Haifa
These formal gardens flowing down 19 steep terraces to a resplendent domed shrine – the final resting place of the prophet-herald of the Baha’i faith –…
Must-see attractions in Israel
Dead Sea
The plateau atop Masada, which measures about 550m by 270m, is some 60m above sea level – that is, about 490m above the surface of the Dead Sea. The…
North Coast
St John predicted the last great battle on earth would take place at this sun-scorched hill, better known as Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). Aside from…
North Coast
Nestled between Mt Carmel and Lower Galilee, spellbinding Beit She’arim is pitted with ancient catacombs, many of which you can enter. In the 2nd century…
Nazareth
Dominating the Old City’s skyline is the lantern-topped cupola of this Franciscan-run Roman Catholic basilica, an audacious modernist structure that’s…
Beit Guvrin-Maresha National Park
Israel
Covering 5 sq km of the Judean Hills, Beit Guvrin-Maresha’s rocky valleys and low hills are home to mountain gazelles, hyenas and songbirds – but most…
North Coast
Bone-white limestone cliffs seem to burst from the deep blue sea at this geological beauty spot straddling the Israel–Lebanon border. A cable car descends…
Golan Heights
Both casual strollers and experienced hikers – especially those who aren’t averse to getting wet – will find plenty to engage and challenge them in…
Golan Heights
The gushing springs, waterfalls and lushly shaded streams of Banias Nature Reserve form one of the most beautiful – and popular – nature spots in the…
Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery
Haifa
The Carmelite Order was established in the late 12th century when Crusader-era pilgrims, inspired by the prophet Elijah, opted for a hermitic life on the…
Golan Heights
Built by Muslims in the 13th century to protect the road from Tyre to Damascus, Nimrod Fortress rises fairy-tale-like on a long, narrow ridge (altitude…
Haifa
This university campus museum showcases engrossing archaeological finds such as well-restored mosaics and troves of ancient coins, but the pièce de…
Clandestine Immigration & Naval Museum
Haifa
Using a series of powerful video testimonials, this fascinating museum showcases the Zionist Movement’s determined efforts to infiltrate Jewish refugees…
Dead Sea
An outstanding and remarkably vivid introduction to Masada’s archaeology and history, this museum combines 500 evocative artefacts unearthed by…
Tel Aviv
In recent years, lots of energy has gone into giving Jaffa's Old City a tourism-triggered makeover, and the results are undeniably attractive. However,…
Tel Aviv
The modern ‘envelope’ building by American architect Preston Scott Cohen is one of many reasons to visit this impressive gallery located on the eastern…
Tel Aviv
Park HaYarkon is Tel Aviv's answer to Central Park. Joggers, cyclists, skaters, footballers and frisbee-throwers should head for this 3.5-sq-km stretch of…
Centre International Marie de Nazareth
Nazareth
Almost across the street from the Basilica of the Annunciation, this stunning complex is run by Chemin Neuf, a Roman Catholic community based in France,…
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
Nazareth
According to Greek Orthodox tradition, the Annunciation took place while Mary was fetching water from the spring situated directly under this richly…
North Coast
Walking trails weave among palm groves, rose beds and succulents at these expansive botanic gardens, 4km southwest of central Zichron Ya’akov. The gardens…
Tel Aviv
South from Hilton Beach, this is Tel Aviv's main beach. Well equipped with sunloungers, ice-cream shops, an outdoor gym and beach restaurants, it's…
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Israel
Ron Arad's elongated and extremely elegant swirl of red concrete and steel is one of Greater Tel Aviv's most striking examples of contemporary…
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Tel Aviv
Nestled between the tranquil streets of the Yemenite Quarter and the creative corridor of Nahalat Binyamin St, Tel Aviv's busiest street market is, in…
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North Coast
Gastronomes won’t want to miss swirling a wine glass or three at this atmospheric vineyard, 4km south of central Zichron Ya’akov. Tishbi was established…
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Israel
The long stretch of white sandy beaches from the marina to the Apollonia National Park is the main pull for people coming to Herzliya. Thanks to its sheer…
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Nazareth
When Elias Shama and his Belgian-born wife Martina set about renovating their shop in 1993, they uncovered a network of 2000-year-old clay pipes almost…
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Golan Heights
A real gem of a museum. Highlights include extraordinary basalt lintels and Aramaic inscriptions from 32 Byzantine-era Golan synagogues; coins minted…
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Israel
One of Israel's best-kept and most beautiful beaches, Netanya is actually a string of 12km-long sandy shores. The further you walk away from the city…
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Israel
Atmospheric and shaded by ancient stone structures, the 'Pool of Arches' is an underground 8th-century reservoir. The most significant structure left from…
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Israel
Considered one of Israel's finest beaches, Palmachim is a natural rocky bay with a small but excellent sandy beach. It's situated west of the main town of…
Golan Heights
The site of a thriving Jewish village during the late Second Temple period, Gamla dared to defy the Romans during the Great Jewish Revolt (66–70 CE) and…
Golan Heights
From high atop Mt Avital, top-secret Israel Defence Forces' electronics peer deep into Syria, but the Quneitra Viewpoint, on the volcano’s lower flanks,…
Dead Sea
World-famous for having hidden the Dead Sea Scrolls for almost 2000 years, Qumran was the site of a small Essene settlement around the time of Jesus –…
Golan Heights
What's truly extraordinary about this 6th-century synagogue is that after it was destroyed in the great earthquake of 749 CE, the site, because of its…
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Israel
The world-renowned Weizmann Institute of Science is an educational campus open to the public, comprising a visitors centre, ecological gardens and the…
Tel Aviv
One of the oldest known harbours in the world, the port of Jaffa was mentioned in the Bible (as Joppa) and was once the disembarkation point for pilgrims…
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North Coast
In 1939, as the situation of the Jews of Europe became increasingly dire, the British government issued a white paper limiting Jewish immigration to…
North Coast
Founded in 1949, the same year as the kibbutz, the world's first Holocaust museum focuses on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The kibbutz founders considered…
Haifa
Though it’s primarily a pilgrimage site, modestly dressed visitors are allowed to enter this domed shrine holding the remains of the Báb, spiritual…
Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant
Israel
Crowned with a statue of Mary carrying the infant Jesus, this hilltop church was built on the site of Kiryat Ya’arim, believed by many Christians to be…
