Masada National Park

Israel

　　The plateau atop Masada, which measures about 550m by 270m, is some 60m above sea level – that is, about 490m above the surface of the Dead Sea. The easiest way up is by cable car, though you can also hoof it – up the Roman siege ramp from the...

Synagogue-Church

Nazareth

　　Hidden away in an alleyway off the souq, this humble Crusader-era structure, now a Catholic church, stands on the site of the synagogue where it is believed that the young Jesus quoted Isaiah (61:1–2 and 58:6) and revealed himself as the fulfilment of Isaiah’s prophesy (Luke 4:15–30). The adjacent Greek...

White Mosque

Nazareth

　　Built in the late 1700s by Sheikh Abdullah Al Fahum – his tomb can be seen through a glass door off the sanctuary – this mosque is known for its long-standing support of harmony between Nazareth’s different faith communities. You can leave your shoes on, except on the rugs. The...

Nazareth Village

Nazareth

　　If you've ever been curious about day-to-day life in Nazareth in the time of Jesus, consider stopping by this recreation of a 1st-century Galilean farmstead. The wine press, quarries and some of the vineyard terraces are authentically ancient, but everything else – the threshing floor, the burial cave, the olive...

Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent

Nazareth

　　Built between 1906 and 1923, this neo-Gothic church, with commanding views of Nazareth, has a clean, almost luminescent limestone interior whose delicate arches and soaring vaults can only be described as ‘very French’. It owes its name to the fact that Jesus spent much of his early life in Nazareth....

Ancient Bathhouse

Nazareth

　　When Elias Shama and his Belgian-born wife Martina set about renovating their shop in 1993, they uncovered a network of 2000-year-old clay pipes almost identical to ones found in Pompeii – and then, under the floor, an almost perfectly preserved Roman bathhouse once fed by water from Mary’s Well. The...

Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation

Nazareth

　　According to Greek Orthodox tradition, the Annunciation took place while Mary was fetching water from the spring situated directly under this richly frescoed, 17th-century church (other denominations hold that she was at home during the Annunciation). The barrel-vaulted crypt, first constructed under Constantine (4th century CE), shelters Nazareth’s only year-round...

Centre International Marie de Nazareth

Nazareth

　　Almost across the street from the Basilica of the Annunciation, this stunning complex is run by Chemin Neuf, a Roman Catholic community based in France, as a venue for ecumenical work among Christians and for inter-religious dialogue. The peaceful rooftop gardens, landscaped with plants mentioned in the Bible, afford 360-degree...

Basilica of the Annunciation

Nazareth

　　Dominating the Old City’s skyline is the lantern-topped cupola of this Franciscan-run Roman Catholic basilica, an audacious modernist structure that’s unlike any building you’ve ever seen. Constructed from 1960 to 1969, it’s believed by many Christians to stand on the site of Mary’s home, where many churches (but not the...

National Maritime Museum

Haifa

　　This museum, founded in 1953, covers five millennia of maritime history across its three floors, from barnacle-clung amphorae to Israel's recent naval history. Temporary exhibitions on themes from pirates to naval battles rotate on the ground floor, while the archaeological treasures – Egyptian canopic jars and Roman remnants recovered from...

Haifa Museum of Art

Haifa

　　Challenging and contemporary, the Museum of Art's three exhibition spaces showcase mixed media and photography by Israeli and international artists. If you enjoy confrontational artwork and lively debate, this airy gallery is well worth exploring (plus you can people-watch the local artistic community, who come here in droves to stroll...

MadaTech

Haifa

　　Kid-friendly science exhibits fill this elegant 1912 building, including hands-on displays in the astronomy rooms, optical illusions and a hall of mirrors (exhibits are labelled with the appropriate age group). The building was the first home of the Technion–Israel Institute and its soaring arches and echoing hallways are a delight...

Shrine of the Báb

Haifa

　　Though it’s primarily a pilgrimage site, modestly dressed visitors are allowed to enter this domed shrine holding the remains of the Báb, spiritual predecessor to the Baha’i faith’s main prophet Baha’ullah. Canadian architect William Sutherland Maxwell designed the shrine to unify Middle Eastern and European styles. It was built in...

Clandestine Immigration & Naval Museum

Haifa

　　Using a series of powerful video testimonials, this fascinating museum showcases the Zionist Movement’s determined efforts to infiltrate Jewish refugees from Europe into British-blockaded Palestine from 1934 to 1948. The centrepiece is a WWII landing craft rechristened the Af-Al-Pi-Chen (‘nevertheless’ in Hebrew) that carried 434 refugees to Palestine in 1947;...

Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery

Haifa

　　The Carmelite Order was established in the late 12th century when Crusader-era pilgrims, inspired by the prophet Elijah, opted for a hermitic life on the slopes of Mt Carmel. Today the order lives on around the world and in the 'Star of the Sea' monastery, whose current building was constructed...

Hecht Museum

Haifa

　　This university campus museum showcases engrossing archaeological finds such as well-restored mosaics and troves of ancient coins, but the pièce de résistance is the Ma'agan Mikhael Shipwreck, a 2400-year-old merchant vessel unearthed in 1985. Originally 12.5m long, the ship would have hauled 15 tons of cargo and has a rare...

Baha’i Gardens

Haifa

　　These formal gardens flowing down 19 steep terraces to a resplendent domed shrine – the final resting place of the prophet-herald of the Baha’i faith – are Haifa’s crowning attraction. There are bird’s-eye views from the platform at the top, but we highly recommend the free, 45-minute Panorama Tour. Tours...

Safari Ramat Gan

Tel Aviv

　　Offering a fascinating glimpse of fantastic beasts, this is close as you'll get to the Serengeti plains in Israel. It's both a drive-through safari and a large zoo – the safari section includes rhinos, hippos, zebras and flamingos; the zoo has elephants, giraffes, monkeys, kangaroos and more, plus a petting...

Beit Hatfutsot

Tel Aviv

　　Once known as the Diaspora Museum and recently revamped as the Museum of the Jewish People, Beit Hatfutsot is located on the leafy campus of Tel Aviv University. Opened in 1978, the museum recounts the epic story of the Jewish exile and global Jewish diaspora using objects, photographs, audiovisual presentations...

Tel Aviv Boardwalk

Tel Aviv

　　No visit to Tel Aviv is complete without a seaside stroll, and after recent renovations to the city’s boardwalk (tayelet in Hebrew), it is an absolute must. The 14km of coastline are now packed with bike paths and walkways, wooden amphitheatre seating overlooking beach volleyball nets, playgrounds, exercise equipment and...

Carmel Market

Tel Aviv

　　Nestled between the tranquil streets of the Yemenite Quarter and the creative corridor of Nahalat Binyamin St, Tel Aviv's busiest street market is, in many ways, the heart of the city. Here, you can (literally) taste the chaos of a cultural melting pot at stalls selling vibrant fruits, vegetables, olives,...

Gordon Beach

Tel Aviv

　　South from Hilton Beach, this is Tel Aviv's main beach. Well equipped with sunloungers, ice-cream shops, an outdoor gym and beach restaurants, it's popular with Tel Avivians, tourists and matkot (paddle ball) players. On Saturdays, you'll likely see group folk dancing on the boardwalk. The Gordon Swimming Pool is at...

Jaffa Flea Market

Tel Aviv

　　In recent years, lots of energy has gone into giving Jaffa's Old City a tourism-triggered makeover, and the results are undeniably attractive. However, the real draw in this part of the city is considerably more dishevelled. Spread over a grid of streets south of the clock tower, Jaffa's much-loved pishpeshuk...

Park HaYarkon

Tel Aviv

　　Park HaYarkon is Tel Aviv's answer to Central Park. Joggers, cyclists, skaters, footballers and frisbee-throwers should head for this 3.5-sq-km stretch of grassy parkland, the city's largest green space, along the Yarkon River. The Sportek Centre here has a climbing wall, basketball courts, a skate park and trampolines. Starting from...

Tel Aviv Museum of Art

Tel Aviv

　　The modern ‘envelope’ building by American architect Preston Scott Cohen is one of many reasons to visit this impressive gallery located on the eastern edge of the city centre. There's a huge amount to see here (including art activities for kids), but undoubtedly the highlight is the superb collection of...