Hi
I've been to Tel Aviv for the past 3 yrs and it is a city not to miss. Good hotels, beaches and museums as well as restaurants. Last year I was in Haifa and Akko too. Akko was very different from the other cities we've seen and I recommend it. It is divided between Arabs and Jews. There is an Arab section there inhabited by Christians. The marketplace there is very interesting. It is an old jewish city as well as having remnants of the Crusaders and Muslim influence. We spent a day there with a guide and stayed in Haifa. Tsfat is avery interesting city, though I found the streets can be confusing if driving. I would like to recommend a day in the Golan Heights especially a reconstruction of the town of Katzrin which we found very interesting.

travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1064.html

Always issues in Jerusalem West Bank/Gaza

Exercise Care use localdriver/guides in the know

avoid "soft targets" where tourists crowds are located

Cafes Buses etc odds are great you will be just fine.

Tel Aviv the rest of Israel no major problems.

With all middle east unrest insuremytrip.com

Always wise for me.

Happy Journey,

The recent bombing was first in about 2/yrs. Sad and as unfortunate as it was, could have happened anywhere. But, the State Dept has to issue "warnings" to cover their A$$es... which warnings such as this are for other destinations that people continue to travel. Otherwise, it's as safe to travel to Israel (the planes from around the world are always full, so guess people are going) as most anywhere else, as long as you remember to pack your common sense, which I'm sure you will.

I don't think there's much of the "ordinary" in Israel. Every step here has some meaning for everyone, one way or another. Jerusalem is a must; also south to Masada. Tel Aviv, while a large cosmopolitan city is a favorite of many; then up north to Haifa, Akko, across to Safat... and whichever holy sites are of interest.

While a small country and lots of ground can be covered in a short time, don't try to do too much... set up a reasonable schedule to enjoy yourselves.

I agree that nothing in Israel is ordinary--sometimes in the best possible way, and sometimes just reflective of Israeli culture and bureaucracy

What is "must see" vs "skip it" depends on the the traveler. Most Jewish travlers would skip Nazareth and some areas around the Sea of Galilee, but these are must sees for most Christians.

Israel is reinventing itself and being rediscovered as a design center so if that's an interest, there are museums and galleries and whole neighborhoods that become essential.
Tel Aviv is also a very vibrant hip international city so if that's your style, go for it

I think Masada is must see for most people, and I would add other historic sights like Caesarea to the obvious first choice of Jerusalem

Regarding the safety issue, if it were up to the US State Dept no one would ever come to Israel as a tourist - their warnings have always been alarmist, if not worse. As long as you use basic common sense you will be fine - probably a lot safer here than back home.

As to where to go, a lot depends on what your interests are. Obviously Jerusalem is at the top of the list - but you could spend a month in Jerusalem and still have so much left to see. Masada is high on the list of must-sees. Akko is well worth the trip.

Beyond that, you need to decide what is important to you. If you want to visit Bethlehem for religious reasons, it is easily accomplished as a half day trip from Jerusalem.

I have to agree with Oreets re: the State Department advisory. I am a yearly visitor to Israel --there all summer and have gone straight through all the "dangerous" times. Reality--never been near any problems. Security is high and the Israelis seem to know what they are doing. It is important to remember that today, the world is small and no place is 100% safe. My reaction is for you to go and enjoy.

Now, where to go--depends upon your interests, background and religion, who is going and how long you are going to be in Israel. If you supply some of that, I am sure people can help you figure out what to do!

I've never been to Isreal, but I always look at the British Foreign Office for advice on traveling abroad. It's often a more measured position than the State Department IMHO.

Hi,

What does the British Foreign Office currently say about Israel? Otherwise, as for what I like, I simply like attractive towns and cities with architectural charms and many sites (like Jerusalem).

I have been to Tel Aviv, Akko, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, and Nazareth. Tel Aviv for me is too modern and cosmopolitan. Jaffa on the south is more interesting although they beautified the old city probably too much. The old part of Akko is a fascinating mixture of the influence from three religions. I didn't care for Bethlehem. It was touristy and commercial, and since it is in the West Bank, it might get harder to get in under the current condition. Nazareth is a good home base to visit the area such as Beit She'an, Sea of Galilee, Tzippori, Muhraka, Mt. Tabor, and Megiddo. I liked Nazareth over Tiberias.

The most spectacular of all is not on your list: Masada.

We just came back from Israel (http://www.fodors.com/community/africa-the-middle-east/israel-2011-trip-report.cfm) and we would return in a heartbeat. We were in Jerusalem during the last terror attack in March. Although it did shake us up a bit, the Israeli's have, what I think is a good attitude about that ever present possibility. So in a way, it helped us actually feel calmer and continue to enjoy our trip afterwards. One person said to us, that attacks have decreased probably 90% because of the controversial wall/barrier. But second, it is similar to earthquakes and other natural disasters; they are inevitable and you can be prepared, but you just hope that you are not in the wrong time or place when it occurs. Living in earthquake country ourselves, we understood that philosophy.

But on a lighter note, where to visit. We loved Tel Aviv, even though many people told us to avoid it. Although we live outside a large city, we are both city people at heart, and so Tel Aviv was a lot of fun. We stayed in a neighborhood just a few blocks from the beach. It was a very young, and happening place.

Jerusalem is a must. It is an incredible city. It has so much to offer, whether you are Jewish, Christian or Muslim. The history is so fascinating. We spent more time there than anywhere else; six nights. With all that time, we still felt we could have done more.

Masada and the Dead Sea are also very interesting. We did a day trip which was plenty. But I can see going back for an overnight and hiking. It's a beautiful area.

We missed the Negev, which we will certainly do on another trip.

We loved the north. We stayed in this cute little artist village called Ein Hod (http://ein-hod.info/) which is certainly worth a visit, if not a stay. We weren't crazy about Haifa, but going to the Bahai Gardens and the beach was enjoyable.

We loved Safed too. It was very rainy when we were there, so it wasn't as conducive to walking and photography, but I can see in better weather it would be a photographer's dream. We only got to the Nature Reserve in the Hula Valley, which was very interesting. But we were wanting to go further north to some of the other parks, but the rain kept us back. The Golan Heights was also beautiful, though we just stopped by for some wine and olive oil. Again the rain was beginning to hold us back. Rosh Pina is a cute little town if you don't want to stay in Safed. Lots of interesting places to stay.

We went to Eilat to catch our tour to Petra. If you are not worried about going into Jordan, Petra is really worth the visit. Eilat is nice for the beaches and access to the Negev. We were there about midway through our trip, and it was a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of the cities, and the constant stream of historic sites. Speaking of which, I though Akko, and Caesarea were very interesting. Akko more so because of how extensive it was. We didn't make it to Rosh Hanikra on this trip, but we wanted to visit the caves up there. Maybe next time.

I hope these ideas help you in your decision.

Daniel

Just returned last night from 16 days in Israel and Jordan and felt totally safe the entire time. We loved it all...Tel Aviv and Jaffe were very interesting.
Love Akko and Caesarea.
Jerusalem could be explored for weeks! We were very glad we had a local guide who took us through the different parts of the old city and explained all the history to us.
Mosada is a true wonder.
We dud cross into Bethlehem and although it was moving to see the Curch of the Nativity, the rest of the town was disappointing.
There is a lot more to Jordan than just Petra. We found the Jordanians to be some of the most friendly people we've ever encountered.

We went a few years ago, and the only bits I really enjoyed were the old city of Jerusalem and the Mount of Olives / Garden of Gethsemane. The rest was so commercialised that it spoiled my mental images of the country... It was a bit like reading a fantastic book then seeing a terrible film version.

I know my comments go against some of the above but, with the benefit of hindsight, I would have preferred to have kept my imagined view.

I'm going back in October (to work for a few months) and, while there, I'll go back to Jerusalem and try to visit Jordan but probably won't venture back to other places.

Tel-Aviv and Haifa are just cities much like any others.

It is unfortunate that Hastobe_Katt felt that Israel was a disappointing place to visit. I guess if the visions you hold are Biblical scenes, camels and desert you are going to be disappointed. But, if you are willing to acknowledge and ready to see a modern country with many many Biblical, historical and archeological sites AS WELL AS the modern sites than you will have a trip of a lifetime. It is important to remember that Israeli science has provided many of the items that make our lives more comfortable today. That couldn't be done if they were all living in tents etc. etc.

Don't let anything or anyone scare you out of going to Israel. You will be as safe there as you are anywhere else. Make certain you have at least 5 full days in Jerusalem because it is a world all it's own and you will never feel you've had enough. Don't miss the tunnels. Do not miss Masada and the Dead Sea. Haifa is a good place to get to the rest of the North. Akko is interesting, but not if you are short on time. Tsfat is indeed interesting but there is more up in that area too. Beit Shean, Megiddo are both easy to get to from Haifa, but then again, nothing is very far apart. I think you aren't getting many suggestions because you haven't said how much time you have there or if you will self drive, etc. Tel Aviv is very beautiful and interesting, and because of all the bad press Israel too often gets it's good to see and explore it for yourself so you will understand the distorted view of Israel in the media. Ceasarea is well worth a visit too. Give more details and you will get more information. Be aware that most things and transport shut down on the sabbath for 24 hours.