Five Obvious Ones
Do away with this page. Have all info in the stories. Maybe a page 'on the beaten path' for the top ones.
Tel Aviv
Many Birthrighters come to Israel super excited to party in Tel Aviv and disappointed with the amount of time the trip spends there: one day. All buses make customary stops at Independence Hall to hear Hatikva played at the birthplace of the modern state. They visit Rabin Square to hear about the life, assassination, and legacy of the legendary fallen Prime Minister. Maybe an hour on your own for lunch around Carmel Market and a group night on the town, on curfew, if you’re lucky.
If you really want a flavor of Tel Aviv, you’re going to do it on your own. Once you say goodbye to your bus mates at the airport, it’s an easy train ride into the city, and for many, a first and last stop on your extension. It may be to catch some rays on the beaches of the Mediterranean. Take in the city’s epic nightlife. Explore the arts at museums, galleries, and design shops across the city. Wander the streets of the old city of Jaffa. Dine around town.
Jerusalem
You'll spend a good chunk of time in the City of Gold during your trip. Obviously there's plenty more to explore. Your time on your trip in the Old City is limited to the Jewish Quarter. The Christian and Muslim sites have incredible significance, but there's not a chance to cover them on a Birthright trip. So visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the stations of the cross. You can try to visit the grounds of the Dome of the Rock. The access point is from the Western Wall Plaza, though visiting hours for non-Muslims are extremely limited and you can wait in a line for hours only to be turned away when they come to a close. But there's no line to get lost in the bustle of the shops in the Muslim Quarter or to climb a staircase to get above it all on the rooftops of the Old City. Just you and the cats.
Outside of the city walls, pretend you're a resident ex-pat grabbing dinner on Emek Refaim in the German Colony neighborhood, shopping for Shabbat in Mahne Yehuda, or partying around Ben Yehuda.
Eilat
This is what Spring Break looks like in Israel. Year round Spring Break. Five hours by bus from the center or a one hour flight, you can laze on the shores of the Red Sea here, even when it's a little too cool to enjoy the Mediterranean. There's world class SCUBA diving too. But the real draw here is the nightlife. The beachfront really isn't so nice in actuality--cramped with hotels piled one on top of the other in a crowded hotel zone and certainly no waves. You come here for the party.
Off the Beaten Path
Neve Shalom
Ein Rafa
Acre and Rosh Hanikra
Mitzpe Ramon Crater
Mineral Beach and Dead Sea Hike
Hebron
Mt. Hermon
Jafa
West Bank
Do away with this page. Have all info in the stories. Maybe a page 'on the beaten path' for the top ones.
Tel Aviv
Many Birthrighters come to Israel super excited to party in Tel Aviv and disappointed with the amount of time the trip spends there: one day. All buses make customary stops at Independence Hall to hear Hatikva played at the birthplace of the modern state. They visit Rabin Square to hear about the life, assassination, and legacy of the legendary fallen Prime Minister. Maybe an hour on your own for lunch around Carmel Market and a group night on the town, on curfew, if you’re lucky.
If you really want a flavor of Tel Aviv, you’re going to do it on your own. Once you say goodbye to your bus mates at the airport, it’s an easy train ride into the city, and for many, a first and last stop on your extension. It may be to catch some rays on the beaches of the Mediterranean. Take in the city’s epic nightlife. Explore the arts at museums, galleries, and design shops across the city. Wander the streets of the old city of Jaffa. Dine around town.
Jerusalem
You'll spend a good chunk of time in the City of Gold during your trip. Obviously there's plenty more to explore. Your time on your trip in the Old City is limited to the Jewish Quarter. The Christian and Muslim sites have incredible significance, but there's not a chance to cover them on a Birthright trip. So visit the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the stations of the cross. You can try to visit the grounds of the Dome of the Rock. The access point is from the Western Wall Plaza, though visiting hours for non-Muslims are extremely limited and you can wait in a line for hours only to be turned away when they come to a close. But there's no line to get lost in the bustle of the shops in the Muslim Quarter or to climb a staircase to get above it all on the rooftops of the Old City. Just you and the cats.
Outside of the city walls, pretend you're a resident ex-pat grabbing dinner on Emek Refaim in the German Colony neighborhood, shopping for Shabbat in Mahne Yehuda, or partying around Ben Yehuda.
Eilat
This is what Spring Break looks like in Israel. Year round Spring Break. Five hours by bus from the center or a one hour flight, you can laze on the shores of the Red Sea here, even when it's a little too cool to enjoy the Mediterranean. There's world class SCUBA diving too. But the real draw here is the nightlife. The beachfront really isn't so nice in actuality--cramped with hotels piled one on top of the other in a crowded hotel zone and certainly no waves. You come here for the party.
Off the Beaten Path
Neve Shalom
Ein Rafa
Acre and Rosh Hanikra
Mitzpe Ramon Crater
Mineral Beach and Dead Sea Hike
Hebron
Mt. Hermon
Jafa
West Bank