5 best day trips from Tel Aviv

Day trips compared

The day trips

60 km · About 35 minutes by fast train

1.Jerusalem

The walled Old City holds the Western Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Dome of the Rock, and the Israel Museum and Mahane Yehuda market are in the modern city. A full day covers the Old City highlights; check the Shabbat timetable before you travel on a Friday.

Getting there

Train from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem–Yitzhak Navon

Best for

First-timers, Culture

55 km · About 45–60 minutes by car

2.Caesarea

Caesarea National Park preserves Herod the Great's harbour city, with a restored Roman theatre, a hippodrome by the sea and Crusader walls. The beach next to the Roman aqueduct is a popular stop on the way back.

Getting there

Car, or train to Binyamina and a taxi

Best for

Culture, Families, Couples

95 km · About 1 hour by train

3.Haifa and the Bahá'í Gardens

Haifa climbs Mount Carmel above its bay, with the terraced Bahá'í Gardens and Shrine of the Báb running down the slope to the German Colony. The gardens are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the view from the upper terrace takes in the whole bay.

Getting there

Train from Tel Aviv to Haifa

Best for

Culture, Couples

120 km · About 1 hour 30 minutes by train

4.Akko

Akko's UNESCO-listed old city has Crusader halls beneath the Ottoman town, the Al-Jazzar Mosque, a covered market and sea walls around a small fishing harbour. Grilled fish and hummus by the port are a highlight.

Getting there

Train from Tel Aviv to Akko

Best for

Culture, Food lovers

160 km · About 2 hours each way by car

5.Masada and the Dead Sea

Herod's clifftop fortress above the Dead Sea is reached by cable car or the Snake Path, and a float in the mineral-heavy water at Ein Bokek's beaches completes the day. Start very early in summer, when midday heat is extreme.

Getting there

Car or organised tour

Best for

First-timers, Families, Culture

Day-trip tips

• Leave early: most trips are more relaxed with a morning departure and a return before dinner.
• The Moovit app shows live routes and is widely used locally.
• Israel Railways' four city stations — University, Savidor Center, HaShalom and HaHagana — connect with Ben Gurion Airport, Jerusalem, Haifa and the coast.
• For trips over about 165 km, an overnight stay or an organised tour saves a lot of travelling.

Questions travellers ask