Israel’s Extensive Park Network

May 29th 2016

As the last vestiges of winter disappear, and Israel turns quickly into the warmth of spring, outdoor exploration once again becomes an attractive option. Israel is full of national parks, all run under the auspices of the Israel Nature and Parks Authority, who work to ensure that the parks are clean, wildlife is cared for, and historical sites are maintained to a high standard.

The Authority is responsible for hundreds of nature reserves spread over 2,350 square miles and 115 national parks spread over 140 square miles. 66 sites of various description are open to the public, with well over 10 million visitors every year.

Well known parks include Zippori and Timna, with many of the parks containing both beautiful fauna, as well as sites of historical significance.

How to Gain Access

In order to gain access to the parks, a visitor is generally required to purchase an entrance ticket, although a few sites, such as Capernaum and Shivta are free to the public.

Shivta National Park, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Whilst each site has a specific entrance fee, the details of which can be found on the Park Authority website, there are a number of special deals which a tourist or resident may find particularly useful over an extended holiday period.

Multi-Site Tickets

With individual entry tickets ranging from 20NIS to a high of around 40NIS for one adult, people wishing to visit several different sites during a short period may find the prices slightly restrictive, particularly when travelling in a more substantially sized group/family. It is worth mentioning that all sites do offer group discounts, and lower prices for children under the age of 18, as well as students and senior citizens. There are three options that are available that allow multi-site visits:

Blue card – The blue card is the most basic option, allowing 3 site visits for 78NIS. This works out as 26NIS per site.

Green card – This option allows a person to visit a maximum of 6 sites for a slightly higher price of 110NIS. This equates to just over 18NIS per site.

Orange card – This option gives holders the opportunity to visit unlimited sites throughout Israel for the price of 150NIS.

Capernaum

All these tickets are only valid for 2 weeks from the date of issue, so will only save visitors who wish to visit a number of parks in a limited amount of time and are available at all sites. Take advantage of these great offers when planning your next trip to Israel.