This famous and ancient land is tiny but packed with history and compelling sites and experiences, from Jerusalem to Masada to Acre to Tel Aviv - not to mention falafel.


Cover photo: Dany Sternfeld/worldhistory.org

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Conquering Masada

 Itamar Grinberg/Israeli Ministry of Tourism Israel is truly a land of exceptional sights – and sites – from top to bottom. But roughly two hours south of Jerusalem, one of its most evocative (and popular) high points, so to speak, looms in the Judea desert some 396 metres (1,300 feet) above the shores of the Dead Sea. Masada (Hebrew for fortress) is an imposing UNESCO World Heritage Site, and after Jerusalem the most visited spot in the country. At this rugged fortress complex, excavated in…

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Started by Iberia Airlines
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Jerusalem cited in '13 of the World's Most Spiritual & Sacred Places'

“There are no unsacred places; there are only sacred places and desecrated places.”                          ― U.S. novelist, poet, essayist, environmental activist, & cultural critic Wendell Berry If you’re a "seeker," who travels in part to deepen your religious and spiritual life, you'll want to read this post to learn more about the 13 most spiritual and sacred places that you can visit once travel starts opening up again. These pilgrimage spots are not merely examples of extraordinary…

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Started by Tripatini
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Tel Aviv is terrific

In Tel Aviv, east is united with west, the traditional with trendy, and landscape with the sea in a marvelous way. It is one of those cities that, once you visit it, you do not want to leave. This city on the Mediterranean coast combines the old with the new in a way that leaves the feeling of many different worlds at the same time. The Israeli capital may be Jerusalem, but no region in the country has Tel Aviv's global recognition and radiation.Its name in Hebrew means "spring hill," and if a…

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Started by Tripatini
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  • Helen Brown December 20, 2025 at 4:07pm
    Well, well, what a difference a few months makes. It looks like with the ceasefire (as long as it holds, which is no certain thing), flights are restarting, hotels are reopening, and tourists are coming back to Israel. Though you can be sure I won´t be among them as long as its criminal regime is not held accountable and provides reparations for the genocide, war crimes, and other assorted outrages it has commited in both Gaza and the West Bank. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/comment/airlines-returning-touri...
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  • Paul Varmuza May 22, 2025 at 12:53am
    More airline cancellations for summer travel this year. Goodbye, Israeli tourism industry. Was it worth it? https://www.travelandtourworld.com/news/article/american-emirates-d...
    American, Emirates, Delta, Air France, United, Air Canada and More Ground Flights to Israel as Glob…
    Major international airlines including American, Emirates, Delta, Air France, United, and Air Canada have grounded flights to Israel as escalating re…
  • José Balido August 2, 2024 at 2:28pm
    Well, they have only themselves to blame.. https://www.traveldailynews.com/aviation/airlines-cancel-flights-to...
    Airlines cancel flights to Tel Aviv, passengers crowd at "Ben Gurion"
    Amid escalating Middle East conflicts after key assassinations, numerous airlines canceled flights to Tel Aviv due to security concerns, significantl…
  • María José October 16, 2023 at 10:40am
    As a result of the tumultuous events surrounding Gaza, Israeli tourism has essentially shut down: https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/10/12/israel-flights-hot...
    During the chaos of war, Israel tourism goes dark
    Flights have been canceled, tourist sites have closed, and hotels are pivoting to relief efforts amid the war.
  • Max Pesling August 14, 2023 at 1:44pm
    The progressive New York-based ¨Forward¨ (I can´t stop thinking of it as the Jewish Daily Forward lol) recently went to Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, and found that tourists are still coming, able to tune out all the drama, demonstrations, and such: https://forward.com/news/557308/tourism-israel-protests-judicial-ov...
    Protests? What protests
    The protests across Israel haven't impacted its tourism industry — in fact, tourists don't care about the demonstrations capturing headlines.
  • John Kipper July 16, 2023 at 11:56am
    The Jerusalem Post reports that it seems like tourism here may potentially reach and exceed pre-COVID levels, but offers a caveat re steep prices: https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/news/tourism-in-israel-rises-but-e...
  • Jordan Simon May 24, 2023 at 6:42am
    An eye opening piece in the Jerusalem Post about another side of Israeli tourism: hiking! Apparently is has some of the best trails in the world - with for example Ein Gedi, ann oasis and nature reserve near the Dead Sea, Masada and the Qumran Caves, ranked higher than Nepal's Annapurna Circuit by an adventure travel company called Explore! https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-742364
    Israel's hikes ranked among top nature walks worldwide
    Israel's Ein Gedi hike ranked higher on Explore!'s list than Nepal's world-renowned Annapurna circuit.
  • Max Pesling November 18, 2022 at 11:35am
    An interesting peek at how the Israeli tourism sector is evolving: https://themedialine.org/life-lines/israels-tourism-industry-looks-...
    Israel’s Tourism Industry Looks Beyond COVID to Expansion, Innovation - The Media Line
    With the bustling conference hall at a luxury […]
  • José Balido May 2, 2022 at 12:03pm
    Remember the concept of Israel's fabled socialist kibbutz? Recent visitors can tell you they sure have changed! https://inews.co.uk/news/israeli-kibbutzim-no-longer-about-pooled-s...
    How Israeli kibbutzim are no longer all about pooled salaries and working the land
    Inspired by socialist principles, Israel’s first kibbutz – Hebrew for 'collective' – was founded in the early 1900s by pioneers who worked the land
  • Jeffrey Kunst April 26, 2022 at 9:27am
    A couple of months ago, Travel+Leisure published a listicle of 10 of the world's most prominent "healing spots," and Israel's Dead Sea shore tops the list! https://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/nature-travel/healing-s...
    10 Healing Spots Around the World, From Hot Springs to Salt Flats
    Salve-cation awaits.
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