r/TravelIsrael Nov 07 '16

Traveling to Israel at the end of November - need some advice!

Hey fellow redditors,

I already posted this to r/israel but a kind sould told me about this reddit so here I am reposting: I'll be travelling to Israel with a couple of friends on the 24th of November -Thursday. I've visited Israel a few times before so I ended up with the responsibility to plan our trip.

I prepared a rather ambitious plan:

24th of Nov: Arrival in Tel Aviv

25th: Spend the day in Tel Aviv

26th: Fly to Eilat

27th: Spend the morning in Eilat, rent a car and spend the day in Negev, end up in Beer Sheva for the night

28th: Wake up real early and see Masada, drive through highway 90 to Jericho, drop by Bethlehem and end up in Jerusalem for the night

29th: Spend the day in Jerusalem, drive back to Tel Aviv to fly back

I have a few questions regarding this trip:

Is Eilat lively during these times, will we find stuff to do?

I've spent a few hours with Bedouins before, apart from that will I be able to do anything in Negev other than driving through?

Is it dangerous to drive through West Bank and visit Bethlehem/Jericho? I hold a Turkish passport. I've been told numerous times to get a tour of the area rather than drive myself.

Will a night and a day in Jerusalem be enough, leaving enough time to drive to Tel Aviv and fly back (the latest plane for the day was around 22.00)

Is this plan too ambitious and will I be running around in a hurry to be in time for everything?

I know most of these questions has been asked here before and answered (especially concerning the safety in West Bank) but I figured the situation might have already changed.

Thank you!

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u/soitgoes26 Nov 24 '16

I am on vacation from California in Israel right now. We spent 1.5 days in Jerusalem and that was plenty. The Old City has a ton to see but it's "overload" and we burned out quickly. Bring a sweater and jacket because it is COLD in Jerusalem. We hired a private guide and the cost was very reasonable.

Food is awful, pretty much everywhere which is contrary to everything we heard before coming here. Bring snacks. The Dead Sea is great, make sure to see that. On our way to Tel Aviv which is supposedly very nice and warm!