Israel
Asia · Jerusalem · IL
Israel packs an extraordinary concentration of history, landscapes, and cultural intensity into a country smaller than New Jersey. Jerusalem's ancient streets layer three millennia of sacred tradition beneath golden domes, arched stone quarters, and the weathered limestone walls of the Old City. In Tel Aviv, Bauhaus architecture lines broad boulevards and the beachfront promenade buzzes with late-night cafe culture and electronic music. The Negev Desert opens into vast silence, where a volcanic crater the size of a city sits undisturbed by anything but wind. Along the Dead Sea, the lowest point on earth, mineral-rich waters leave your skin tingling and the surrounding cliffs glow pink at sunset. Israeli cuisine has exploded in recent years, with markets like Mahane Yehuda in Jerusalem and Carmel in Tel Aviv offering za'atar-laden flatbreads, fresh pomegranate juice, and shakshuka sizzling in cast iron. The country's complexity defies simple narratives.
Overview
Israel is a country in Asia. Its capital is Jerusalem and the international dialling code is +972. Languages commonly used in everyday life here include Hebrew and Arabic. Local currency is the Israeli New Shekel (ILS). Our guide covers 1 airport, including Ben Gurion Airport. We also list 2 cities in Israel: Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.
Jerusalem's Old City and Western Wall
The Old City of Jerusalem is divided into four quarters, each a dense maze of stone alleys and sacred sites that draw pilgrims from three world religions. The Western Wall, a massive retaining structure from the Second Temple period, stands at the edge of the Jewish Quarter where visitors press handwritten prayers into its ancient cracks. Beyond it, the Dome of the Rock gleams atop the Temple Mount, its gold-leafed cupola visible from almost every rooftop. Walking through the Christian Quarter, the Via Dolorosa winds past Stations of the Cross toward the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, where the stone of anointing and the rock of Golgotha sit within meters of each other. At Mahane Yehuda Market, just outside the walls, the energy shifts to the clatter of spice vendors, the hiss of schnitzel frying, and the sounds of a city that refuses to stand still.
Masada's Fortress Sunrise
The pre-dawn hike up Masada's Snake Path tests your legs and rewards you with one of the most dramatic sunrises in the Middle East. The fortress sits on an isolated mesa overlooking the Dead Sea, its ruins telling the story of a Jewish holdout against Roman siege that ended in mass suicide rather than surrender. Arriving at the summit as first light catches the copper-colored cliffs of the Judean Desert below is genuinely stirring. The Roman ramp still climbs the western face, a monumental feat that took months to build. Walking through the remains of King Herod's palaces, with their bathhouses and cisterns carved into the rock, you grasp the ambition and paranoia of a ruler who built a refuge in the most inhospitable terrain imaginable. The view from the top stretches to Jordan on the far shore.
Dead Sea's Buoyant Shores
The Dead Sea is a place of contradictions: it feels like a beach resort, yet the water is ten times saltier than the ocean and no living creature can survive in it. Wading in, your body rises involuntarily, lifting your arms and legs above the surface until you are floating on your back without any effort. The mineral-rich black mud on the shore, slathered on skin and left to dry in the sun, is rumored to have therapeutic properties, and you will see visitors grinning at each other from the shallows. The surrounding landscape is stark and beautiful: eroded salt formations cling to the waterline, and the cliffs of Ein Gedi rise abruptly behind, where wild ibex pick their way across the rock. The air feels thick and warm, almost medicinal, and the silence is unlike anything in the nearby cities.
Haifa's Baha'i Gardens
The Baha'i Gardens in Haifa cascade down the northern slope of Mount Carmel in a series of nineteen terraces, each one landscaped with manicured hedges, cypress trees, and flowering beds that lead the eye downward toward the Shrine of the Bab, a gold-domed structure at the garden's center. The geometry is mesmerizing: straight pathways cut through curved garden beds, and water channels run between the terraces with clockwork precision. From the upper terrace, the view extends across Haifa's port and the Mediterranean beyond, where cargo ships sit on the horizon. The gardens are free to enter and remarkably peaceful, with the occasional sound of a gardener trimming a hedge the only interruption to the quiet. The lower terrace opens onto the German Colony neighborhood, where stone buildings from the Templar period now house cafes and restaurants serving Mediterranean dishes with a distinctly Haifa accent.
Negev Desert's Ramon Crater
Ramon Crater, or Makhtesh Ramon, is not a crater formed by a meteor but by erosion: millions of years of water and wind carved a depression forty kilometers long and ten kilometers wide into the Negev plateau, exposing layers of colorful rock that read like a geological textbook. Driving to the crater's rim at Mitzpe Ramon, the landscape drops away suddenly into a vast bowl of ochre, rust, and violet striations. Hiking into the crater floor reveals ancient volcanic formations, dried riverbeds, and the occasional ibex perched on a ridge. At night, the darkness is almost total, and the Milky Way arches overhead with a clarity that city dwellers forget is possible. The small Eco-Camp on the rim offers simple tent accommodations and communal bonfires where fellow travelers share stories while the desert wind hums softly. The sense of isolation is profound and oddly comforting.
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- Capital
- Jerusalem
- Currency
- Israeli New Shekel (ILS)
- Languages
- Hebrew, Arabic
- Calling code
- +972
- Internet TLD
- il
Entry requirements
Check who can enter →See which passports travel visa-free or need a visa to enter Israel.
Airports (1)
All airports →Cities (2)
All cities →Frequently asked questions
What is the capital of Israel?
Jerusalem is the capital of Israel, and the country sits in Asia.
What currency is used in Israel?
You pay with Israeli New Shekel (ILS) in Israel. Exchange rates move day to day, so check the current rate before you change money or use your card abroad.
Which languages do people speak in Israel?
The languages we list for Israel are Hebrew and Arabic. A couple of greetings in the local language go a long way when you travel, even in cities where another language is widely used.
What is the international dialling code for Israel?
The dialling code for Israel is +972 — keep the plus sign when you save the number.
Which airports serve Israel?
Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv is the airport we cover for Israel.
Which cities in Israel do you cover?
Our guide lists 2 cities for Israel: Jerusalem (capital) and Tel Aviv.