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ERETZ Magazine
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Stayput Youth
Hostels
The Israel Youth Hostel
Association’s Fly and Drive program allows visitors to explore the
entire country in comfort at a reasonable price. Guests can stay at
a different youth hostel in a different part of Israel every night
or spend several days exploring an area in depth.
One of the main disadvantages of staying at a different place
each night is making all of the arrangements to do so – finding a
hotel in the desired location, making reservations, figuring out how
to get there, etc. The Israel Youth Hostel Association (IYHA)
removes this disadvantage with its Fly and Drive package. This
reasonably priced package includes a rental car, which can be picked
up and dropped off at Ben-Gurion International Airport for a small
additional fee, and seven nights or more at any of the hostels and
guesthouse all over the country that are affiliated with IYHA. This
allows first-timers and veteran visitors to tailor a trip to their
interests – they can spend a few days in two or three places that
interest them or stay at a different place each night and see the
entire country. Plus the package includes breakfast each morning.
The fly and drive program is very reasonably priced, but for those
who want to save even more money, IYHA has a similar package, minus
the car, but including the breakfasts. IYHA offers vouchers for four
nights or more that can be used at any of the hostels or
guesthouses. The package can be shared, so it is worthwhile even for
a couple that wants to spend two nights at one hostel. However,
guests also can rely on public transportation and spend a week
exploring various parts of Israel.
And, even though the Y in IYHA stands for youth, guests of all ages
will find that the hostels are comfortable and offer all the
amenities they want and that there is no age limit on the packages.
The packages are only available to tourists and not to Israeli
citizens. To make reservations, call Tel. 1-599-510-511.
Below is a classic seven-day route that gives visitors a taste of
most regions of the country, plus an option to extend it.
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Day 1: Tel Aviv Jaffa
The classic seven-day trip begins in Tel Aviv-Jaffa. Spend your
first day in Israel exploring the first Hebrew city or recovering
from jetlag by lounging on the Mediterranean beach. Spend your first
night at the recently opened Mishkenot Ruth Daniel Guesthouse in
Jaffa or the Bnei Dan Guesthouse.
Mishkenot Ruth Daniel, which is a joint venture of IYHA and the
Israel Movement for Progressive Judaism, is located in a gorgeous
new building on Jerusalem Boulevard, one of the main streets in
Jaffa. It is walking distance from the Old City of Jaffa, the Jaffa
Port, the famous flea market, and more. The Bnei Dan Guesthouse is
located directly opposite the Yarkon Park, which extends along the
Yarkon River and is full of attractions, from jogging paths and
gardens to water sport facilities. It also is walking distance from
the Tel Aviv Port, where the city’s most popular nightclubs and
restaurants are located.
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Day 2: Shlomi
Head up the coast to the Shlomi Guesthouse in the Western
Galilee. Take Route 2 north from Tel Aviv and enjoy the view of the
Mediterranean, which accompanies you for much of the drive. On the
way, stop off at the archaeology park in Caesarea, the Bahai Gardens
in Haifa (reservations required, Tel. (04) 831-3131), and the Old
City of Acre. Since the Shlomi Guesthouse is located near some of
the most beautiful natural sites in Israel, another option is to
arrive at the guesthouse early enough in the day to visit the Hanita
Forest, the Kibbutz Hanita Museum (Tel. (04 985-9677), the Yehiam
Fortress National Park, or the Achziv National Park.
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Day 3: Tel Hai
Start the day early with a tour of Rosh Hanikra and its famous
sea grottos. Then head east toward the Tel Hai Guesthouse. On the
way, stop off to visit Peki’in, with its colorful marketplace and
old synagogue. The Tel Hai Guesthouse is a great base for exploring
many of the sites in the Galilee and the Golan Heights. Some are
even within walking distance, like the Open Museum of Photography,
the Tel Hai Sculpture Garden, and the Tel Hai Courtyard, where
visitors can learn about early Zionist efforts to settle in the Land
of Israel and the battle of Tel Hai. Other sites are only a short
drive away, such as the Hermon (Banias) National Park, with its
waterfall, walking trails, and the remains of a Herodian temple.
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4: Karei Deshe or Poriya
Head south toward the Karei Deshe Guesthouse or the Poriya
Guesthouse, both of which are located by the Sea of Galilee. Much of
the Galilee and the southern Golan Heights are easily accessible
from them, including the Hula Valley Nature Reserve, Safed, and
Katzrin. The Karei Deshe Guesthouse is designed to look like a khan
surrounding a courtyard and sits alongside the ruins of a
twelfth-century khan that served those traveling along an ancient
highway leading from Banias to Acre. The Poriya Guesthouse is
located on a wild slope on the heights of a mountain ridge that
overlooks the spectacular landscape of the Sea of Galilee and Golan
Heights. The surrounding forest is a great place for a hike.
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Day 5: Ein Gedi
Head south to the Beit Sarah Guesthouse at Ein Gedi. Take Route
90 and stop off at the huge archaeology park at Beit She’an, which
is just south of the Sea of Galilee, before continuing to Qumran,
which is just above the Dead Sea. The two not-to-be-missed sites in
this area are, of course, Masada and Ein Gedi. And, for those who
wish to indulge, the guesthouse is conveniently located near the
many spas at Ein Bokek on the edge of the Dead Sea.
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Day 6: Jerusalem
The finale of the trip is Jerusalem. The Agron Guesthouse, which
is a joint venture of IYHA and the United Synagogue of Conservative
Judaism, was recently renovated and expanded. It is located within
walking distance of both the Old City and the New City, making it a
great base for exploring the religious sites of the Old City before
heading to the Ben-Yehuda pedestrian mall or Emek Refaim Street to
shop and dine.
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Day 7: Jerusalem
The Yitzhak Rabin Guesthouse, which also is a modern, relatively
new facility, is located in the heart of Jerusalem’s government and
museum district. It is only a few minutes’ walk from the Israel
Museum, the Bible Lands Museum, the botanical gardens of the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, the Knesset, the Supreme Court building,
and the enchanting gardens that surround them all.
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Southern Trip
Those who want a real taste of the south will find it is worth
adding two days. Instead of going to Jerusalem from Ein Gedi, head
to the Mitzpe Ramon Guesthouse, which has one of the most
spectacular views in Israel – the landscapes of Makhtesh Ramon. On
the way there, stop to go hiking at Ein Avdat and in Makhtesh Ramon.
The next day, head down to the Eilat Youth Hostel and Guesthouse
via the Red Canyon. The hostel is in one of the best locations in
Eilat – a short walk from the beach, the promenade, and the shopping
mall with VAT-free stores. From Eilat, drive to Jerusalem, stopping
at Timna on the way, to complete the trip.
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