12 reasons to visit Israel at least once in a lifetime

In co-operation with Evaneos

Have you thought about visiting Israel? Our trip to Israel in 2017 was perhaps the most special trip of the year. It was great to enjoy the sun and holiday life in Eilat, but above all, visiting Jerusalem was an amazing experience. This city is so mythical that wandering around the alleys of the Old City felt almost unreal. Here are 12 reasons to visit Israel at least once in your life.

Why visit Israel?

Well, why should you visit Israel? Israel is a special country unlike any other. It has everything from sun and beaches to history and exciting culture. We started from Eilat in the south and discovered the country by rental car.

If you want, you can get help with the planning on site, for example by Evaneos which customises tours with the help of local travel experts. This can help you get the most out of your trip. We list 12 reasons to visit Israel.

1. Sun and swimming

Israel has both a Red Sea coast (around Eilat) and a Mediterranean coast (the west coast, including Tel Aviv). The climate is favourable, allowing for sunbathing and swimming for much of the year.

2. Snorkelling and diving

Israel is a perfect destination for snorkelling and diving. In the Red Sea, near Eilat, there is a fantastic underwater world full of coral reefs and fish of every imaginable colour.

3. dolphins

Off Eilat, wild dolphins swim and if you get to "Dolphin Reef" you can see them, or even swim with them. What's great here is that the dolphins are free to swim into the crowd, or out into the open water again, as they wish.

4. Coral reefs and fish

Beneath the surface of the Red Sea lies a world of its own, full of corals and fish. Usually only those who snorkel or dive get to see this world, but with the Underwater Observatory in Eilat anyone who pays an entrance fee can descend into an underwater tower. Still completely dry, you can enter a completely different world.

5. Jerusalem

Jerusalem is an exciting and magical city. The city is the holiest in Judaism, but also has great religious significance in both Christianity and Islam. Here you can visit places like the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and Calvary. It's not without a little shudder. Even if you're not religious, this is a place brimming with history.

6. Dead Sea

One of the reasons to visit Israel is to get to Dead Sea, which is 422 metres below sea level, making it the lowest place in the world. The salinity of the lake is 33.7 per cent and you float easily and high, right at the surface of the water. A very special place on earth!

7. The Dead Sea Scrolls

The Dead Sea Scrolls were found in 1947, after more than 2000 years of oblivion. Scrolls filled with religious texts, rules of life, poetry and hymns tell us a lot about a long gone era. Today you can visit Qumran in the West Bank, where the scrolls were found. Here you can wander around the ruins of large water cisterns, ritual baths and earthenware ovens, and imagine how this Jewish sect once lived. Fascinating!

8. Masada Rock

The West Bank is also home to the impressive Masada Rock, with its large desert fortress. At 400 metres above ground, in the middle of the desert, first the Romans and then the Jews lived there. When the Romans recaptured Masada in 72 AD with 15,000 men, the Jews chose to commit collective suicide. Today you can take a cable car up the mighty cliff and wander around the ruins, trying to absorb the overwhelming history.

9. Rökelsevägen

The Incense Route is one of the oldest trade routes in the world, and at the time, this 240-mile-long road ran from Oman and Yemen to Gaza on the Mediterranean Sea. The long camel caravans carried valuables such as incense, spices and precious metals, and after each day's journey they needed to seek shelter from bandits.

In Israel you will find Avdat, site number 62 on Rökelsevägen. Here you can visit the ruins of this once important site, which includes a huge antique wine press.

10. red canyon

Red Canyon is a dramatic gorge located just north of Eilat. Here you can wander around a fairytale and almost dreamlike landscape, up and down ladders and with sometimes dizzying views. If you're lucky and the sun is shining, the rocks are at their reddest.

11) Tel Aviv

Tel Aviv is known as the cool city with an intense nightlife. While Jerusalem offers history and ancient traditions, Tel Aviv offers beach life, club nights, festivals and an open-minded gay culture. Israel must be said to be a country of unusually rich contrasts! We haven't visited Tel Aviv yet, but the city is definitely on our bucket list for another trip.

12. Israeli food

The Israeli food culture has influences from Asia, Africa and Europe and includes spices, nuts, olives and chickpeas. In Israel, you can indulge in hummus and delicious falafel, which tastes great in almost every street stall. Other dishes include shakshuka, where eggs are poached in a tomato sauce with feta cheese, and dishes with ptitim, the Israeli version of couscous.

Best way to visit Israel?

You can organise and plan a trip to and in Israel in many different ways. We flew to Eilat, spent a few days there and then did a road trip with Jerusalem as our main destination. You can also fly to Tel Aviv and start from there.

Visit Israel with a tailor-made trip

If you want help planning your trip in Israel, you can turn to the travel company Evaneos, which specialises in arranging tours in cooperation with local tour operators. The company puts you in touch with a travel expert in the country who will plan and book your itinerary, transport, accommodation and any activities.

All trips booked through Evaneos are customised according to the customer's wishes. This means that you will find suggestions for trips on their website, which you can start from and then adapt as you wish. When it comes to Israel, they have travel suggestions ranging from trips with a Christian focus to trips where you drive around yourself or luxury trips with a driver. Here you can read about their travel suggestions in Israel.

Have you been to Israel? Are you curious about travelling to Israel?