jeanned

I am in the very beginning stages of planning a two week trip to Israel for this summer. We will have our 13 year old son with us and possibly one of our college aged sons. We love history, adventure, food, sports and culture. We are very interested in learning more about the country's history and gaining a better understanding of it's current situation. We plan to travel independently and will rent a car to see the country (pick up in Tel Aviv on our way out of the city and drop off in Jerusalem when we start that part of our trip). We will use a guide as appropriate.

This is what we are thinking at this early stage.
1 or 2 nights in Tel Aviv
1 or 2 nights in Haifa
2 nights in Galilee or Golan Heights (thoughts?)
1 night near the Dead Sea
1 night-- Possible trip to Petra
5 nights in Jerusalem

A couple of questions:
* feedback on this potential schedule?
* is it safe to travel to the Dead Sea area via the Jordan River
* does anyone have a guide that they would recommend for a day trip to Bethlehem and possibly Jericho (is it possible to do both cities in one day?)
* would love recommendations for unique experiences
* hotel recommendations in these locations?
* should we do a guided tour starting from Israel to Petra or can we drive to Petra on our own? And if we do a guided tour, we would like a relatively small group tour, even a private tour guide. We prefer to go at our own pace when feasible. Any recommendations?

I appreciate all feedback. I was surprised to find that there aren't a lot of posts in this forum about Israel. From what I have read thus far, it sounds like it is going to be a fascinating trip!

Lolazahra

Hello. I have not gone yet but it is on my bucket list. Here is a thread by a traveler I really like. Family4Travels to Israel & Petra -matzos, mezze and Menachem!!

Also, once you go under Israel, click on trip reports. There are more interesting and helpful ones.

Good luck. Let us know what you end up planning.

Thanks.

jeanned

Thank you! I have looked at this and previous trip reports. Unfortunately most of them are on the old side.

abram

You can't tske an Israeli rental car to Petra.
With such a short trip, I'd skip Petra.

thursdaysd

Petra is amazing, but you need three nights/two days. There is a lot more to see than just the Treasury.

jeanned

Sorry I wasn't clear about Petra-- yes we would drop off the car and do a private or small group tour of Petra. Any recommendations for tour groups to use? Abram and Thursdaysd, we are unlikely to ever return to Israel and/or Jordan. This would be our only opportunity to see Petra in our lives. Are you saying that Petra isn't worth going to at all given that we only have one night? If it were you, would you skip it completely if you couldn't spend more time in Israel or at least three days in Petra?

thursdaysd

If that is all the time you have, that is all the time you have. Try to pick an evening when it is open after dark. I would give time to Petra rather than the Dead Sea - it just needs an hour or two

See: https://mytimetotravel.wordpress.com...eerless-petra/ - click on the photos for full size ones, I don't know why Wordpress has shrunk them.

Dianedancer

We were in Israel this past Fall and our itinerary worked out well for us so I'll pass it along:
3 nights in Tel Aviv. This included the first day/night we arrived.
Picked up car and drove north. On the way we stopped off at Caesaria and passed through Haifa and spent---
1 night in Akko
Leaving Akko we went north to Rosh Hanikra on the Lebanese border. It is a water/cave site. Recommended. Then on to the Galilee ----
3 nights in Rosh Pina in the Galilee.
While in that area we took days trips with int he Galilee and up to the Golan Heights:
Nimrod Castle, Agamon Hula (a nature preserve which was fantastic as it was bird flyover season and we saw 40,000 cranes fly in!). We took a 2 hour tour in the Golan Heights with a very experienced guide. I can get you his information if you wish. We saw Syria with him. (From the Israeli side of course.)
Then we drove down to the Dead Sea and spent 2 nights there. (Ein Bokek) Went to Masada while there.
On our way to the Dead Sea we stopped off at Beit She'an a Roman site. Highly recommended.
Drove up to Jerusalem and dropped off the car.
5 nights in Jerusalem.
So much to do and see. Yes, the Old City, but the rest of Jerusalem has a lot to offer as well. Definitely go to Yad Vashem and the Israel Museum - this last is a wonderful art museum which also contains the Dead Sea Scrolls.

One night in Petra is not enough. You will spend 8 hours in travel and only 3 hours there.

We stayed at the Harmony Hotel in Jerusalem. Highly recommended.

jeanned

Thursdaysd, love your photos!!! It sounds like you were so so about your tour company. Which one did you use?

Dianedancer

Ilan Shulman was the name of our guide in the Golan Heights.
No-Other-Land

I'd also recommend going to the Palmach Museum in Tel Aviv. But you must make reservations. It's very popular.

jeanned

Diane dancer, I would like to contact your guide and would appreciate his/her contact information. Did you go to Petra? I didn't see it in your schedule?? Are there any other hotels that you would recommend? Did you by chance stay at a kibbutz?

Thank you!

thursdaysd

It was an Explore! tour (UK company), not recommended. I only used a tour because I was having trouble getting accommodation in north Jordan, and couldn't find a cost-effective way to do Wadi Rum on my own. I did Syria on my own (this was before the Arab Spring) and with a couple of cars and driver, and Lebanon with day tours.

Glad you liked the photos! Petra is super photogenic.

Dianedancer

HI jeanned -Our guide for the 2 hour tour in the Golan was Ilan Shulman. He meets you at his kibbutz. Here's a link to reviews on Trip Advisor and his own site:

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...rom_Golan.html

No-Other-Land

We didn't go to Petra because of the time it would take.

In Rosh Pinna we stayed at Bikta Banof. It was a private cabin. The owner had three of these. This type of lodging - "zimmer" - is very common throughout Israel. We had to book through Booking.com which is unusual for us as we usually book directly with an accommodation but this seems to be how this particular place works. Friendly and sweet woman owner:
https://www.booking.com/hotel/il/the...hut.en-gb.html
Address: Derech Hatahana 12
972-52-345-5707

Gardyloo

One thing I would just caution about the Dead Sea, Negev, and Red Sea/Petra parts of your plan. Heat. Big, dangerous heat. I would NOT discount the impact the weather could have on your plans, to the extent you plan on being outdoors a lot.

Some general thoughts on your time allocation: If you have to drop some location out of time reductions, I'd probably drop Haifa, or possibly include a brief stop in the city on your way to the Galilee, maybe to see the Bahai temple grounds. I might also reduce the time in Jerusalem by a day and reallocate that day elsewhere; you could use it for a Petra excursion, or you could add it to the coast between Tel Aviv and the Lebanese border - stop in Caesarea and/or Acre, and head to Rosh HaNikra right at the border, before crossing over to Rosh Pina, something like this - https://goo.gl/maps/fXuwqonMCXr

Or, thinking about it, what you might consider instead is heading straight from Tel Aviv to the Galilee, and taking a day to do a day's "loop drive" to Safed, Rosh Hanikra, Acre, Degania Alef and Tiberias. (Degania Alef was the first kibbutz and well worth a visit; besides I have family there and am obligated to promote the place There's a new Italian restaurant on the kibbutz that apparently is quite good, too. ) The harbor/market area in Tiberias is a great place for an evening ice cream and people watching. Map - https://goo.gl/maps/KmrrcWQAA1s

Highway 90 down the Jordan Valley is fine. You'll have to stay in the road most of the way; travel to Palestinian towns/cities like Jericho isn't allowed in Israeli rental cars. It's a fascinating drive.

If you include the Dead Sea and are interested in history, a visit to Masada is a must; in fact I'd probably put a higher priority on that compared to floating in the Dead Sea while the salt tries to dissolve your skin.

So to come back to the big question - Petra or not? Personally I'd say that the time commitment, the heat, and the crush of tourists would mitigate my desires to include it; I think more time in the Galilee and Golan, along the coast, and in Jerusalem, maybe with some day trips thrown in, would be preferable to the long and hot schleps. Your call, of course.

Dianedancer

"So to come back to the big question - Petra or not? Personally I'd say that the time commitment, the heat, and the crush of tourists would mitigate my desires to include it; I think more time in the Galilee and Golan, along the coast, and in Jerusalem, maybe with some day trips thrown in, would be preferable to the long and hot schleps. Your call, of course."

Yes, I agree with the heat in the summer problem. We're going to Eilat in May and it will be in the 90s - but at least dry. It can and probably will be in the 100s in the summer.

I personally would not cut out a day in Jerusalem. There is just so much to do. We were there for 5 days and just scratched the surface. We will be going back.

jeanned

Dianedancer, thank you so much for your contact!! I saw that he has 100% excellent reviews on trip advisors-- unusual to see that level of agreement. He must be terrific!

Gardyloo, I don't anticipate the heat being an issue for us. We live in a hot climate, are active, and are accustomed to it. We were in Greece last summer during their heat wave-- in fact it was so hot that they closed down the Acropolis while we were there-- and were fine. We will dress appropriately and hydrate. (note: we will not be going to the Red Sea or to Negev. We do plan to go to Masada and the dead sea-- we will probably do a sunrise hike of Masada when it is cooler and go to the dead sea after that.)

I have been thinking about dropping Haifa from our schedule. It seems the main attraction there is the Bahai Temple. We have been to the Bahai Temple in Chicago a couple of times and I think seeing it in Haifa is not a must do for us and we can use that day elsewhere.

I am confused by Highway 90. Some people have told me it is dangerous and others say it is fine. How long of a trip is it and are those who feel it is dangerous just super cautious?

Dianedancer

Highway 90 down to the Dead Sea is run by Israel and is just fine. I don't know who's telling you differently but you should have no worries. It's funny, but as we drove down on it our phone "welcomed us" to Jordan! It's next to the border so that's why. And when we drove back up it to Jerusalem it said "Hope you had a pleasant time in Jordan". We laughed. Which only proves you can't always trust your phone!
Glad to hear you're used to hot weather. Israel is so multilayered and varied and that's part of what makes it fascinating. Very different from what you get from the news. Enjoy. (And the food is fantastic.)

Gardyloo

If you access Petra through Israel you'll transit the Negev en route to Eilat, which is on the Red Sea.

jeanned

Dianedancer, I have a friend that lives in Israel and she has told me not to take Highway 90 and I have seen others who say the same. And like you, there are a number of people who say it is perfectly fine. It certainly looks a lot more direct and would be our preference. When were you last on Highway 90? I wonder if something has changed which would explain why I am getting diverse opinions?

Gardyloo, Actually we would access Jordan north of Eilat on the guided tour that we are considering so no need to go to Eilat.
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Gardyloo

It looks more direct but isn't necessarily faster, depending on where you're starting and where you're ending. It can be faster to get from, say, Tiberias to west Jerusalem via Highway 6, the toll road (check with your rental company) than by using the Jordan Valley road, from which you have to travel west, past Jericho, in order to get to Jerusalem. If you're bypassing Jerusalem and heading to the Dead Sea at, say, Ein Gedi, then Hwy 90 is quicker and less trafficky.