Sit back and Relax: 5 Places to Ride Cable Cars in Israel
March 27th 2019
A wonderful way to gain a bird’s eye view of Israel is by taking a leisurely ride in a cable car. There are several vantage points across the country which afford visitors stunning views across diverse and beautiful landscapes. But for many people, the trek up to these places can be tricky. A cable car ride allows you and your traveling companies an easy way to ascend and descend the most eye-catching of locations.
Not all peaks and vantage points have cable car access unfortunately but luckily many do, and these are among the most beautiful of places in all the Holy Land.
Below are 5 locations in Israel where cable cars run regularly and are ideal for visitors of all ages and abilities.
Haifa Cable Car
From Haifa’s Bat Galim Promenade, you can take a ride in distinctly designed cable cars to the very top of the Mount Carmel ridge. The orange spherical cars are impossible to miss and provide tourists with amazing views of the entire city as well as Haifa Bay, the naval base, and the mountain range itself. The ride lasts 5 minutes and arrives at the Stella Maris outlook in the Carmelite Monastery at the top of the ridge. You can then either take the cable car back down again or descend via steps.
Rosh Hanikra Cable Car
Ever wondered where the steepest cable car in the world is located? Well, it’s in Rosh Hanikra, which is also renowned for its beautiful sea caves and cavernous tunnels. The famed grottoes are reached by the cable car which provides easy access for tourists to enjoy the wondrous natural beauty of waves loudly surging into, and retreating, from the rocky caves. The view from the cars is spectacular, especially when the sun is shining (which is pretty much always) on the glittering sea and white chalk cliffs.
Manara Cliff Cable Car
The longest cable car ride in Israel is located near Kibbutz Manara in the Upper Galilee and is a mile and a quarter in length. Manara Cliffs is a fun vacation destination with a variety of activities including rock climbing facilities, zip-lining, and a 4000 meter slide where adventurous visitors can go hurtling down the mountain at 25 mph. For those who enjoy a more serene view of beautiful landscapes, then a ride in one of the 12 cable cars is a perfect alternative.
Masada Cable Car
To reach the summit of the Masada rock plateau, you once had to navigate a steep winding pathway aptly named the ‘Snake Path’. Today, thankfully, there’s a cable car which takes you straight to the top. From here you can explore the ancient ruins of Herod’s palace and other fortifications that have come to be a symbol of heroism. It was from here that 960 Jewish rebels bravely fought the might of the Roman army and, instead of accepting capture, committed mass suicide instead. Both the cable car ride and summit provide stunning views of the Dead Sea region.
Mount Hermon Cable Cars
The Mount Hermon mountain range is the highest point within Israel, climbing up to over 9,000 feet. It’s one of the few places in the country where snow falls in winter and has unsurprisingly become a popular skiing destination. There are a series of cable cars which take skiers and non-skiers alike up to the higher slopes, all year round. There’s so much to do on Mount Hermon including hiking, birdwatching, and jeep tours, as well as enjoying amazing views of three different countries.
