There is just so much to do in this beautiful little country, and sometimes this means holiday planning can get a bit overwhelming. The truth is that everyone is different and we all have different aims so there is no decisive list for anyone but here are some sample itineraries taken directly from members of the LoveLoveIsrael – Tried and Tested Facebook Group. You can search for most places mentioned within loveloveisrael.com for further details.
North
Rachel Ner (July 2016)
On the way up half a day at luna gal ( not recommended but we had 10nis tickets so it was ok),
Day 1: Tiyul on the hermon at 11 (or 13) with haganat hateva. was interesting and educational. we bought a combined ticket for the cable car, extreme go kart ride on the hermon and rafting at kfar blum for 90nis a ticket (look online on couponnofesh for discounted ticket), pool at kibbutz dafna which included fun in the nahal dan that runs through the kibbutz.
Day 2: Jeep tour at shaar yishuv – HIGHLY recommended. nice owners, jeep for 5 people, self driving ( so DH was thrilled), very interesting and educational stops along the way. cant say enough good things! leumi card has coupon for 270 for jeep! later we did the kayaking (tickets from the hermon) also a blast and water not too deep so scaredy cats like me enjoyed. On return we did Ein tina hike (free) with water, Easyish hike ( people were doing it with 4 year olds) and lots of fun in waterfall on top of mountain. Wear shoresh or watershoes – lots of slippery rocks.
MEALS: We ate one meal at Cafe landwer, one meal the kids ate Burgerranch in the room and watched TV and jacuzzied while we ( the parents) went out for dinner at Esh Besh in Kiryat Shmona (recommended). They have a set meal of 80nis as well as other things. One meal bbqed in zimmer garden with magnificent view. The other meals we managed with SUPERCOFIX in the Kiryat Shmona mall. On way back stopped in Katzrin for a late lunch at the Margarita Pizza store. Good old fashioned pizza.
All in all a great time and within budget.
Aviyah Atkin (August 2016)
Hi! Just a few ideas from our trip up north for those traveling with a baby/young kids aka with strollers! We had such a great time and wanted to share: – פארק הגשרים, near Haifa was so cute and fun and totally stroller accessible. A beautiful nature walk (with an option of hike as well) to an area with a few bridges from mountain to mountain, sweet and chill! – Baha’i gardens (better without strollers), beautiful stunning view and walk , and on the top there’s a beautiful park where you can picnic and the kids can play! – Rosh hanikra – absolutely gorgeous clear blue water beaches, along with a nice tourist attraction, the grhottos- you take cable cars down (strollers included) 15 min movie in history, and can walk around to see the grottos. – Further up north, אגמון חולה is a gorgeous lake closer to kiryat shemona, loads of bikes (one seat/ 2 seat/3 seat) and golf carts to rent!! Beautiful route surrounding a lake and beautiful views – tons of nature to see between birds, ducks, turtles (supposedly boars but we didn’t see) – was so sweet and fun! (Make sure to bring or buy water) – Nachal shnir, (20 min away from the above) I know it’s well known but another vote for its awesomeness! Great area to leave stroller and freshen up by the cold water and if you have a baby carrier there’s an option to continue and do a water hike, which is so beyond beautiful and refreshing. Hope this helped anyone plan a trip!:)
Rena London (July 2016)
So after a two day camping trip with my kids- here’s my two cents: 1-Aquakef- kids (ages 6/5 and 10) had a blast and want to go again. I for the life of me could not pull myself back up from the water alone- it was slippery and i later realised that i had not eaten for about two days so that may have had something to do with it. In any case after waiting around for a lifeguard to pull me up a while and he did it pretty ungraciously I just stayed on near my kids and helped them get back on. Had there been ladders or grips to enable me to get back on alone I would have enjoyed it much more. (or even if my husband had been there to help me up…) 2- Park hayarden. we went there to camp. It is a great park with water, bbq areas, hot showers… unfortunately after we had set up camp a big group of bnei akiva showed up. So the showers were gross and full of screaming splashing girls and they were screaming all night, flashing their flashlights intu our tent and in general being obnoxious and not letting us get any sleep until 2 AM. so i guess my tip is- even if u already set up camp if a group of kids shows up- LEAVE. It was also extremely hot and I probably should have driven up to the golan for the night. 3- Abukayak- So i guess it isn’t the right season for kayaking… basically we just rowed up and down a tiny portion of very calm water. Also their regular route is closed so they took us in a rickety van over rough terrain to get to the kayaking… Another thing i hadn’t thoght of until it was too late- have two ppl to row… I basically rowed alone and because there was no current it was really hard. 4- Wood workshop in Ein Gev (Sabba Yossi) Children built their own toys- they loved it. It is a fairly short activity. Prices start from 58 shekels and go up to 100+++ My daughter made a pencil holder for 58 shekels and my son a crane for 105. There is also a cool play area there for children up 8 which costs 25 shekels. In general the port in Ein Gev is beautiful and there was also an olive oil tourist center and art gallery which we did not check out. We finished our trip with an excellent lunch at Cafe de Port in Ein Gev- it is kosher lemehadrin and the service and food was excellent. Hope this post helps anyone trying to plan a trip to that area.
Karen Levy Clements (August 2016)
Brilliant three days up north, ODT and then rappelling into the Alma Cave followed by a brilliant climb in the cave, Kim from Sharloetgarim was a phenomenal guide. Whilst some of us were climbing, some were driving an off road vehicle nearby. Next onto the Tiberias Hot Springs followed by dinner at Decks. Glamping in Kfar Haindiani, was huge fun and perfect location. Day two was a double session at Aquakef because it was such a blast and after some much needed rest and recuperation, horse riding in Had Ness followed by a night walk with lanterns in the Jordan River Park. Back to the park this morning for a fantastic cycle followed by some splashing around in the water before coming home. A huge amount to pack in in three days but a phenomenal break enjoyed by all. Kids aged 12, 13, 14 and 16. Happy to give numbers and recommendations for everything we did.
Talia Rose (August 2016)
Thanks and reporting back: We went to 1) Park Mei Ami in Ashdod early before it got too hot then 2) to the beach right next to it – showers, bathrooms RIGHT THERE + parking. It was excellent. The only thing it needed was more shade since we don’t have an umbrella to bring with us, and I didn’t see anywhere selling. 3) Family visiting in merkaz 4) Planet Teva in Beit Elazari – Is this the best kept secret or WHAT? It was amazing. We got there and saw butterflies before they went to sleep, with an explanation on it all. Then we saw goat milking – and kids can participate too. Then we went into the bird house and got to hold tukim – it was so much fun. In addition to that there are play areas, bimbas and slides, a petting zoo and a little art project. My 1.10 month old didn’t want to leave, and neither did me or my parents. The owners were so nice, and it was shady, clean, contained and not crowded. http://www.parparim-planetteva.co.il. We had so much fun. 5) Ben and Jerry’s in Yavne – mostly disappointing because there was nowhere to park, so I ended up buying stuff and we ate on the way home. Also – the pints were 4 for 52 – which is waaaay cheaper than even the cheapest at Rami Levy, so I don’t know why people here have written otherwise. Another fail: People told me the kfar chabad bee place was no good for my toddler, so we were set to go to Yad Mordechai which got a good review on the loveloveisrael site. I called before we went and they said no one enjoys until age 4, and there is no petting zoo or gymboree as was written in the review. The man was a little rude and said it says no such thing on any OFFICIAL site of theirs, and other websites may say nonsense. I was a bit turned off even just from this call. It’s okay though, we had a great day!
Tamary Sladowsky (August 2016)
Summary of our trip:
Day 1: Groovesters -everyone enjoyed, kesem hagolan -parents and 8 year old found it interesting, younger kids did not. Bbq’d at a really nice park in Katzrin in the evening.
Day 2: Bereishit factory – very interesting for the kids, was about an hour long activity. Har bental- everyone loved it. Bustan Bereshit -everyone loved, except for the cranky mom 😃 (cuz it was extremely hot). Though most of their other activities didn’t seem to be open. Based on the reviews here, I thought it would be better. But the whole family had a good time. Had pizza and kids played in the splash pad in Katzrin.
Day 3: Robotic farm- very interesting, everyone liked it. They also called me a few hours after we were there, asked if we had enjoyed and thanked us for supporting their business. Kol shofar-adults found it very interesting. Some kids liked it, some were bored. Though the guy tries really hard to keep the kids interested. We were then going to do majrassa didn’t work out for a few reasons so we swam in the kinneret for a bit and then took a nice boat ride at ein gev. Really nice trip overall!
Jeffrey Aftel (August 2015)
Vacation Summary (whole family, 6 kids ages 6-23) Kinneret area: Strong recommendation for Villa Rimona Tzimmer by Chana N Shmuel Veffer. Extremely warm, friendly, and helpful. Tzimmers are lovely and although in the Tveria area, since it’s on the hills in Yavnael the weather is not as hot as Emek Yizrael or Tveria. Was very pleasant. Bee farm experience in Shadmot Dvora – Not recommended. They describe but don’t show how silk is produced, describe, but don’t show how honey is made. The only good part was the end when the bee keeper showed the bee hives. Elite factory tour in Natzrat Elite. Recommended. Well done, fun to see and free tasting room at the end, all you can eat for as long as you can stay. Ski Gilboa – Recommended for non-experienced skiers. Look on couponofesh for a 1+1 coupon. A fun, unique experience. Better if you make sure the bigger slope is available for older kids. Nachal Taninim – Nice site for a hike. Interesting things to see and walk along, but not in, the nachal.
Nili Auerbach (August 2015) Thanks so much to this group for helping to make our trip up North great! Here are the details! Hope it helps others 🙂 (My kids are: 7,5, 3, and 5 months). LONG POST AHEAD- READ ON FOR DETAILS. Short summary: Highlights- Bustan Breishit, Galita chocolate workshop, Saba Yossi’s nagaria, and Majrasa! (also– great accomodations at Yavne’el B&B). Day 1: Departed JM around 11am and headed to Zichron for a papermaking workshop at Tut Niyar. I’ve been to Tut Niyar before (pre-kids) and since my girls love art, I thought it would be good. Overall, I’d say it really depends on your child. The cost was 40nis per participant (we only paid for the two older girls), or 200NIS per family if you do your own workshop. The explanations (about how they get the fibers from the tree, etc.) were mostly over my kids’ heads, though the 7 year old sat listening intently. The actual making of the paper was quite fun– kids need to be OK touching “slime like” substance (mushed paper fibers with water), but if they are into it, its very cool. Basically, the kids learn about the process, make their own paper fiber mush, mix leaves and flowers into the mixture, make the paper using a wooden frame, put it in a press, and hang it to dry in the sun. I’d recommend it, but you have to know your kids…From there ,it was swelteringly hot, so I’d say that the BIG success of the day was the ALDO ice cream shop in Zichron. It was really a “chavaya”– cool ice cream chairs, delicious ice cream, amazing air conditioning… HIGHLY recommend for your zichron outing. At that point, we headed to our lodging– we stayed at the Yavene’el B&B which I can highly recommend. Basically, you get the whole second floor of their house which includes 2 bedrooms, a bathroom, a small living room (but no kitchenette)– You do have to go through their house to get to your area, but Arnie and Nili, the owners are LOVELY, and truly know how to host. The price was very reasonable, especially for August (we paid a little over 500NIS per night), and it included a FANTASTIC homemade breakfast each morning (at the hour of your choosing). Great yard for the kids to play in, and there were also toys that our girls really had fun with. If you are people that really need your own space, might not be the best bet, but if you are looking for comfy accommodations in a great location (maybe 15 min. from the Kinneret) on a budget– it is PERFECT. Oh, also–there was a great pizza place right near by that made for an easy dinner one night. DAY 2: – Got up early and headed straight to Bustan Breishit! I echo, Aliza Levitt Gillman’s recommendation. It was AWESOME, even on a hot day, and I definitely recommend allotting a few hours to enjoy it. I’ve done many of the picking places in the Golan, but this one might just be my new favorite. You can easily get a 10% coupon so the entrance fee becomes 30NIS/adult and 24NIS kid– includes all the picking and eating you want, a tractor tour of the fruit trees (we missed that), fruit pie making, and a container of apples/pears (what’s in season). For 15nis extra, your kids can partake in a pony ride (we splurged and the kids enjoyed, but it is a short little ride), or for 25nis extra there are cute little tractoronim that the kids can ride. There is AMAZING shade for picnics (little pergolas, grapevine areas), and there is also ice cream/cold drinks for purchase, plus good music playing the background. Really, highly recommend. Oh yes– and agree with the recommendation to wear closed shoes, and bring a baby carrier if with baby. NEXT UP– Majrasa: GREAT, GREAT, GREAT! If you didn’t know– it’s included in the parks pass. Was so refreshing, and even with the crowds ALL of us had a great time. I know a lot of people say to bring inflatables, but our 3 year old (who isn’t tall) was just fine walking, stomping, and splashing in it. I did need to hold her hand the whole time b/c it is rocky, but except for a few spots where she asked to be picked up (water was deep… maybe to her collarbone), she was just fine. If anything, I would have though the inflatables would be a bother to carry for the parts its too shallow to use them… either way, HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND! (TIP– we got our kids all sunscreened and bathing suited at Bustan Breishit where there was a nice clean bathroom– Majrasa does have changing rooms, but was easier this way and then we ready to go upon arrival). In terms of time– we spent about 2 hours there, but didn’t include a picnic, so you could spend more there easily. If you have a parks pass, and want just a short dip- you could also do that. Dinner– Tzomet Tzemach has lots of choices. DAY 3: Last day, so we packed up and said g’bye to our hosts at Yavne’el B&B. Chocolate Workshop at Galita– (MAKE ADVANCE RESERVATIONS). Workshop was about an hour and was AMAZING for our kids– kind of pricey (we spent about 175nis), but they had a blast and came out with very cool chocolates. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Next- we wanted something with water again, and after much debate… WE RETURNED TO THE MAJRASA! It was such a hit on the first go, why not repeat success? It was fantastic again! Afternoon– EIN GEV. -We had a woodworking workshop at Sabba Yossi’s (RESERVATIONS NEEDED) and it was great. I know that other’s have said their kids didn’t spend much time, but I guess it depends on the kids– my girls had a blast carefully painting the wood and using the real tools to assemble. Even if you don’t make toys, I for sure recommend the gymboree (25nis a kid, but you can get a 20% off coupon) which is FANTASTIC (air conditioned) and includes all sorts of amazing wooden climbing areas and toys. I was a little sad to realize that we had missed the last boat tour, but apparently there are boats that go around the Kinneret every few hours– last one at 4pm. Lastly– there was this awesome pirate climbing area (FREE!) right near Saba Yossi’s– not sure who runs it and how long its up for, but it entertained our girls for a good 30 minutes! (could have been longer). Lastly– dinner out at Pagoda; Totally a splurge and pricey with kids, but you can’t beat the view. We figured the cost included the chavaya of eating on the water 🙂 Kids had a great time and they do have shnitzilonim and chips that you can get for kids (our girls shared 3 ways with plenty left over). OVERALL– FANTASTIC TRIP!
Abigail Greenberg Blank (August 2015)
Brief summary of our week in the North during this crazy heatwave: Water tiyulim to Majrasa and Nacha Snir. Both family tiyulim – we did them with kids aged 5-10. Fantastic tiyulim and perfect in this weather. Toy making at Saba Yossi’s followed by play area in Ein Gev. Found the activity a bit too short and the play area is quite small and only up to age 8. Rafting in Rafting Nahar HaYarden. Suitable family activity for age 5+ followed by great kosher meaty meal in restaurant in the same place. All in all managed to have a great time despite the heat.
Yael Bloch (August 2015) Summary of our Galil/Golan trip over the weekend (Thursday-Sunday) with our 2 boys ages 2.5 and 8. Our first stop was Gan Guru. It was certainly worth it with the groupon. My 2.5 year old was terrified of the ducks which were running loose, and then a herd of goats got out of their pen, so he was upset most of the time we were there. My 8 year old’s favorite thing was feeding the parrots. They let you take sticks with pieces of apple and feed them. He would have spent time on the mazes/puzzles, but we were so hot, we had enough at that point. The kangaroos were mostly sleeping because it was so hot. But the park in general had a decent amount of shade, and we had a good time. Next we went next door to Park Hamaayanot/gan Hasholsha. We went swimming in the springs. It was half price with the National Parks card. It felt great to cool off on such a hot day. We drove up to Avnei Eitan and checked into our Indian tent. You needed to duck to get into the tent. But once inside, it was spacious and came with mattresses. We paid extra for sheets and pillows so we wouldn’t have to bring any with us. Each tent had its own double picnic table outside and barbecue. We got a key to our own bathroom that had a shower and toilet. In the communal kitchen, we were assigned fridge space. There were ovens and stoves if you wanted to cook. In the evening, it was fairly well lit up. There was a free movie (pocahantas) in the moadon. And you could buy popcorn and drinks there. There is a hole in the top of the teepee so I was thankful that I brought my anti-mosquito stickers. In the morning, we splurged and had breakfast there. Only downside was that they didn’t serve breakfast till 9am (but it was a good breakfast!) Friday morning we drove to Majarsa and did the tiyul(free entry with parks card). It’s a water tiyul where you walk through — water was cold which was great on a hot day. My husband wore our 2.5 year old in the baby carrier (which was so useful)! We all enjoyed. Then we tried to find lunch but it was too late. We ended up just getting some snacks and then drove to Keshet for Shabbat. Shabbat we stayed in Keshet Yonatan. Room was an upgrade youth hostel type room, one bunk bed, 2 regular beds pushed together, decent mattresses. Fridge and tv in room. There was a synagogue there and the one on the yishuv was about a 10 minute walk away. The crowd was very Chardal. The food was really good. Tables were set up family style, each family had their own table. And the waiter brought the food to the tables (except for soup and some dessert). There was a game room/play room which was open for specific hours on Shabbat which was a ‘lifesafer’ with the kids. Sunday morning, we drove to Berisheet, to the self-picking area. We decided against the picking, but we did the trail/and ropes course/petting zoo. It was very shady and very empty. Then my 8 year old rode a kids tractor around a course, and then we went on a tractor ride to the apples and we picked some apples to buy. Then the kids made pies. We drove to Katzrin for lunch. We ended up at a nice pizza place that had kids programs playing on the tv (Margarita) though we had been looking for a different pizza place. My kids then had a blast in the fountains(best totally unscheduled part of the trip) – my 2.5 year old had to be pulled away crying… we then went to Ein Gev. My older son made a truck at Saba Yossi’s and my younger son chose to eat ice cream rather than play in the play area (which looked really nice). He only wanted to go in when we told him it was time to go home. We then drove home…. Overall — great trip and I only booked the accommodations on Tuesday right before so totally last minute….
Renee Shalom Kingsley (May 2015 ) A bit of a summary what we did on our 3-day getaway up north this weekend. Thursday – Hiring bikes and golf-cart to go around Park Hamaayanot . About 3 hours of cycling and stopping to swim at various springs which are very refreshing and pretty, with great places for a picnic. Friday – Tie dying at Groovesters which was fun for our whole group (aged 3 – 47 :)). Next stop pizza in the small shopping area in Katzrin which has a mini cute splash park; then onto a beautiful hike in Nachal Jilabun – moderately strenuous but the waterfall at the end makes it worth while. Both nights we slept at Maagan Eden on the Kinneret. Spent Shabbat around the amazing pool. It has great views of the Kinneret with option to rent canoes and swim in the lake too. Accommodation best for a family of 2+3. Food was less amazing, tho. All in all a great time
Nina Taub-Horowitz (August 2016)
Jerusalem: Pantry Packers- was great! Walk around Machane Yehudah -walk from shuk to Geulah and Meah Shearim. Next day: 1.Shacharit at kotel 6. (Ramparts) tickets by Jaffa Gate–likely skip 4.Chorva Synagogue (9-5) 2.Southern wall excavation area (Jerusalem Archeological park near the Dung gate) And Wohl Archaeological museum 3.Machon hamkidash/temple Institute (9-5) 5. Jewish quarter- Burnt House museum, Herodian archaeological buildings 7. Teddy Park-Daytime fountain shows (water only) at 10:00 am, 12:00 pm, 2:00 pm and 4 pm Evening fountain shows. Eat dinner in Mamilla. Chorva Synagogue was great- view from the roof was amazing You can buy a combo ticket for all the historical excavations Mamilla was so nice at night.
North: Tzfat-Quilted art glass workshop with Kathleen Wasserman in Tzfat 10 AM (quiltedartglass@gmail.com )Kfar kedem in Hoshaya.Kinneret boat rental .Decks restaurant for dinner on Lido Beach. Next day: Pick up glass More tzfat old city stuff- sheva chaya gallery (7 tet vav street) candle store near Ari shul (63 yud alef street) walk around artist area and also shuls. Next day: Akko Old City walls- walk on the walls! Templar tunnel, Hospittaler fortress, Walk around the port, souk if it is safe, Tunisian Synagogue (Ramchal synagogue). Next day: Rosh Hanikra, Achziv tidal pool beach-Both amazing! Next day: Haifa- Louis Promenade and bahai gardens , Caesarea. Wish we had done Zichron Yaakov and winery instead of Haifa. Next day- Based in Efrat: 10 AM- Beit Guvrin Dig for a Day and pool club with friends. Wear sneakers and bring leggings! AMAZING! Next day: Visit friends in Beit Shemesh Biblical Museum- confirm 3 or 4:30 PM. The Biblical Museum of Natural History is located at 5 Ha-Tzaba Street, in the northern industrial zone of Beit Shemesh. 073-213-1662. Biblical Museum was very interesting but only worthwhile if in Beit shemesh area
Lisa Zeital (August 2016) We just had an amazing trip. Thanks for all the brilliant ideas posted here. Our highlights for a 10,8 (boys) and 4 year old girl were: Israel museum (Nano scroll and Dead Sea scrolls the free English animation film was excellent and worth seeing before visiting the scrolls) Majrassa water hike. Took a ring / arm bands for the 4 year old and we all wore water shoes Quilted Glass Workshop in Tzefat – they all loved it. Aqua kef (over 6) – water shoes brilliant for this and go early as gets very hot. Lovely to swim in lake with younger ones. cafe and shade with ice cream too! Surfing on Netanya beach. Boys did a lesson for 2 hours which was amazing. They really got to grips with it. Teddy park – went in sprinklers at the first evening show with lights and music. Was brilliant. Then supper in Manilla. Ice cream in Netanya – shared a litre between 6 kids and 6 adults all different flavours yum! And great value!!
BASED IN GUSH ETZION with a week in the NORTH
Yona Zalesch (July 2016)
As our trip comes to an end soon i wanted to post our itinerary in case it helps anyone since you have all been a huge help to me on this trip. Please feel free to ask any questions. Our trip has been about three weeks long and i have a 7, 5, and 1 year old. We have been based in the Gush but went up north for a week. It has really been an amazing trip! Israel itinerary 7/7 – Arrive in Israel! 7/8 – zipline park in Neve Daniel – very fun playground to visit for anyone in the area 7/10 – Shuk Machane Yehuda, monster park 7/11 – בית חלקיה – funny place but highly recommended. There is a center of kids activities. Very strange mix of every kind of attraction but the kids loved it. You could be there for hours and its about 42 NIS a child. Call before though. Hay ride, car that turns in circle, carnival ride, moonwalk, large water moonwalk slide, petting zoos, kiosk, gyro, pita baking, etc. 7/12 – met friends at Big Mall in Beit shemesh and spent hours talking in the food court while the kids went in and out of the gymboree 7/13 – עין יעל play area at malcha. My kids liked it but kids a bit older may have been better. It was very hot also although there was shade. 7/14 – Stalactite Caves, Davidas farm, Biblical Natural History Museum. Recommend all but with caveats. Cave tour was only half an hour not two hours. Davida only has most workshops in the morning and the day we went they were not open to families until the afternoon so only the petting area was open with access to the water moonwalk for 15 minutes. Museum was great. Galil: stayed in a great air b and b. 3 bedroom apartment in teveria with beautiful balcony overlooking the kinneret and elevator. Very affordable. No kosher kitchen but i just brought my own pot. 7/17 – Gan garoo and galita. Both highly recommended but gan garoo was very hot. If you live here go during cooler months. 7/18 – Tzfat and Kinneret. Our timing didn’t work out for any of the Tzfat workshops so we gave each kid 40 NIS to spend and it was perfect. 7/19 – Aquakef water park on kinneret – fun but exhausting. 7/20 – sachne – sooo worth the money 7/21 – hertzeliya beach 7/22 – science museum in beer sheva – fine but not amazing. We were going to be in Ofakim for shabbos so it made sense for us. 7/24 – Begin museum. Mea shearim and geulah. Gan hapaamon. Museum was okay for my 7 year old but i wouldn’t go younger. Parents really enjoyed it. 7/25 – deerland park (not recommended) and beit guvrin (highly recommended) 7/26 – pat bamelach and professional pics in yemin moshe 7/27 – probably kakadoo and sataf 7/28 – tunnel tours and tachana rishona
Joel Kaye (August 2013) So here is my summary of our 5 day trip up North: Sunday: On the way up to Kibbutz Daphna we went to Abukayak in the Jordan river – all 5 of us in a single kayak – it lasted about 1 hour and was a lot of fun. Well done Sarah for her 1st kayaking. We then headed to Ganei Daphna guest rooms on the kibbutz. There were 2 bedrooms and a small common area, kitchenette and bathroom, as well as lots of grass, BBQ area and tables/chairs outside. Nahal Dan runs through the kibbutz and there are places to get in for a very cold dip. There is also a pool (free access to guests) and a delicious breakfast every morning. On the kibbutz there is a Chalavi restaurant and Pizza truck with gourmet Pizza and Bazelet, a local Golan beer (all products are kosher, but they are open on shabat) as well as a Makolet to buy all of the basics. Monday: We hired bikes on the kibbutz (they have tandems, bikes with seats for babies, carts to pull kids) and followed their map to several points along the Nahal (took about 2.5 hours). In the afternoon, I took the kids to the fishing park next to Dagei Daphna. The entrance fee is ~40 shekel per person, and 20 NIS per fishing rod. You fish for trout, and you have to pay for what you catch (39 shekel a kilo including gutting and cleaning). We were there for an hour and caught 7 fish. The kids had a great time, but I think this was a very expensive activity. Tuesday: Ein Tina – great family tiyul with a nice amount of water and a climb to a waterfall (all in all about 2 hours) Wednesday: another great water tiyul in Nahal Snir (about 2 hours) and the some shoe shopping in the outlet store on the kibbutz, followed by dinner at Dagei Daphna (not as good as Dag Al HaDan in my opinion) Thursday: On the way home we went to Hamat Gader – natural hot springs, an outdoor pool and parrots, crocodiles and a petting zoo – nice, but way too hot this time of year and probably not for kids – we will go back around Chanukah without them.
Lisa Gold Margolin (August 2015) Just came back from a wonderful 5 day trip based in Tzipori. Not sure we did anything new to this group but wanted to write to say thanks for all the tips and recommendations and to list highlights of what we did do so it can come up in future searches. In no particular order. … 1) ein yizrael – pool type part of nahal hakibbutzim. An idea from this group which was a HUGE WIN for us. Kids especially loved the Tarzan like swing 2) kfar blum family rafting – very very impressed with the organization as well as the actual activities. We also zip lined. Tip: book stuff thru their website (no need to specify date but must be at least 24 hours before) and get cheaper prices – about 20% off 3) katzrin – what’s not to love. Kosher Burgerim right next to a splash pad for kids and dead easy to find (also a pizza place if you’d prefer milky) 4) majasra – posted about it in 2013 and it only gets better. Deep part was fine for our 7.5yo swimmer and 5.5yo in armbands 5) hof ginnosar/swimming in kinneret – what it lacked in sand and aesthetics it totally made up for in price (none apart from chair hire) and total relaxation and calm. We floated around for nearly three hours. Bliss 6) island park at azrieli – bit crazy when we first got in at around 12.30pm, totally confusing when you can’t see where your kids are coming out of rides plus they wait till your 5yo has queued to the top of the slide to tell him he’s too small BUT apart from that kids really had a blast.
NETANYA
Ronit Peskin (July 2016)
Here’s what we did each day and how much it cost us. Spoiler: it was all free, other than food and transportation. Since I didn’t name names in this post, just described each place, the locations listed are: Nachal Alexander and Gesher Hatzabim/turtle bridge, and we hiked along Shvil Yisrael from Mevoot Yam in Michmoret to the Chadera train station, the fountains in the kikar in Netanya, Sarona in Tel Aviv (and Azrieli), and the Eshkol Farm for Agricultural Education in Vatikin/Netanya. On Shabbat we walked to Sarah Aharonson park on Smilansky and Yerushalayim streets. We stayed near Nitza street in Netanya. All the locations can be plugged in to google maps to figure out how to get there and back, either via public transportation or by car. Full post an be found on Ronit’s blog.
MITZPEH RAMON
Melissa Danto Rayman (August 2016)
Summary of our two day trip to Mitzpeh Ramon: arrived lunchtime (picnic) and went to Ramon museum at the visitor’s center (one hour nice tour – available in English or Hebrew-best to book). Then went to desert archery – loads of fun – a combination of mini-golf and regular golf, except with bows and arrows. After dinner we did the stargazing tour, which was awesome. Next day we had a 2 and a half hour jeep tour, with an amazing guide, Dr. Berger- that was thoroughly enjoyed by kids and adults alike (we were two 12 year old boys, two parents and two grandparents). Jeep tours – Dr. Haim Berger Negevjeep@gmail.com 054 543 3797 Desert Archery 050 534 4598 Yaacov Stars – Ira Machefsky Machefsky@Gmail.com 052-544-9789 (Ziv – assistant 052 756 4011)
JERUSALEM
Hayley Gray (August 2016) Some ideas if you’re looking…..4 day trip to Jerusalem with kids aged (11, 9, 6, 3).
Day 1 started with Pantry Packers followed by the Jerusalem Zoo and dinner and walk around at Machane Yehuda at night. Day 2 was the Science Museum and Ir David tour and water tunnels followed by the Kotel and Old City for dinner.
Day 3 started in Ein Yael followed by scavenger hunt (MegaScaventures) followed by the Tachana Rishona for dinner.
Day 4 Machane Yehuda Friday morning fun, ride on the light rail tram and fountains at Teddy Park.
Rachel Klein (August 2016) Just came back from 3 weeks in Israel and wanted to thank you all for the great advice- we had an awesome time! Some trip highlights: Tel Aviv: the beach, food tour of Carmel market with Inbal Baum, Sorcerers night at Cafe Yaffo, watching the sunset at the namal, gan Meir park Jerusalem: the kotel, pantry packers, Ir David, Shuk Crawl, migdal David light spectacular, photo shoot with Yonit Schiller, biblical zoo, yad vashem, Israel museum, walking around and seeing the beauty everywhere! Up north: majrasa water walk, tel Dan, banias, kibbutz merom golan- horseback riding, lantern walk star gazing, atv’ing, talking to artists, Jeep tour of kibbutz and Syrian border with Ilan Shulman, meeting chayalot snipers on top of har bental, wine tastings at bahat winery and Golan heights winery Zichron Yakov: ramat hanadiv, walking around the main street, ceasarea, tasting wine at Carmel winery Holon: dialogue in the dark, yamit 2000 water park Other: Eretz Beraishit camel riding, seeing friends and family in modiin, all the amazing food everywhere! Plenty of pokeman go, I’m sure I’m forgetting alot….can’t wait to go back!
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