Gil Travel Group

While Israel is steeped in religious sites, there is so much history, culture, architecture, and nature to see on a tour that doesn't have a strong religious focus. These are experiences you can have nowhere else in the world. Travelling through the deserts and plains, natural parks and coastal areas, you are bound to fall in love with the country. Plus, you are always escorted by a professional and highly knowledgeable guide who will tell you the story of a place and its inhabitants, and answer any question you might have. 

There isn’t a more unique driving route than the one following the border between Israel and Jordan, called the Peace Road. The line between these two countries was drawn in the middle of the Arava streambed in 1922 during the British Mandate. In 1994, during the peace negotiations with Jordan, additional land and water disputes were solved. Today, the road is home to the diverse sites which reflect the history between the countries, as well as the richness of Israel’s natural beauty and local communities. Get ready to see breath-taking landscapes from the lookout points and meet the kind and hardworking farming communities along the way. 

It is next to impossible not to have fun in Israel. It really does offer something for everybody’s taste, and if you are a type of person who enjoys road trips, you have found your ideal place. You will get to experience the most unique sights, the most fascinating historical and artistic sites, the diverse nature and landscape – from the desert, over the cities, to the villages, and the sea – and you will get to meet the locals who will share their story and that of their ancestors’ in the area. An interesting fact: you can cross the entire country from north to south in about seven hours, meaning it is really possible to see Israel by car. 

Whether you want to see a new place in Israel every day, or there are a few specific sites you wish to explore, daily tours allow you the complete freedom to choose and customize your Israel adventure, creating the vacation you truly want. In addition to that, you get to meet new people every day, while enjoying yourself, learning, and becoming richer by an experience with each step. There is a myriad of superb day trip options to choose from while in Israel, and we’ll highlight just a few here.

Safed is considered one of Israel’s four holy cities, alongside Jerusalem, Hebron, and Tiberias. Its Old Town is a brilliant gateway to a rich past and culture, with its narrow cobblestone alleys, medieval synagogues, and the famous Artists’ Quarter. In the 16th century, following the Spanish Expulsion, Safed welcomed many Jewish religious scholars and mystics, becoming the spiritual center of the Jewish world, most prominently of Kabbalah (Jewish mysticism). In order to fully experience this city, travelers must explore its history, carefully housed in Safed’s museums.

With so many fantastic options to choose from when it comes to accommodation in Israel, from luxury hotels to cute boutiques, finding an excellent budget hotel might seem like a difficult task. Luckily, it’s far from it! Whether you want to see Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, enjoy desert adventures or swim in the sea, amazing and affordable accommodations are available across the country, and here are our top picks.  

Israel boasts a great number of world-renowned authors and a Nobel laureate, and Israelis are among the world’s most voracious readers. Visiting the literary spots is the way to learn about a country and its people in a fascinating manner. You won’t learn about one author only, but about the numerous minds who gathered to this location from across the world, and about the immense relevance of Israeli writers, who’ve not only reflected history in their celebrated works but shaped the country’s culture and national identity.

Israel warmly welcomes tourists. That means that there are a myriad of hotels to choose from in the country – whether you’d like one located in a contemporary or a historic building – ranging from budget hotels and famous chains to luxury and boutique hotels. There is most certainly something for everybody’s taste and budget. We’ll focus here on some of the most unique and attention-grabbing hotels in Israel.

The Arava or the Arabah stretches for 166km, from the Gulf of Aqaba to the southern shore of the Dead Sea, down to Eilat. With the Negev highlands on the west and Jordan’s Edom Mountains on the east, the Arava Valley is a place of captivating history, landscapes, resourcefulness, and imagination. If you’d like an escorted tour to Israel that is relaxing, entertaining, and educational, then the Arava is your perfect destination. It’s a tourist heaven, where visitors can enjoy ancient archeology, local hospitality, ecotourism, hiking, biking, unique scenery, birdwatching, seeing amazing animals, and a multitude of other activities.

For a very special tour of Israel, visit Tel Aviv’s synagogues. One of the country’s biggest cities is home to numerous synagogues that are reaching out to internationals to join their communities and are often tailored towards English speakers. They take pride in being synagogues for all Jews, across the religious spectrum, bridging the gap between religious and non-religious, many of them being either modern, progressive, and/or egalitarian. These include the Hechal Yehuda Synagogue, the Kehila Synagogue of Ramat Aviv, Havurat Tel Aviv, Kehilat Tiferet Shalom, Goren Shul, and Yakar, as well as the non-profit and the egalitarian communities, such as Minyan Shivyoni or White City Shabbat, which are working to bring people together and hold communal dinners, including vegetarian meals. Let’s check out a few other tourist and olim-friendly synagogues.