Because few countries hold so much in so little space. Within a day's drive you can move from Mediterranean beaches to the walled Old City of Jerusalem, from the green Galilee to the Dead Sea and the desert — thousands of years of history alongside one of the best food and city scenes in the region. It rewards travellers after both the ancient and the modern.

Where should I base myself in Israel?

Most first trips centre on two places: Tel Aviv, the relaxed coastal city that is the easiest and most rewarding base, and Jerusalem, an hour inland, for history and the Old City. The country is small enough that the Galilee, the Dead Sea and the desert are all reachable as day trips or short hops from one or other of them.

When is the best time to visit Israel?

Spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November) are the most comfortable, with warm, pleasant weather across the country. Summers are hot, especially inland and at the Dead Sea, though the coast stays manageable; winters are mild on the coast and cooler, occasionally wet, in Jerusalem and the north.

How do you get around Israel?

Distances are short and a hire car gives the most freedom, especially for the Galilee, the Dead Sea and the desert. Trains and buses connect the main cities well, and Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is quick by both road and fast train. Note that public transport largely pauses from Friday afternoon to Saturday evening for Shabbat.

Do I need to know about Shabbat?

It helps. From Friday afternoon to Saturday evening, much of the country slows for the Jewish sabbath — many shops close, and public transport mostly stops. Tel Aviv stays comparatively lively, with restaurants and beaches open, but Jerusalem and smaller towns go notably quiet, so it is worth planning around.

Is the food in Israel worth travelling for?

Yes — it is one of the country's real pleasures. Expect outstanding hummus, falafel, sabich and fresh-market cooking, a sophisticated restaurant scene in Tel Aviv, and a strong, improving wine industry. The cooking draws on Jewish traditions from around the world alongside the wider eastern Mediterranean, and caters unusually well to vegetarians.

Boutique Hotels in Israel - Heritage & Design Stays

Tel Aviv and the Coast

Israel is small and easily crossed, but it divides into clear regions, each with a different character. Our collection begins in Tel Aviv — the country's most relaxed and accessible city, and the natural first base — and the notes below set out how the rest of the country fits around it.

Tel Aviv is modern Israel at its most outward-looking: a Mediterranean beach city built around the Bauhaus White City, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with Rothschild Boulevard at its heart and the sea along its western edge. It is where almost all of our Israeli listings sit, and the easiest place to begin — walkable, secular, design-led, and strong on food, bars and beach. The wider coast runs north through the Roman ruins of Caesarea to the old port of Acre, but the city itself is the anchor.

Jerusalem and the Interior

An hour inland, Jerusalem is Tel Aviv's opposite in temperament — ancient, layered and weighty, its walled Old City holding sites central to three faiths. It is the cultural and historical core of any wider trip. Beyond it, the interior opens onto the Dead Sea and the desert fortress of Masada to the east, and the Judean hills and wine country around them — a different Israel from the coast, and worth the short drive.

The Galilee and the North

North of the cities, the land turns green and hilly. The Galilee and the Sea of Galilee hold landscapes and history in equal measure, from biblical sites to hill villages, vineyards and the old mystical town of Safed. Cooler, slower and more rural than the coast, the north rewards travellers who want scenery and quiet alongside the history — and it is the part of the country our collection will reach into as it grows.