Maya & Eugene
Things To Do
Nature
Judean Desert Driving from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea offers a scenic descent to the lowest place on Earth -Dead Sea: float in the waters and cover yourself in healing muds -Ein Gedi: desert oasis with nice waterfalls to cool off after a hike North -Consider combining an ascent of Masada (noted in "History") by cable car or via an adventurous hike with a stay at a Bedouin camp -Rosh HaNikra: Grottoes and beautifully carved water caves -Haifa: Bahai Gardens on the hills of Israel’s third city, Haifa -Sea of Galilee: (aka Kinneret) surrounded by rolling green hills -Jordan River: Refreshing rushing waters and the Yardenit Baptismal Site South: -Mitzpe Ramon: crater which offers cliffs and landscapes to hike, jeep and star gaze through -Eilat: although a far drive, this southernmost city offers a Red Sea escape with lots of water action including diving, surfing and an aquarium -Timna Park (Eilat): stunning scenery of a desert preserve
Art
Tel Aviv/Jaffa: -Neve Tzedek and Florentine: contrasting TLV neighborhoods of street and folk art- fun to take a walking tour of these! -Jaffa: variety of galleries to crawl through; worthy to note is the Hapishpishim flea market -Nachlat Binyamin: Biggest street arts fair in Israel, comes alive every Tuesday & Friday Jerusalem: -Hutzut Hayotzer Artists Colony: An artist’s colony transformed from an historical no-man’s land -Hadassah Chagall Windows: Renowned artist Marc Chagall created a brilliantly depiction of Jewish imagery North: Zichron Yakov: Galleries, vineyards and Ramat HaNavid gardens Ralli Museum Caesarea (Caesarea): Sculpture garden decorated with various trees surrounds a museum which includes the works of Dali, Rodin Ein Hod Artist Colony: Picturesque artists’ village on the slopes of Mt Carmel, with a landscape overlooking the sea Tzfat: (see "Religion") The ultimate attraction for art lovers and soul-seekers amidst cobblestone alleys and a mystical atmosphere
Religion & Spirituality
Jerusalem -Old City: sites include the Western Wall, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Jaffa Gate, Mount Zion -Muslim quarter and the Dome of the Rock Tzfat: "City of Kabbalah" with spiritual attractions and mystical galleries amidst winding lanes Bethlehem: Church of the Nativity and Shepherd's Field Nazareth: Church of the Annunciation and historic city streets Sea of Galile: Scattered scenic points of attraction at Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes, the Wedding Church in Cana
History
South -Masada: ancient fort sitting on top of a rock plateau (beautiful for sunrises!) Jerusalem (& Vicinities) -Mt. Herzl: learn about the founders, visionaries, and heroes that made Israel into a reality -Yad Vashem: World Holocaust Remembrance Center -Israel Museum & Dead Sea Scrolls: Largest cultural institution in Israel and one of the world’s leading art and archaeology museums, housing oldest existing biblical manuscripts in the world -Jericho: Oldest city on Earth with a Mount of Temptation monastery (accessible via cable car) Tel Aviv/Jaffa -White City (Bauhaus UNESCO World Heritage Site), includes the well-known Rothschild Boulevard -Jaffa: Old City, Port, Artist village, Greek Orthodox Quarter North -Caesarea: Herodian port city -Akko: Ancient Crusader city -Belvoir (Kokhav HaYarden) National Park: Rebuilt and thoroughly excavated 12th C. Crusader fortress
Food & Drink
Food->Israel's melting pot nature offers a diverse array of cultural cuisine (Yemenite, Ethiopian, Moroccan, Georgian, Eastern European) not to mention the flavorful Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisine (we won't get into the hummus and falafel wars). Anything from the shakshuka to the malibi to the Bedouin and Druz breads can be sampled in restaurants, markets, roadside stands and smelled everywhere in between Notable markets: Jerusalem--> Machane Yehuda; TLV--> Shuk Hacarmel Wine->Israel has a couple of notable wine regions and vineyards. Areas to note include: Galile, Zichron Yakov and Judean Foothills