A small country packed with history: ancient Jerusalem, sacred to three religions, the beachy, modern Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea and the Negev desert. Israel squeezes thousands of years of heritage and a wide range of landscapes into short distances.
Israel is one of those destinations that seem impossible because of how much they fit into so little space. The country is about the size of a small Argentine province, yet inside it you'll find ancient Jerusalem, sacred to Jews, Christians and Muslims. An hour away is modern, beachy Tel Aviv. There's also the Dead Sea, where you float effortlessly at the lowest point of dry land on the planet, and deserts that look like another world. Ancient history and cutting-edge technology sit side by side, a couple of hours apart by bus.
Geographically, it splits into a few areas that are easy to combine. The Mediterranean coast has Tel Aviv, Jaffa, Haifa and Acre. The centre has Jerusalem and Bethlehem (the latter in the West Bank). The green north takes in the Sea of Galilee, Nazareth and the Golan Heights. The arid south has the Negev desert, the Mitzpe Ramon crater, the Dead Sea and, at the very tip, Eilat on the Red Sea. A typical trip starts in Tel Aviv, goes up to Jerusalem and then down to the desert and the Dead Sea.
The best thing about Israel is the intensity: in a single day you can pray at the Western Wall, eat the best hummus of your life in a market and end up on a Tel Aviv beach. To be honest, it may surprise you that it's an expensive destination by Latin American standards. And because of the regional situation, plan your trip around the current official travel advisories and keep checking them during your trip.
The local currency is the new Israeli shekel (ILS, symbol ₪). Cards are accepted almost everywhere, even for small amounts, so you don't need to carry much cash. It's worth having a few notes for markets, taxis and small shops. Keep in mind that during Shabbat (from Friday afternoon to Saturday night) many shops and banks close, and so does public transport.
Full converter for ILS →Almost all international flights land at Ben Gurion Airport (TLV), between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, which is the country's main gateway. From there, direct trains run to Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. There are also buses and shared taxis (sherut), which keep running even when the rest of the transport stops for Shabbat. Distances inside the country are short: trains and a large bus network connect the main cities. Check the timetables, though, because many services are cut back or stop during Shabbat.
The best times to tour Israel are spring (March to May) and autumn (September to November). Temperatures are pleasant across most of the country, the fields bloom in spring and it's not as hot as in midsummer. These are mid-to-high season, ideal for combining cities, hiking and beach without suffering the weather.
Summer (June to August) is very hot and humid on the coast and downright extreme at the Dead Sea and in Eilat, where it easily goes above 40 °C. Do everything early or late in the afternoon. Winter (December to February) is mild and sometimes rainy on the coast. It's colder in Jerusalem, which can even get the odd snowfall. Eilat and the Dead Sea stay warm and are perfect in winter, the place to find sun in those months. Keep the Jewish holidays in mind (Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Passover), because prices go up and services close. On Yom Kippur, for example, the whole country stops, airport included.
The food is one of the great pleasures of the trip and some of the best value for money. Start with the hummus: look for a 'hummusiya' where they serve it warm with whole chickpeas and pita bread. Then come falafel, sabich (pita stuffed with aubergine, egg and salads), shakshuka (eggs in tomato sauce, ideal for breakfast) and shawarma. In markets like Machane Yehuda in Jerusalem or the Carmel in Tel Aviv you eat really well and cheaply, and you can try sweets like knafeh and halva.
As a guide (verified July 2026): street falafel or shawarma costs about 4 to 7 dollars, a plate of hummus with pita is around 7 to 12 dollars, and a sit-down meal at a casual restaurant is about 15 to 25 dollars per person. Eating on the street and in markets is the way to save. In restaurants the usual tip is 10 to 12 %, so check whether it's already included. Almost everything closes during Shabbat (from Friday afternoon to Saturday night), so plan that day's meals ahead, especially in Jerusalem.
Israel has very good infrastructure and low petty crime, and tourists rarely have problems with theft or scams. The big exception is regional security. As of mid-2026, several governments (the United States, Canada and Australia, among others) have raised travel advisories for Israel. Their 'do not travel' zones cover the Gaza Strip and the northern border areas with Lebanon and Syria. The honest advice is to check your country's and the destination's current official advisories before you leave and during your stay. Avoid the flagged border areas and any demonstrations, and stay flexible, because plans can change at the last minute. Sign up for your foreign ministry's alert system if there is one.
Health care in Israel is first-class. No special vaccines are required to enter, tap water is safe to drink throughout the country, and hospitals are excellent (though expensive without cover). That's why travel insurance with good medical cover is essential, even more so for this destination. The emergency numbers are 100 (police), 101 (ambulance, Magen David Adom) and 102 (fire brigade). Bring sunscreen and plenty of water for the desert and the Dead Sea.
Israel is expensive for a Latin American budget, comparable to Western Europe, so it's best to go with a clear budget. As a guide (verified July 2026): a backpacker gets by on about 60 to 100 dollars a day, a mid-range trip runs around 120 to 180 dollars a day, and a comfortable one goes above 250. A bed in a hostel dorm costs between 25 and 40 dollars a night, and a simple double room starts at around 80 to 120 dollars.
Day to day, a city bus or train ticket is around 1.5 to 2 dollars (get the rechargeable Rav-Kav card). A falafel costs about 4 to 7 dollars, a coffee 4 dollars, and admission to a site like Masada about 8 to 12 dollars. A good trick for saving money is to join free walking tours (you leave a tip) and to eat in markets. These are reference figures and vary with the season and the shekel exchange rate.
The official languages are Hebrew and Arabic, but English is very widely spoken. In Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and the tourist areas you'll manage without any trouble, though hardly anyone speaks Spanish. Society is open and informal (Tel Aviv is one of the most liberal and LGBT-friendly cities in the world), but at religious sites you need to dress modestly: cover your shoulders and knees, and in some places your head. The most important thing to understand is Shabbat. From sunset on Friday to nightfall on Saturday, much of the commerce, the banks and public transport stop, especially in Jerusalem. Tel Aviv stays busier, and you can get around by taxi or sherut.
On the practical side, the plug is type H (it usually takes the European type C too), at 230 V, so bring an adapter. Connectivity is excellent. The easiest option is an eSIM or a local SIM (Partner, Cellcom, Pelephone), which you can buy cheaply at the airport or in town. Two tips from someone who's been there. Go through airport security calmly and patiently, because the departure questioning can be long and thorough. And don't count on running errands, shopping or getting transport during Shabbat: sort those things out in advance.
Few pieces of land this small carry as much history and symbolic weight as this strip between the Mediterranean and the Jordan Valley. Some of the world's first cities rose here, Judaism and Christianity were born here, and a walled hill in Jerusalem brings together the three great monotheistic faiths within a few hundred metres. Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Byzantines, Arab caliphs, Crusaders, Mamluks, Ottomans and the British all passed through this corridor. Each empire left its layer, and the result is a land where almost every stone is claimed by more than one memory.
This is also a painful and contested history, especially in its modern chapter. For some, the birth of the State of Israel in 1948 is the fulfilment of a national project and a refuge after centuries of persecution that culminated in the Holocaust; for others, it is the Nakba, the catastrophe that expelled and displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians. We tell both narratives with their sources, without taking sides, giving ranges where figures are disputed and separating established fact from interpretation. What follows is a long journey, from Antiquity to the present, written as accurately and as even-handedly as possible on a subject where almost nothing is neutral for the people who live it.
Read the full history of Israel →Pick a region and open each destination to see what to do, prices and how to get there.
These are the sources we cite most across this country's guides, with how many times each appears. Hard data —tickets, opening hours, requirements, transport— comes from the official source and carries the date we checked it. Restaurant and hotel picks come from guides and reviews, and we say so on each page.
