Jerusalem panorama from the Mount of Olives

Nechemiah's Trip

Israel, November 4-10 · last updated October 22

Nechemiah - welcome to Eretz Yisroel! This trip is for you and your wife: relax, chill, and enjoy every minute. Daven at the mekomos hakedoshim, soak it in, and have fun - everything on this page is just ideas, so pick what feels good each day and skip the rest. Take it easy, and have a beautiful, uplifting trip!

Before you leave

By Oct 27-28 date to confirm

  1. Travel insurance (Travel Guard) Buy travel insurance
  2. Car rental - Shuvox Tap to send a ready WhatsApp message to Menachem (broker) asking for a car Nov 4-10 with Perry, VIP WhatsApp Shuvox
  3. Book the apartment not chosen yet See the Apartment section below
  4. Reserve Sunday-night sleep (Nov 8) - Genesis Land, Alon (suggested) or Netanel's units at Avnat - Nechemiah to book Genesis Land zimmer: about 800-1,200 NIS per couple, Israeli breakfast served to the zimmer, 02-9974477 · Netanel at Avnat: price varies by date, WhatsApp booking · details under Sunday · confirm kashrut and cancellation terms when booking Genesis Land deadsea.fun WhatsApp Netanel
  5. Reserve The Setai Sea of Galilee for Monday night (Nov 9) - Nechemiah to book Breakfast included, served 7:30-11:00 · hotel dinner 19:00-21:00, kosher Rabbanut Ramat HaGolan · rooms: standard about $625 · Villa Golan with pool about $886 · Kinneret Villa with pool about $1,016 · villa with jacuzzi about $1,277 per night (approx, billed in shekels) Hotel website Map

Choose one not chosen yet

  1. Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport, Terminal 3 Map
  2. Pick up the rental car - Shuvox WhatsApp Shuvox
  3. Breakfast at Deli Garden (at the Botanical Gardens) Map
  4. Jerusalem Botanical Gardens Map
  5. The apartment - check in and nap not chosen yet See the Apartment section above
  6. Old City tour - Star Car (small cars tour, First Station) Map
  7. Dinner at David16 Map
  1. Breakfast at Kadosh Cafe Sun-Thu 7:00-midnight · dairy, Jerusalem Rabbinate · walk-ins only Map
  2. Ancient Shiloh (Mishkan Shilo) About 1 hr drive each way · Sun-Thu 8:30-17:00, last entry 1.5 hrs before closing · self-guided visit 1.5-2 hrs · 39 NIS · info 02-5789111 Map
  3. Lunch at Halo Teiman (Yemenite) Sun-Thu 11:00-24:00 · meat, Rabbi Machpud · 02-6522525 Map
  4. Mamilla promenade + Jaffa Gate stroll Mamilla Jaffa Gate
  5. Dinner at Chulent & Mood - Chef Eli Davis Thursdays only, 14:00-02:30 · meat, Rabbanut Mehadrin · busiest 21:00-24:00 · 052-600-4087 Map
  1. Shacharis at the Kotel Map
  2. Breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria Friday breakfast served 6:30-10:30 Map
  3. Old City tour with Rabbi Kraus start time - confirm with the Rabbi Call WhatsApp
  4. Machane Yehuda market Friday 8:00 to about 15:00; stalls start closing around 14:00 · busiest day of the week Map
  5. Back to the apartment - Shabbos prep Park the car for Shabbat by about 15:15
  6. Friday night meal at the David Citadel Reserve a table for the meal Hotel website Map
Open: Kabbalat Shabbat at the Kotel - waiting on Ari's confirmation.
  • Shabbos morning meal at Yoyli Kraus details to confirm
  • Rest at the apartment
  • After Havdalah (17:23) - Motzaei Shabbos kevarim: Kever Dovid (King David's Tomb, Mt Zion) - open all night on Motzaei Shabbos Kever Dovid Kever Rochel (Rachel's Tomb, Bethlehem) - open 24 hours except during Shabbos; private cars pass through Checkpoint 300 directly to the tomb, about 15-20 min from Mt Zion; confirm access on the day Kever Rochel
  • On the way down - Genesis Land (Eretz Bereshit), Alon, about 30-45 min from Jerusalem Biblical experience: camel ride to Abraham's tent, pita baking, desert views · Sun-Thu 8:30-17:00 · about 110 NIS per person, camel rides 35-60 NIS · book ahead 02-9974477 Map
  • Beach option 1 - Kalia Beach (north Dead Sea, closest - about 45-55 min from Jerusalem) Open every day, winter 8:00-17:00 · paid entry · natural mud, lifeguard, showers Map
  • Beach option 2 - Ein Bokek / Hamei Zohar free beaches (south, about 2 hrs) Free · lifeguard winter 7:00-16:00 · includes a separated beach for men and women (near Hamei Zohar) Ein Bokek Separated beach

Activity option - Netanel Dead Sea Tourism, Avnat (about 20 min south of Kalia)

  • Electric "easy rider" tours, e-bikes, salt-cakes walk - the pin Ari sent Rider tours among the salt formations from 250 NIS per person (about 1.25 hrs, drive from age 16) · e-bike rides (easy family route about 1.5 hrs) · gentle guided walk to the salt cakes and turquoise sinkholes (2 hrs, easy walking) · kosher Asado meat meals by advance arrangement (from 100 NIS pp), Cafe Barkai mehadrin kosher · gentle note: pregnant women cannot drive the rider - the 5-seat electric Club Car (15 km/h) is the gentle way to join, and skip the bikes deadsearider.com WhatsApp 054-331-6613 Map

Dinner options (your pins in Kfar Adumim - 15-20 min from Kalia, on the way to Genesis Land)

  • Pizza Moshe - dairy, wood-tabun pizza Kosher, Rabbanut Maale Adumim · 15:00-23:00 · 076-8615227 Map
  • HaMa'ashanah shel Yoel (Yoel's Smokehouse) - smoked meat, Kfar Adumim industrial zone Kosher meat, Rabbanut Binyamin · Sundays 14:00-22:30 · 073-8013187 Map
  • HaKnaanit (Canaanite) - kosher desert chef restaurant, meat, Kfar Adumim junction Kosher meat · Sun-Thu 13:00-23:00 · about 15 min from Jerusalem Map

Kosher food near the beaches

  • Kalia: the kibbutz dining room is kosher (Jordan Valley Rabbinate) - breakfast only midweek; the Sulti restaurant and beach bar at Kalia beach are not kosher
  • Ein Bokek: hotel dining rooms are kosher; Ranch House (Isrotel Nevo) - kosher steakhouse, Sun-Thu 18:30-22:00, book ahead through Isrotel

Then sleep - two options

  • Genesis Land (Eretz Bereshit), Alon Suggested Desert zimmer about 25 min from Kalia · Israeli breakfast served to the zimmer in the morning · about 800-1,200 NIS per couple · Nechemiah to book: 02-9974477 Zimmer page Map
  • Netanel's units at Avnat (by the activities) Couples only: two caravans in a date grove (one with a jacuzzi, one with an outdoor bath and wading pool) or a private rooftop unit with open jacuzzi · price varies by date - the calendar shows the exact nightly rate · check-in 17:00, check-out 10:00 · kosher Asado meals by advance arrangement, Cafe Barkai mehadrin · book on WhatsApp deadsea.fun WhatsApp Map
  1. Breakfast at Beit HaUgot (the place you sent), Montefiore 20, Tzfat Dairy cafe, kosher mehadrin (Tzfat Religious Council) · opens 9:00 AM · about 50-100 NIS per person · 077-466-7806 Map
  2. Mikveh HaAri, Tzfat The organized mikveh opens about half an hour before sunset for 3 hours (about 16:15 in November); the men's spring mikveh by the old cemetery is open during the day - cold spring water, bring a towel · 35 NIS · confirm 054-8457552 Map
  3. Tour of Tzfat Old City Options: self-guided - Ari Ashkenazi synagogue, Abuhav synagogue, artists' quarter, old cemetery · or book a private guide Old City Ari shul
  4. Meron - Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai's tomb (about 15 min from Tzfat) Visitor compound winter 8:00-16:00, last entry 15:00 · the tomb itself is accessible around the clock Map
  5. Dinner in Tiberias - Decks or Pearls (about 30 min from the hotel) Decks (the pin you sent): mehadrin kosher meat, on the water at the Lido · Sun-Thu 12:00 until the last customer · 072-3932108 Decks Pearls (Pearls Flame), Baratz 3, Upper Tiberias: grill, kosher mehadrin Badatz Eida Haredit · Sun-Thu 13:00-23:00 · 04-673-3555 Pearls Or eat at the hotel: Setai restaurant dinner 19:00-21:00 · kosher, Rabbanut Ramat HaGolan · higher kashrut (glatt meat) by advance request · hotel 04-8432222
  6. Then the hotel - The Setai Sea of Galilee, Ramot (Monday night) Breakfast included, 7:30-11:00 · Nechemiah to book (see Before you leave) Hotel website Map
  1. Breakfast in the hotel Served 7:30-11:00
  2. Morning options open - pick Olam HaMayim ("World of Water") beach, Gdud Barak Rd next to the Lido, Tiberias: water sports on the Kinneret - boat sails, tubes, banana boats, jet skis, tornado boats, seating areas · open 24 hours, closed Shabbat · prices by activity, book 050-4015355 · with a pregnant wife, a gentle boat sail fits - skip jet skis and banana boats Olam HaMayim Ya'ar Shveitz (Switzerland Forest), above Tiberias: KKL scenic forest drive (6 km, fine for any car) with lookouts over the Kinneret, Golan and Hermon · free entry · picnic areas and playgrounds · easy and gentle - lookouts by the car · no food in the forest Ya'ar Shveitz Tabor Winery, Kfar Tavor - on the way south: kosher · tastings with a cheese board · Sun-Thu 9:00-17:00 · book ahead 04-6760444 · about 25 min from Tiberias Tabor Winery Dalton Winery, Dalton (near Tzfat): kosher · Sun-Thu 9:00-16:30 · 04-9527107 Dalton Winery Gentle alternatives: Hamat Tiberias hot springs or a Kinneret boat ride from the Tiberias promenade Hamat Tiberias Boats
  3. Dinner - Oved BaKfar, Or Yehuda (the pin you sent) Kosher meat shipudiya, Or Yehuda Religious Council · Sun-Thu 12:00-midnight · about 10 min from Ben Gurion Airport Map
  4. Ben Gurion Airport flight time to confirm About 1.5 hrs from the hotel Map

A note from Ari

Nechemiah, as you travel through Eretz Yisroel and daven at the mekomos hakedoshim, I'd be grateful if you could keep me and my family in mind in your tefillos. It would mean a lot to us.

אהרן בן אסתר
גיטל בת מלכה
מרדכי אפרים בן גיטל
רחל לאה בת גיטל
פיגא רייזא חיה בת גיטל
נתנאל שרגא בן גיטל
אברהם צבי בן גיטל
יצחק עזריאל בן גיטל
יהושע אליעזר ליפא בן גיטל
יוכבד בת גיטל

Thank you so much. I hope you enjoy the trip!
- Ari