Now that we’re in the homestretch, just days before the kids go back to school (if all goes well), now’s the time for the family to enjoy the last few days of summer vacation. Whether you choose to go up north, down south or somewhere in between, there’s an endless number of places around Israel to go hiking or have a picnic. Here are a few suggestions to get you started.
1. TZIPORI NATIONAL PARK
When the sun begins to set in the evening and temperatures drop significantly, all of your natural surroundings slowly change color. This is the best time of day to join a tour of the ancient town of Tzipori. Tzipori National Park currently remains open until 9 p.m. each day so that visitors can enjoy the site in the cool evening hours. Guests are welcome to tour the national park on their own, or you can join a guided tour, in which you will hear explanations about the advanced aqueduct and water reservoir that provided the entire city with water in ancient times. Visitors are welcome to enter the water shaft and walk all the way through it to the other end (it’s best to bring a flashlight with you). When you’re done, I recommend going back to your car and driving to ancient Tzipori’s main street, where you can visit the Nile House and view the 1,500-year-old mosaic floor. And finally, you won’t want to miss experiencing the breathtaking view from the stage of the ancient Roman theater.
Date: August 29. Tours in Arabic, 5 p.m.; tours in Hebrew, 6:30 p.m. Tours last 1.5 to two hours
Price: Cost of tour included in park entry ticket. Free for Matmon subscription holders
2. ARIEL PARK
This sunset tour begins while it’s still light out, ends after it gets dark and involves hiking with lanterns. This is a great way to experience a beautiful sunset and watch as the nature around you changes color and the sun begins to set. As the light around you slowly disappears, you will get to hear the fascinating story of this ambitious environmental rehabilitation project, which turned the huge Hiriya waste dump into a gorgeous park. Visitors will hear about the transformations made, including the cleanup of streams, ponds, archeological sites and agricultural land. There’s also a pleasant picnic area at the top, where you’ll have a nice view of the surrounding areas.
Date: August 30, at 6 p.m.
Price: NIS 40
Details: www.eventer.co.il/user/parksharon
3. TEL ASHKELON NATIONAL PARK
The public is invited to take part in a special activity that will take place at the national park during which you will uncover secrets hidden in the remains of the ancient city. There will be riddles to solve and missions to complete that the entire family can join. In this escape room-like activity, you will be tasked with opening up locks and boxes, pulling ropes and guessing what objects are by sense of touch alone. Each family receives its own kit, which includes a map, a list of riddles and keys, that will help you solve the mystery.
Date: Everyday, 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Activity lasts 90 minutes
Price: NIS 15
Details: On Saturdays and holidays, pre-registration required. www.parks.org.il
4. AVDAT NATIONAL PARK
If you’ll be touring near the southern tip of Israel, you won’t want to miss the breathtaking sunset at Avdat National Park. The public is invited to take part in a sunset tour of this ancient Nabatean city, during which you will be able to imagine what it was like for the people who lived back then who were lucky enough to enjoy such beautiful desert sunsets every day. During the tour of ancient Avdat, you’ll walk by Nahal Tzin and be given a glimpse of the ancient remains of what used to be a thriving city. The most amazing part, though, is getting to experience the slow change in color of the mountains and surroundings as the sun sets.
Date: August 28-31. Last entry into park at 4:30 p.m.
Price: Cost of tour included in park entry ticket
5. KOCHAV HAYARDEN NATIONAL PARK
You know what it’s like when you go on an outing with the kids, but you just can’t get them to take their eyes off their phone? Well, the solution is to take them on an engaging and challenging hike. That way, they won’t even think about their phones for a few solid hours. At the national park, the whole family is invited to take part in a navigation tournament, in which you will get to experience what it was like for knights who lived in the Kochav Hayarden fortress. You will be provided with a map and clues that will help you overcome the challenges and survive the battles.
Date: August 27-28, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: Cost included in park entry ticket
6. KINNERET AND BEIT GAVRIEL
The Kinneret and Beit Gavriel joint municipality is offering visitors a wonderful way to enjoy the Kinneret and its great natural resources without having to face the throngs on its crowded beaches. In honor of the ending of summer vacation, visitors are invited to take part in a guided tour that begins at Beit Gavriel at 6 p.m. The tour will include baking pita bread on a taboun and participating in a fascinating discussion and lecture at Beit Gavriel with producer and photographer Moshe Alpert. At 8 p.m. there will be a screening of his film, Kinneret – Sea of Life, which follows the life of a jungle cat cub that has lost his mother and is left to fend for himself in the Kinneret region.
Date: August 29, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Price: NIS 40
Details: betgabriel.smarticket.co.il, (04) 675-1175
7. ODETTE BOUTIQUE CHOCOLATES
What could be a better way to end your summer vacation than by taking part in a chocolate workshop? Chocolatier Shlomit Zamir from Odette Boutique Chocolates will be running a workshop at Kibbutz Kfar Masryk that is sure to be a hit for the entire family. Participants are welcome to create squares, zig zags or lollipops – all made of chocolate, of course.
A second option is a workshop in which participants can paint porcelain plates provided by Naaman, which has been operating out of Kfar Masryk since the 1940s. And finally, in a third workshop, participants will prepare small potted cacti that you can take home.
Visitors are also welcome to join a guided tour of the kibbutz, during which you will learn about what it was like to live on the kibbutz in the early state days, and will get to see all the agricultural tools that are no longer in use today.
Date: August 27-29, 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
Price: NIS 90 for children, NIS 30 for adults
Details: 072-395-7570 or Western Galilee website
Translated by Hannah Hochner.