Haifa

A port city on the slopes of Mount Carmel, where the terraced Bahá'í Gardens cascade toward the sea; an easy base for Old Acre, Caesarea and the Rosh HaNikra grottoes.

Haifa is Israel's third-largest city and its biggest port, climbing tier by tier up the northern slope of Mount Carmel before dropping straight into Haifa Bay. Jews, Arabs, Druze and Bahá'ís live side by side here, and the mood is noticeably more relaxed than in Tel Aviv or Jerusalem. The city has three levels: at the bottom are the German Colony, the Arab quarter of Wadi Nisnas and Elijah's Cave by the sea; halfway up are the world-famous Bahá'í Gardens (a UNESCO World Heritage Site); and on top, Central Carmel offers the Louis Promenade and the Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, with the Stella Maris Monastery and the cable car at its western end. Further south on Mount Carmel lie the national park, the artists' village of Ein Hod and Druze villages. Haifa is also the best base for exploring the northern coast: 30 minutes north by train is the World Heritage-listed Old City of Acre, and beyond it the Rosh HaNikra sea grottoes; to the south are the wine town of Zikhron Ya'akov, the Roman ruins of Caesarea and the beaches of Dor. The best times to visit are Mar–May and Sep–Nov; summer is hot and humid, ideal for the beach, while winter is rainy but mild. Getting there: trains from Ben Gurion Airport or Tel Aviv take about 1–1.5 hours; in town there is the Carmelit (a funicular subway), the cable car and buses, and public transport is greatly reduced on Shabbat (Friday evening to Saturday evening). Allow 3–4 days. Note: the upper terraces of the Bahá'í Gardens can only be visited on a guided tour, and shoulders and knees must be covered at religious sites; the security situation in the northern border area can change quickly, so check the latest advisories before heading to places such as Rosh HaNikra.

Top sights

• Bahá'í Gardens & Shrine of the Báb – Nineteen terraced gardens on the slopes of Mount Carmel stretch from the summit down toward the German Colony, with the gold-domed Shrine o…
• Old City of Acre – A World Heritage seaport old town where a Crusader undercity lies beneath Ottoman walls, and markets, mosques, caravanserais, and a fishing…
• Knights' Halls (Hospitaller Fortress) – The Hospitaller Knights' fortress in Acre from the 12th–13th centuries. Its tall Gothic vaulted halls lie buried beneath an Ottoman citadel…
• Caesarea National Park – The ruins of the Roman seaport built by Herod the Great, with a Roman theater by the sea, a chariot-racing arena, palace ruins, and Crusade…
• Rosh HaNikra Grottoes – White sea cliffs on the Israel–Lebanon border. A steep cable car takes you down to the sea, where the water in the grottoes glows bright bl…
• German Colony – A neighborhood of stone houses built by 19th-century German Templer immigrants. Ben-Gurion Avenue runs straight toward the Bahá'í Gardens a…
• Louis Promenade – A hilltop promenade on Mount Carmel overlooking the Bahá'í Gardens, Haifa Bay and the harbor. On clear days, you can see Acre and the Leban…
• Stella Maris Monastery & Cable Car – The Carmelite monastery at the western tip of Mount Carmel, traditionally said to be built over the cave where Elijah lived. Visitors can r…
• Elijah's Cave – A rock cave shrine at the foot of Mount Carmel, regarded by Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze alike as the dwelling of the prophet Elijah…
• Wadi Nisnas – The historic Arab quarter of the Lower City, where narrow alleys hold markets, flatbread bakeries and walls covered in art, reflecting Haif…
• Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art – The only museum in the Middle East dedicated to Japanese art, with ukiyo-e prints, screens, netsuke and ceramics. It is located beside Loui…
• Madatech – Israel National Museum of Science – An interactive science museum housed in the century-old building of a technical college, with many hands-on exhibits that are ideal for fam…
• Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum – Built around a real immigrant ship, this museum tells the story of Jewish refugees who ran the British blockade to reach Palestine in secre…
• Hecht Museum – An archaeology and art museum on the University of Haifa campus. Its treasure is a 2,400-year-old shipwreck from Ma'agan Michael.
• Dado Beach – The most popular long sandy beach in central Haifa, with a wooden boardwalk, restaurants and lawns. It is a great spot to watch the sunset…
• Mount Carmel National Park – One of Israel's largest national parks, where Mediterranean oak forests and creek trails intertwine. The 'Little Switzerland' forest area i…
• Ein Hod – An artists' village on the western slope of Mount Carmel, with galleries, studios and a Dada museum scattered along stone-house lanes, and…
• Daliyat al-Karmel – The largest Druze town on Mount Carmel. Its main-street market sells spices, carpets and Druze flatbread, and visitors can experience Druze…
• Muhraka Monastery – A Carmelite monastery on the southeastern summit of Mount Carmel, traditionally the place where Elijah confronted the prophets of Baal. Fro…
• Templars' Tunnel – An underground tunnel of about 350 meters dug by the Knights Templar during the Crusades, running from the western fortress to the harbor…
• Al-Jazzar Mosque – A green-domed mosque built in 1781 by the Ottoman governor Ahmad al-Jazzar Pasha, and one of the largest mosques in Israel.
• Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh, Bahjí – The holiest site of the Bahá'í Faith, on the northern outskirts of Acre. The tomb and residence of Bahá'u'lláh are surrounded by concentric…
• Caesarea Aqueduct Beach – Roman aqueduct arches extend along the beach and into the dunes. It is one of Israel's most photogenic beaches, and visiting is free.
• Achziv National Park – A seaside national park on the northern coast, with natural lagoons of shallow water for wading and ancient harbor ruins scattered across t…
• Zichron Ya'akov – A century-old wine town founded with support from Baron Rothschild, with stone pedestrian streets, an old winery and hilltop sea views that…
• Ramat HaNadiv – The final resting place of Baron and Baroness Rothschild, with orderly memorial gardens, a rose garden and nature reserve trails. Admission…
• Beit She'arim National Park – A World Heritage ancient Jewish burial complex, where hundreds of carved stone sarcophagi lie in rock-cut underground tombs. It is an impor…
• Atlit Detainee Camp – The former camp where the British Mandate authorities held illegal Jewish immigrants. Reconstructed barracks, a disinfection room and a rep…
• Dor HaBonim Beach Nature Reserve – The most beautiful string of natural coves on the Carmel coast, with rocky bays, sea caves and clear water for snorkeling. Next to it lies…
• Nahal Me'arot Nature Reserve – A World Cultural Heritage site on the western slope of Mount Carmel. Prehistoric caves such as Tabun document some 500,000 years of human e…

Where to eat

• Falafel HaZkenim – Historic falafel stand in Wadi Nisnas, open since 1950, offering a free tahini-dipped falafel while you wait in line.
• Fattoush Restaurant – Arab restaurant and bar in the German Colony at the foot of the Baha'i Gardens, known for its namesake bread salad and…
• Ein El-Wadi Lebanese Restaurant – A family-run Lebanese home-cooking restaurant in an Ottoman-era stone house, long ranked first in Haifa on Tripadvisor.
• Abu Shaker Hummus – Old Arab hummus restaurant in the Lower City, considered one of Haifa's most authentic hummus spots. Affordable and ope…
• Douzan Restaurant – A Lebanese restaurant and café in a Templer-era German colony stone house, with a sunken, tree-shaded garden terrace fu…
• Maayan Habira Tavern – An old-school Eastern European Jewish tavern on the lower-city harbor that started as a sausage workshop; smoked ribs a…

Itineraries

• Israel Coast, Galilee, and Dead Sea Loop – Head north along the coast from Tel Aviv, pass through the Sea of Galilee, head south to the Dead Sea, and finish in Je…
• Holy Land Christian Pilgrimage – Follow the Gospels through major holy sites from Jerusalem and Bethlehem to Galilee.