Israel: Tel Aviv & Jerusalem

MAsada national park

We kicked off our trip with a sunrise hike at Masada National Park. We got up at 1am on our first morning to take a party taxi with “TaxiBoy99” (a very enthusiastic taxi driver lol) to our 2am tour pick up. From there, we made the 2 hr bus ride to Masada and began our trek around 430am in pitch dark. It was quiet, serene, and so much easier of climb without being able to see anything! It was a steep climb to the top where we awaited the sunrise at 5:36am. The view was absolutely stunning - a clear horizon, with the most beautiful orange and yellow and blue colors. When the orange sun finally peeked out, I felt pure bliss and contentment in my soul. It was such a perfect start to the day. We explored the rest of Masada’s ancient fortress ruins before making the descent back down.

en gedi nature reserve

Our next step was En Gedi, a beautiful oasis described in the Bible full of pretty waterfalls and lots of greenery. We enjoyed hiking around the reserve and basking in the waterfalls. By this time it was starting to get quite hot and my legs were so tired from Masada! It was a beautiful and serene place to wander around.

the dead sea

Our final stop was the Dead Sea, where we floated in the mineral and salt heavy water. It is the lowest place on Earth and is continuing to shrink (not good!) The water felt slimy and it was a really neat experience to float in. We could see Jordan on the other side of the sea, and it was so weird to be in a pool of water that had no living organisms in it. I am proud to check this off my bucket list finally!

tel aviv

We stayed in BEAUTIFUL Tel Aviv during our trip, and loved exploring Old Jaffa, Neve Tzedek, Carmel Market, Tel Aviv Port, and all of the pretty beaches. It was so hot and everyone was out and about working out, surfing, sunbathing, and enjoying the weather. We went swimming in the Mediterranean Sea multiple times and it felt so refreshing! My favorite place was Neve Tzedek because of the adorable shops and overall chill vibe. I also loved the chaos of Carmel Market and the Arabian influence at Old Jaffa. We had the most delicious acai bowls every day from Jusa, and got plenty of rest and relaxation.

jerusalem

We spent a full day touring old Jerusalem and learning about its ancient history. It was absolutely fascinating and I could have spent several days there learning about it all. We explored all 4 quarters (Jewish, Muslim, Christian, Armenian) and visited the Western Wall (where I wrote down a wish and put it on the wall) and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We walked to New Jerusalem and had time to explore the amazing Mahane Yehuda Market (by far my favorite market of the trip)! Overall it was such an educational and eye-opening trip and I’m grateful to have visited such a culturally rich and stunning country!