The main reason people travel to Israel is of course to go to the city of Jerusalem, being very sacred to many religions and is considered the “Holy City”. Although Old Jerusalem is only 0.9 square km’s it is definitely where you will want to focus your time! A few monuments to add to your list included..
Temple Mount and Dome of the Rock: a beautiful walled compound and shrine
The Western Wall: the last remnant of the original retaining wall surrounding the temple, built over 2,000 years ago. Above ground you will see men and woman are divided and both putting small papers into the cracks of this wall — these small papers have prayers on them to God that you can participate in. Make sure to also book a tour and explore the underground tunnels/city!
The City of David: the birth place of Jerusalem with beautiful gardens
The Tomb of Virgin Mary
The Cenacle: the site of The Last Supper
Via Dolorso aka The Way of Sorrows: the path that Jesus walked after sentencing, on his way to the crucifixion
Church of the Holy Sepulchre: this church houses the site where Jesus was crucified, the empty tomb of Jesus, stone of unction (where the body of Jesus was washed after being crucified), the ornate altar built over the Rock of Cavalry (the place where the cross stood)

Fun Fact; The Old City is also divided into quarters — the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, the Armenian Quarter, and the Jewish Quarter.

One of my favourite parts of Israel was visiting Masada, and ancient city built solely of stone on top of a mountain! Getting to the top is definitely a workout with 700 steps so the option to take a gondola for a few extra bucks is there! Just down the road from Masada is The Dead Sea which is definitely something to see! This body of water is considered dead because of how high the salt concentration is, making it impossible for anything to live in it. Another awesome part about the high concentration of salt is that it makes the water very dense meaning you can float! Another popular attraction in Israel is The Jordan River, where Jesus was baptized. This is a popular attraction where you can go down to the river and get baptized yourself or just put your hand in the holy water.

If you’re looking to emerge into the Israeli nature you’ll want to check out the Hula Nature Reserve where you’ll find flocks of Heron in the mornings. If you’re lucky enough you’ll also be able to see animals such as water buffalo and capybara! Apart from visiting the main sites of Israel, I strongly suggest visiting the country side where you’ll find acres of farm land and beautiful lush vegetation all year around. If you want to see the Country from a different way you can also hike the Israel National Trail that will take you anywhere from 45-60 days to complete following white, blue, and orange paint on trees and rocks along the way. If you’re like me and don’t want to commit to the Israeli trail for that many days you are able to do parts of the trail that will lead you through lots of ancient ruins and give you some pretty great views as well! For my duration in Israel I was lucky enough to stay with locals who showed us a few hidden gems as well such as an abandoned bath house that the locals now use for the natural springs that it provides that was just a fence away from Lebanon!

Haifa is another great city to visit in Northern Israel where you will find a big beautiful garden with an amazing upper view of the city called the Baha Gardens. At night the city lights up and is a great place to have dinner. To the East of Haifa you’ll find the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus was said to have performed many miracles such as walking on water, calming the storm, and feeding five thousand people. You can visit the Yigal Allon Centre to see a boat thought to be from Jesus’ era as well as a great view of the Sea. In this area there are also multiple little churches atop hills that you are able to visit along with the Memorial to the 73 dead IDF soldiers, a beautiful monument to commemorate those who died in the Israeli Helicopter disaster of 1997.

Typically when you think of Israel you think of desert but if you travel far enough north you’ll hit Mount Hermon, the one and only ski hill! For a Country that doesn’t get snow this is quite a sight to see for the locals and you’ll often see people leaving as much snow on their car as they can while they drive back home to show it off! If you’re a tourist and live in Canada like myself you stay as far away from the white fluff while on a desert vacation as you can! If you’re like me or you want to fill an afternoon, you can head to Mount Bental instead where you will be able to explore bunkers and hideouts left from an old battlefield!
Fun Fact: while driving around the country side you’ll occasionally pass by abandoned tanks or large metal equipment near waterways which were used as bridges for the tanks during battles!

If you’re more for nightlife Tel Aviv will be the city for you. This port city is known for its restaurants and cafes and has a beautiful view of ocean of course! You will also find lots of little markets to explore here.

If you have never eaten Israeli food make sure you indulge and eat all the Falafel you can, my favourite being from Cafe Nimrod! Israel being a farming Country has the best and freshest fruit all year around, so make sure you look into what kind of fruit is in season during your trip and get your hands on some freshly squeezed OJ or pomegranate juice especially if you’re staying in the country side. For a snack you can never go wrong with some fresh Israeli hummus and for dessert make sure you get your hands on a plate of Knafeh — yes I said plate!