Last Updated on December 13, 2021
Planning a 5 day holiday in Israel – visit and tour some of the lesser known attractions.
Hebrew: חופשה בישראל – סיורים וטיולים בארץ
So, you are planning a holiday in Israel – it’s a short trip wherein you’re planning to visit the relatives and in-between family dinners and commitments you want to see as much of Israel as you possibly can,. What are the ‘must see’ attractions? We asked members of our Facebook group: If you had only 5 days to take a holiday and show someone around Israel, where would you take them? The results were unanimous. You need more time. You cannot possibly tour Israel in 5 days!!!
Surprisingly, when we collected the results, many of the traditionally popular sites were not nominated but some lesser known sites, were. Here are the results:
Northern Israel
- Akko – the Old Crusader City
- Attlit – Illegal Immigration Museum
- Banyas – fresh water pools, the Temple of Pan, a popular Baptismal site, wonderful walks in nature and spectacular scenery
- Birkhat Ram
- Druze Villages
- Hexagonal Pools (Yehudiya Forest)
- Kibbutz Merom Golan
- Kinneret
- Kibbutz Degania
- Metulla – One of Israel’s northernmost and quaint settlements. Also once the site of the “Good Fence”
- Mt. Hermon – snow covered and skiing opportunities in the winter and magnificent views and flowers and greenery in the spring.
- Nimrods Fortress – spend a few hours exploring this amazing ruin
- Rosh Hanikra – explore the grottos, experience the view of the white chalk-rock cliffs from the cable-car and take in an interesting presentation of the historical railway line between that was between Haifa and Beirut
- Tzfat – one of Israel’s four holy cities and a center of Kabbalah and Jewish mysticism
In Haifa
- Bahai Temple and the terraces that decorate the northern slopes of the Carmel (day and night viewing)
- The German Colony – one of Haifa’s oldest suburbs. Ben Gurion Blvd is a flanked by restaurants and a buzzing nightlife.
- Stell Maris Monastery and Church of the Carmelit Order. Across the street, a lighthouse, good restaurants and a magnificent view
Central Israel
- Ayalon Museum – Rehovot
- Dizingoff & Shenkin Streets and Nahalat Binyamin on Tuesday’s and Friday’s – in Tel Aviv – the city that never sleeps
- Your holiday in Israel must include a trip to Jaffa at night – wander the streets and take in some of Israel’s best design studios.
Attractions in Jerusalem
- The Old City
- The Kotel (Western Wall)
- Mahane Yehuda Market and a video tour
- Yad Vashem
Southern Israel
- Dead Sea – float your troubles away in the salty water – the lowest point on earth
- Ein Gedi Nature Reserve – an oasis with a spectacular waterfall and a family stroll through the bush and thicket
- Massada (Masada) an important site in Israel’s history. An ancient fortress and modern museum. A cable car and a long, winding path climb are your options to get to the fortifications and scene of the famous seige.
- Sde Boker Kibbutz – the home of David Ben Gurion – Israel’s first Prime Minister
- Craters near Mitzpe Ramon – the world’s largest erosion craters known as Maktesh Ramon.
Attractions in & near Eilat
- The Coral Reef
- Timna Park – the world’s first ever copper mine. The towering sandstone pillars known as Solomon’s Pillars, hiking trails, desert fauna and flora and even a lake. Less than a 30 minute drive from Eilat.
Hiking in Israel
Hiking is a big part of the Israeli culture. The ultimate hike is the Israel National Trail which takes you from Kiryat Shmona in the north all the way down to Eilat in the south.
There are many national parks across the country. Some of the national parks have camping and lodging facilities. The Matmon is the membership card of the Israel Nature & Parks Authority. Different Matmon cards give you discounts on camping and free entrance to the various Israel parks. A similar card is available for tourists visiting Israel (The Israel Pass)
Mid-summer daytime temperatures in Israel; June, July and August, often reach the high 30’s (centigrade). The best months for traveling are April and May as well as September and October.
Remember…
No matter where you visit, take only photographs and leave only footprints.
