Jerusalem Travel Forum

Hello Guys!
Im here again!
Im Catholic, so can i visit some holies places for Arabs and Jews ? I mean for example Walling Wall?
What is dress code? Can i wear jeans? or should wear some formal clothes?
Shoud I buy a Kippah?

My trip Plan is:

14th October afternoon arrive in Tel Viv then take some transportation (cheap if possible) to Jerusalem.
15th Jerusalen
16th Jerusalen
17th: Jerusalen
18th: Visit Bethlehem (one day trip back to Jerusalen same day)
19th: Visit Nazareth and Lake Tiberias (one day trip back to Jerusalen same day)
20th: Visit Dead Sea (one day trip back to Jerusalen same day)
21th: Free - sugestions are welcome
22th: free sugestions are welcome
23th: free sugestions are welcome
24th October : afternoon flying to Europe

What´s good idea? visit Aman or spend more days in Israel?


Thanks for help!

Marcal

You can visit most holy sites regardless of your religion. The only restriction is that some places are open for tourists at certain times only.

No problem at all to visit he Western Wall (wailing wall) - there are a lot of tourists from all countries and religions - as long as you remember that it's a holy place for the people who come there to pray, and behave in a respectful manner.

Jeans should be fine. Shorts would not be so good in contrast.

You will need to cover your head when you visit Jewish religious sites, this can be a kippa but I think you can borrow a paper kippa at the wall for free, so no need to buy one.

As written above, no problem visiting most places. In the western wall they have paper kippahs available for visitors. In any case, a baseball cap or any hat will be just as good.

If you want to visit the temple mount, you will need to go in the morning of a day between Sunday and Thursday. Also, I think the entrance to the mosques themselves is now restricted to Muslims only.

So far you are only seeing half the country. Bethlehem and Hebron should be on your list. Abraham's tomb in Hebron is worth a visit, and of course the Nativity Church and Shepherd's Field in Bethlehem. These cities are part of the Palestinian Authority. However a safe and informative way to visit is to take a day tour with a reputable company. www.toursinenglish.com covers both cities in one day, and includes holy sites, Jewish settlements, and a lot of interesting information about contemporary issues in addition to details of historical interest.

For your free days you might like to visit:

Eilat and Petra (Jordan).

The Ancient site of Caeserea. - http://www.bibleplaces.com/caesarea.htm

The Mount of Beatitudes - http://www.bibleplaces.com/mtbeatitudes.htm

Tabgha - http://www.bibleplaces.com/tabgha.htm

Lots more...

Hi
How are you planning to do your day trips, by organised tours? If yes then I understand why you are only spending one day in Nazareth and the Sea of Galilee area, as that is a 1 day trip. If this is the case perhaps consider another 1 day trip to Caesarea, Acre and Rosh Hanikra.

My comments:

> You can easily do a day trip to the Dead Sea from Jerusalem, but plan on spending that day wisely. This means a soak in the Dead Sea (which won't occupy too much of your time since you shouldn't remain in the water for more than 20 minutes maximum), and then a climb up to Massada for magnificent views and amazing historical ruins. (you can take the teleferico or climb up...the climb is not hard but it will take you a little longer obviously).

> The Galilee area deserves more than a day trip, in my opinion. This is an incredible part of the country and your itinerary appears to allow more time. You can see the religious sites in half a day, but it's lovely to linger and enjoy this beautiful place. You can spend overnight in the area and use it to explore the Golan Heights as well...Gamla Reserve, Hexagon Pools, Jordan River, Mt. Bental, Rosh Pina, maybe even a winery or visit a kibbutz....I mean really, this place is wonderful. It would be a pity to only spend a day trip there when it looks like you can allocate more time (I would say 2 days is smart).

> As far as Jordan goes, I would consider visiting Petra in place of Amman. Amman is a busy city whereas Petra was recently named one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It's easy to get to Petra from Israel and once you're there you don't need a guide. You can cross the border between Israel and Jordan near Eilat (southern part of Israel, about 2.5/3 hours south of the Dead Sea). To get to Eilat, you can take an Egged bus or rent a car. Border crossing is safe and easy (and buy your visa there) and once you're on the Jordanian side, you can hire a taxi to drive you 2 hours to Petra. The taxis are usually outside the immigration building. You plan a day in the Petra National Park and overnight there or in the adjacent town of Wadi Musa. You return the following day. That is how I would spend my 2/3 free days if I had them.

> The alternative of visiting Haifa and Caesaria (and Akko) could also be a nice way to spend those 3 days, instead of going to Petra, Jordan.

Bom viagem. Acho que vai gostar muito. Ainda tenho saudades do Israel.
M