General facts:

Israel is a small coastal country located in the Middle East. It is home to approximately 8 million inhabitants of various religions and contains a wealth of sites of great cultural and historical value.

Practical details:

Entry to Israel is rather straightforward. For most westerners, it is possible to fly into Tel Aviv and to be granted a tourist visa upon arrival at no cost. For those leaving Israel via a land border such as the Taba crossing into Egypt, be aware that there is an exit fee of approximately 110 Israeli Shekels (Approximately £25) that must be paid regardless of nationality.

I flew from London Luton airport to Tel Aviv with Wizz Air, with the ticket costing me approximately £70 one way. The journey lasts around 5 hours, and the airport at Tel Aviv is quite large and modern, with various shops, cafés and bureaux de change facilities on site. Be aware that if you arrive during Shabbat (beginning on Friday afternoon and ending on Saturday evening), your travel options into Tel Aviv are limited to taking a taxi, which will cost you around 150-170 Shekels. On other days of the week, there is a quick and efficient train service that takes you into central Tel Aviv, in addition to a Sherut (shared taxi service) that caters for those travellers on a strict budget.

Tel Aviv:

Tel Aviv itself is a bustling modern city much like other Western capitals. It is a coastal city, and as such it is home to a number of beautiful beaches: be sure to visit one and experience the beautiful sunset for yourself!

A stone’s throw from Tel Aviv’s beaches you will find the Old Town, which is definitely worth a visit and can be explored quite easily in an afternoon. Tel Aviv is not that big in comparison to other capital cities, and as such can be navigated largely on foot if you are staying in accommodation that is more or less central.

Tel Aviv is also well-known for its nightlife, with numerous bars and nightclubs scattered around the centre of the city. When we visited, Pride was on, and the city was packed with visitors taking part.

Jerusalem:

It is very easy to travel between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and we took a train between the two cities, which takes less than an hour.

Jerusalem is a melting pot of cultures and is home to various communities of different religions. The old town is split into different quarters depending on the religion of its inhabitants, and it is well worth exploring each of them as they have a lot to offer.

My personal highlight in Jerusalem was visiting the Western Wall, which is of great religious importance.

Much like Tel Aviv, Jerusalem is a bustling city at night, and there are many options for those night owls among us.

Eilat:

Eilat was our final stop in Israel. Located in the extreme south of the country, it is on the red sea, and borders both Jordan and Egypt. We travelled from Jerusalem to Eilat by bus, which took approximately 5 hours and the route that the bus took was particularly beautiful, as it zigzags around the dead sea. Eilat itself is home to a large number of hotels and, as with much of the red sea, is an excellent spot for diving and snorkelling. From Eilat we crossed into Jordan via the Wadi Rum border crossing, which is a short walk from the town centre.