The Holy Land in 7 days

The relatively compact size of Israel means that you can get to see almost all of the Holy Land in a really short space of time. Yes, even seven days! OK, we’d all like a longer vacation, but sometimes time is limited, for whatever reason. And we’d obviously recommend a good few days longer in Israel, but, yes, you can definitely get a very good taste of what the Holy Land is all about in just seven days.

So, if one week is all you have, and you’d rather go it alone without a tour guide dictating the route, the following could be your perfect itinerary. This is also ideally done using a rental car, although is also doable using public transport.

Day 1

Arrive in Tel Aviv. Depending on when you arrive, hopefully you’ll have at least enough time to take a look at Tel Aviv beach, and grab a late night drink at one of the beachside restaurants/bars. If you arrive earlier in the day and have enough energy, we’d highly recommend a quick look at the Carmel Market (closed on Saturdays of course) and perhaps a falafel at Orna and Ella’s falafel stand, a little further south of Carmel Market (grab a taxi to get there). Perhaps a walk through the Yemenite Quarter, between the Carmel Market and the sea, or maybe a stroll down Allenby Street to check out some of the locals. If time is at a premium we’ll try and squeeze a bit more into your last day (see Day 7).

Day 2

Pick up your rental car and head north as early as possible. We’d recommend driving up to the Sea of Galilee, about 2.5 hours drive from Tel Aviv. Take in the view along the way, especially when driving into the Jordan valley on your approach down into the Sea of Galilee (known as the Kinneret in Hebrew). Once you’ve found somewhere to stay for the night in Tiberias, or even nearby Rosh Pina/Zfat, head off to do the Sea of Galilee circuit route. This will take some time, especially with stops along the way that you shouldn’t miss, such as at Tabgha, Capernaum and Tiberias. Have a nice evening meal and drink at one of the many lakeside restaurants in Tiberias (or Rosh Pina or Zfat if you end up staying overnight there).

Day 3

Here you have a choice – you could either head for Haifa or Nazareth. In Haifa you could take in the amazing Bahai Gardens, the chic German Colony, the large port, the kilometres of good sandy beaches or the nearby Ein Hod artists colony. In Nazareth there is, of course, an abundance of Christian biblical sites to see, including the Church of the Annunciation (where Gabriel announced the future birth of Jesus to Mary). There are also some great authentic restaurants in Nazareth, such as Diana’s in Paul VI St and El Zeituna in Barclays Bank, near the old shuk. Later in the evening you could drive to Jerusalem, which is 131km away from both Haifa and Nazareth, or alternatively find a room for the night in Haifa or Nazareth and head out in the morning.

Days 4 and 5

We’d highly recommend a couple of days in Jerusalem, there’s just so much to see. It would probably be best to split your 2 days into old and modern, one day focusing on the Old City, including the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and your second day visiting more modern sites such as the Vad Vashem Holocaust museum, the Israel museum, a little bit of shopping down Ben Yehuda promenade and a bite to eat at Foccacia.

As you’ll be staying a night or two, you might want to book yourself a hotel in Jerusalem.

Day 6

Head out early to the Dead Sea, an hour or so from Jerusalem. First head for Masada, the ancient Jewish mountain fortress. This is best visited in the early morning, before it gets too hot. After exploring the mountain top, head for the resorts of Ein Gedi or Ein Bokek, both of which have decent beaches where you can float on your back in the Dead Sea and chill out. Don’t forget to splash some of that mud on, and bring a newspaper to read (for the perfect picture opportunity, floating in the Dead Sea). You could drive back to Tel Aviv the same evening, or book a hotel in the Dead Sea and wait til morning.

Day 7

If you returned to Tel Aviv on Day 6, you should have plenty of time to squeeze some of the things you couldn’t squeeze in on Day 1. We’d also highly recommend some time on the beach, just remember to put on that sunscreen or you’ll be burnt to a frazzle! Time permitting, we’d also recommend a taxi ride down to the old port of Jaffa, at the southern end of town, or you could just go shopping in Tel Aviv. The narrow and atmospheric Jaffa Flea market shouldn’t be missed, neither should Jaffa’s Old City. This final day’s activities will depend on the time of your flight of course, as well as your energy levels after packing in a pretty intensive tour.

Have an amazing week!

If you do have a couple of extra days, you could zip down to Eilat to snorkel or scuba (or just paddle) in the Red Sea. You could even squeeze in Mitzpeh Ramon on the way down from the Dead Sea, or on your return drive to Tel Aviv. Just bear in mind that it takes some 5 hours (allow more for stops) to get from Eilat to Tel Aviv. The option of taking a flight back to Tel Aviv is tempting, but then you’d miss all that amazing desert scenery…

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Tags: holy land, Jerusalem attractions, Northern Israel attractions, Southern Israel attractions, Tel Aviv attractions, tourism

Category: Attractions, Getting to Israel, Highly Recommended, Pre-flight checklist