Experiences in Israel

National Parks

Despite Israel being small its scenery varies immensely! You will find new cities and old, beaches and lakes, deserts and green mountains. Israel’s National parks and nature reserves make all this possible for you to experience the wondrous landscapes.

In the south of the country you will find the expanse of the golden and orange plains of the desert. The Negev, Arava and Eilat are the fiery beautiful landscapes of the south that home the Dead Sea, Mitzpe Ramon and the beautiful desert oasis of En gedi not mention some wonderful hiking and cycling trails. When the sun sets the south turns in to a red illuminous sea of magic and when dark the sky turns in to a blanket of sparkles as the vast scenery makes it possible to see every star.

In the North of the country you are welcomed with Luscious green hills and mountains including the snow-capped Mount Hermon. The Golan Heights home to magnificent mountainous scenery and an array of cultures. There are endless forest trails and water fall hikes for all the family to enjoy. The view from the mountain tops is breath taking as your eyes take you all the way out to the Mediterranean. Below the mountains you will find the green slopes of the Galilee home to the famous Kinneret, wineries and some wonderful relaxation spa’s. It really is a wonderland.

The national parks offer exciting cultural and natural adventures. You have the opportunity to visit magnificent historical sites and follow wonderful nature trails while searching for some of the countries species i.e. The desert ibex and leopards, Eagles in the Golan. The impressive diversity of natural wonders, encounters with unspoiled nature and with plants.

Birdtastic Hula Lake

Hula Valley The Hula valley is located in a drained swampland by an attractive large lake, and is one of the area’s top places for friendly hiking and biking excursions. The Hula Valley is the country’s primary migration route for birds, making bird watching a very popular and fascinating experience. In 2009, the BBC Nature Magazine named the Hula Valley as one of the top nature watching places in the world.

Discover One of the World’s Top Birdwatching Sites
In the heart of the picturesque Hula Valley in Upper Galilee, only two hours drive north from Tel-Aviv, between two majestic mountain ranges, lays a place of extraordinary beauty – the Hula Lake. One of the most important birdwatching sites in the world, this ecological internationally acclaimed wetland reserve, is an oasis for birds and nature lovers everywhere. Offering a rare and unique opportunity to experience nature without barriers or partitions, it’s an invitation for an experience of a lifetime.

Follow the Birds and Marvel Nature
During every migration season (spring and fall) over 500 million birds and close to 400 species travel through the Hula Lake. This wetland paradise is the perfect stopover for small waterfalls, cormorants, heron, pelicans, raptors, strokes and cranes.

Declared by the BBC Wildlife as one of the world’s top ten birdwatching sites, Hula Lake or as it called in Hebrew Agamon Hula, naturally attracts birdwatchers from all around the world. Join the international Hula bird festival every year in the fall and enjoy a truly not-to-be missed-experience.

There are several ways to witness this dazzling humbling phenomenon. All you need is simply choose your adventure.

Explore the Trails. Tour the park’s magical trails. You can walk, bike or use club carts to drive around. You’ll pass through fruit groves waterway and get a glimpse of the wetland wildlife.

Drive a Tractor. Join a guided tour in a Tractor-Drawn “Safari Wagon” that takes you deep into the Agamon’s premises. The wagon “hides” you from the birds and therefore enables a rare up close and personal encounter with these beautiful creatures.

Sunrise and Night tours. For the more adventurers, there are 2 special tour experiences. One is the ‘Sunrise Tour’ that offers unbeatable birdwatching and photography opportunities. Alternatively, the ‘Night Owl Tour’ offers a completely different look on the reserve. With campfire and star-gazing you’ll peek into the lives of wild cats, nocturnal raptors and fruit bats.

Uplift the Spirit and Witness Nature Preservation at Work
Agamon Hula gained world acclaim for being model for a sustainable ecological system balancing between nature, tourism and agriculture.

Visit the ringing center in the park and watch the work done to preserve nature. Go to the “bird Island tour” and maybe you’ll even get a chance to help release a bird back to nature. It doesn’t get much better than this.

With so many different types of animals and tireless work to preserve nature in creative ecological ways, Hula Lake offers more than a fun trip with beautiful scenery but a true feel good experience that opens the heart and mind.

Eilat’s Dolphin Reef

Come fall in love with these treasures of the Red Sea at the Dolphin Reef of Eilat.

Bond with the dolphins at Eilat’s unique seaside attraction
The Dolphin Reef Eilat is a wildlife treasure on the shores of the Red Sea, where action-packed adventures go hand-in-hand with nature and relaxation. At the Reef, visitors enter a magical site, interacting with dolphins in their natural habitat; a stunning beach, where the plant-life is in full bloom and the view is breathtaking.

The site’s lengthy pier is an amazing spot for observing the local “bottlenose” dolphins as they go about their everyday routines of eating, playing, hunting, mating and socializing – at times choosing to engage with the site’s human visitors as well. Visitors seeking a more hands-on experience can attempt to interact with the dolphins through any one of the several activities open to the public.

A truly magical experience is watching the dolphins during mealtimes, scheduled yet captivating feeding times. There is something exciting in the childlike and spirited play of dolphins with their handlers, eagerly awaiting their food. The sheer joy sensed once the meal meets its diner almost instinctively provokes a round of applause by all members of the audience. In fact, visitors tend to feel as excited and satisfied as if they were the ones to have been fed themselves.

Take the plunge and dive with the dolphins
The beauty of the Dolphin Reef is that visitors don’t need to remain at a distance, but can take the plunge and dive with the dolphins, observing them in their unique ecosystem; swimming down to a depth of six meters and experiencing the magnificent and secret life as it naturally takes place beneath the sea. Or, visitors can choose to snorkel with the dolphins slightly closer to sea level; floating alongside the dolphins, enabling playful interaction between humans and dolphins

The Dolphin Reef’s “relaxation pools” are where visitors can let their worries wash away while floating to the sound of relaxing music. On-site eateries keep visitors feeling pampered and catered to, without them having to step outside the small sanctuary of natural beauty.

A STUNNING URBAN OASIS

At Tel Aviv’s Sarona Market, the culinary options are endless
Built in and around 150-year-old Templer structures in the heart of Tel Aviv is Israel’s culinary melting pot: Sarona Market. Reflecting Tel Aviv’s exemplary culinary atmosphere and placing a modern urban twist on the city’s more traditional marketplaces, Sarona is the place to visit to satisfy your every craving – and get a taste for the diverse ethnic inspirations that drive the bustling sea-side city.

Visit Israel’s largest covered culinary marketplace
From gourmet creations to spins on traditional local dishes, Sarona Market has it all and will satisfy every quaking belly. With over 90 restaurants, food stands, pubs and culinary boutiques operating seven days of the week, all you need to do is decide whether you’d rather tuck into a bowl of succulent ramen, a plate of spicy empanadas, a tangy sub sandwich or a sweet baked confection. Can’t decide? The eateries are all adjacent to one another, making a seafood entree followed by spicy pad thai or a juicy burger an easy feat.

Need to take a break between courses? Sarona Market is also home to accessory shops, museums, a visitor’s center and other fun, must-see attractions.

Go Green
TGIF! Fridays at Sarona are exceptionally enthralling, with farm-fresh produce available for purchase, making the culinary experience that much more interactive and engaging. Once you’ve selected your produce, continue on your urban market adventure, adding savory imported cheeses, top-quality Italian balsamic vinegar, boutique beers and sweet confections to your shopping bag, all tasty additions to a weekend home-cooked meal.

Experience modern Israeli cuisine in full force at Sarona Market. With no end to the available culinary options reflecting the popular and unique foodie atmosphere of Tel Aviv, Sarona Market is a must-visit hotspot that will certainly satisfy every imaginable gustatory craving.

CAESAREA’S RICHES – STUNNING AS IT IS SIGNIFICANT

Explore the wonders of the past that were built by one of the greatest builders of the ancient world – King Herod.

Gorgeously situated on the shores of the sparkling, turquoise Mediterranean, and less than an hour’s drive from Tel Aviv, lies the ancient and magnificent city of Caesarea.

The city and its archeological wonders are a testament to its significance throughout the ages. A visit to the national park and ancient port, a tour of the Roman hippodrome and amphitheater and a walk among the impressive palace among its many historical treasures is akin to travelling back to the time of the great empires. Not to be missed is the ‘Travel through Time experience’ – a fascinating, moving experience that is actually a mini ‘sound and light show’ taking you on a magical recounting of the tale of Caesarea through the ages.

Enriching the visitor experience is Caesarea’s glistening seaside beauty and its modern day pleasures such as the lovely quaint restaurants and cafés and the only golf course in the country.

TEL AVIV ON WHEELS – JOIN THE RIDE IN THE NON STOP CITY

Get your wheels on and go anywhere they take you in this fabulous city.
One of the ultimate ways to discover Tel Aviv is via its 100km of dedicated bike lanes, where you can enjoy the Tel-O-Fun public bike hire system that lets residents and visitors pick up and drop off sleek green bicycles in 150 stations citywide.

If you enjoy spending your time on wheels, you should also check out the many dedicated skating parks, where you can watch the local daredevils do their thing, or get your own skateboard or rollerblades and join the action.

Another fantastic place to enjoy this fabulous city on wheels is the ‘Tayelet’ – a stunning newly renovated promenade, where you can bike, rollerblade or even Segway and enjoy the lively atmosphere and colorful stream of people as you become taken by its infectious energy and the beautiful beachside views.

TOWER OF DAVID MUSEUM

Jerusalem’s Citadel, known as the “Tower of David”, is a historical and archaeological asset of international significance. The Tower is a medieval fortress that is located near the Jaffa Gate, the historical entrance to the Old City and has been the symbol for the city of Jerusalem for generations.

At the Tower of David Museum you are presented with Jerusalem’s astounding story. While absorbing yourself in legends of the past and their dramatic chronicles it will not take you long to realise that the very stones of the museum are part of this city’s living history.

The 500-year-old walls are part of the Turkish citadel; its name derives from a tower so massive that early Jerusalemites ascribed it to their great King David and despite the name being ‘The Tower of David’ it was actually build by King Herod.

Your visit can begin with a breath-taking view of old and new Jerusalem from the top of the tower. Each ancient room has been revamped to showcase a different period, allowing the tempestuous events of 4,000 years to fall perfectly into place in your mind.

The windows frame glimpses of modern Jerusalem, and with each doorway you exit, you look down into the citadel’s central courtyard, where archaeologists have unearthed remains dating from the Maccabees to the Middle Ages. This incredible site really is a maze of time!

The museum also utilizes its unique space for multi-sensory exhibits by leading designers and artists from Israel and abroad. This One of a kind museum hosts the annual ‘Night Spectacular’ which is a unique sound and light show where the whole of the Citadel is lit up with stunning designs!