I'm going to Israel from Egypt in July and I don't know where to begin. Where are the best places to go in Israel and where should I avoid? Can anyone suggest a really good itinery. I'm up for anything so don't hold back!!!
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...what guidebooks are for?
Never mind Simon, he shows up here now and again with his
guidebook comment.
I wouldn't recommend much time in Eilat, it's really
overrated (and overpriced). Beer Sheva's pretty pointless
too. Go to Jerusalem, you can spend lots of time there, and
add some day trips to the Westbank, like Bethlehem and
Hebron. In Jerusalem itself check out Hezekiah's tunnel.
Go to Tel-Aviv and check out the beaches, the Carmel market,
the Rabin memorial, etc.
Jaffa (right beside TA)- check out the old city on the water
front
Caesarea- best archaeological site in Israel
Haifa- Bahai gardens and shrine
Acco- Arabic old city, crusader ruins. Beautiful place.
Tiberias- bike around the Sea of Galilee
Tzfat- easy day trip from Tiberias, it's really cool
On my list of 'must dos'...
~
Aswan - The Temple of Philae which is one of the most
beautiful places I have been to. A G&T on the terrace of
the Old Cataract Hotel (very expensive but go there in late
afternoon and watch the sun go down. Fellucas sail around
on the Nile below and you can see out over the desert in
the distance). Wander the markets there. Abu Simbel is
accessed via Aswan. I think flights are the way to go at
the moment but the road route may open up again.
Alexandria - a more relaxed atmosphere than other parts of
Egypt. Maybe not frequented as much by tourists. It has a
nice Greco-Roman museum and the beachfront is nice if you
don't get too close. Good for a day or two of wandering
around.
Siwa - truly unique and my fave place in Egypt. Accessible
from Alexandria and Marsa Matruh. A very traditional place
with a picturesque salt lake and sand dunes on the
outskirts. Lots of natural springs, great cycling around
the date groves...really lovely.
Cairo - just for the hustle and bustle. The Egyptian
museum, Pyramids, Khan al Kahlilli Bazaar, taxi rides.all
unforgettable experiences. If you want to get away from the
crowds try the Zoo, but it is a really sad place.
Luxor - Temple of Karnak and Luxor, carriage rides along
the Corniche, Valley of Kings and Queens, Hatcheptsut's
Temple, donkey rides etc etc etc. Lots to see there.
Well that's not an exhaustive list but try not to miss a
few days on a felluca. The most common route is between
Luxor and Aswan with stops at a few temples along the way.
The sights in Egypt are wonderful and not to be missed, but
you┤re going to have to concentrate on them, what with the
hassles you┤ll have to endure from locals trying to part you
from your money. We returned from Egypt ten days ago
and every visitor we bumped into was exausted from the
hassles - many of them cut their visits short because of it.
Just be ready for the constant requests for baksheesh for
the slightest of services, even when you think it┤s already
paid for. And in restaurants be ready for them to round
prices up, even when the bill comes to 8 pounds and one
piastre (they┤ll round it up at least to 8.25 - not that
it┤s much, but it starts to wear you down after a while).
Nonetheless, Egypt is magnificent. Just stock up on your
supply of patience!
Jorg (post #2) pretty well summed it up. He┤s also right in
recommending Bethlehem (mainly just for the Church of the
Nativity) and Hebron (for the souk, and to get a look at a
Jewish settlement smack in the middle of the souk). You┤ll
find Palestinians very friendly and will hear lots of
¿welcome!¿s. I┤d also add Herodium if only for the
spectacular view.
Another interesting place in the West Bank is Nablus, about
an hour taxi ride north of Jerusalem. For any ride to the
West Bank just take a shared ¿service¿ taxi from Damascus
Gate: 3NIS to Ramallah, and from there about 9NIS to Nablus.
2.5NIS to Bethlehem; about 5NIS to Hebron.
Jorg usually has it right on - I would add the following:
.
Do not pass up the Sea of Galilee, very very beautiful.
Lots of Christian stuff there, of course, like the Mount of
Beatitudes (Jesus' sermon on the mount), Capernaum (where he
lived), tons of churches commemorating different things
Jesus did there.
.
Also, the Golan Heights are really nice too - definitely
worth a trip. Gamla is worth a stop. It is the "Masada of
he north", the LP book does not due it justice at all. It's
a bit off the beaten path - not very many tourists go there
& there's very little infrastructure. We happened to get
there just as the sun was setting on the Sea of Galilee,
vultures were soaring in the winds off of the Sea & the
steep precipitous route onto Gamla was quite the adventure!
.
I enjoyed a drive along the Syrian border to see El
Quneitra- kinda' eerie.
.
Also in the north, Tel Dan, the Banias - both parks really
interesting with Old & New Testament references, if you're
into that kind of thing. There also quite lush compared to
the barren desert like conditions in the rest of Israel.
.
You have to go to Meggido (you know, the site of the future
armageddon!). It's even more eerie than El Quneitra! Also,
Qumran where they found the Dead Sea scrolls has a nice
museum there. Mount of Temptation (near Jericho) is worth a
visit to, just to see ST. George's monastery hanging on the
side of an abyss! Man those monks are nuts!
.
In the south a trip to Ein Avdat and Avdat are very
interesting.
.
Spend most of your time in Jerusalem and you won't regret
there's tons of stuff to do there...