What to see in Israel: 9 must-sees
Discover what to see in Israel: 9 must-see destinations, from Jerusalem to Dead Sea. Predominantly natural and UNESCO heritage; each entry includes the best time to visit and the link to its official source.
Natural(4)
Camp on the shore of the Dead Sea and float effortlessly in waters 430 meters below sea level, the lowest point on Earth. Coat your skin with the black mud from its shores, admire the salt formations along the coast and follow the trails climbing up to the Judean Desert. At dusk, the view stretches over still waters and arid mountains that change color with the light.
Enter the Bahai Gardens of Haifa and walk its 19 terraces stepping down the slopes of Mount Carmelo, where fountains, geometric hedges and flowerbeds frame the view of the Mediterranean. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008, they offer guided visits through the upper levels and panoramas of the bay and the port. Around it, northern Israel invites hiking among geological formations and wildlife spotting of local flora and fauna.
Discover Makhtesh Ramon, the largest erosion crater on Earth, carved into the heart of the Negev Desert. Walk its rock walls in ochre and violet hues, where veins of quartz and ancient fossils surface to explain the area's geology. Follow the scenic route from Mitzpe Ramon to the rim viewpoints and, when night falls, stay: its exceptionally dark skies make the crater one of Israel's best spots to watch the stars, far from any light pollution.
Peek into Galilee and sail the Sea of Tiberias, the 12-kilometer-long lake where, as the Gospels tell, Jesus walked on the water. Follow the trails of the hills ringing the shore, among olive trees, fig trees and migratory birds that cross the Jordan Valley each season. From the viewpoints you will see the contrast of the water with the arid slopes of the nearby desert, the product of a volcanic basin formed millions of years ago by geological faults. Pair the visit with stops at Capernaum and the Mount of Beatitudes to join nature and biblical history in one route.
UNESCO Heritage(2)
Look down from the Mount of Olives at the golden walls of Jerusalem's Old City, declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981. Walk stone alleys where the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock and the Holy Sepulchre live side by side — the symbols of three religions within a few hundred meters. Cross the Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Armenian quarters, listen to the bells and the call to prayer, and try bread fresh from the oven at the market along the Via Dolorosa.
Walk the Snake Path before dawn and reach the top of this desert plateau facing the Dead Sea, where Herod the Great raised palaces and storerooms hung over the void. Here 960 Jews held out against the Roman siege of 73 AD and chose to die rather than surrender. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, the fortress keeps baths, a synagogue and the Roman siege ramp — testimony to a vanished civilisation you can walk or ride a cable car across.
City(2)
Explore Be'er Sheva, the city in southern Israel where, as the Bible tells, Abraham dug a well some 4,000 years ago. Walk the limestone old town, haggle at the Bedouin market on Thursdays and visit Abraham's well beside the archaeological tell. Gaze out to the Negev Desert from its outskirts, try the cardamom coffee and see how the university and new districts share space with biblical memory.
Swim in the morning on the beaches lining the seafront promenade, and in the afternoon walk the quarters of the White City, where the Bauhaus buildings that made Tel Aviv world-famous concentrate. With some 400,000 inhabitants, the city combines cafés open until late, the Carmel Market with its spice and fruit stands, and galleries beside the old port of Jaffa. Walk Rothschild Boulevard, try hummus from a street stand and end the day watching sunset over the Mediterranean from the quay.
Religious(1)
Explore Nazareth, the city in northern Israel where Jesus spent his childhood and one of the most important centers of Christianity after Jerusalem. Approach the Basilica of the Annunciation, raised over the place where tradition holds the angel announced himself to Mary. Observe its dome, its stone walls and the panels donated by different countries, and set aside a moment for the silence inside.
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