Looking for a suggested itinerary for a once- in -a lifetime 1 1/2 to 2 week trip to Israel next May, 2016. We want great hotels, wonderful driver/guide for a curated experience. We are into archaeology,art, good food and wine and unique experiences. Not doing Eilat - staying mid to Northern Israel.
We are in OK shape- but no long treks in the desert or much climbing.

Anyone care to share your wonderful suggestions for "do not miss" spots?
Thanks in advance!

http://www.fodors.com/community/afri...did-i-miss.cfm

Israel is small. You can stay in a nice hotel in Tel Aviv by the beach and take day tours. You may enjoy reading my blog. I was on the budget.

You have already received bad advice. Israel is a small country but not that small. Do you want to spend 4-5 hours every day driving back and forth from Tel-Aviv to the Galilee ?

The classic itinerary is as follows: Start off with a few days in Tel-Aviv, then pick up a rental car when you leave the city. Drive north to Haifa, Akko, Galilee and Golan. Drive down to the Dead Sea via Bet Shean & the Jordan Valley. Drive to Jerusalem and return the car. Spend the remainder of your vacation in Jerusalem.

The numbers of days spent in each area depends on your interests.

There is no problem doing most of this on your own. Most sites have audioguides, brochures, give their own tours, etc. The one place where a good guide is genuinely beneficial is in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Public transport in Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem is efficient and inexpensive. A car in those cities is a liability because of the traffic and parking problems.

Here are a few websites that will help you plan your itinerary:

National Parks:
http://tinyurl.com/mnevevl

Museums:
http://ilmuseums.com/

Govt tourism website:
http://www.goisrael.com/Tourism_Eng/Pages/home.aspx

A non-commercial guide put together by a frequent visitor to Israel:
http://amateurtraveler.com/travel-gu...el%20guide.pdf

Please post more questions as your planning progresses.

I have to agree that you received horrible advice re: stay in one place. I do suggest you go over to Trip Advisor which is a more active forum. I will warn you though--there are people there who are very anti-private guide/ driver. Yes, it cost more money, BUT if that is what YOU want there are many many advantages to having a guide who will plan your vacation and help you ( or do for you) book hotels.

There is a top question on Trip advisor which discusses working with a private guide. It also has names and idea on how to hire a guide. I suggest you look at it.

Rather than repeat I will simply endorse Elkaz' post.

I often travel completely on my own but sometimes it is just so much more rewarding to have a professional guide. Jerusalem was one of those places where a guide basically made the entire experience.

So ignore those who say 'oh, you don't need a guide' and hire one if that's your wont. It's your holiday and your experience.

At least we all agree that a guide is beneficial and worthwhile in the Old City of Jerusalem.

But other than Jerusalem the decision on whether to hire a guide depends on three factors:
- budget
- the ability or desire of the tourist to absorb more and more information (above and beyond what is available in posted signs, brochures and audioguides).
- the ability of the tourist to manage on their own in a strange location.

There is no need to expand on "budget"; this a decision that the tourist must make on his own.

Regarding the second factor, it would be totally irresponsible, for example, to tell a tourist that he MUST go to Massada with a guide. There is an excellent museum at the base with informative background material and audioguides are provided that give lengthy and detailed explanations at all point of interest on the site. How many tourists want even more information ? The same is true in many other locations such as Yad Vashem.

The third factors is important for those tourists who think that it is impossible to manage in a foreign country (I personally know a few). It's their decision whether to pay a guide to hold their hand, even though we know that it is not necessary in Israel.

End of lecture

mbgg, the reason a guide is being endorsed is because the people who wrote the first post clearly want one. They wrote,

"We want great hotels, wonderful driver/guide for a curated experience."

It is not the job of anyone here to tell them that they should have less than that. Obviously they have the budget or they wouldn't be asking. AND if they speak to a guide and they find they don't have the budget then they will modify their plans. Furthermore a good guide, will, if he or she finds the person doesn't have sufficient funds suggest which days they should be guileless.

IN terms of going to Masada without a guide. If someone doesn't rent a car, then taking public transportation is, terrible. I would never want to have to stand on the side of the road waiting for a bus. It is, the way I look at it, a total waste of time. Also, a guide can explain what they are looking at and where they are going as they drive down. A guide is more than talking about a site once you have arrived at it.

People come onto travel forums because they want advice. A lot of people who come onto the forum have preconceived ideas that are incorrect, are unfamiliar with the geography or simply unaware that alternatives are available.

I realize that the OP asked about a guide, but I will give advice and suggestions as I see fit, no matter how much it bothers you, and the OP can accept or reject the advice as he sees fit.

The OP may not know how much a guide costs and we have no idea what his finances are.

As to "stand on the side of the road waiting for a bus", the OP did not ask for hyperbole either, and I don't see where I suggested it.

There are many possibilities and one is to use a guide as needed. For instance, do TA on your own including some sites with docent led tours by reservation, followed by a few days in the north with a private guide and then on to Jerusalem with a combination - doing lots of things on your own including some sites by reservation with their guides plus an Old City day tour with a private guide. It doesn't have to be all one way. There are endless possibilities to craft a fabulous tour that meets your needs and budgets. You'll have a fabulous time for sure. Trip advisor does have more info when it comes to Israeli travel.

“…good food and wine…” I liked that; especially if you really meant good wine and food.
I’d love to help you on that topic once you have arrived in the country. E.g. suggest which Israeli wine you shouldn’t miss, recommend wineries worth a visit, etc.
Should you plan to spend a few nights in Tel Aviv, I will send you links for a few boutique hotels which are considered special (but not considered cheap)
I am not a tourist guide. There will be no charge. I will probably enjoy it more than you.
I live in Ramat Gan and am in the 60 (plus) year bracket. Do you have an email address? You may connect me when in Israel.
אלי גל

Have you checked out American Israel Travel? http://www.americaisraeltravel.net

I travelled with AIT in April, 2011. I was 61 y.o. at the time. It was the most memorable vacation I've ever taken. I took the "Into the Promised Land" tour which included visiting Egypt, Jordan & Israel. There are several different itineraries to choose from and the prices cannot be beat. The accommodations are first class and the guides and drivers are extremely knowledgable. You will visit all the major biblical and historical sites on your journey. Check out the site, you will not believe the prices and the reviews. I plan on repeating this vacation in the near future.

I won't get into the guide argument, except to say that it's true a guide adds no value to many of the sites you'll want to see. Maybe use one part of the time? Oh I guess I got into the guide argument.

We are not too much younger than you, but are very fit and try to do some hiking when we travel,especially in Israel which has absolutely mind-blowing hiking. The hikes in the Negev are amazing, especially Ein Avdat or Ein Gedi. Perhaps you could do an abbreviated hike or go out for 2 hrs before it gets hot. But I'm getting ahead of myself.
I do not agree to spend a few days in Tel Aviv. It's a young person town, unless you want beach time, you can walk around and get a sense of it in one day, or maybe the first and last days of the trip as you'll be there anyway.

Head up the coast to Caesarea, especially as an archeology buff! It's halfway between TA and Haifa, a really nice city with several interesting museums, and of course the fabulous Ba'hai Gardens. From there, I think it's worth a stop in Akko and just another 30 minutes north to Rosh HaNikra to see the grottoes.

You should get a National Park Pass at the first one you go to. The link someone posted above is good, you can explore which parks interest you. There are SO many tels dotting the country, again archeology fans shouldn't miss them.

I'm lukewarm on Tsfat, it's very touristy. Around the Kinneret, I would suggest GAMLA, known as sort of Masada Two. There is some intense hiking there, but I know you can drive up to the ruins as well.

Jerusalem is magical. You don't have to be religious to just feel it when you are there. Spend as long as you can there. Try to get to Yad Vashem early to try to beat big tours. And I seriously advise you to allow an entire day for the Israel Museum. We are well-travelled and found it to be one of the most amazing museums in the world. Machane Yehuda, the shuk, is by far the best shuk in Israel. Don't miss it, but don't try bargaining, there's none of that there. Don't go on Friday if you don't enjoy awesome mayhem. One hopes that by Spring, the madness of the current terrorism will have abated. But be careful in the Old City, I urge you NOT to go into the Muslim Qtr. Now in the Old City shuk, you can bargain til your head explodes.

If you don't plan to hike up the Snake Trail, you can do Masada as a day trip. I've heard the story my whole life, but going to Masada was one of the most intense experiences you can imagine.

Those are my favorite things. I'll be heading back in eight weeks and I'm counting the days. Have fun, eat hummus and falafel until you are sick of it! And it's not a proper falafel without French fries in it!

I posted this just on another thread asking for best places. It might be a little subjective, but I am speaking from experience.

Best places:

- Jerusalem (of course).
- Acre (or Akko) with the crusaders fortress.
- Capharnaum.
- The Dead Sea (a bath in the Dead Sea is a MUST).
- Massada (can easily combined with the Dead Sea on a daytrip from Jerusalem).
- The Negev for a desert experience.

What did I NOT include into my list:
- Jaffa - yes, it is charming, but more a second-rank destination.
- Tel Aviv - a modern city with a wide beach and contemporary Israeli life.
- Caesarea - has good Roman ruins (but you find similar archeological sites elsewhere around the Mediterranean)
- Nazareth - not much to see besides an ugly monstrosity of a modern church

But what I would strongly recommend is a side trip into Jordan. Petra is outstanding and so is Wadi Rum.

Guides or not?

I must say there are many bad guides. Some of them are telling you wrong or outdated facts with an attitude of knowledge. We even once had a guide who earnestly pointed to a mud column and saying it was Lot's wife - imagine a mud column that has been carved by erosion in the last rain and that will vanish in the next rain! Often, we left the guides when they were talking bull**** and explored the sites on our own. A good guidebook and the Bible and some theological and archeological background literature or websites will help a lot. Israel is easy to travel (and so is Jordan), so a guide is not necessary. And be aware that guides often steer you into restaurants or gift shops where they get commission (usually 40%).

I am a 67 year old and traveled with America Israel Tours, they did a great job. I think their website is www.americaisraeltours.com

If any questions let me know!