We are arriving via cruise to Ashood on a Sunday & leaving Haifa on Monday evening. Traveling wll be my hubby, teen son & myself. We are renting a car for both days & spending the night in Jerusalem. Our goal is to see the old city, westenr wall, dead sea & safed. My question is how we should time it & the order in which we should see everything. If we have time for more sites, that is a bonus. We are not doddlers & like to move Thanks!

Please post the times you arrive in Ashdod and leave Haifa.

We arrive in Ashod at 8 am & leave Haifa at 11 pm. (probably need to be on the boat by 8?)

quick follow-up - someone recommended we do not make the trip to Safed, that it is not worth it?

Most people who are visiting Israel for the first time would spend an entire day in Jerusalem. Masada, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea plus driving back and forth would also take up much of
another full day. Safed is not near either of the two or Ashdod, so...

Are you most interested in religious sites (which religions) archaeology, historic areas?

What time of the year are you coming? Dead Sea access is sometimes problematic once rainy season starts.

A first guess itinerary might be get car at Ashdod and drive (about 2 hours) to the Dead Sea, Masada, Ein Gedi. Drive to Jerusalem, see some sites in the early evening. Jerusalem the whole next day before your return to Ashdod.

I just noticed that you leave from Haifa not Ashdod. In that case it makes a little more sense to see a site or two in the north on your way back to the ship, but you still will have to prioritize.

What do you recommend for a day & night in Jerusalem & the next day in Haifa? I was hoping to go the old city in the morning & drive to the dead sea in the afternoon, but now that does not seem like a good idea. Sounds like going to the dead sea on the way to Haifa is out? We have been to Masada years ago & decided not to return this trip. We are mostly intersted in historical sites (we are jewish). We will be there October 2 & 3.

Dead Sea is way out of the way from Jerusalem to Haifa. I personally would't go that way at all if you've already been to Masada. Is it just for a dip in the sea? Wouldn't you rather go to a nice beach?

Haifa itself is fine,some pretty scenery. But if you skip the Dead Sea and then have a whole day for Jerusalem you could see some interesting sites the next day along the way to Haifa like Caesarea, Akko (just north of Haifa) , and yes even detour to Safed, Zippori (amazing mosaic there)

October 2nd is a minor fast day this year and would probably not be a good day to be in Safed/Tsfat. In Jerusalem that might have some issues like more crowds than usual the Western Wall.

Google Maps is really good for Israel driving routes and distances as long as you account for name variations. Typing METZADA is better than Masada, for example

Check when your car rental agency in Haifa closes. If you have to return it before 6 PM it will affect your schedule.

Most rental agencies, in my experience close at 5PM. I would leave any touring in Haifa to the end of the day--and then do it with public transportation. Safed is an interesting mystical city . There are both artsy places and places of Jewish interest to visit. It is probably a place best seen with a tour guide. This site


http://www.safed.co.il/tourist-information-center.htm.


should help you with your visit and help you answer questions.

What you could do is spend your first day in Jerusalem and then in the afternoon or early evening head North. You may want to sleep around Cesarea or Haifa of in one of the Kibbutz guesthouses up North if you can make it, or in Tiberius which awfull but has many hotels.

Ashdod to Jerusalem is an hour with no traffic but Sunday is a workday in Israel so for plan for a delay. Hopefully by the time you get your car it will have cleared up some.
The drive from Jerusalem to Safad takes around 3 hours (2.5 on a good day).
The drive back to Haifa should take around an hour and a half.

MiaMom:
The OP has probably come and gone already. Why are you reviving old threads ?

The OP has DEFINITELY come and gone. They were here in Oct.
MiaMom--it is really important to look at the date of threads before you respond.