Highlights

• Jerusalem city tour and visit to the underground part of the West Wall (more details coming in the specific Jerusalem Guide)
• Tel Aviv for the beach, city architecture, food scene, and markets (more details coming in the specific Tel Aviv Guide)
• The day trip to Bethlehem was very interesting and included the Church of the nativity with the birthplace of Jesus, the manger, Milk grotto church and many important religious sites. There are also cool graffiti works by Banksy.
• Floating in the Dead Sea was truly a unique experience. Besides having the lowest bar in the world, the beach and water are worth a visit. The salty water feels almost oily and you can float very easily. There are also many places selling products with Dead Sea mud and salts.
• Masada palace on a hill with great views of the Dead Sea area. So much history here including a Roman siege. I learned a lot from the introduction video. We took the cable car but some people with more time and energy walked up the hill
• Swimming in the red sea in Eilat, near the southern Jordanian border
• The old walled city of Akko or Acre has beautiful, historic sites right next to the sea
• Haifa is also a coastal town near Tel Aviv, and the Bahá’í Gardens are worth seeing
• National parks including Beit Guvrin-Maresha

Before you go

• Citizens from most countries can visit for up to 3 months with a free visa upon arrival including the US and UK
• The entry and exit cards are available at machines in the airport. Instead of stamping your passport, you get the small card that you should keep safe with your passport
• Keep your travel documentation in hand at all border checks as the entry and exit from Israel can be very thorough. Also be prepared to answer questions about your visit
• When leaving, security can sometimes take awhile at the airport so leave plenty of time. If you have carry-on bags only then there is a separate queue just before security rather than the airline counters
• Be respectful and aware of religions as many of the interesting places to see are religious places
• Most people speak English so it is easy to travel around
• Be aware of the current events in the country as there are times when it is more dangerous to travel to Israel
• During Passover, some restaurants are closed and bread sections of supermarkets may be restricted
• At times, I felt harassed by men when I was on my own. I received lots of personal questions including where I was staying (which I would not say!). It was not too scary but did feel a bit aggressive. My Israeli friends said that the men can be pushy and persistent.

Transport

• The flight from Paris or London is about 4-5 hours direct
• Ben Gurion international airport is about 30 minutes by car to Tel Aviv and almost an hour to Jerusalem. This can depend on traffic. There is public transport by train and bus from the airport to Tel Aviv. This saves money but can take over an hour.
• There are official taxis at the airport and follow signs to “Special Taxi”. Do not go with the drivers who are waiting just outside the door
• In 2018-19, Uber was not very reliable so locals instead recommended the Gett app
• For travel to other parts of Israel there are public buses, organised tour buses, or the option to rent a car
• Bein Harim tours did a great job for the day tours from Jerusalem

Accommodation

• In Tel Aviv, I have stayed at Gordon Inn (simple, clean, close walk to the beach; I stayed in the new extension), Fabric Hotel (trendy, comfortable, modern), Brown Hotel (fancy, rooftop bar, good air conditioning, breakfast vouchers for nearby restaurants), and Florentin House (trendy hotel / hostel, modern, clean, cool area). Most recently in May 2022, I stayed at a small hotel called HermeSpa. The room was comfortable and had air conditioning. However, there are no staff there late at night and it was very difficult to get to my room when my flight was delayed.
• I stayed at the Agripas Boutique hotel in Jerusalem. It was a great location within walking distance of the Old City and interesting markets. However, I could not find a recent link and wonder if this hotel is still open…

Currency

The currency in Israel is the shekel. In September 2021, one British Pound is equal to 4.44 shekels.

I recommend to check the currency conversion just before you leave as this fluctuates

Food

I could write pages about the food in Israel. I love it and there is an incredible amount of diversity and flavour! There are also many choices for vegetarians.

The breakfasts may seem unusual to some, but I recommend trying shakshuka. This is a vegetarian dish with eggs poached in a tomato and pepper sauce, often served with bread.

Speaking of bread, many types of bread are delicious here. Pitta bread to wrap falafel, bread sprinkled with zatar spices, Jerusalem bagels, challah braided sweet bread, and more.

Some of my other favourite dishes include the roasted cauliflower with tahini, falafel, Jerusalem artichokes, fresh pasta, raw and grilled fish, beet root ravioli with cheese, and grilled meats. The wine and beer are also tasty.

Also the food at the wedding at Beit Hasmachot was delicious and plentiful. A highlight was a dessert table created and decorated as a piece of art by the chefs as a live spectacle. Incredible!

I will write more about the truly amazing Tel Aviv food scene!