Highlights of Israel — Self-Launched
8 days · Israel
G Adventures charges £2,100
No-markup version: ~£425 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
An 8-day self-launched version of G Adventures' "Highlights of Israel" (Tel Aviv to Jerusalem), swapping private vans and comfort hotels for public buses, sheruts (shared taxis), trains and budget guesthouses. You'll still cover Jaffa, Caesarea, a Druze village lunch, Akko, Nazareth, Safed, the Golan Heights, the Sea of Galilee, Masada, the Dead Sea, Bethlehem and the Old City of Jerusalem — just booked yourself, at roughly half the cost. Note: this itinerary assumes regional conditions permit travel; check current FCDO/travel advice before booking, and note many sites are closed on Shabbat (Fri sunset–Sat sunset) and on religious holidays.
Day-by-day
Arrive Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv
Land at Ben Gurion Airport and make your own way into the city — the Israel Railways train from the airport to Tel Aviv HaHagana/HaSalam takes about 20 minutes and costs around £4 (buy a Rav-Kav card at the station, useful all week). Check into a budget guesthouse or hostel in the central/Neve Tzedek area. Evening: walk the Tel Aviv promenade to Jaffa's old port for sunset, grab a hummus-and-salad dinner in the Carmel Market area or on Dizengoff. Sort your transport for tomorrow (buses/Group taxis) and buy a Rav-Kav top-up.
🚌Israel Railways train from Ben Gurion Airport to Tel Aviv (~£4)
🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel, central Tel Aviv (~£25-35/night dorm/private budget room)
- →Airport train transfer
- →Tel Aviv promenade walk
- →Sunset at Jaffa old port
- →Carmel Market food crawl
Tel Aviv, Jaffa & Caesarea → Akko
Akko (Acre)
Morning orientation walk of Tel Aviv (Rothschild Boulevard, Bauhaus/White City architecture), then walk or bus to Jaffa to explore the old port and flea market independently. Midday: take a train or bus north to Caesarea (Caesarea-Pardes Hanna station + shuttle/local bus) to walk the Roman ruins — amphitheatre, hippodrome and aqueduct are all self-tourable with a site map (~£7 entry). Continue by train to Akko. If you want the Druze-village experience, either detour to Isfiya/Daliyat al-Karmel on the Carmel (bus from Haifa) for a home-cooked Druze lunch (£12-18 direct), or simply eat in Akko's old city. Overnight in Akko's walled old town.
🚌Israel Railways Tel Aviv → Caesarea → Akko (~£8 total); local bus to Caesarea ruins (~£2)
🛏Budget guesthouse in Akko old city (~£25-35)
- →Tel Aviv White City walk
- →Jaffa old port & flea market
- →Caesarea Roman ruins (self-guided)
- →Optional Druze village lunch in Isfiya/Daliyat al-Karmel
Akko → Nazareth, Safed & the Golan
Tiberias
Morning exploring Akko's UNESCO-listed old city on foot: the Crusader halls (Al-Jazzar Mosque, the khans and the sea walls, ~£8 combined ticket). Then bus (Egged/GB Tours, ~1 hr) to Nazareth — visit the Basilica of the Annunciation, Mary's Well and the old market. Continue by bus to Safed (Tzfat) for the artist quarter and ancient synagogues, then loop up to the Golan Heights viewpoints if time and daylight allow (a day-trip car or organised Golan jeep tour runs ~£45 if you want the full viewpoint circuit). End the day in Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.
🚌Public buses Akko → Nazareth → Safed → Tiberias (~£10 total)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Tiberias (~£25-35)
- →Akko old city & Crusader halls
- →Nazareth Basilica of the Annunciation
- →Safed old town & artists' quarter
- →Optional Golan Heights viewpoint tour
Sea of Galilee & Tiberias
Tiberias
Book a local boat trip on the Sea of Galilee (around £10-15, wooden-boat operators at the Tiberias marina) — the classic 'Jesus boat' sailing. Then hire a bike or take the local bus to the lakeside sites: Capernaum, the Mount of Beatitudes and Tabgha (church of the loaves and fishes). Most churches have small entry fees (£2-4 each). Afternoon back in Tiberias: the hot springs, the promenade and a cheap falafel or grilled-fish dinner. Note some sites close early on Fridays; check opening hours the night before.
🚌Local buses/bike hire around the lake (~£5-8)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Tiberias (~£25-35)
- →Sea of Galilee boat trip
- →Capernaum & Mount of Beatitudes
- →Tabgha church
- →Tiberias hot springs & promenade
Masada & the Dead Sea → Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Early start: bus from Tiberias to Jerusalem (Egged, ~2.5 hrs, ~£10), then catch the 486/444 public bus to Masada (or join a shared minibus from Jerusalem if timings suit). Climb Masada at sunrise via the Snake Path (free-ish, or take the cable car, ~£15) and tour the Herodian fortress — entry ~£8. Then take a local bus or shared taxi to Ein Gedi/Dead Sea public beach for the float-and-mud-bath experience (beach entry ~£5-10, bring old shoes and water). Late afternoon bus back to Jerusalem; check into a budget hotel or hostel in the Old City or the German Colony.
🚌Egged bus Tiberias → Jerusalem (~£10); bus 486 Jerusalem → Masada/Dead Sea (~£8 return)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Jerusalem (~£25-35)
- →Masada sunrise climb & fortress
- →Dead Sea float and mud bath
- →Evening in Jerusalem
Yad Vashem & Bethlehem
Jerusalem
Morning at Yad Vashem, the Holocaust History Museum on Mount Herzl — free entry, book the free online slot in advance; allow 3 hours. Afternoon: bus 234/124 from the Jerusalem central bus area or Damascus Gate to Bethlehem (a short crossing through the checkpoint; bring your passport). Visit the Church of the Nativity, Manger Square and the Milk Grotto — a local Palestinian guide at the site costs ~£15-20 if you want context. Note Bethlehem is in the West Bank, so arrange your plans around checkpoint hours and check current advice. Evening back in Jerusalem to eat in the Mahane Yehuda market.
🚌Local bus to Yad Vashem (~£2); bus to Bethlehem (~£2 each way)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Jerusalem (~£25-35)
- →Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum
- →Bethlehem Church of the Nativity & Manger Square
- →Mahane Yehuda night market
Old City of Jerusalem walking tour
Jerusalem
Do a self-launched walking circuit of the Old City: enter via Jaffa Gate, walk the Cardo, then the four quarters — the Western Wall, the Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount (check opening hours for non-Muslim visitors), the Via Dolorosa and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. A free walking tour (tip-based, ~£10 tip) or a paid GetYourGuide Old City tour (~£25) adds huge context — the Old City is a maze, so a guide for 2 hours is money well spent. Afternoon free: the Mount of Olives viewpoint, the City of David tunnels or the Israel Museum. Last dinner in the Old City or Mamilla.
🚌Walking; local tram/bus if needed (~£2)
🛏Budget hotel or hostel, Jerusalem (~£25-35)
- →Old City four quarters walk
- →Western Wall & Via Dolorosa
- →Church of the Holy Sepulchre
- →Mount of Olives viewpoint
- →Optional guided Old City tour
Depart Jerusalem
Jerusalem
Check out and make your own way to the airport or onward border. From Jerusalem, the best budget option is the shared sherut (shared taxi) to Ben Gurion Airport (~£15-20, runs 24 hrs, ask your hostel to book) or train from Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station to the airport (~£5-7, subject to service days — no trains on Shabbat). Buffer at least 3 hours before an international flight for security checks.
🚌Sherut shared taxi or train Jerusalem → Ben Gurion Airport (~£5-20)
🛏N/A — departure day
- →Airport transfer
- →Last morning coffee in Jerusalem
Self-launched vs. G Adventures
| This itinerary (self-launched) | G Adventures | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£425 | £2,100 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £1,675 per person (80%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more G Adventures-style trips? Check them out here.~£425
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does Highlights of Israel — Self-Launched cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £425 per person for 8 days in Israel. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with G Adventures?+
Yes — G Adventures charges around £2,100 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £425 — a saving of roughly £1,675 (80%) per person.
How long is the Israel trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Israel.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, backpacker trip through Israel, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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