Suggestions and practical tips on visiting Israel
The idea of going to Israel came quite spontaneously to me. I wanted to go on a trip with my parents and by means of elimination, we arrived at Israel as the destination. Now, summer is not an optimal time for a trip to the desert. Quite the opposite, it’s the time you don’t really want to go to Israel. However, since my vacation was in the summer, we decided to hope for bearable weather and booked the flight. Read on for practical tips on visiting Israel.
Arrival
We landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv and within half an hour we were done with customs. While Israel does not stamp your passport, you receive a blue visa card, which you need to hold on to till departure. Many Muslim countries won’t allow you to visit their countries if you have an Israeli stamp in your passport, so Israel gets around it by giving you the blue visa card. Similarly, if you have a stamp from a Muslim country in your passport, you may have a hard time getting to Israel.
Since we were going straight to Jerusalem from the airport, we took the sherut from outside the terminal building. Sheruts are shared taxis, typically fitting 10 passengers. What’s nice, they will take you directly to your destination address. The price is about $20 and you can pay either in USD or Israeli shekels. We were the last passengers to be dropped off, so the whole trip took 1.5 hours, slightly longer than expected.
Accommodation in Jerusalem
Although it might be less expensive to stay outside of the city walls, if you can, I absolutely recommend staying inside the Old City of Jerusalem. You simply cannot beat the convenience, especially in the summer when it’s really hot! We found a reasonably priced hotel right by Jaffa Gate, which turned out to be a perfect location. We were 5 minutes away from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and within 10 minutes to other main attractions. Moreover, we were able to easily go back to the room in the middle of the day to rest and cool down. Also, because our hotel was next to Jaffa Gate, we were automatically close to the modern part of Jerusalem – Mamilla.
Accommodation in Tel Aviv
While we only stayed one night in Tel Aviv, I think we made the right decision to stay close to the beach. After a busy schedule in Jerusalem, it was great to just walk to the beach and relax looking at the Mediterranean Sea.
Weather
Generally, summer is not the time to visit Israel. However, summer is a vacation time for many people and it might be the only time you can go. Remember that Jerusalem is basically on the desert and Tel Aviv is right on the Mediterranean. Consequently, the climate in the two cities is different. Jerusalem, even though hot, is dry. That means that with a little planning you can avoid the hottest part of the day and go back to your hotel. We got up early each day to sightsee and were back in our room around noon or 1 pm. We would then go back out again in the afternoon, having rested for several hours in an air-conditioned room. Tel Aviv, on the other hand, is humid. Even though I have been to Washington DC and New York, which are always humid in the summer time, I don’t think I had ever experienced such humidity as in Tel Aviv. Tel Aviv is almost unbearable in the summer, especially between 1 pm – 5 pm. The evenings, especially around sunset are beautiful.
Eating in Israel
Israel and especially Jerusalem offer a great opportunity to try a variety of Middle Eastern food.
- Breakfast: Our hotel provided a great Middle Eastern breakfast with local specialties like hummus, olives, eggplant, halva, and pastries. Local spices such as sumac and zaatar were to our disposal as well.
- Lunch: Lots of options but I recommend the Muslim Quarter for an amazing falafel sandwich.
- Dinner: Again, lots of options. If you’re after a quick meal, try a local shawarma, falafel or pizza. If you want a sit down dinner, go to Mamilla, the modern section of Jerusalem. I recommend local salads, shakshouka, and other baked dishes. They were absolutely delicious.
- Desert: Lots of great pastries, halva, and baklava. We found a nice variety in the Muslim Quarter.
- Beverages: I absolutely recommend freshly squeezed orange juice! There are lots of juice stands in the Old City of Jerusalem. While in the fall and winter you should try pomegranate juice, in the summer orange juice is available. It’s inexpensive and definitely tasty. Coffee is very strong but definitely worth trying. Coffee with cardamon is a specialty here.
Where to go and what to see? More practical tips on visiting Israel
When I started planning the trip I was hoping to be able to visit Jerusalem, Bethlehem, the Dead Sea, and Tel Aviv. However, the more I read about each destination, the clearer it became that 4 locations in 4 days was simply too ambitious. I had to give something up. As I was traveling with my parents and it was the middle of the summer, I decided to give up the Dead Sea. Had we had more time in Israel, we would have certainly gone. However, Jerusalem requires at least 2 full days to see all the sights, some of them several times, if you really want to get a good feel for the Holy City. So, even though I really wanted to float in the Dead Sea, we made a good decision to cut it out. Bethlehem is an easy half- day trip from Jerusalem, and Tel Aviv is where the airport is, so you can conveniently stay at least a night there. A trip to the Dead Sea would require at least another half day. Plus, do you really want to be in the middle of the desert when the temperatures are nearing 100°F?
5-day itinerary
Day 1: Arrival at Ben Gurion Airport, Tel Aviv/ Transfer to Jerusalem
- Stroll through the streets of the Christian Quarter
- Tour of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- Dinner in the Mamilla neighborhood
Day 2: Jerusalem
- Spend the morning in the Old City of Jerusalem
- Stroll through the Jewish Quarter, Muslim Quarter, and Christian Quarter
- Visit the Western Wall, the Temple Mount, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- Stroll through the Armenian Quarter in the afternoon
- Visit Mount Zion
- Dinner in the Mamilla neighborhood
Day 3: Bethlehem and Jerusalem
- Take a half-day trip to Bethlehem
- Stroll through the Muslim Quarter in the afternoon
- Visit Mount of Olives
- Stroll through the Cardo, visit the Hurva Synagogue, and the Western Wall in the dusk
- Dinner in the Christian Quarter
Day 4: Jerusalem and Tel Aviv
- Stroll through the Old City of Jerusalem again and visit the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the morning
- Visit the Machane Yehuda market
- Take a bus to Tel Aviv
- Spend some time relaxing on a beach in Tel Aviv
- Walk along the Tayelet – the Promenade along the Mediterranean and find a place for dinner
Day 5: Ben Gurion airport and departure for home
