Experience Israel - With Famed Archaeologist Eli Shukron

17 | DAY TOUR

10 must-see places in Israel

I have to begin by saying that I don’t like these kinds of lists. Because there is no must-see. It’s your vacation: you can do whatever you want. You can come in winter and stay a whole week under the warm desert sun or just stick to Jerusalem and dive into the never-ending history of the city. But for those of you who are starting to plan your trip to Israel and want to know what Israel’s main sites are, this list will give you a quick idea of what Israel has to offer. Let’s begin. The Old City of Jerusalem – Without a doubt, this is the most important site in Israel. If you were to write a list of the ten most important places on earth, the Old City of Jerusalem would be on that list. The Old City of Jerusalem is tiny – just one square kilometer. In this square kilometer you will find the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre – the place where Jesus was crucified and buried, the Temple Mount and the Dome of the Rock. On top of that, there are at least fifty churches, chapels, and monasteries within these walls. There is no other place in the world that contains so many holy sites. But beyond the city’s sacred sites, there are also a lot of historical and cultural things to see. Masada – Masada is located in the Judaean Desert. It’s one of my favorite places in Israel. And not only mine. Masada is Israel’s most visited pay-to-enter site, and with good reason. The views are beautiful, the Dead Sea is nearby, and the story of the people who lived in Masada is connected to one of the most turbulent periods in the history of the Land of Israel – the Roman era 2,000 years ago. During that time the Jews slowly lost their independence, Christianity was