best way to experience it is by exploring the Earth in reality, not in a school, and not virtually. So, we created this blog Journey Beyond the Horizon, where we share geographical knowledge, travel guides and tips how to experience it when you explore our planet, and a lot of inspiration. And we wish you a happy journey, not just virtually, but most of all- in reality. Enjoy!