Israel in June

It really depends on your interests. Religious, historical, scenic?

Tel Aviv is a modern, beach front city. There are things to see in Tel Aviv and Jaffa. It's also a good place to take a day trip up to Haifa.

Jerusalem has more to see from a historic and religious standpoint plus easier for day trips to the Dead Sea, Masada and Bethlehem. I would spend a few nights there.

I was in Israel last June and let me warn you....it was very hot.

I took a couple of day tours with Rent-A-Guide and they were very good. They have tours ranging from one day to one week.

Seven days is tight. I was there for two weeks and I'm planning to go back.

In addition to any replies you get here, the busiest Israel forum online seems to be on TripAdvisor, so be sure to go there as well: https://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowForum-g293977-i1733-Israel.html

Seven days is only enough time to hit some highlights; you will need to be brutally selective. If you can add even a few more days, you'll have a much better experience. It's a small country geographically, but there's a lot to see.

Staying in Tel Aviv is not a good way to see the country. If you are only there for 7 days and don't mind missing other parts of the country, spend most of your time in Jerusalem and a few days in Tel Aviv. Note that while the airport is called Tel Aviv, it is actually between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem and can be easily reached from either.

Thanks for your answer.

Silvia

I also agree with visiting the TripAdvisor forums and not staying in Tel Aviv the entire time. I would spend the least amount of time in Tel Aviv because it is more modern and less interesting in a historical way. The country of Israel is not that big but there is not really one place you can stay and see everything. If you want to see the Galilee region you really need to rent a car and spend a few overnights there. I went with a tour group through my church and spent 10 days in Israel and still felt like it would be really easy to spend more time, it is a fascinating place!

Israel is a wonderful country and with so much history. Jerusalem would be the centerpiece for at least three days.

In Jerusalem, you can see how important the city is to the three faiths of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Church of the Holy

Sepulchre is a Fourth Century Church built on what was believed to be the site of the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. The Roman Emperor Constantine's mother, Helena was a Christian that had a hand in finding the site. The Dome of the Rock is a most with a golden dome that covers a rock on Temple Mount, a holy site for Jews. Also, were Muslims believe the Prophet Mohammed rode from to heaven on a horse. Also, the Al-Aqsa Mosque is nearby.

The Jerusalem area is filled with historical and religious sites. Bethlehem, just a few miles south of the city has the Church of the Holy Nativity where Christ was born.

Masada is an interesting site, south of Jerusalem that was on a hill where many Jewish rebels were besieged in the First Century AD by the Romans (Titus was later Emperor). The rebels committed suicide when it became evident that the Romans would take over the complex. The Dead Sea is an interestesting place, as well as in northern Israel, there are so many places to see that I don't have time to list them all.

Generally,it's recommended that you use professional tour services in Israel.

You should contact the nearest Israel Government Tourist Office to where you are. They can help you.

And spend some time at the Trip Advisor forum as suggested here.

Generally,it's recommended that you use professional tour services in Israel.

Not true. Lots of people tour Israel independently. Like most places, a good guide can greatly enhance a sight or a day tour or a multi-day tour, but if you can travel independently in Europe you can do so in Israel, especially if you're only going to the coastal cities and Jerusalem. The only areas that can be difficult to see independently are the Negev and the Galilee and Golan Heights - and those are also easy to manage if you are willing to drive (automatic cars are the norm here).

My wife and I just returned from a trip to Israel. During our trip planning, we had viewed a Rick Steve’s video and other travel information. There we learned of Abie Bresler, a private tour guide, and we were able to line up several Jerusalem tour days with him. Abie is a fantastic guide. He is so knowledgeable, and he customized the trip to accommodate our interests and to consider the sites we had seen on a previous trip to Israel. His English is great (he was even born in the U.S.), and he is fluent in several languages. Abie was always available with excellent knowledge to answer our questions, while also giving us time to absorb all we were experiencing. We felt he was a friend almost immediately upon meeting him. We had a fantastic trip, and we highly recommend Abie Bresler as a private tour guide. You can find out more about him at his Just4UTours website.

Craig

Thank you Craig!

I will try to find him!

Silvia Bohlke