ShareThis week’s Blog “Must Do’s” Hello Dear readers, I’d like to talk about the “must do’s.” If you only have one free day in Israel, spend it in Jerusalem.  Begin with a panoramic view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives lookout. Rightly “Gold Starred” in the Fodor’s Guide (gold-starred sites are the […]

This week’s Blog “Must Do’s”

Hello Dear readers,

I’d like to talk about the “must do’s.”

If you only have one free day in Israel, spend it in Jerusalem.  Begin with a panoramic view of the Old City from the Mount of Olives lookout.

Rightly “Gold Starred” in the Fodor’s Guide (gold-starred sites are the ones most worth a visit), the view is truly spectacular.

After that, drive to Jaffa Gate and directly to your right is the Tower of David Museum.  Be sure to see the film and the view from the top of the built by King Herod more than two millenia ago.  It is a very good introduction to one of the most interesting and contested cities on the planet.

From there, if you have no guide, free tours are available (be sure  to tip the guide, though) every day except Saturday.  Take a good part of the day exploring the 4 different quarters.  Then, if you have a bit of the day left over, either go to the Israel Museum or Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum.

If you have two days, spend the next one on the Dead Sea.  Begin with a tour of Masada.  If you are not accompanied with a guide, the Nature and Parks Authority does have self-guiding devices to rent for a small fee.  Afterwards, spend the day at one of the local spas.  Be sure to bring a beach shoe or crocs!  These can be purchased there.

I’ll be adding to this list in the next few weeks, so stay tuned!