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ERETZ Magazine

STAYPUT HOME

JERUSALEM

TEL AVIV

YOUTH HOSTELS

UPPER GALILEE

GOLAN

SEFAD, ROSH PINA

LOWER GALILEE

WESTERN GALILEE

TIBERIAS

ACRE

HAIFA

CEASAREA

SHARON

ASHKELON

JUDEAN HILLS

BEERSHEVA

EILAT

KIBBUTZ HOTELS

 

Stayput Youth Hostels

The Israel Youth Hostel Association’s Fly and Drive program allows visitors to explore the entire country in comfort at a reasonable price. Guests can stay at a different youth hostel in a different part of Israel every night or spend several days exploring an area in depth.

One of the main disadvantages of staying at a different place each night is making all of the arrangements to do so – finding a hotel in the desired location, making reservations, figuring out how to get there, etc. The Israel Youth Hostel Association (IYHA) removes this disadvantage with its Fly and Drive package. This reasonably priced package includes a rental car, which can be picked up and dropped off at Ben-Gurion International Airport for a small additional fee, and seven nights or more at any of the hostels and guesthouse all over the country that are affiliated with IYHA. This allows first-timers and veteran visitors to tailor a trip to their interests – they can spend a few days in two or three places that interest them or stay at a different place each night and see the entire country. Plus the package includes breakfast each morning.
The fly and drive program is very reasonably priced, but for those who want to save even more money, IYHA has a similar package, minus the car, but including the breakfasts. IYHA offers vouchers for four nights or more that can be used at any of the hostels or guesthouses. The package can be shared, so it is worthwhile even for a couple that wants to spend two nights at one hostel. However, guests also can rely on public transportation and spend a week exploring various parts of Israel.
And, even though the Y in IYHA stands for youth, guests of all ages will find that the hostels are comfortable and offer all the amenities they want and that there is no age limit on the packages. The packages are only available to tourists and not to Israeli citizens. To make reservations, call Tel. 1-599-510-511.
Below is a classic seven-day route that gives visitors a taste of most regions of the country, plus an option to extend it.

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Day 1: Tel Aviv Jaffa

The classic seven-day trip begins in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Spend your first day in Israel exploring the first Hebrew city or recovering from jetlag by lounging on the Mediterranean beach. Spend your first night at the recently opened Mishkenot Ruth Daniel Guesthouse in Jaffa or the Bnei Dan Guesthouse.
Mishkenot Ruth Daniel, which is a joint venture of IYHA and the Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, is located in a gorgeous new building on Jerusalem Boulevard, one of the main streets in Jaffa. It is walking distance from the Old City of Jaffa, the Jaffa Port, the famous flea market, and more. The Bnei Dan Guesthouse is located directly opposite the Yarkon Park, which extends along the Yarkon River and is full of attractions, from jogging paths and gardens to water sport facilities. It also is walking distance from the Tel Aviv Port, where the city’s most popular nightclubs and restaurants are located.

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Day 2: Shlomi

Head up the coast to the Shlomi Guesthouse in the Western Galilee. Take Route 2 north from Tel Aviv and enjoy the view of the Mediterranean, which accompanies you for much of the drive. On the way, stop off at the archaeology park in Caesarea, the Bahai Gardens in Haifa (reservations required, Tel. (04) 831-3131), and the Old City of Acre. Since the Shlomi Guesthouse is located near some of the most beautiful natural sites in Israel, another option is to arrive at the guesthouse early enough in the day to visit the Hanita Forest, the Kibbutz Hanita Museum (Tel. (04 985-9677), the Yehiam Fortress National Park, or the Achziv National Park.

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Day 3: Tel Hai

Start the day early with a tour of Rosh Hanikra and its famous sea grottos. Then head east toward the Tel Hai Guesthouse. On the way, stop off to visit Peki’in, with its colorful marketplace and old synagogue. The Tel Hai Guesthouse is a great base for exploring many of the sites in the Galilee and the Golan Heights. Some are even within walking distance, like the Open Museum of Photography, the Tel Hai Sculpture Garden, and the Tel Hai Courtyard, where visitors can learn about early Zionist efforts to settle in the Land of Israel and the battle of Tel Hai. Other sites are only a short drive away, such as the Hermon (Banias) National Park, with its waterfall, walking trails, and the remains of a Herodian temple.

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4: Karei Deshe or Poriya

Head south toward the Karei Deshe Guesthouse or the Poriya Guesthouse, both of which are located by the Sea of Galilee. Much of the Galilee and the southern Golan Heights are easily accessible from them, including the Hula Valley Nature Reserve, Safed, and Katzrin. The Karei Deshe Guesthouse is designed to look like a khan surrounding a courtyard and sits alongside the ruins of a twelfth-century khan that served those traveling along an ancient highway leading from Banias to Acre. The Poriya Guesthouse is located on a wild slope on the heights of a mountain ridge that overlooks the spectacular landscape of the Sea of Galilee and Golan Heights. The surrounding forest is a great place for a hike.

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Day 5: Ein Gedi

Head south to the Beit Sarah Guesthouse at Ein Gedi. Take Route 90 and stop off at the huge archaeology park at Beit She’an, which is just south of the Sea of Galilee, before continuing to Qumran, which is just above the Dead Sea. The two not-to-be-missed sites in this area are, of course, Masada and Ein Gedi. And, for those who wish to indulge, the guesthouse is conveniently located near the many spas at Ein Bokek on the edge of the Dead Sea.

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Day 6: Jerusalem

The finale of the trip is Jerusalem. The Agron Guesthouse, which is a joint venture of IYHA and the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism, was recently renovated and expanded. It is located within walking distance of both the Old City and the New City, making it a great base for exploring the religious sites of the Old City before heading to the Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall or Emek Refaim Street to shop and dine.

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Day 7: Jerusalem

The Yitzhak Rabin Guesthouse, which also is a modern, relatively new facility, is located in the heart of Jerusalem’s government and museum district. It is only a few minutes’ walk from the Israel Museum, the Bible Lands Museum, the botanical gardens of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, the Knesset, the Supreme Court building, and the enchanting gardens that surround them all.

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Southern Trip

Those who want a real taste of the south will find it is worth adding two days. Instead of going to Jerusalem from Ein Gedi, head to the Mitzpe Ramon Guesthouse, which has one of the most spectacular views in Israel – the landscapes of Makhtesh Ramon. On the way there, stop to go hiking at Ein Avdat and in Makhtesh Ramon.
The next day, head down to the Eilat Youth Hostel and Guesthouse via the Red Canyon. The hostel is in one of the best locations in Eilat – a short walk from the beach, the promenade, and the shopping mall with VAT-free stores. From Eilat, drive to Jerusalem, stopping at Timna on the way, to complete the trip.

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Copyright ERETZ Magazine 2008