Self-Launched 8-Day Best of Israel: Jerusalem, Galilee, Dead Sea & Tel Aviv
8 days · Israel & Palestinian Territories
Tourist Journey charges £1,420
No-markup version: ~£700 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A DIY version of the 8-day "Best of Israel" group package, rebuilt for independent travellers. Base yourself in a Jerusalem hostel or budget guesthouse, then use shared sheruts, Egged buses and Israel's excellent train network to hit the Galilee, Caesarea, Akko, Haifa, Masada, the Dead Sea, Jaffa and Bethlehem/Jericho. Book day tours individually via GetYourGuide/Klook (or local operators like Abraham Tours and Tourist Israel) only where public transport is genuinely impractical — Masada at sunrise, the West Bank day trip and the Sea of Galilee loop. Expect hostels at £18-28/night and street food that's excellent and cheap. Costs are approximate, per person, excluding international flights. Note: check your government's current travel advice for Israel and the Palestinian Territories before booking, and be aware that the situation can change quickly.
Day-by-day
Arrive Jerusalem — Old City orientation
Jerusalem
Land at Ben Gurion Airport and take the direct train to Jerusalem Yitzhak Navon station (about 25 mins, ~£4-5), then the light rail or a short walk to your hostel around Zion Square / Nahlaot. Drop bags, then do a free self-guided wander into the Old City via Jaffa Gate: the Cardo, the Western Wall, and the rooftop views from the Austrian Hospice (small entry fee, great for sunset). Evening: hummus and falafel on Jaffa Street or in the Mahane Yehuda market lanes.
🚌Airport train ~£5; light rail single ~£1.50
🛏Hostel or budget guesthouse in West Jerusalem (e.g. Abraham Hostel Jerusalem area, ~£25-30/night)
- →Train Ben Gurion Airport to Jerusalem
- →Self-guided Old City walk: Jaffa Gate, Cardo, Western Wall
- →Sunset from the Austrian Hospice rooftop
Galilee day trip — Nazareth, Sea of Galilee, Yardenit
Nazareth & Sea of Galilee
The Galilee loop is genuinely awkward on public transport (Capernaum and Yardenit are poorly served), so this is the one day worth a bookable day tour. Book a small-group Galilee day tour via GetYourGuide/Klook or directly with Abraham Tours or Tourist Israel (roughly £65-90 including transport and entries to Capernaum, Taghba Church of Multiplication and the Yardenit baptism site). You'll get Mount of Beatitudes views, the ruins of Capernaum and the Jordan River baptism site. Alternatively, do it independently: bus 955/962 Jerusalem–Nazareth (~£7, 2.5 hrs), walk the old town and Annunciation Basilica, then local bus to Tiberias and a taxi to Capernaum — cheaper but you'll see less.
🚌Booked small-group minibus day tour ~£70-90 all-in, or public buses ~£15 each way plus taxis
🛏Same Jerusalem hostel
- →Capernaum ruins
- →Church of Multiplication at Taghba
- →Yardenit baptism site on the Jordan
- →Nazareth old town and souq
- →Mount of Beatitudes viewpoint
Caesarea, Akko and Haifa by train
Caesarea • Haifa • Akko
A brilliant independent day: the coastal train makes this easy. Take the train from Jerusalem to Binyamina (~45 mins, ~£5), then a local bus or taxi to Caesarea National Park (~£3) for the Roman theatre and hippodrome (entry ~£8). Continue by train to Akko (~£4) and spend the afternoon inside the UNESCO-listed Old City — the sea walls, the Khan al-Umdan and the Templar tunnels. Stop off in Haifa on the way back for the Bahai Gardens viewpoint at the top of the terraces (free; the inner gardens need a booked guided slot, also free). Train back to Jerusalem in the evening.
🚌Israel Railways day of trains Jerusalem–Binyamina–Akko–Haifa ~~£12-15 total; local buses ~£3
🛏Same Jerusalem hostel
- →Caesarea National Park: Roman theatre and hippodrome
- →Akko Old City and sea walls
- →Bahai Gardens terraces viewpoint, Haifa
Jerusalem on foot — Machane Yehuda, Nahlaot, Old City
Jerusalem
A full self-guided walking day, no transport needed. Start in the Old City: Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif if open to visitors (free, limited hours, modest dress), the Holy Sepulchre, and the Via Dolorosa. Walk out through Tzahal Square and the Municipality complex, up Jaffa Street past Davidka Square, and into the Nahlaot neighbourhood for its little synagogues and lanes. Finish at Mahane Yehuda Market as it shifts from produce to bars — Thursday nights and Friday afternoons are the most atmospheric. Optional: the free Jerusalem walking tour tip-based option, or the City of David (booked entry ~£8).
🚌On foot; occasional light rail ~£1.50
🛏Same Jerusalem hostel
- →Old City: Holy Sepulchre, Via Dolorosa, Temple Mount viewpoint
- →Nahlaot neighbourhood wander
- →Mahane Yehuda Market food crawl
- →Tzahal Square and Jaffa Street walk
Masada sunrise, Ein Gedi and the Dead Sea
Masada • Ein Gedi • Dead Sea
Book a small-group Dead Sea day tour (GetYourGuide/Klook or local operators, ~£70-95) — it covers Masada, Ein Gedi and a Dead Sea float with far better timing than the sparse public buses. Ask for a sunrise pickup and climb the Snake Path on foot (free) rather than the cable car (~£12) for the classic experience; the Herod's Palace ruins and Roman siege ramp are the highlights. Then Ein Gedi Nature Reserve (~£8 entry) for the David Stream gorge and ibex, and finish floating at Ein Bokek beach (free public beach; mud and showers a few pounds). Alternatively public: bus 486 Jerusalem–Masada (~£6, 1.5 hrs) but the first arrival misses sunrise.
🚌Booked minibus day tour ~£75-95, or Egged bus 486 ~£12 return
🛏Same Jerusalem hostel
- →Masada sunrise hike on the Snake Path
- →Masada fortress ruins self-guided
- →Ein Gedi Nature Reserve gorge walk
- →Float in the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek
Tel Aviv and Jaffa — market tasting and beach
Tel Aviv • Jaffa
Train from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv HaHagana or Savidor (~30-40 mins, ~£5). Check into a hostel in the Florentin or Kerem HaTeimanim area. Walk the Old Jaffa lanes, St Peter's Church and Jaffa Port, follow Park HaMesila and the Old Railway Station north, then along Herzl Street and Rothschild Boulevard for Bauhaus architecture. Mid-afternoon, self-book a Carmel Market tasting tour with one of the local food-tour companies (~£45-60) or simply graze it yourself for a fiver: sabich, kubbeh, malawach and fresh juice. Evening: beach at Gordon or Charles Clore for sunset.
🚌Train Jerusalem–Tel Aviv ~£5
🛏Hostel in Tel Aviv, Florentin or Kerem HaTeimanim (~£25-35/night)
- →Old Jaffa and St Peter's Church
- →Jaffa Port and Park HaMesila walk
- →Rothschild Boulevard Bauhaus walk
- →Carmel Market food tasting
- →Tel Aviv beach sunset
Bethlehem, Jericho and the Jordan River
Bethlehem • Jericho
The West Bank is doable independently but border/checkpoint logistics and the Mount of Temptation cable car are much simpler on a small-group tour — book a Bethlehem & Jericho day trip via GetYourGuide or a Palestinian-run local operator (~£60-85, passport required). You'll see the Church of the Nativity and Manger Square in Bethlehem, then Jericho, Tel es-Sultan, and the cable car up the Mount of Temptation (~£4 if bought separately). Optional stop at Qasr al-Yehud on the Jordan. DIY alternative: shared Arab bus/sherut from Damascus Gate to Bethlehem (~£1.50), then local transport to Jericho — very cheap but slow and you'll need to negotiate taxis.
🚌Booked small-group day tour ~£65-85, or shared buses ~£5 total
🛏Same Tel Aviv hostel
- →Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem
- →Manger Square and the Separation Wall art
- →Jericho and Tel es-Sultan
- →Mount of Temptation cable car
- →Qasr al-Yehud baptism site on the Jordan
Tel Aviv morning and departure
Tel Aviv
Slow morning: a swim at Gordon Beach, breakfast at a Yemenite café, or a last wander through Neve Tzedek and the Nahalat Binyamin craft market if it's a Tuesday or Friday. Take the train from Tel Aviv to Ben Gurion Airport (~15 mins, ~£3.50) or a shared sherut (~£8) for your flight. If you have a late flight, the Tel Aviv Museum of Art or a final Carmel Market run fills the gap nicely.
🚌Tel Aviv–Airport train ~£3.50
- →Morning swim at Gordon Beach
- →Neve Tzedek wander
- →Nahalat Binyamin craft market (Tue/Fri)
- →Train to Ben Gurion Airport
Self-launched vs. Tourist Journey
| This itinerary (self-launched) | Tourist Journey | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£700 | £1,420 |
| Duration | 8 days | 8 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £720 per person (51%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more Tourist Journey-style trips? Check them out here.~£700
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 Self-Launched 8-Day Best of Israel: Jerusalem, Galilee, Dead Sea & Tel Aviv cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £700 per person for 8 days in Israel & Palestinian Territories. 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 Tourist Journey?+
Yes — Tourist Journey charges around £1,420 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £700 — a saving of roughly £720 (51%) per person.
How long is the Israel & Palestinian Territories trip?+
This itinerary runs 8 days, covering 8 day-by-day stops through Israel & Palestinian Territories.
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, adventure, hiking trip through Israel & Palestinian Territories, 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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