Northern Israel
 

Help! We are planning a trip to Israel in August. We are overwhelmed and would appreciate help from the Fodors communtiy. We are traveling with two children 8 and 12. We have 2 full days to spend in the north.
What are the MUST SEE sights and activities in that area?
Can we tour that area on our own or do we need a guide to get the most of the area?
Where should we stay?
We would like to experience a Kibbutz. Any recommendations?
Can someone suggest a tour guide who lives in the North and "guide" us to 2-3 days?
Thanks so much.

Highly recommend Arnon Eschel, [email protected].
He lives in the Tiberias area and we used him for 5 days in March, 2010. He is relatively young (42), served as a Major in the IDF, knows and loves Israel and his rate for guiding is extremely reasonable.
Tell him Ann and Jerry recommended him.
Have a great trip.

Been awhile since I was in Israel. In the north of course Sea of Galilee has a natural loveliness as well as historic references. Also places like Capernaum I would suggest. Nazareth is a tourist stop. Cana less so. We did stay in a kibbutz but that was long ago...and yet I suspect this is still possible.

But surely you can just search on line for guides, lodging, etc. Main concern I'd have though is entertaining the kids. And that will surely mean limits to walking through ruins in hot August! Anyone else have ideas?

My other question: are you Jewish or Christian or neither? That will affect your approach. I'll be interested in what you find.

Bill in Boston

We stayed in Tiberius and used it as a base to tour the northern part of Israel. We had a car and did not use a guide. we traveled to Tzfat and Katzerin [Masada of the north]. It's on the Golan Heights. While there we visited we visited a restored 3rd cent. Jewish Village. We found it very interesting and it had a bldg with original paint on its wall set up as it actually was back then. An ancient synogoue and other bldgs. We were told if a peace treaty is ever signed Israel would probably lose this site again. Check out Fodors Israel. There is also a winery there to visit. I can't comment on using a guide as we traveled without and used our guidebooks. We also visited Capernaum and saw the ancient synogogue there. Staying in Tiberius was a good choice as it was central to the area we visited.

We spent two days in Northern Israel with a rental car. Did not have a guide. Very easy. The highlights for us were staying in Nazareth at Fauzi Azar Inn (http://www.fauziazarinn.com) and visiting the following museum near Tiberius:

"In addition to its hotel, guest rooms and bathing beach, Kibbutz Ginossar is best known today for the Yigal Alon Museum located here. Devoted to the subject of Man in the Galilee, the exhibits explore Arab and Jewish settlement in the Galilee, the history of the region and the moral dilemmas related to war as well as other topics. The museum includes an information centre on sites and hikes in the Galilee and a short audio-visual program on the landscape of the region. Another highlight is a 2000-year-old boat which has been preserved and is on display. A film of the discovery can also be seen."

We really enjoyed the displays including the "masterpiece" of the 2000 year old fishing boat and how it was discovered and preserved. And the museum is air conditioned!

(I copied the description from the website http://www.galiltour.co.il/tour_025.html which seems to have other good ideas).

Also, not exactly Northern Israel but also a great place for families is Caesaria. It is a well done site of the ancient Roman ruins with good introductory video and interactive booths in the museum part and then the buildings right on the Med. We didn't stay there but we saw a number of what appeared to be family friendly waterfront resorts nearby.

Finally, assuming you are also going to be in Jerusalem don't miss the Tower of David Museum. It tells the history chronologically as you go through the museum which makes a great introduction to all the "layers" you will see in Jerusalem and elsewhere in Israel.

That's where we stayed...Kibbutz Ginossar at the edge of Lake Galilee. And they did back then have an educational aspect. Agree that Golan Heights is a good bet to explore where we found a newly excavated 4th century church at Corsi. Wonderful overlook at Mevo-Hamma Kibbutz.

Nobody has mentioned a boat ride on Sea of Galilee which I've done twice? One can see the supposed location of the Sermon on the Mount which was it seems located at a lakeside spot in a kind of grassy amphitheatre. So perhaps as Luke says it really was a sermon on the plain. And at Ein Gev lunch eating St. Peter's fish with the head still on. Nearby synagogue ruins at Hamat-Tiberias, 6th century built on top of 3rd century mosaic floor.

Bill in Boston

When we visited Caesaria two yrs ago the only hotel was the Dan Caesaria. They were building homes with a golf course in the area. Caesaria is a wonderful site to visit. Herod had it built as the major port at that time. There is a full days sights to see if not 2 days. Found a very good local place to eat there, a combination gas station, shushi bar and restaurant. Enjoy your trip