Must-see attractions in North Coast

  • Shrine of the Bab and lower terraces at the Bahai World Center in Haifa, Israel.

    Baha’i Gardens

    Haifa

    These formal gardens flowing down 19 steep terraces to a resplendent domed shrine – the final resting place of the prophet-herald of the Baha’i faith –…

  • The Cave of the Coffins facade, Bet She'arim National Park, Israel.

    Beit She’arim National Park

    North Coast

    Nestled between Mt Carmel and Lower Galilee, spellbinding Beit She’arim is pitted with ancient catacombs, many of which you can enter. In the 2nd century…

  • A sea cave at Rosh Hanikra, Israel.

    Rosh HaNikra Grottoes

    North Coast

    Bone-white limestone cliffs seem to burst from the deep blue sea at this geological beauty spot straddling the Israel–Lebanon border. A cable car descends…

  • The Hecht Museum, located on the grounds of the University of Haifa.

    Hecht Museum

    Haifa

    This university campus museum showcases engrossing archaeological finds such as well-restored mosaics and troves of ancient coins, but the pièce de…

  • Rose garden and palms, Park Ramat Hanadiv, Israel.

    Ramat HaNadiv Gardens

    North Coast

    Walking trails weave among palm groves, rose beds and succulents at these expansive botanic gardens, 4km southwest of central Zichron Ya’akov. The gardens…

  • Tishbi Winery

    North Coast

    Gastronomes won’t want to miss swirling a wine glass or three at this atmospheric vineyard, 4km south of central Zichron Ya’akov. Tishbi was established…

  • Visit to Megiddo National Park, Israel; Shutterstock ID 567815371; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Israel Update 2017

    Megiddo National Park

    North Coast

    St John predicted the last great battle on earth would take place at this sun-scorched hill, better known as Armageddon (Revelation 16:16). Aside from…

  • HAIFA, ISRAEL - JULY 17, 2008:  View on Stella Maris church of Carmelite monastery interior with dome painted by icons on July 17, 2008 in Haifa..; Shutterstock ID 741333706

    Stella Maris Carmelite Monastery

    Haifa

    The Carmelite Order was established in the late 12th century when Crusader-era pilgrims, inspired by the prophet Elijah, opted for a hermitic life on the…

  • HAIFA, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 4,2013: INS Mivtach, retired ship on permanent display at Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum at the bottom of Mount Carmel.; Shutterstock ID 612169475

    Clandestine Immigration & Naval Museum

    Haifa

    Using a series of powerful video testimonials, this fascinating museum showcases the Zionist Movement’s determined efforts to infiltrate Jewish refugees…

  • Ghetto fighters museum in kibbutz Lohamey Ha'getaot, Northern Israel.

    Beit Lohamei HaGeta’ot

    North Coast

    Founded in 1949, the same year as the kibbutz, the world's first Holocaust museum focuses on the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising. The kibbutz founders considered…

  • Shrine of the Bab and lower terraces at the Bahai World Center in Haifa, Israel.

    Shrine of the Báb

    Haifa

    Though it’s primarily a pilgrimage site, modestly dressed visitors are allowed to enter this domed shrine holding the remains of the Báb, spiritual…

  • Madatech, Israel National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space.

    MadaTech

    Haifa

    Kid-friendly science exhibits fill this elegant 1912 building, including hands-on displays in the astronomy rooms, optical illusions and a hall of mirrors…

  • Beit Yanai Beach, Israel

    Beit Yanai

    North Coast

    Aqua waves lash the shore of this long sandy beach, equidistant between Tel Aviv and Haifa (30 minutes by car). With free showers and toilets, a patrolled…

  • Akhzivland

    North Coast

    So irresistible is the pull of this sparkling stretch of coast that nonconformist activist Eli Avivi declared it an independent state in 1971, irritating…

  • HAIFA, ISRAEL - DECEMBER 5,2013: Statue of Archimedes in a bathtub, demonstrating principle of buoyant force. Located at Madatech, Israel's National Museum of Science, Technology, and Space.; Shutterstock ID 611544791; Your name (First / Last): Lauren Keith; GL account no.: 65050; Netsuite department name: Online Editorial; Full Product or Project name including edition: Haifa Guides app update

    Haifa Museum of Art

    Haifa

    Challenging and contemporary, the Museum of Art's three exhibition spaces showcase mixed media and photography by Israeli and international artists. If…

  • Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah

    North Coast

    Spectacular views and surprising kitsch greet visitors to this lofty monastery. The Carmelite Monastery of St Elijah is known to Arab and Jewish Israelis…

  • National Maritime Museum

    Haifa

    This museum, founded in 1953, covers five millennia of maritime history across its three floors, from barnacle-clung amphorae to Israel's recent naval…

  • Yad Layeled Children’s Memorial Museum

    North Coast

    This powerful memorial to the 1.5 million Jewish children killed in the Holocaust is housed in a circular building, intended to symbolically unify their…

  • Akhziv National Park

    North Coast

    About 5km north of Nahariya, Akhziv National Park has broad lawns, traces of a Phoenician port, and a small, shallow, family-friendly beach. Changing…

  • Janco–Dada Museum

    North Coast

    Glimpse into the creative mind of Marcel Janco at this 1983-built museum dedicated to his life and works. It was Janco’s idea to establish this community…

  • First Aliya Museum

    North Coast

    Striking displays and short films relate the struggles of early Zionist pioneers: fleeing pogroms in their homelands, escaping Ottoman detection on their…

  • Dor

    North Coast

    A long fine-sand beach stretches south from Dor, with swimming zones patrolled by lifeguards, tidal pools and ruins to explore nearby. Ancient Dor was an…

  • Viewing Balcony

    Haifa

    Situated about 100m up the hill from the tour entrance of the Baha’i Gardens, this viewing platform allows a bird’s-eye view over the Shrine of the Báb…

  • Carmel Winery

    North Coast

    Sip dry reds, well-rounded rieslings and light, sparkling 'Buzz' wines at this winery founded in 1882. Reservations for tastings at the shop aren't…

  • Museum Without Walls

    Haifa

    More than 60 open-air murals and sculptures form a route through the lanes and alleys of Wadi Nisnas, from superhero murals to mixed-media sculptures and…

  • Atlit Detention Camp

    North Coast

    In 1939, as the situation of the Jews of Europe became increasingly dire, the British government issued a white paper limiting Jewish immigration to…

  • Montfort Castle

    North Coast

    Originally built by the noble De Milly family, what remains of Montfort Castle is a striking ruin, reached by a pleasant hike. The castle’s name was…

  • Elijah’s Cave

    Haifa

    Holy to Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze, this cave is where the prophet Elijah is believed to have prayed before challenging the priests of Ba’al on…

  • Beit Oliphant

    North Coast

    Signposted as Beit Druze, this was the home of the Christian and early Zionist Sir Laurence Oliphant and his wife Alice between 1882 and 1887. The…

  • Mey Kedem Tunnel

    North Coast

    To supply water to Caesarea, the Romans built an extraordinary 23km-long system of canals, pipes and aqueducts and a 6km-long tunnel. A 300m section of…

  • Shrine of Abu Ibrahim

    North Coast

    This square little building is fronted with Jerusalem stone and topped with a small red dome. The shrine is dedicated to Abu Ibrahim, who the Druze…

  • NILI Museum

    North Coast

    Guided tours lead visitors through the turbulent life of Aaron Aaronsohn (1876–1919), a noted agronomist and botanist who, along with his family, founded…

  • Mané–Katz Museum

    Haifa

    Ukraine-born artist Emmanuel Mané-Katz (1894–1962) was an influential member of the early-20th-century School of Paris and is best known for his colourful…

  • Haifa City Museum

    Haifa

    Split across two buildings, the City Museum examines Haifa's last century of history and features rotating exhibitions on contemporary life here. Most…

  • Eshkol Tower

    Haifa

    A lift shudders its way up to the 30th-floor observation area of Eshkol Tower, the brazen high-rise topping Haifa University. Designed by renowned…

  • Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art

    Haifa

    Founded in 1959 by art collector Felix Tikotin, this small, low-lit gallery immerses visitors in the sensory qualities of Japanese art. A visit here is…

  • Beit HaGefen Cultural Center

    Haifa

    In an old stone building across the street from the modern Beit HaGefen Arab–Jewish Center, this gallery-cum-social space sponsors interfaith social and…

  • Gan Ha’Em

    Haifa

    Sculpted on the crest of Mt Carmel in 1913, this shady, kid-friendly public garden – whose name means 'Mother’s Park' – has a zoo, a playground and an…

  • Nisco Museum

    North Coast

    This offbeat collection of mechanical music instruments was assembled by New York–born Nisan Cohen, who's happy to play records from his Yiddish music…

  • Atlit

    North Coast

    With brown-sugar sand and stiff breezes, Atlit is graced by good waves – but it's a shame about the backdrop of pylons and cranes (gaze towards the ruined…

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