Israel Travel Guide

The ultimate guide to the coolest things to do and see when traveling in Israel – only from Travels of Adam

Israel is just a tiny stretch of land on the western edge of the Mediterranean Sea, stretching down to the Red Sea and across the Jordan Valley, but this small slice of Earth is one of the most remarkable places. And also quite contentious and confusing. It’s a place of history and mystery. We’ve read about these places and Israeli cities in our Bibles, Torahs and Qur’ans, but seeing them first-hand, experiencing the diversity of local cultures and meeting the people here—there’s really nowhere like it. Start here with my basic Israel travel tips, or jump down below to read my latest Israel travel blogs.

Top Israel Travel Guides

Popular Israel Travel Blogs

When to Visit

Like most places along the Mediterranean, Israel is especially popular in the summertime. The beaches of Tel Aviv are some of the best in the world with warm, blue water and plenty of beach amenities. Tel Aviv’s city life also makes it one of the most dynamic places in the region with incredible nightlife, an amazing culinary scene and a savvy tech & start-up scene. Just a half hour drive from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem remains one of the most intense and historically important cities—often contentious politically but also surprisingly hip, fun and an amazing city to visit as a tourist. Throughout Israel, the northern regions and cities provide countless opportunities for hiking, history and exploration, and the south of Israel with the Negev Desert, the Dead Sea and Eilat on the Red Sea Coast offer great summer and winter destinations. Israel’s fascinating history lends itself to be a year-round destination with plenty of cool things to do and ways to explore. The country is often more interesting and more surprising for first-time visitors than expected.

Israel Tours & Trips

Because Israel is relatively far away from most major European destinations, it’s a good idea to plan a trip for a long weekend. Of course, city trips to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv are easy on a weekend from Europe, but plan a one or two week visit to take in even more of the amazing cities and destinations within Israel. With that much time, you can usually include a weekend in Tel Aviv, three or four days in Jerusalem and then trips up to Haifa in the north and/or the Dead Sea south of Jerusalem. I also recommend taking tours or a solo backpacking trip through Palestine in the West Bank. Many multi-day tours leave from Jerusalem or else you can catch public buses to Palestinian cities such as Ramallah, Bethlehem, Nablus or Hebron.

LGBT – Gay Israel Guide

The open-minded, relaxed and welcoming nature of Tel Aviv makes it one of the world’s best gay hotspots. The annual Tel Aviv Pride draws crowds of over 100,000 international visitors with a film festival, street parties, a parade through the city and beach events each summer. Meanwhile, Jerusalem and other parts of Israel remain conservative and less welcoming, however there are still many pockets of LGBT life throughout the country. Jerusalem even has a number of gay or mostly gay bars where you can catch drag shows or other regular events.

Traveling in gay Israel can be a lot of fun. A few tips: use the gay app Atraf — it’s how you’ll meet local gay guys and you can also buy party tickets through it for many of Tel Aviv’s best queer clubs. Israel’s best gay city is 100% Tel Aviv, though you’ll find queer-friendly parties and even the odd gay club night in Jerusalem. Atraf works throughout the country, though, and it’s easy and safe to meet other gay travelers and gay locals throughout Israel.

More gay travel resources.