Israel Trip Recap

Where do I even begin!? If you follow me on social media, then you saw that I went to Israel last fall. The opportunity to go on this trip came up about two months beforehand, so it was a bit spontaneous! A friend was planning to travel there for her son’s wedding, who lives in Israel, so she decided to make it a girls’ trip and I was lucky enough to tag along. Words cannot even describe my experience in Israel. There is so much history there, and it is way more beautiful than I ever envisioned it to be, as you’ll see in all the photos I am sharing below. In this post, I wanted to also include details like travel logistics, where we stayed and visited, the tours we booked, etc. for those of you that are interested in visiting Israel, so be sure to read along…and if all you care about are the photos, then scroll on down! (And sorry in advance for the very long post!)

Travel Logistics

First let me say, I was hesitant about committing to go and almost talked myself out of it a couple of times. I read things online that made Israel sound a bit scary, and most people I told about the trip all thought I was crazy to go (none of them had ever been before, obviously). I ended up connecting with a few folks on Instagram that had visited in the recent past and they encouraged me to go – and I am so glad I did! (Takeaway: never trust the news/media!) As far as safety goes, I honestly felt safer there than I have in some of the larger metropolitan cities here in the US. You just have to travel smart and be aware of your surroundings, just as you should anywhere else you go.

We flew out of Miami straight to Tel Aviv which was about a 12.5 hour flight. Our flight left at 10:45pm and landed in Tel Aviv around 6:30pm the following day, their time (so we basically lost a whole day). I was nervous about the flight as I have never been on a plane that long (my longest flight so far has been to Paris and that was about 9 hours). I wore super comfy/soft clothes, took a couple of Tylenol PM, and fell fast asleep…I ended up sleeping off and on for probably 8 hours. Also, it wasn’t a full flight, so there was room to get up and walk around, stretch out, etc., so truly couldn’t have asked for a better flying experience!

A couple of things to know/interesting facts about traveling to Israel…you have to complete a form online to enter the country within a week of your departure – this is the site we used to complete the form and we printed a hard copy to take with us. We did not have to show proof of vaccinations to enter Israel. Also, while you have to have your passport, they will not stamp it. They will instead give you a small entry card that you will need to keep with you at all times. I read somewhere that they do not stamp your passport for your own benefit, as some countries with tumultuous relationships with Israel may detain you upon entering their country if they see you have been in Israel.

We planned the trip on our own and booked tours ahead of time. We stayed in Tel Aviv, which is right on the Mediterranean coast and is very much a large, modern, metropolitan city. With my friend’s son and his fiancé living there, they were helpful with giving guidance on where to stay, since we wanted to be somewhat near their wedding venue. They also rented a car for us so we would have the freedom to venture around on our own without being dependent on taxis (I never could figure out if they had Uber over there). If you have a GPS and can handle crazy drivers, then you can definitely get around on your own in the city, but be warned, they drive like maniacs! As for our home base location during our trip, we stayed in Herzliya, which is in the northern district of Tel Aviv. We stayed at the NYX Herzliya hotel, and the hotel property and interior was very nice…the rooms were pretty basic but served their purpose. One thing we really enjoyed was the rooftop bar – it was a great place to unwind in the evening and have a cocktail and appetizers. They also had a beautiful and very large breakfast spread every morning which was a nice bonus. We honestly didn’t spent a ton of time exploring Herzliya as we were on the go the entire trip, but the area was nice and there were other large hotels, restaurants, bars and beautiful beaches in walking distance. Now onto the adventures…

Jerusalem

On day one, we embarked on a full day tour to Jerusalem followed by the Dead Sea. This is the tour company and exact tour that we booked for this day. The tour guide arranged for us to be picked up by taxi at a neighboring hotel in Herzliya, and then the taxi dropped us at a public park where the tour buses were located. From the moment we stepped on the bus that morning to when the tour ended that evening, it was a wonderful experience, all thanks to our amazing tour guide, Hava. She had been a tour guide for 20 years and was incredibly knowledgeable of Israel and its history. She was SO full of energy and she is so passionate about what she does! Her energy was contagious and it totally rubbed off on our group – I felt like we were all friends by the end of the day and I also felt like I learned a ton about Israel! For example, did you know the whole country of Israel is smaller than the state of New Jersey?? From the northern border of Israel to the southern border, there is 150 miles of coastline. It’s wild to think about that, when the bordering countries that are always plotting attacks on Israel, like Lebanon in the north and Gaza in the south, are SO close. Another interesting fact is that Israel’s primary “crop” from an agricultural standpoint is olives. There are tons and tons of olive trees (see photo below), and the term of “extending an olive branch” as a peace offering originated in Israel!

We made a few stops while headed into Israel for photo opps of the beautiful views, and we also visited a cute little cafe for coffee and pastries, then we ventured into Old Jerusalem. This was a very special day for me, as we were able to visit Jerusalem on the one-year anniversary of my mom’s death. When I realized this trip was going to fall during the week of that anniversary, I kind of felt like it was a sign that I needed to go. I mean, there is nowhere on Earth where I could be closer to my parents than in the very spot where Jesus walked. It was a powerful and overwhelming experience, to say the least.

We visited Jerusalem during Rosh Hashanah, which is the Jewish New Year and is when Jews from all over the world celebrate God’s creation of the world and ask forgiveness for the things done wrong during the prior year. It’s an opportunity to vow to not make the same mistakes in the new year and to work to improve oneself and become a better person. In the photo below you see the Dome of the Rock, and next to it is the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall. The Wailing Wall is considered the most religious site in the world for the Jewish, and people come from all over to pray at the wall. Men and women are separated by a fence (it is where the line of white tents are in the photo below). The men’s side is what you see below where everyone is dressed in white. We were able to walk up to the wall and pray, and it was powerful…truly no words for it.

FYI – Cameras are prohibited when down by the wall, but they are okay to use in other areas, so all of the photos you see here were totally okay/acceptable to be taken. I would never disrespect this Holy Ground.

Below is a photo of my fabulous travel buddies! Brandie is on the left and has been one of my very best friends since we were teenagers! Debbie is behind us and she is the Mother of the Groom and the reason we were able to take this trip. And Leslie is on the right – she is a riot and the biggest ball of fun you could ever imagine being around!

After visiting the Wailing Wall, we made our way into Jerusalem’s Old City, which is divided into four quarters: Muslim, Christian, Armenian, and Jewish. We walked the Via Dolorosa, which was the processional route where Jesus walked carrying the cross on his back, on the way to his crucifixion. The walk ended in the Christian Quarter, where the Church of the Holy Sepulcher resides, and was built on the site in which Jesus was crucified.

This was the start of the Via Dolorosa walk…

This is the inside of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. Envision this being nothing but outdoor ground with no structure. In that lower balcony area where the people are standing is the approximate location of where Jesus hung on the cross.

After Jesus was taken from the cross, he was laid on a stone where he was cleaned and prepared for burial. This is now called the Stone of Unction, or the Anointing Stone, and is pictured below. People come here and kiss the stone or bring special items to be blessed.

While walking the Via Dolorosa, just prior to reaching the Holy Sepulchre, we visited a fine jewelry store. I had no intentions of buying a piece of jewelry, but then I saw a pendant of the Jerusalem cross that was gold with emeralds, and it had “Jerusalem” engraved in the back. I was immediately drawn to this piece of jewelry and when I saw the emeralds, I knew I couldn’t leave without it – emeralds are my mother’s birthstone (and remember this was the one-year anniversary of her death). I was able to lay it on the Anointing Stone for blessing along with a few other items I had purchased for friends/family. I still can’t even believe I was able to have this experience – I know both my mom and dad were with me every step of the way on this journey.

This is the approximate area of the tomb where Jesus was placed.

The entire Church of the Holy Sepulchre was just breathtaking. Look at all these details!

I received a few questions about why I was wearing a veil. In the Orthodox Christian and Jewish areas of Jerusalem, women wear head coverings during worship and prayer as a sign of modesty and humility before God. Not everyone did this, but we chose to as a sign of respect.

Last but not least, in the Holy Sepulchre, there was this area where you could light candles for special prayer. I lit two candles – one for my mom and one for my dad. I later noticed the image of the woman in the background kissing that portrait – what an amazing moment to capture!

I am sure there was so much more to see in Jerusalem, and there are tours that span full days, but we felt we hit all the most important things we wanted to see, and we also wanted to try to fit in the Dead Sea during this same day since it is not located very far from Jerusalem. After we saw the Holy Sepulchre, we had lunch at a local restaurant in Old Jerusalem, then loaded up on the bus and headed to our next stop…The Dead Sea!

The Dead Sea

The Dead Sea was a wild experience! I had this image in my mind of pulling up to this huge empty parking area where there would be this deserted sea and nothing else. I was WRONG, lol. There were tons of tour buses, there was a campground, a public pool, and even a bar/restaurant! So suffice it to say, is was definitely a touristy spot; However, it was still an amazing experience and I am glad we did it.

The Dead Sea has the lowest elevation on earth at around 1300 feet below sea level. It is incredibly salty – the salt content is around 35%, compared to the earth’s oceans having an average salt content of 3.5%. Because of the high salt content, nothing can live in the water, hence the name, “Dead Sea”…no fish, no plants, nothing. When you get in the water, it has an oily feel to it, and you literally cannot sink – you just naturally float without even having to try…it’s like you are a human buoy! We floated in the water a bit, and we also did a little mud bath where we smeared the sand/mud all over us. Our skin felt like velvet afterward!

Neve Tzedek

On day two, we went off on our own and ventured to Neve Tzedek, a neighborhood in Tel Aviv – you can read more about its history and the area here. We came across a street market, a few shops, and also saw some really pretty homes. Several of the photos below were taken in the market, and there were tons and tons of food vendors set up with fresh produce, tons of olives, fruits, nuts, etc. We didn’t do a ton of research on where specifically to go in this neighborhood, so we wandered around aimlessly for a while and felt like we probably missed out on some of the best spots of the area, so just plan ahead so you know exactly where to go!

Caesarea National Park

On day three, we went on another all-day adventure where we visited a few of the coastal cities north of Tel Aviv. We booked this tour in advance as well, and we used the same tour company – this is the exact tour. Like with the day trip we took to Jerusalem, the tour guide arranged for us to be picked up by a taxi near our hotel, and then we were dropped at the public park where the tour buses were located. We had a different guide on this tour, so the energy was a bit different than the Jerusalem tour however, the sites we saw were absolutely beautiful, so I would still recommend it! Our first stop was Caesarea National Park.

Bahá’í Botanical Gardens in Haifa

After Caesarea National Park, we continued our trek north and stopped at the Bahá’í Botanical Garden in Haifa. The landscape and flowers, along with the view of the Mediterranean Sea, were just stunning!

Rosh HaNikra Grottoes

The next stop was Rosh HaNikra Grottoes, the northernmost point of Israel at the Lebanon border. This was my favorite stop of the four cities we visited during this tour! When you arrive, you take a short cable car ride down to the grottoes. The grottoes, or caves, have been formed naturally as a result of the powerful sea over thousands of years. Once you enter the grottoes, it’s a short walk through the few caves, so if you’re claustrophobic, it’s really not that bad and never a point in which you feel fully closed in for a long period of time. The views of the water inside are breathtaking and the sound of the water crashing inside is chilling!

Acre (Akko)

Our last stop of this tour was Acre, or Akko. This is another ancient town with a ton of history. We had lunch here (arranged by the tour guide) and ventured into a few local shops. We did feel rushed during this stop, so I feel like we didn’t get to fully enjoy it. They have a famous market there that we were able to briefly explore, but would have loved to spend a bit more time browsing!

Wedding Festivities

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the whole reason for the trip to Israel was for my friend Debbie’s son’s wedding. He lives in Israel, along with his bride. She is from France but her family moved to Tel Aviv several years ago. A couple of nights before the wedding, the bride’s parents hosted a dinner at their home for everyone that was in town for the wedding. Imagine a group of French, Israelis, and Americans from various regions of the US, plus us country bumpkins, all in one house…a melting pot, for sure! It was such a fun time surrounded by great and interesting people!

Obviously I’ve never been to a wedding in Israel before, so I didn’t really know what to expect. Let’s just say, we weren’t in the southern US anymore! They PARTY at their weddings! It was an early afternoon wedding and the meal had barely wrapped up when all of a sudden everyone hit the dance floor and danced non-stop for hours to the tunes of a famous DJ…it was like being at a club, but it was all over by 5pm. It was a large and memorable time!

Old Jaffa

On our last day, we went to Jaffa, an area of Tel Aviv that is home to the Jaffa Port. The Port is one of the oldest in the world and dates back to the biblical times. We loved this area so much! It was full of stone buildings, cobbled lanes, and hidden alleyways with shops, art galleries and homes tucked within. It was so charming, and had beautiful views of the sea. There is also a large and popular flea market located in Jaffa that we really wanted to check out, but we went on a Saturday and they were closed for Shabbat. Shabbat is the Jewish Sabbath, which is from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday, so a lot of things are closed on Saturdays, including the flea market.

Tel Aviv – Gordon Beach

On our last night, we visited the Gordon Beach area of Tel Aviv to catch the sunset and have dinner on the beach. The sunset was incredible! This area is a VIBE – it is definitely where all the hustle and bustle and “big city” vibes are, so if that’s what you’re looking for, stay here! I have never spent much time in Miami, but I imagine it was like a mix of South Beach and Venice Beach, CA!

We ate at La La Land, which is literally on the beach and had a very laid back atmosphere. They do not take reservations, but we did not have any issues getting a table, even at sunset. We saw a lot of other restaurants and bars up and down the beach, so there are lots of options in the area. It was a great way to spend our last night in Tel Aviv!

And that’s a wrap on my Israeli Adventure. It truly was the trip of a lifetime, and I feel so blessed and thankful to have had the opportunity to experience it with these wonderful ladies. If you are planning a trip there anytime soon, I hope it is just as amazing for you!

Thanks for reading!