DK Travel - DK Eyewitness Travel Guide Jerusalem, Israel and the Palestinian Territories

Inspire / Plan / Discover / Experience

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t Overlooking Jerusalems Old City

Welcome

Reasons to Love

Explore

Itineraries

3 Days in Tel Aviv

6 Days in Jerusalem

6 Days in the Dead Sea, Negev and Petra

7 Days in Haifa and Galilee

Family Adventures

On The Coast

Handmade Crafts

The Great Outdoors

After Dark

Unearthing The Past

Flavourful Food

Sacred Traditions

Captivating Culture

A Year in Jerusalem, Israel and the Palestinian Territories

A Brief History

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t Looking over Jerusalems historic Old City.

Serene sacred sites and bustling Bauhaus boulevards. Glittering azure seas and dramatic desert outcrops. Magnificent ancient ruins and mouth-watering contemporary cuisine. A meeting place for travellers, traders and worshippers since the dawn of civilization, this land of contrasts is an unforgettable feast for the senses, mind and spirit. Whatever your dream trip to this evocative region entails, this DK Eyewitness Travel Guide is the perfect companion.

Deeply significant to the Jewish, Christian and Muslim faiths, this ancient land is imbued with a beguiling mix of cultural influences. The fragrant alleyways of Jerusalems Old City throng with tourists and pilgrims winding their way between holy sites, while the bustling, multicultural modern centre offers an array of eclectic architecture, world-class museums, and hipster bars and cafs. Forward-facing Tel Aviv is Jerusalems dynamic coastal counterpart, with buzzing beaches and a thriving nightlife.

Traces of civilizations past are evident throughout Israel, but they are at their most picturesque in the north of the country, where balmy Mediterranean waters lap at Roman and Crusader remains, and beautiful churches commemorate Jesuss miracles around the Sea of Galilee. Natural wonders are the draw in the south: snorkel among colourful corals in the Red Sea, roam Negev oases populated by long-horned ibexes or bathe in the salt-rich waters of the Dead Sea. The welcoming cities of the West Bank provide an insight into Palestinian culture, while an excursion to neighbouring Jordan offers the chance to be immersed in an ancient world at the breathtaking ruins of Petra.

From the historic streets of Jerusalem to Bedouin encampments in Wadi Rum, weve broken the region down into easily navigable chapters, with detailed itineraries, expert local knowledge and colourful, comprehensive maps to help you plan the perfect visit. Whether youre staying for a weekend, a week or longer, this Eyewitness guide will ensure that you see the very best the region has to offer. Enjoy the book, and enjoy this special part of the world.

Floating in the salty waters of the Dead Sea.

A pile of freshly baked bagels for sale.

The striking faade of the Treasury at Petra.

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Ancient ruins and sacred sites, modern museums and flavoursome food, Mediterranean beaches and desert oases: there are so many reasons to love this evocative region. Here, we pick some of our favourites.

t Theres no better way to feel the passion of Christian pilgrimage to Jerusalem than by joining a procession of the faithful along Jesuss .

Discover Reasons to Love Jerusalem

t Buoy your body and your soul in the salty, soothing waters of the , the lowest point on earth at 431 m (1,414 ft) below sea level.

Discover Reasons to Love Jerusalem

t Truly one of the great wonders of the world, the Nabateans mysterious rose-red city half as old as time makes an awe-inspiring short excursion from .

Discover Reasons to Love Jerusalem

Tel Avivs Food Scene