Israel in May, 2018: Shavuot

No doubt Chani will be chiming in soon!

Here I am, chime, chime.

The national parks at the Dead Sea (Masada, Ein Gedi, Qumran) will be open on Shabbat and Shavuot, but they are likely to be crowded with Israelis, and hotel rates at the Dead Sea may be higher as well, and have 2 or 3-night minimum stays. Some sights in Jerusalem will be closed on Shabbat and/or Shavuot, but some will be open. It depends on what you want to see. In fact, it might even be a good idea to stay in Jerusalem until Monday or Tuesday. The Israel Museum is likely to be open (at least on Shabbat), the Old City will be mostly open - the sights in the Jewish Quarter will be closed, but you can still walk around and enjoy the holiday atmosphere, especially Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel on Friday evening.

Give me an idea of how much time you want to spend in each area and what are the main things you want to see and do. Do you want to see sights in the Negev or only at the Dead Sea? The Dead Sea sights can be done on one's own, best with a car - buses are infrequent. Qumran and Masada are well-explained, there are introductory videos and Masada has a good audio guide. Ein Gedi needs little explanation, the hiking trail is well-marked. If you want to explore part of the Negev a jeep tour is the very best way to do it. I can recommend someone - not cheap, but excellent.

It's hard to find a place in Israel where English isn't spoken.

Hi Chani!
Thanks for your quick reply and advice. One concern about being in Jerusalem for those 2 holiday days, is about getting around. I've heard that the city has become much more religious in the past 50 years. Will we be able to get a sherut, or uber to get back and forth from Katamon/German Colony to the Old City, Jewish Museum, etc? Will restaurants be open in some areas of the city?

Todah Rabah!

Shalom uv'racha!

Yes, there are taxis and sheruts on Shabbat and holidays. The center of town (Jaffa Rd/King George/Ben Yehuda) will be shut down (but usually very lively starting an hour or two after the holiday ends), but there are a few places that will be open. I don't know if any of the cafes in the German Colony are open. A couple of places I would recommend are Lavan inside the Jerusalem Cinematheque building - just down the street from Mount Zion Hotel. It's a dairy restaurant and the balcony has lovely views. Another is the restaurant at the YMCA across the street from the King David Hotel. Patio seating is lovely. If you want to have dinner, best to make a reservation. There are plenty of good places for lunch, dinner, or a snack in the Old City. There are good restaurants for dinner in the Armenian Quarter, nearer the Jewish Quarter. All the hotels serve food from morning till night in their dining rooms, cafes and bars. Some will require payment before Shabbat, but some will accept payment on the spot - just check ahead.

I ate at Satya ( Keren Hayesod St 36, Jerusalem) on a Friday night a couple of years ago. It was good. Not sure about their hours now. Reservations were necessary.