Israel

Tel Aviv: Resources, Tours and Tips

Posted on by Hit The Road With Jack!!!

Tour Guides and tour Companies:
Sulwis Suleiman – sulwis@gmail.com  +972 54 582 3612 – he tours all over Israel including: TLV, Bethlehem, Jerusalem, West Bank, Jordan etc.
Adi Siri –  adi.siri@hotmail.com  – +972 50 668 4541 She gives local reasonably priced tours in Tel Aviv only
Jordan Tour Guide – aamreen100@gmail.com  +962 77 25 38 649 or +962 79 890 8167 -he has been a guide for 20 plus years.  He will help with everything once you cross the Jordanian Border.  You fly into Eilat Airport in Israel then take a 10 minute taxi to the boarde, check in at 2 counters (papers then payment) and then walk across  the boarder.  Guide arranges the VISA that you will need to get into Jordan.  Once you meet him he takes care of the rest including the Hotel in Jordan.  It is best to stay one night in Jordan for you will see more, you won’t be rushed and all of the entry fees are then cheaper.

                                                                                                                                                              Places to eat – https://www.restaurants-in-israel.co.il/restaurant.aspx?id=23724

2 local Airlines –  www.Arkia.com and Isair – http://www.iaa.gov.il/en-US/airports/bengurion/airlines/Pages/Israir.aspx

Welcomepickups.com –   To reserve a car for your arrival. Usually from International airport to TLV is $50  to $75. They can also take you directly to Jerusalem for about double the TLV rate.

Gett is the app you must download for local taxi rides

Best Rental car place – https://rent.albar.co.il/en/rent-in-israel/ –

https://www.touristisrael.com/haifa/435/

https://abrahamtours.com

https://www.touristisrael.com

Neveh Tzedek neighborhood is cool to walk around galleries and stores and coffee and ice cream and yogurt. 

Rothschild blvd is nice to walk around. restaurants and bars. pretty lively.

Tour Guide – Maor : +972 52 221 4814

Masada – is 1.5 hours from Jerusalem.

Israel Side Trips from Tel Aviv
Haita – 1,5 from TLV – Womens Center for trade is key attraction
Kinneret – tons of nature preserves
Safed – one of the 4 holiest cities in israel – Sachne Natural Pools key attraction
Hurfeish – one of the Druze Villages in Galilea

Tel Aviv: Accommodations

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The Norman – www.thenorman.com – 1920’s mansion – one of the best hotels in Israel.  rooftop pool and lounge. plus a nice spa. And great location. 
Alexander Tel Aviv – www.alexander.co.il/luxry-hotel – beautiful modern hotel next to the beach in Tel Aviv.  they have a wonderful location and a beautiful rooftop restaurant. 
Poli House By Brown Hotels* – https://brownhotels.com/poli –  Hip little hotel in the heart of Tel Aviv.  10 minute walk to the beach or grab a free bike at the hotel and ride to the beach. this has a cool Rooftop bar and pool.  the rooms are really small and fairly expensive.  this hotel is in a great location too. it is next to the Carmel (HaCarmel) Market. we did not lay at the pool with the hipsters. this is the place to be in Tel Aviv.  if you are 25 to 40.  see hotel pictures below. 
Hotel Montefiore –www.hotelmontefiore.co.il – a very small and beautiful boutique hotel in the heart of TLV.  really quaint with an award winning restaurant on site too. 
Ultra Hotel* – http://www.atlas.co.il/shalom-hotel-tel-aviv – 29 rooms hotel that is pretty trendy but basic.  great cocktail lounge.  1 Block from the beach. 
Vera Hotel – http://theverahotel.com –   a really cool boutique hotel with only 39 rooms.  with a spa and sundeck on the roof.  mid priced too. 


Jaffa Market House – http://www.atlas.co.il/market-house-hotel-tel-aviv-israel – a great little hotel on the heart of Jaffa. excellent breakfast and happy hour.  this is a more reasonable place vs The Setai. they are across the street from each other. 
The Setai Tel Aviv – http://www.thesetaihotel.co.il – One of the nicest Hotels in the heart of Jaffa.  next to the beach, great pool and really nice hotel.  
Shalom Hotel * – http://www.atlas.co.il/shalom-hotel-tel-aviv – a cool hotel near the beach.  great rooftop bar.  
Orchid Hotel* Tel Aviv – http://www.orchidhotels.co.il/?orchid_tel_aviv=orchid-tel-aviv&lang=en –  pretty big hotel with 200 rooms.  great services including: Spa, Business center, Pool and Gym. the hotel is at the beach too.  
The Brown Beach Boutique Hotel* – http://www.brownhotels.com/beach –  great hotel just one block from the beach.  the hotel has a small spa and a little bar plus a nice space for breakfast. the rooms are fairly large and clean but miss on little details like paint on light switches and missing grout in bathroom. overall the rooms were pretty clean.  rooms 308, 408 and 508 have balconies and views of the water. use a hotel bike to ride for miles up and down the coast.  great value. 
* join the hotels frequent guest program and receive a discount if you book direct. 

Jerusalem: Accommodations

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Mamilla Hotel – www.mamillahotel.com – One of the best Luxury hotels in Jerusalem. very modern. great roof top deck for drinks.
Waldorf Astoria – www.waldorfastoria3.hilton.com/en/hotels/israel/waldorf-astoria-jerusalem.com  is one of the newest luxury hotels and equally beautiful and pricey as the Mamilla but the Waldorf  is much more authentic.
American Colony Hotel – www.americancolony.com  american owned hotel with great service and attention to detail. one of the few places with great outdoor pool.
The David Citadel Hotel – www.thedavidcitadel.com one of the older classic hotels, nice roof top pool plus a spa and a gym. Perfect location.
Leonardo Boutique Hotel * –  www.leonardo-hotels.com – a little more reasonable than the hotels listed above.  nice rooms.  no room service though. coffee and food one floor below reception.
Villa Brown Jerusalem* – www.brownhotels.com – great location and more reasonably priced too.
Dan Boutique Hotel* – www.danhotels.com  Reasonably priced hotel that faces the old city wall.
*Join their frequent guest program for 5%  discount off of your room but you must book your room directly with hotel.  Better chance for an upgrade too.
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Jerusalem: Resources, Tours and Tips

Posted on by Hit The Road With Jack!!!

Tour Guide: Ori Unterman – oriunterman@gmail.com or +972 52 338 4669 She is a great local guide that can take you to see old and new Jerusalem. The Machane Yehuda Market. 

Jerusalem Tour –   Tower of David Museum. Visit historical marvels and spiritual landmarks as King David’s Tomb and the Room of the Last Supper, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, Via Delarosa, the Arab Market and the recently restored Roman Cardo.  Wander through the charming Armenian & Jewish quarters.  See the sacred Western Wall and then the Christian Quarter. End your day at the tasty and lively culinary gem The Machane Yehuda Market.  

National Holocaust Musem (YadVashem.org) – you can visit this museum on your own.  Hire a guide when you get there or use audio head set.  This is easily a 3 hour plus tour. You can do it quicker but you will likely miss parts of it.  It’s big and beautiful and tragic and moving all at the same time.

Welcomepickups.com –  rides from the TLV airport. Trip usually costs approx $110. You can jump in a cab for cheaper.

Sandlemansneweuropetours.com

Due to Shabbat Friday nights are really slow in Jerusalem and most of Israel.

Saturday Tours always have an extra fee if they run at all.

Jerusalem: Food & Drink

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Jacko’s St – https://www.facebook.com/JackosStreet/ – good little local mediterranean place. pretty local.  If two of you the best seat in the house is at the bar.

 

Machneyuda –  www.machneyuda.co.il – 10 Beit Ya’akov | Located in the Lamahane Market 943231+972 2-533-3442 a great local place with mediterranean food in the Lamahane Market. Its really good but you need an advanced reservation. It can be really crowded in the market.

 

Ishtaback – m.facebook.com/א%D6%B4ישטָבָח-1381815998803237/ -m is another great place in the MY market.  This place serves Kurdish food.  They are known for their Shamburak which is a pastry filled with meat and potato’s baked in a large round oven.

 

Anna Italian Cafe – annarest.co.il – a great little Italian place in the middle of Jerusalem.  It is at the Ticho House Museum. They employ at risk youth in the kitchen. Nimrod Norman and the Mona restaurant group run the place. 

 

Arais Machane Yehuda – https://www.facebook.com/araismahneyuda/?utm_source=tripadvisor&utm_medium=referral –   this is a very casual place across from the market.  Great for lunch without the market crowds. They serve fried pita type bread that you then fill with meat and tomatoes. This dish is called Arais. The place is very small with places to sit inside and out.  And right next store is a great little lemonade stand.  (top right pic above)

 

Machane Yehuda Market –  https://en.machne.co.il – a great market in Jerusalem with so much to eat and drink during the day.  Then at night the alcohol and music come out and the market is more like one big club with many different stalls offering food and drink.  This place gets extremely crowded.  The market is spelled many different ways: Mahane, Machane and Machne 

 

Hachapuri – www.facebook.com/hachapuria/ is near the Machane Yehuda Market – this is a Georgian place that serves really great Acharuli which is a version of the pastry dough that is filled with Georgian cheese, butter and a fried egg served with a tasty tomato sauce on the side.  Great for the morning with coffee or beer. (bottom left pic above)

 

Roasters in Machane Yehuda market – www.facebook.com/CoffeeRoasteryJerusalem/ – this is a great little coffee place in the middle of the market.  They actually roast the coffee right next door to where you buy it. 

 

Knafe Ir Aviv – This is a little dessert stall in the middle of the Machane Yehuda Market.  It is right across from Roasters the coffee place. (bottom 2nd pic from the right)
Basher Fromagerie – A kosher cheese and wine shop in the middle of the market.  The cheese is very tasty and so is their wine but the place is a bit pricey.  Ask for a tasting of wine and cheese.  Very nice group of guys run the place.  Try the butter too. (2 people pics above)

 

 
Drinks 
Mirror Rooftop Bar at the Mamilla Hotel http://www.Mamilla.com

 

Uzi Eli’s Juice – http://www.etrogman.com/en/ –  great little juice stand in middle of the Machane Market. Go for the fresh juice plus you can add many additional ingredients to it…one for stress, one for nutrition etc.  They have a juice combo for everything.  Or you can just have a plain juice with nothing added. 

 

 
The Gatsby Cocktail Room – www.facebook.com/GatsbyJerusalem/ – 18 Hillel, Jerusalem 9458118  – great little 1920’s cocktail bar.  great atmosphere, great drinks and music. (bottom right pic above)  

 

 
HaTaklit (lit. the Record/Album) – www.facebook.com/hataklit/ – and its sister bar Cassette – www.facebook.com/hakaseta/ – are a great nightlife location in the heart of Western Jerusalem. Hataklit is a mix between a bar and pub with an alternative, young feel. Choice to sit at a table or the bar inside or sit at one of the many tables outside.  The Cassette is pretty much just a small bar attached to the HaTaklit.

 

 
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Masada & The Dead Sea

Posted on by Hit The Road With Jack!!!

Masada and The Dead Sea Drive along the shores of the Dead Sea to Masada and learn about the heroic story of the Jewish fighters. Take the cable car up and tour the mountain fortress built by King Herod, where the Zealots made their last stand against the Romans. Visit the remains including: a palace, synagogue, water cisterns, mosaic floors, roman baths, walls  and other findings.  Descend by cable car or hike both ways.        

Now continue to the Dead Sea!  The lowest place on earth. Enjoy the unique opportunity to float in the Dead Sea. You will not believe how buoyant you are.  Then cover yourself with the mineral rich mud that many believe has therapeutic effects and wash it off in the water. Make sure to bring towels, sunscreen, water and flip flops. Do not shave anything the day you go for if you do the salty water will burn the shaved area.  

Masada

The Dead Sea

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