When tens of thousands of Jews from Middle Eastern countries migrated to Israel in the years following the establishment of the country in 1948, they brought the cuisines of their native lands with them. Yemenite, Tunisian, Syrian, Turkish, Iraqi, Kurdish and Moroccan cooking traditions are now inseparable from the Israeli national palette. Many landmark restaurants […]
Along with packing and planning a great itinerary, reading about your destination is a great way to get ready for traveling. These great works of non-fiction will help you prepare for your trip to Israel. Even if you can’t travel to Israel this year, reading these books will help make the sites you see that […]
Hummus, the Middle Eastern delicacy made of blended chickpeas, has become so mainstream that the Huffington Post published the 10 Reasons Why We Should All Be Eating More Hummus. Hummus may be getting all the attention, but here are three other exotic Israeli flavors to tickle your tongue when you come to town. Fragrant, Spicy […]
Yes, Tel Aviv is a quintessentially Israeli city, but did you know that Tel Aviv is only about 100 years old? It was founded in 1909 as the first modern Hebrew city. On the other end of the spectrum, there are many locales in Israel whose history goes back to ancient times. Here are three […]
Israel’s major cities may get the lion’s share of attention from tourists, but there are fabulous destinations in other parts of the country as well. Here are our picks for five unmissable experiences to enjoy on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. Pristine Beaches, Upscale Homes and Ancient Ruins In the time of Roman rule, Herod the Great […]
The Judean Desert extends to the east and south of Jerusalem, and it includes the wonders of the Dead Sea region. Destinations in this area are rich in archeology, nature and Biblical history. Here are our choices for the most unskippable sites to visit in the region. The World’s Most Famous Mountain Fortress There’s a […]
Outside the Old City of Jerusalem lies the rest of Jerusalem. Here are our top five not-to-be-missed destinations in the parts of town that lie beyond the walls of Suleiman the Magnificent. The World’s Most Important Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem uses testimony from survivors and artifacts from victims to tell the story of the Holocaust […]
Israel’s major cities may get the lion’s share of attention from tourists, but there are fabulous destinations in other parts of the country as well. Here are our picks for five unmissable experiences to enjoy on Israel’s Mediterranean coast. Pristine Beaches, Upscale Homes and Ancient Ruins In the time of Roman rule, Herod the Great […]
The Old City of Jerusalem is among the most magical places in all of Israel. Everywhere you turn, you’ll come face-to-face with the ancient history of the Jews. Here are four must-see points of interest to make sure appear on your itinerary Beneath the Surface Is there a first-time visitor to Jerusalem who doesn’t stop […]
In Israel, ancient history is always tourist-worthy. If you or someone in your tour group uses a wheelchair, it’s good to know that an experienced tour consultant can help you locate fully or partially wheelchair-accessible antiquities. Here are a few of our favorite wheelchair-accessible archaeological sites. Meditation on the Mediterranean Sandy beaches and the arches […]
Once you’ve decided to come to Israel with an organized tour, a quick search on the Internet will reveal lots of companies selling tour packages. What you may not realize is that not all sellers are the same. Most companies that market tours to audiences overseas are not actually operating the tours – they’re simply […]
If Jerusalem is the center of the world, then the Temple Mount is the center of Jerusalem. You may have heard any number of misguided untruths about this holy site, so let’s review the facts. Referred to in Hebrew as Har HaBayit, the Temple Mount is the holiest site in Jewish tradition. It was the location […]
What most people think of as the Kotel today is only a portion of the 2,000-year-old western retaining wall of the Second Temple in Jerusalem’s Old City. Lying beneath and to the west of the visible, above-ground Kotel is an underground complex that brings ancient Jerusalem alive. Immediately after Israel’s victory in the Six Day […]
The Dead Sea serves as Israel’s natural and national spa resort. Dead Sea mud is luxuriously rich and creamy, and is loaded with glow-enhancing minerals. It’s not uncommon that you’ll see men, women, and children coated with the deep brown mud from head to toe during their afternoon in the Dead Sea sun. The salts […]
To visit Tel Aviv’s Independence Hall is to touch the moment that the State of Israel was born. Imagine that it’s Friday afternoon, May 14, 1948 at 4:00 PM. The hall is overflowing with dignitaries, journalists and leaders of the Jewish people in Palestine. In eight hours, the British government, which has controlled Palestine since […]
Want to shop where the locals shop? Visit the Carmel Market (Shuk haCarmel) in Tel Aviv. Running along Carmel Street between Magen David Square and Allenby Street and adjacent to the culturally rich Neveh Tzedek quarter, the Carmel Market is the city’s largest and busiest marketplace. The Carmel Market is within easy walking distance to […]
Tel Aviv pulses with the beat of urban life, with enough going on here to keep visitors entertained for weeks on end. With a population that numbers over 400,000, Tel Aviv is the second largest city in Israel. Only Jerusalem has more residents. Tel Aviv is the technological, economic and cultural center of Israel. Here […]
Ben Yehuda Street is named for the founder of Modern Hebrew, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. This busy pedestrian mall runs from King George Street to Zion Square at the meeting point of Yoel Solomon Street and Jaffa Road in central Jerusalem. Also known as the “midrechov” (literally, “pedestrian street”) in Hebrew, Ben Yehuda Street is the heart […]
Established in 1953, less than a decade after the Holocaust ended, Yad Vashem is considered the world center for documentation, research, education and commemoration of the Holocaust. For visitors to Israel, Yad Vashem’s engrossing Holocaust History Museum is the most significant of the institution’s vast Holocaust-related resources and is arguably Israel’s most important museum. This […]
The ancient city of Caesarea was built by Herod the Great during the period of Roman rule and served as a major port. Here we can visit lengths of aqueducts, a fortress, an ancient marina and a magnificent amphitheater – all alongside one of the Israeli coast’s most pristine beaches and upscale residential communities. […]