Nature Tours in Israel
- Israel is rich in wildlife and natural wonders.road to the house image by Alexey Protasov from Fotolia.com
Israel possesses a myriad of natural wonders such as Golan Heights and the Sea of Galilee, the Judean and Negev deserts, Mount Carmel and the Dead Sea. Nature tours abound with itineraries that cover almost the entire country. They offer the nature lover the possibility of seeing gazelles, ibex, hyenas and wolves in Israel's more than 50 national parks and nature reserves. - A comfortable way to visit springs, waterfalls, canyons, oases and deserts is by jeep. Well-organized jeep tours lasting from one to seven days will take you to see wildlife in the best places, such as in the Eilat Mountains Nature Reserve, Barak Canyon, Vardit Canyon and Israel's largest oasis, Ein Gedi. These tours, conducted in English, are respectful towards nature and often include camel rides and hiking.
- Another possibility is enjoying your very own off-the-track nature tour accompanied by a knowledgeable guide. On these private tours, licensed tour guides offer you their undivided attention and escort you on foot or by vehicle on adventurous and challenging nature treks or pleasant tours designed for family fun. These tours take you to places such as the bird balcony at the Gamla Cliffs, the Nahal Amud for swimming, Mount Arbel for an exhilarating climb, the River Jordan for kayaking, or the Golan riverbeds for an interesting hike.
Other guided activities include a cable car ride, snake hunting and biking along nature trails. Mountain bikes can be rented with or without a guide. - If you speak Hebrew, you might want to take a one-day or weekend nature tour offered in Hebrew by the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel. More than a dozen of these excursions by private car or bus are arranged each month, and many of the guides also speak English. These tours are packed with information and many are particularly suited to families with children. Crawling through tunnels, berry-picking, caving, bird-watching and swimming in shaded pools are some of the activities.
