North Israel (Dead Sea) or Jerusalem??

[Ramizraja]

We are docked at Haifa Port for 1 day and after reading a few other posts have realised that Jerusalem is quite a drive from Haifa, and not many private tour operators will do a day trip, with this in mind, I was wondering if we should flag Jerusalem and head North. From other cruisers experience what would you suggest? I would really like to see Jerusalem but is the dead sea worth seeing aswell? Which is best? Its a shame we are only there for a day but thats cruising I guess! Thanks! :)

[motib]

We are docked at Haifa Port for 1 day and after reading a few other posts have realised that Jerusalem is quite a drive from Haifa, and not many private tour operators will do a day trip, with this in mind, I was wondering if we should flag Jerusalem and head North. From other cruisers experience what would you suggest? I would really like to see Jerusalem but is the dead sea worth seeing aswell? Which is best? Its a shame we are only there for a day but thats cruising I guess! Thanks! :)

 

Haifa is a perfect base for tour to the north.

The Dead Sea is amazing but it is far from Haifa even more than Jerusalem.

A day tour to Jerusalem is more than possible altough the 2hr drive it takes only to get there.

[paul929207]

Haifa is way north of Jerusalem, which in turn is north west of the Dead Sea.

 

Places like Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee would be more accessible from Haifa.

[Ramizraja]

We don't have to see the Dead Sea, I actually don't know much about Israel except Jerusalem/Bethlehem! Is the sea of Gailee worth visiting? The cruise ship does have tours avaliable (just at a hefty price!) which go to Jerusalem and North. I will do some more research, thanks for the advice though :)

[paul929207]

We did a day tour from Jerusalem to Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee. Around the Sea of Galilee, you can visit many of the sights mentioned in the Gospels. We went to a Kibutz (Ein Geb, I think) for a delicious lunch right on the shore of the Sea.

[MercedMike]

As noted above, the Dead Sea is far South of Haifa, not North.

 

The most common tours from Haifa are to Nazareth and Galilee. However, on our cruise we chose to do the Dead Sea from Ashdod and Jerusalem from Haifa and it worked well.

 

Travel times in Israel are not that long, particularly compared to the trip to Paris or Cairo from their ports (or even to a trip from San Francisco to Yosemite). It took us maybe an hour and a half to get to Jerusalem from Haifa. The Dead Sea would be forty-five minutes or so further on, perhaps.

 

So, if Haifa is your only port in Israel, you are basically looking at a choice between Nazareth, Jerusalem, or a long ride to the Dead Sea. I would suggest you book with a private guide so you can get the most efficient travel to exactly what you want to do. We used Avitours and were very happy with them.

 

Check out our trip report and pictures at http://www.bully4.us/holyland2.html

 

Have a GREAT cruise!

[rsquare]

Just to complicate matters more, there is always Tel Aviv in Central Israel. The Haifa train station is literally next door to the cruise terminal, and there are frequent trains to Tel Aviv. The city offers extensive beaches, an Art Deco district, a tall building with an observation deck, a vibrant outdoor Carmel Market and is right next door to the predominantly Arab and picturesque city of Jaffa.

 

Wouldn't be a bad thing to stay in Haifa itself, which also has an interesting Arab quarter near where the boat docks, and magnificent views from the top of the mountain behind the city, as well as the Bahai Gardens (check and see if it is open, it wasn't in October). And Acre is only about 20 miles north, a walled Arab city with some great seafood restaurants and other sights like an old caravanserai.

[happy trailer]

It all depends on what is most important for you to see.

 

While going to Jerusalem from Haifa will be a bit of a trip, it can be done, as you can see from other cruisers' posts . It will be a long day, but very worthwhile and rewarding.

 

It's possible, though, to have a full, rich day of touring in the north. (The Galilee is a beautiful region, btw, so any touring up north will include wonderful scenery.):

 

- The Galilee is filled with important Christian sites, from the Sea of Galilee itself, to several lovely and nearby significant churches and towns. There is also a baptismal site, Yardenit, nearby.

 

- If you are interested in mysticism and also in visiting artist's galleries, then visit Safed, which is also in the Galilee.

 

- You can make arrangements for a food and wine tour of the Galilee and Golan areas.

 

- If you are interested in a very pretty natural experience, mixed in with a bit of modern history, head north to Rosh Hanikra, which is on the border with Lebanon. You'll take a cable car down to the grotto, where you can also see a brief film about the area. You'll also see the border- both the land and sea border- and also have a great view of the Israeli coastline, all the way to Haifa and beyond.

 

- If you are interested in the Roman era, then head to Caesarea; if the Crusaders interest you then Acco is a good choice.

 

Some of the above can also include a bit of touring in Haifa, including the Bahai Gardens.

 

Whatever you choose to do, I wouldn't suggest attempting to tour on your own- with only one day in Israel, the best way to make the most of your visit would either be by booking a ship excursion, or by making arrangements with a private guide.

 

HTH!

 

Ruth

[happy trailer]

Just to complicate matters more, there is always Tel Aviv in Central Israel. The Haifa train station is literally next door to the cruise terminal, and there are frequent trains to Tel Aviv. The city offers extensive beaches, an Art Deco district, a tall building with an observation deck, a vibrant outdoor Carmel Market and is right next door to the predominantly Arab and picturesque city of Jaffa.

 

Wouldn't be a bad thing to stay in Haifa itself, which also has an interesting Arab quarter near where the boat docks, and magnificent views from the top of the mountain behind the city, as well as the Bahai Gardens (check and see if it is open, it wasn't in October). And Acre is only about 20 miles north, a walled Arab city with some great seafood restaurants and other sights like an old caravanserai.

 

 

Yes- the possibilities can seem endless! :D

 

In this case, although I love Tel Aviv, and head there whenever I have a few hours free, I'd suggest Haifa over Tel Aviv. No need to travel far, and there is plenty to do in Haifa for a day: great beaches, the cable car ride for great views, the Maritime Museum, the Bahai Gardens, to Templar houses, and more.

 

The Haifa Tourism Board has a good website with lots of information, including several suggestions for excursions within the city.

 

However, while Haifa is lovely and easy to explore, there are so many unique and significant places in Israel that are easy to visit that I think it would be a shame not to make arrangements to visit places outside of Haifa!

 

HTH!

 

Ruth