Self-Launched Highlights of the Holy Land – 8 Days

Arrive at Ben Gurion International Airport (Terminal 3). Take the direct train from the airport to Tel Aviv HaHagana or Tel Aviv Savidor Centre station — trains run every 30 minutes and cost around £5. Check into your hostel or budget hotel in the city centre or near Dizengoff Square. Spend the evening exploring the buzzing Carmel Market and grab a falafel or shakshuka at a local spot on Rothschild Boulevard. Tel Aviv is a great city to arrive into — safe, walkable, and full of energy.

🚌Airport train to Tel Aviv Savidor Centre (~£5, ~20 mins)

🛏Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv or Hayarkon 48 Hostel — dorm from £18/night, private room from £55/night

• →Arrive at Ben Gurion Airport — take the direct train to Tel Aviv city centre (~£5)
• →Check into accommodation in central Tel Aviv
• →Explore Carmel Market (HaCarmel Shuk) — free entry
• →Evening stroll along Rothschild Boulevard and Dizengoff Square

An epic day covering two of Israel's most iconic sites. Take an early Egged bus from Tel Aviv Central Bus Station to the Dead Sea region (~2.5 hrs, ~£12). Start at Masada — take the cable car up to Herod's ancient fortress with sweeping views of the Dead Sea and Roman siege camps (cable car ~£14 return; site entry ~£12). Explore the palaces, synagogue, bathhouse and cisterns. Afterwards, head down to Ein Bokek on the Dead Sea for a float in the hyper-saline waters — public beach access is free. Catch a shared sherut or Egged bus to Jerusalem in the late afternoon (~£8).

🚌Egged bus Tel Aviv → Masada (~£12); sherut or bus Dead Sea → Jerusalem (~£8)

🛏Abraham Hostel Jerusalem — dorm from £20/night, private room from £65/night

• →Take early Egged bus from Tel Aviv to Masada (~£12)
• →Ascend Masada by cable car (~£14 return) — book via the Masada National Park website
• →Explore Herod's palaces, synagogue, bathhouse, and cisterns at Masada (entry ~£12)
• →View Roman siege camps and Dead Sea panorama from the summit
• →Float in the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek public beach (free access)
• →Egged bus or shared sherut to Jerusalem (~£8)

A powerful and moving day in Jerusalem's west side before crossing into the Palestinian Territories. Begin at Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial — entry is free, allow 2–3 hours (book a timed entry online in advance). Walk or take the light rail to the Israel Museum to visit the Shrine of the Book (housing the Dead Sea Scrolls) and the outdoor model of Herodian Jerusalem (entry ~£15). Stroll through the charming village of Ein Karem nearby. In the afternoon, take bus 124 from Jerusalem Central Bus Station to Bethlehem (~£2 each way — you'll pass through the checkpoint on foot, which is straightforward for most nationalities). Visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity (free entry, queue expected).

🚌Jerusalem Light Rail (~£1.50 per journey); Bus 124 to Bethlehem (~£2)

🛏Abraham Hostel Jerusalem (2nd night)

• →Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial — free entry, pre-book timed slot online
• →Israel Museum: Shrine of the Book and Dead Sea Scrolls (entry ~£15)
• →View the restored model of Herodian Jerusalem at the Israel Museum
• →Stroll through Ein Karem village — free
• →Bus to Bethlehem via Checkpoint 300 (~£2 each way)
• →Visit Church of the Nativity, Bethlehem — free entry
• →Explore Manger Square — free

The most iconic day of the entire trip — a full day inside and around Jerusalem's extraordinary Old City. Enter via the Jaffa Gate and head to the Western Wall (free, modesty dress required). Walk up to Temple Mount / Al-Haram Al-Sharif — entry to the compound is free for non-Muslims; check current opening hours as access for tourists is restricted to certain windows. Walk the Via Dolorosa through the Muslim and Christian quarters to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre (free entry). Head to Mount Zion to visit the Tomb of King David and the Room of the Last Supper (Cenaculum) — both free. Grab lunch at a local hummus spot in the Jewish Quarter. Take a short taxi or walk to the Mount of Olives for panoramic views over the Old City (free), then descend to the Garden of Gethsemane (free entry to grounds). End the day browsing the vibrant Mahane Yehuda market — great for street food and people-watching.

🚌Mostly on foot within the Old City; taxi to Mount of Olives (~£5)

🛏Abraham Hostel Jerusalem (3rd night)

• →Western Wall (Kotel) — free entry, smart/modest dress required
• →Temple Mount / Al-Haram Al-Sharif — free for tourists during permitted hours (check current schedule)
• →Walk the Via Dolorosa — self-guided, free; audio guide app available (~£3)
• →Church of the Holy Sepulchre — free entry
• →Mount Zion: Tomb of King David and Room of the Last Supper — free
• →Mount of Olives — free, panoramic views of Jerusalem
• →Garden of Gethsemane — free entry to grounds
• →Evening at Mahane Yehuda market — free to browse, budget meals from £5

A long travel day heading north along the Jordan Valley. Take an Egged bus from Jerusalem to Beit Shean (~2.5 hrs, ~£10). Beit Shean National Park is one of Israel's best-preserved Roman cities — allow 2 hours (entry ~£10). Continue by local bus or shared taxi to the Golan Heights — consider booking a half-day Golan Heights wine tour and tasting directly with a local winery like Pelter or Golan Heights Winery (~£25–35 including tasting). Bus or taxi down to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee for the night. Dinner included in this stretch — the lakeside restaurants in Tiberias serve excellent St. Peter's fish.

🚌Egged bus Jerusalem → Beit Shean (~£10); local bus/taxi Beit Shean → Golan → Tiberias (~£15 combined)

🛏Hostel Meydan Tiberias or Aviv Hostel — dorm from £15/night, private room from £50/night

• →Egged bus Jerusalem → Beit Shean (~£10, ~2.5 hrs)
• →Beit Shean Roman city excavations — National Park entry ~£10
• →Local bus or shared taxi to Golan Heights
• →Golan Heights winery tour and wine tasting — book directly with Golan Heights Winery or Pelter Winery (~£25–35)
• →Bus or taxi to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee (~£8)
• →Dinner at lakeside restaurant in Tiberias — St. Peter's fish from ~£12

Explore the sacred shores of the Sea of Galilee at a relaxed pace. Take a local bus or taxi north to Capernaum (entry ~£3) to see the ruins of the ancient synagogue where Jesus is said to have taught. Continue along the lake shore to the Mount of Beatitudes (free, beautiful gardens) and Tabgha, site of the Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes — free entry to the grounds. For an optional highlight, book a short sailing trip on the Sea of Galilee directly with local operators (~£15–20pp). In the afternoon, take a bus to Nazareth (~30 mins, ~£3) to visit the impressive Church of the Annunciation (free entry) and explore the old souk.

🚌Local buses and shared taxis around Sea of Galilee region (~£10 total)

🛏Hostel Meydan Tiberias or Aviv Hostel (2nd night)

• →Local bus to Capernaum — ruins of ancient synagogue, entry ~£3
• →Mount of Beatitudes — free entry, peaceful gardens overlooking the Sea of Galilee
• →Tabgha Church of the Multiplication — free entry
• →Optional: Sailing on the Sea of Galilee — book directly with local boat operators (~£15–20pp)
• →Bus to Nazareth (~£3, ~30 mins)
• →Church of the Annunciation, Nazareth — free entry
• →Explore Nazareth's old souk and Arab market — free

A packed final full day heading south along the coast back to Tel Aviv. Take an early bus from Tiberias to Acre (Akko, ~1 hr, ~£5). Explore the remarkable Crusader underground city and medieval fortifications — entry to the Acre Old City complex ~£12, bookable via GetYourGuide. Catch a train from Acre to Haifa (~30 mins, ~£3) for a panoramic city drive past the stunning Baha'i Shrine and Persian Gardens (exterior viewing free; Baha'i Gardens entry free with advance booking). Continue south by train to Caesarea (~45 mins via Binyamina station, ~£5) to walk the ancient Roman Theatre and Hippodrome at Caesarea National Park (entry ~£10). Finally, train or bus to Tel Aviv (~45 mins, ~£5). Check back into Abraham Hostel and enjoy a farewell evening in Tel Aviv-Jaffa — wander through Old Jaffa, catch the sunset over the Mediterranean, and dine in the Florentin neighbourhood.

🚌Bus Tiberias → Acre (~£5); trains Acre → Haifa → Caesarea → Tel Aviv (~£13 total)

🛏Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv (return stay) — dorm from £18/night, private room from £55/night

• →Bus Tiberias → Acre (~£5, ~1 hr)
• →Acre Crusader underground city and medieval fortifications (entry ~£12, book via GetYourGuide)
• →Train Acre → Haifa (~£3, ~30 mins)
• →Baha'i Shrine and Persian Gardens, Haifa — free (pre-book online)
• →Panoramic views from Mount Carmel — free
• →Train Haifa → Binyamina, then taxi/bus to Caesarea (~£5 + ~£4)
• →Caesarea National Park: Roman Theatre and Hippodrome (entry ~£10)
• →Train/bus Caesarea → Tel Aviv (~£5)
• →Evening in Old Jaffa and Florentin neighbourhood — free to explore

Enjoy a final Israeli breakfast — head to a local café or bakery for a spread of labneh, hummus, salad, and fresh bread (~£5–8). Check out and take the direct train from Tel Aviv Savidor Centre or HaHagana station to Ben Gurion Airport (~£5, allow 40 mins to the airport plus check-in time). Consider booking an extra night if you want more time to explore Tel Aviv's beaches, museums (the Tel Aviv Museum of Art is excellent, ~£12), or the White City UNESCO architecture.

🚌Train Tel Aviv → Ben Gurion Airport (~£5)

• →Final Israeli breakfast at a local café (~£5–8)
• →Optional: Tel Aviv Museum of Art (~£12) or beach morning
• →Train from Tel Aviv city centre to Ben Gurion Airport (~£5, ~20–30 mins)
• →Depart from Terminal 3