When is the best time to tour Israel?
All the time.
Really? The whole time?
What? Isn’t there one season better than others? Perhaps one is too cold or another too hot? What about security problems? So when is the really best time to tour Israel?
Israel is a small country with unique climatic characteristics. It is situated in an area with a temperate Mediterranean climate and unique topographical structure which make the country a suitable place to visit throughout the whole year.
The average temperature during the winter is approximately 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and it doesn’t rain for much more than twenty days during the whole winter. Some areas such as the Jerusalem Hills, the Galil and the northern Golan Heights are a bit colder than others, but it doesn’t get extremely cold. Once every few years it may snow, and then the whole country gets excited about the white blanket covering some of the higher parts of Israel,
If you decide to come during the winter, during the rainy season, this should not pose a problem since the eastern part of Israel – the Jordan valley, the Dead Sea and Judean Desert – is part of a unique climatic phenomenon called a rain shadow desert. Tel Aviv and Jerusalem can be rainy and stormy, while the Dead Sea and Eilat are sunny or partly cloudy. The Talmud cites how when snow falls in Jerusalem, the residents of Jericho are still wearing their linen garments.
Since most weather formations reach Israel from west to east, the eastern and lower parts of the country are seemingly hidden behind the central hilly range, the temperature there can be over fifteen degrees Fahrenheit higher than in other places. Therefore, the beaches in Eilat and the Dead Sea are full of visitors from northern countries who have come to find some sun.
What about the summer? Isn’t it too hot in Israel?
The truth is that it is hot but not too hot. The average temperature in most places is about 85 degrees, so it is not too hot for most people. In any case, homes, hotels and businesses are all air-conditioned, so even if it gets hot, there are solutions.
The hilly ranges in central and northern Israel offer wonderful respite from the heat. The Judean and Shomron Hills in central Israel, Tsfat and Mt. Meron in the north afford holiday makers comfortableweather in spite of the Mediterranean climate, so if you decide on a night walk around Mt. Meron during the summer, you may want to wear a light jacket.
So we’ve covered the climate issue, but we’ve heard that it can sometimes be dangerous over there…
It’s true that we are in the Middle East, but at the same time security in Israel is of the best in the world. The streets of Jewish Israel are safe day and night, but we would not recommend trying to get to areas such as Ramallah and Jenin that were given over to Palestinian rule – the reality there is quite different!
In the rest of Israel, where Jews live, you can feel safer that anywhere in Europe! Even during “hotter” times that occur every few years in the areas close to the borders of Israel due to complications with the neighbours on the other side of the border, the rest of Israel is safe. Thank G-d, the Israel Defense Forces know how to deal with things so that Israel’s residents and visitors can feel absolutely safe.
There are even quite a few people who come to Israel especially when tension arises to see what is happening first hand – through binoculars and from a safe distance of course. Naturally, one should receive advice from experts in the field before doing this.
So the best time to visit Israel is anytime; it depends on when it is convenient for you and what you would like to experience. During the Jewish Holidays, Jerusalem is especially festive; during the winter, the Negev blooms with wildflowers; if you have family in Israel, they will probably be more available for you during the summer months when they are also on vacation.
It doesn’t really matter when. You are invited to contact Jewish Israel Tours and I will be more than happy to help you find the most suitable Israel experience for you at any time you choose.
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