If you’re interested in a cultural vacation in the Middle East, you must try Israel. Although it’s a small country, it holds one of the most crucial historical importance in the world. With its varied natural vegetation as well as animal life, Israel will amaze you with its technologically advanced market for cutting diamonds and high-tech equipment.
Israel is one of the leading countries regarding historical and modern importance. Upon visiting all the sites and museums, you’ll notice that people are very serious about their traditions and culture, so you should be careful and respect their country. You can find out many things about the country and their lives if you’re considerate of their environment.
Read along to know when is the best time to visit Israel and why you should visit the country for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Israel’s rich history will amaze you
Regardless of your religious beliefs, learning about other religions and ways of life is essential to understand people’s perspectives. Israel is one of the oldest cities in the world that has its roots back before biblical times. The city has seen it all since it was part of the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire and was the object of disputes during the Crusades.
But besides these aspects, Israel is known as the birthplace of Jesus Christ to the Dead Sea, which you can visit nowadays. The beautiful beaches around the sea will amaze you, and swimming is quite fun because you float around due to the high amount of salt in the water. Consequently, limiting your swim to 10-15 minutes is best because otherwise, you’ll irritate your skin.
Israel’s Holy Jerusalem
If you’re interested in a Christian tour, you must visit Jerusalem by getting Israel connection tours. The city of Jerusalem is the holiest place on Earth and is a site of which importance regards three monotheistic religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Although these associations have generated plenty of conflicts in the past, the modern Jerusalem of today is the place for technology.
You must visit the following tourist points in the city:
- Haram Al-Sharif (Temple Mount), the holiest sanctuary on Earth;
- The Western Wall is what’s left of Jerusalem’s first temple;
- Church of the Holy Sepulchre is the city’s most sacred site;
- The Muslim Quarter is one of the liveliest districts;
- The Mount of Olives is the oldest cemetery in the world and is still used;
- Mount Zion consist of most Jewish and Muslim shrines;
- The Old City Walls fortifications;
Israel’s local culture
What makes Israel vibrant is its live shows on the street, the museums and street art. The people in Israel welcome tourists to see all their creativity and culture through making shows and other spectacular activities. Things like Tel Avis’s night run, the Galilee food festival or the Jewish Education Center will only spark joy when visiting the country. Here are what other interesting ventures around Israel you can attend:
- Spend your Christmas in Bethlehem, the city in which Jesus was born;
- Have a white night in Tel Avis, also known as the city that never sleeps;
- Stop at Jerusalem’s festival of lights, which is installed in the Old City’s walls;
- Gather at Birkat Kohanim in Jerusalem to witness the priestly blessing;
- Participate in the Red Sea Jazz Festival in Eilat, where you’ll enjoy music from around the world;
- Run in the Jerusalem marathon that transcends the Tower of David, the Old City Walls and Mount Scopus;
- Go to Midburn Festival in Negev, which is more like a giant camp with free spirits roaming around;
Israel’s one-day trip
The advantage of Israel being a small city is that you can see all its beauty and features in only one day. Israel’s size is about 22.145 km² or the size of New Jersey, so you should be able to see the whole region in a few hours if you start from the Red Sea and finish at the Golan Heights mountains.
If you want to know what’s the best time to travel to Israel, you should prepare to research tickets because it can be quite challenging. Regarding the weather, the best season to see the city is in the summer. Still, many other tourists travel to Israel simultaneously, so it’s also one of the most expensive and crowded periods. However, if you are on a budget and want to visit Israel without the tourist fuss, you should get your tickets from November to March, as the cold weather makes tourists choose other warm destinations. At the same time, make sure you don’t visit the country during some of its holidays, such as Passover and Yom Kippur, because everything basically shuts down.
Israel’s delicious foods
The Middle East was always known for its rich and delicious culinary culture, which you need to try. But know that Israel is quite expensive so you might eat more or less costly food depending on your travel time.
Some of the best things you must try in Israel include the following:
- Salatim are fresh salads and spreads which are served as started with hot and crusty bread;
- Hummus is a chickpea spread that is like no other and is basically the country’s national food;
- Laffa Is an Iraqi Pita and is one of the fluffiest and most delicious meals;
- Shakshuka is an adapted meal that is done with poached eggs, tomatoes, peppers, garlic, onion and middle eastern herbs;
- Falafel are delicious fried chickpea balls that also contain fava beans, and they’re usually served with cabbage, fried eggplant and fries;
- Rugelach is an interesting dessert and is a doughy treat filled with chocolate, cinnamon or halva;
- Mitz Pri is freshly squeezed juice that you can find at juice vendors and is made with bananas, oranges, carrots and pomegranates;
Bottom line
Israel is one of the oldest and culturally wealthiest countries. Its importance is mainly linked to Christianity, Judaism and Islam and it’s many very holy locations, so if you want to learn more about the country’s culture, you can visit it anytime.
