January 2nd 2015
A sprawling nature reserve running between the Golan Heights and the Upper Galilee town of Kiryat Shmona, Tel Dan National Park is a both a biblical archaeological site and a wonderland for hikers of all abilities. Tel Dan is comprised of three distinct hiking trails and one shorter trail that is totally wheelchair accessible. Canopies […]
January 2nd 2015
Ammunition Hill, called Givat HaTachmoshet in Hebrew, is located between two modern neighborhoods on the eastern side of Jerusalem. The site of fierce fighting during the 1967 Six Day War’s campaign to reunify Jerusalem, today Ammunition Hill serves as a memorial for all 181 Israeli soldiers who were killed during that conflict. Ammunition Hill itself […]
January 1st 2015
A tour of Israel’s picturesque Golan Heights would be incomplete without a stop to admire the thundering waters of the Banias Waterfall. The most impressive waterfall in Israel is located within the Banias Nature Reserve in the Upper Golan, between the Hula Valley and Mount Hermon. The waterfall here is, by far, the most popular […]
January 1st 2015
A rare and beautiful gem in the middle of the bustling city of Haifa, the Bahai Gardens are considered to be one of Israel’s must-see destinations. A walk through the gardens reveals stunning colors, brilliant art and a sense of nature’s bounty. The Bahai Gardens are a landmark that is seen from a distance. The […]
December 31st 2014
The iconic rosy pillars of Petra were built during the 1st century BCE by members of ancient Nabatean society to be their stately capital city. When the Nabateans disappeared, having become assimilated into the Roman Empire, they left Petra behind. Located in what is today part of Jordan, close to the western border with Israel, […]
December 31st 2014
With ten separate exhibition areas and off-site installations, there is no larger, more comprehensive art and history museum in Israel than the Israel Museum. Jerusalem’s Israel Museum is so vast, it could take several days to explore its campuses and see its entire collections. The Israel Museum is perhaps best known for the Shrine of […]
December 30th 2014
The site known as Keshet Cave is located in the Upper Galilee, just a few miles from Israel’s border with Lebanon. Long ago, there was an actual cave here, but it collapsed, leaving and just part of the arched limestone ceiling intact. Pottery artifacts found by archeologists at the site date back more than 3,000 […]
December 30th 2014
Herodium National Park is home to the fortress of the ancient ruler Herod the Great. This fortress was constructed between 23 and 15 BCE. Located outside of Bethlehem, this park houses the tomb of Herod the Great. Visitors are able to take a tour of the park and view the ancient tomb, as well as […]
December 25th 2014
The Lone Tree Brewery prides itself on producing great, handcrafted beer. Each tour of the modest microbrew facility, located in the forest of Gush Etzion, includes several components. The tour is designed to be hands-on. Since tours are arranged in advance, the staff tries to brew its beer on days when tour groups will be […]
December 23rd 2014
Thanks to rainfall in the Judean Mountains, Ein Gedi National Park is a wellspring amidst the surrounding desert. First-time visitors are often taken aback by the juxtaposition – while the surrounding desert is dry and brown, Ein Gedi is alive, bursting with wildlife, rich vegetation and cool, clear streams and waterfalls. It is a vibrant […]
December 21st 2014
Visitors to Israel are often amazed by the juxtapositions of ancient and modern that define their tour experiences. With findings dating back to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th centuries, Beit She’arim National Park definitely falls on the ancient side of the continuum. Located approximately 12 miles east of Haifa, Beit She’arim is best known for […]
December 16th 2014
Ramon Crater, called Makhtesh Ramon in Hebrew, is Israel’s answer the Grand Canyon, although strictly speaking, it isn’t a proper canyon or even a crater! It’s a makhtesh, a geological landform exclusive to the Negev that scientists believe was created through erosion. The Ramon Crater is the largest makhtesh in Israel. Located 53 miles south of […]
December 13th 2014
These days, new immigrants arrive in Israel on airplanes. In times gone by, the Old Jaffa Port, known in Hebrew as Namal Yafo, was the very first view of the Land of Israel for generations of traders, pilgrims and migrants. Even earlier in history, the biblical prophet Jonah is said to have set sail from […]
November 18th 2014
Situated on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee, Tiberias is one of the four Israeli cities holy to Judaism. As a result, number of important Jewish rabbinical figures are buried in this scenic and historic coastal town. Visiting the graves of righteous people who, during their lifetimes, spiritually uplifted the Jewish people is […]
October 21st 2014
Some Biblical prophets, like Moses and Jeremiah, are pretty well-known, even among people who are not Biblical scholars. Others, like Habakkuk, who lived in the Jerusalem area of ancient Israel approximately 2,700 years ago, are much less well-known. In the Jewish Bible, the book that bears Habbakuk’s name has just three chapters. He is the […]
September 14th 2014
From 1923 until 1948, Palestine was ruled by the British who kept a tight limit on Jewish immigration. Exodus, the best-selling novel by Leon Uris, dramatizes the story of Aliyah Bet, the illegal Jewish immigration into Israel before the State of Israel was officially created in 1948. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, there were Jews […]
September 4th 2014
No one knows exactly how many synagogues exist in Israel. There are certainly thousands. Even tens of thousands. And if you visited every one of them, you would never find another like the Tunisian Synagogue, located in the coastal city of Akko (also spelled Acco and Acre) in northern Israel. In 1954, just a few […]
August 22nd 2014
One of the distinctive aspects of touring Israel is the chance to connect in a personal way to the Biblical history of the Jewish people. Ne’ot Kedumim is described as a Biblical Landscape Reserve. What does that mean? Ne’ot Kedumim, which can be translated as “the pleasant habitations of old” was built to recreate the […]
June 20th 2014
As recently as the mid-1990s, there were just seven wineries in Israel. Today, the nation boasts nearly 300 wineries. Every winery has its distinctive qualities, but the Golan Heights Winery is one of the most well-known, exporting its celebrated bottles to over 25 different countries. If you’re only going to visit one winery on your […]
June 20th 2014
Established in the year 2000 in partnership with the well-established Golan Heights Winery, the Galil Mountain Winery was born from a marriage of tradition and contemporary winemaking technology. Its location, at the top of one of Israel’s most dramatic mountain ranges, represents the reestablishment of fertile ground where vineyards were cultivated 2,000 years ago. Unlike […]
