Hiking
Israel packs a surprising range of hiking into a small country, from the basalt streams of the Golan to the granite mountains around Eilat. Posts here cover specific routes: the Zavitan Stream in the Golan, Nachal Amud in the Galilee, the Eilat Mountains, and the desert canyons of the southern Arava.
14 articles
14 articles
Nachal Amud and Migration in the Hula
A perfect autumn hike down through Nachal Meiron and Nachal Amud, followed by a drive across the Galilee to the ancient synagogue at Bar'am and the migrating cranes at the Agamon.
Hiking the Zavitan Stream
A short hike on the upper Zavitan stream in the Yehudiya Nature Reserve, with basalt-column pools, a waterfall and plenty of opportunity to cool off in the Golan heat.
Campus Eilat Day Three: Southern Arava
Day three of Campus Eilat: heading up the Southern Arava — the Eilat Bird Park, the Avrona farms and fugarot tunnels, the Doum Palms, Shechoret Canyon, the Chai Bar and a desert kite, ending with a Chanukah candle lighting back in Eilat.
Campus Eilat Day Two: Eilat and the Eilat Mountains
Day two of Campus Eilat: starting at Umm Rash Rash and the story of the Ink Flag, hiking the Red Canyon and ascending Mt Tzefachot for the four-countries view, before ending at the Eilat Underwater Observatory.
Haifa
A day in Haifa: the Bahai Gardens spilling down Mount Carmel, the Ahmadiyya mosque, Stella Maris and the cave of Elijah, the German Colony, and a hike in Nachal Siach to round off.
The Shfela (Judean Lowlands) in the Roman & Byzantine Periods
A day across the Judean Lowlands: Tel Maresha's underground caves, the Roman city of Beit Guvrin (Eleutheropolis), and crawling through the Bar Kochba Revolt tunnels at Horvat Midras.
Campus Golan Day 3: Mount Hermon
Day 3 of our Golan Heights course: up the Mt Hermon chairlift for views into Syria and Lebanon, then the Druze tomb of Nabi Hazuri, the Nimrod Fortress, the waterfalls at Banias and a sombre stop at the Helicopters Memorial.
Campus Golan Day 2: the Lower Hermon and the Northern Golan Heights
Day 2 of our Golan Heights course: Tel Dan's salamander, the world's oldest arch, the Hellenist temple at Banias, the Yom Kippur battlefields at Mt Bental and the Valley of Tears, and a kumzitz to close.
Campus Golan Day 1: Central Golan Heights
Day 1 of the Golan Heights campus: a hike down Nachal Jilabun, wine tasting at the Golan Heights Winery, the Talmudic Village of Katzrin, and memorials at Mitzpe Gadot and Tel Faher.
Ein Gedi
Ein Gedi on the western shore of the Dead Sea: a hike up the David stream past plunge pools and a Chalcolithic temple, a Byzantine synagogue with a cryptic curse, the date palm groves, the Dead Sea sinkholes and a final stop at the kibbutz botanical gardens.
If you are going to Israel, you would be mad not to give him a call.
Amol Rajan, BBC presenter and broadcaster
Having been on trips in Israel with seven different tour guides, Samuel stood above all the rest.
Seasoned Israel traveller
Samuel is one part walking encyclopedia, one part storyteller, one part stand-up comedian.
Berkeley Haas Business School student