The 7 Best Nature Hikes in Israel (2026)

Updated August 2026 · 7 picks

The best hikes in Israel are Ein Gedi's desert waterfalls, the Yehudiya canyon in the Golan, Mount Arbel above the Sea of Galilee, Nahal Amud in the Galilee, the Red Canyon near Eilat and Wadi Qelt. Hike October to April, start early, and carry far more water than feels necessary. Seven, below.

1. Ein Gedi — Judean Desert, Dead Sea

Waterfalls and pools in the middle of the desert, with ibex on the rocks.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Families · Couples · Groups

Ein Gedi is a freshwater oasis in the Judean Desert above the Dead Sea, where springs cut two canyons — Nahal David and Nahal Arugot — through bare rock into a chain of waterfalls and pools you can swim in.

Nahal David is the short, easy, very busy route to David's Waterfall, doable in about an hour. Nahal Arugot is longer, quieter and better, climbing to the Hidden Waterfall.

Nubian ibex and rock hyrax are routinely visible on the cliffs and around the paths. The contrast between the desert outside and the green inside the canyon is the whole point of the place.

Good to know: Take Nahal Arugot rather than Nahal David — longer, far quieter, and the better walk.

Google Maps Website

2. Yehudiya — Golan Heights

A basalt canyon you swim through — the best hike in the country.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Groups · Couples

The Yehudiya reserve in the Golan is the most enjoyable hike in Israel: a basalt canyon with waterfalls and deep pools, where the route requires you to swim short sections with your pack held above the water and climb down metal ladders bolted into the rock.

It is not a walk with a view at the end. The canyon is the route, and you are in and out of the water for much of it.

Numbers are capped, booking is required, and last entry is enforced. It is closed in flood conditions. Not suitable for weak swimmers or small children.

Good to know: Book ahead — daily numbers are capped and turning up without a reservation means being turned away.

Google Maps Website

3. Mount Arbel — Above the Sea of Galilee

A cliff face above the Kinneret, with the best view in northern Israel.

₪₪ Mid-rangeBest for Couples · Groups · Solo

Mount Arbel drops in a sheer cliff to the plain beside the Sea of Galilee, and the view from the top takes in the whole lake, the Golan beyond it and, on a clear day, Mount Hermon.

The descent down the cliff face uses cut handholds and metal rungs and is genuinely steep — exposed rather than technical, but not for anyone uneasy with heights. There is an easier route along the ridge for those who want the view without the scramble.

The cliffs also hold Jewish cave fortresses built into the rock face. Best at sunrise or late afternoon.

Good to know: The cliff descent is steep and exposed. Take the ridge route if heights are a problem — same view.

Google Maps Website

4. Nahal Amud — Upper Galilee, near Safed

A green shaded stream valley — the gentlest good hike on this list.

₪ BudgetBest for Families · Couples · Groups

Nahal Amud runs from the hills near Safed down towards the Sea of Galilee through a wooded valley with a stream, old flour mills, springs and pools, and it is one of the few Israeli hikes with genuine shade for most of its length.

It is named for the freestanding rock pillar — the amud — that stands in the middle of the valley, and there are prehistoric caves in the walls that produced significant archaeological finds.

The whole route is long but it splits easily into shorter sections, and it works in warmer weather than most of this list precisely because of the tree cover.

Good to know: The most shaded hike here — the one that still works on a warm spring day.

Google Maps Website

5. The Red Canyon — North of Eilat

A narrow sandstone slot canyon, short enough for anyone, half an hour from Eilat.

₪ BudgetBest for Families · Couples · Groups

The Red Canyon north of Eilat is a short slot canyon cut through red Nubian sandstone, narrow enough in places to touch both walls, with metal handholds and short ladders at the steeper drops.

The full circuit takes about two hours and the canyon section itself much less, which makes it the most accessible desert hike in the south and an easy half day from Eilat.

It is genuinely spectacular for the effort involved. Go early — there is no shade on the approach and the canyon fills with groups by mid-morning.

Good to know: Go at opening. By 10am the narrow sections are a queue and the approach is baking.

Google Maps Website

6. Wadi Qelt — Judean Desert, between Jerusalem and Jericho

A desert gorge with a monastery hanging off the cliff, walkable from Jerusalem.

₪ BudgetBest for Couples · Groups · Solo

Wadi Qelt cuts through the Judean Desert between Jerusalem and Jericho, following an ancient route with a Roman-era aqueduct running along the canyon wall and the sixth-century St George's Monastery built directly into the cliff face.

The full walk descends from near Jerusalem to Jericho and takes most of a day; shorter sections give you the monastery and the gorge without the full descent.

It is bare desert with no shade and no water, and parts of the route pass through the West Bank — check current conditions and access before setting out.

Good to know: Check current access and security conditions before going. No shade, no water, carry everything.

Google Maps Website

7. The Israel National Trail — The length of the country

1,000km from the Lebanese border to Eilat, and the Trail Angels who feed you.

₪ BudgetBest for Solo · Couples · Groups

The Israel National Trail — the Shvil — runs about 1,000km from Dan on the Lebanese border to Eilat on the Red Sea, crossing the Galilee, the coastal plain, the Judean Hills and the entire Negev, and takes most people 45 to 60 days.

Its most distinctive feature is the Trail Angels: a network of hundreds of people along the route who host hikers for free, offering a bed, a shower, water or a lift, coordinated through a published list.

You do not need to walk the whole thing. It passes near most of the country and day sections can be picked up from almost anywhere, which is the best introduction.

Good to know: Walk a day section rather than nothing — the Galilee and Negev stretches are accessible from most bases.

Google Maps Website

Frequently asked questions

When is hiking season in Israel?

October to April. Summer hiking in the desert or the Jordan Valley is genuinely dangerous — temperatures pass 40°C with almost no shade — and people are hospitalised every year. Spring, after the winter rains, is the best window: green hills, running streams and wildflowers.

How much water do I need?

Three to four litres per person for a half-day desert hike, more in warm weather. This is not cautious advice; it is the standard the Nature and Parks Authority gives, and dehydration is the most common cause of rescue callouts. Start every hike with full bottles.

What about flash floods?

A real and serious risk in the desert canyons between roughly October and April. Rain falling many kilometres away can send water through a dry wadi with no warning. Check conditions with the Nature and Parks Authority before entering any canyon, and never enter one when rain is forecast anywhere upstream.

Are trails marked?

Well marked, by a national system of coloured trail blazes — three horizontal stripes, white-colour-white, painted on rocks and trees. The Israel Trails Committee maintains them and the standard is high. Offline maps still help, and phone signal is unreliable in the canyons.

What is the Israel National Trail?

A roughly 1,000km route running the length of the country from the Lebanese border to Eilat, typically walked in 45 to 60 days. It is famous for 'Trail Angels' — a network of people who host hikers for free — and it can be walked in day sections from most parts of the country.

Do I need to pay or book?

Many of the best hikes are inside national parks or nature reserves with entry fees of roughly ₪28–₪45. Some — Yehudiya in particular — cap daily numbers and require advance booking, and last entry times are enforced strictly. Check before you drive out.

1. Ein Gedi — Judean Desert, Dead Sea

2. Yehudiya — Golan Heights

3. Mount Arbel — Above the Sea of Galilee

4. Nahal Amud — Upper Galilee, near Safed

5. The Red Canyon — North of Eilat

6. Wadi Qelt — Judean Desert, between Jerusalem and Jericho

7. The Israel National Trail — The length of the country

Frequently asked questions

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