Israel Explorer — Self-Launched Edition

Land at Ben Gurion (TLV) and take the Israel Railways train from the airport to Tel Aviv HaHagana or Savidor station (~30 ILS / £7, 20–25 min) rather than a taxi (~£35–45). Check into a hostel around Florentin or near the beach. Spend the late afternoon wandering Rothschild Boulevard, the Bauhaus 'White City' streets and the Carmel Market if it's still open. Eat dinner at a hummusiya or market stall — Sabich and falafel should set you back £5–8.

🚌Airport train ~£7; walking + local bus

🛏Hostel dorm or private room, Florentin/Neve Tzedek area (e.g. Florentin House or Abraham Hostel Tel Aviv), £20–30

• →Rothschild Boulevard and White City Bauhaus walk (free, self-guided)
• →Carmel Market food stalls
• →Beach sunset at Gordon Beach

Start early with a DIY wander of Old Jaffa — the flea market, St Peter's Church, the port and the Andromeda rock viewpoint — all walkable and free. For the Druze village lunch experience, the cheapest equivalent is a guided day trip or a shared taxi (sherut) up to Isfiya/Daliyat al-Karmel: getyourguide and Klook both list half-day 'Druze village and Carmel' tours from Tel Aviv (~£55–75 including lunch); alternatively take the train to Haifa and a local bus to Daliyat al-Karmel for a home-style Druze lunch (~£12–15). In the late afternoon continue by train to Haifa (~£5.50, 1 hr) and walk the Bahá'í Gardens terraces at sunset.

🚌Train Tel Aviv–Haifa ~£5.50; local buses/sherut ~£4

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Haifa's German Colony, £22–32

• →Old Jaffa self-guided walk (free)
• →Druze village lunch (Daliyat al-Karmel / Isfiya)
• →Bahá'í Gardens terraces, Haifa (free entry, timed tickets)

Take the train or bus north to Akko (~£3, 25 min) and spend the morning in the UNESCO-listed old city: the sea walls, the Khan al-Umdan caravanserai, the colourful souk and the Templar tunnels. Entry to the Akko Old City sites combo ticket is about £12. After lunch, bus to Nazareth (~1 hr, £4) and visit the Basilica of the Annunciation and Mary's Well. Continue by bus to Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee for the night (~45 min, £4).

🚌Train/bus Haifa–Akko ~£3; bus Akko–Nazareth ~£4; bus Nazareth–Tiberias ~£4

🛏Budget guesthouse or hostel in Tiberias, £22–30

• →Akko Old City and souk
• →Khan al-Umdan and sea walls
• →Basilica of the Annunciation, Nazareth

Rent a bike in Tiberias or use local buses to loop the lake. Key stops: Capernaum ruins and synagogue (~£3 entry), the Mount of Beatitudes, and the Church of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor if you have time (shared taxi from Afula, ~£8 return). For the kibbutz angle, several Galilee kibbutzim run guesthouses and volunteer/visitor programmes — contact one directly (e.g. Kibbutz Lavi or Kibbutz Ein Gev) for a tour or a meal. In the late afternoon head south: bus Tiberias–Beit She'an (~£4), then a shared taxi or bus to Jericho (~£6–8).

🚌Bike hire ~£12/day or local buses ~£8; Tiberias–Jericho ~£12

🛏Budget guesthouse in Jericho, £18–26

• →Capernaum ruins and synagogue
• →Mount of Beatitudes
• →Kibbutz visit / communal meal
• →Sea of Galilee lakeside cycle

Book a Masada + Dead Sea day tour on GetYourGuide or Klook (~£60–80 including transport and park entry), or do it DIY: shared taxi from Jericho to the Dead Sea junction, then the Masada shuttle. Either way, start before dawn to hike the Snake Path for sunrise (free if you hike; cable car ~£10; national park entry ~£6). Afterwards float in the Dead Sea at Ein Bokek or Neve Zohar — bring water shoes and rinse off promptly. Continue by bus to Jerusalem (Ein Bokek–Jerusalem ~£9, 2 hrs).

🚌Day tour transport or shared taxi + bus ~£20–25

🛏Hostel or budget hotel in Jerusalem (e.g. Abraham Hostel Jerusalem or a Walled City guesthouse), £25–38

• →Masada sunrise hike (UNESCO site)
• →Dead Sea float and mud
• →Ein Bokek beach

Do the Old City independently: enter via Jaffa Gate or Damascus Gate and walk the quarters at your own pace — the Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa courtyard (free, modest dress, check opening hours for non-Muslims), the Via Dolorosa Stations of the Cross, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the Western Wall. A self-bookable small-group Old City walking tour is ~£25–35 if you want the context. In the afternoon, either the Israel Museum (~£12) or the Machane Yehuda market walk with beer tasting (~£20–25, bookable direct or via GetYourGuide). Friday evenings and Saturdays are Shabbat — plan around closures.

🚌Walking; light rail ~£1.50 per ride

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Jerusalem, £25–38

• →Dome of the Rock / Temple Mount courtyard
• →Via Dolorosa and Church of the Holy Sepulchre
• →Western Wall
• →Israel Museum or Machane Yehuda market tasting

Take the Arab bus 231 from Damascus Gate to Bethlehem (~£1, 30 min). Visit Manger Square and the Church of the Nativity (free; queues are shorter early). For the refugee camp community visit, book through a Palestinian-run organisation such as the Alternative Tourism Group, the Bethlehem Bible College or a local guide via GetYourGuide (~£25–40 for a half-day walk through Dheisheh or Aida camp with a resident guide) — this mirrors the G for Good component and puts money directly into the community. The Domari Society of Gypsies has historically welcomed small visitor groups from Jerusalem; email ahead to arrange lunch and a women's literacy-programme talk. Return to Jerusalem for a free evening.

🚌Bus 231 return ~£2; local taxis ~£4

🛏Hostel or budget hotel, Jerusalem, £25–38

• →Church of the Nativity
• →Dheisheh or Aida refugee camp community walk
• →Domari Society visit (email ahead)
• →Mount of Olives sunset viewpoint (free)

Morning free for a last walk on the Mount of Olives or a coffee in the Mahane Yehuda area (note: Saturday = Shabbat, most transport is limited). Take the direct bus or sherut from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv (~£4–6, 1–1.5 hrs) and the airport train from there (~£3.50), or a shared taxi straight to TLV (~£20). Allow 3 hours before your flight for security checks, which are thorough at Ben Gurion.

🚌Bus/sherut to Tel Aviv ~£5; train to TLV ~£3.50

🛏—

• →Mount of Olives viewpoint
• →Last-minute souk shopping