Haifa, Israel: travel guide
A port city rising up the slopes of Mount Carmel, best known for the terraced Bahá'í Gardens and Shrine of the Báb, its German Colony, mixed Jewish-Arab neighbourhoods and Mediterranean views.
- Country
- Israel
- Currency
- ILS
- Time zone
- Asia/Jerusalem
- Nearest airport
- HFA
Top places to visit in Haifa
Mount Carmel & Carmel National Park
Nature · 4.6 rating · about 3 h
The forested Carmel range rising behind Haifa, Israel's largest national park, with hiking trails, springs, caves and Mediterranean woodland.
Stella Maris Monastery
Monastery · 4.6 rating · about 0.8 h
The Carmelite order's mother church on the tip of Mount Carmel, a domed 19th-century monastery associated with the prophet Elijah and overlooking the bay.
Elijah's Cave
Heritage · 4.6 rating · about 0.5 h
A grotto at the foot of Mount Carmel revered by Jews, Christians and Muslims as linked to the prophet Elijah, a place of prayer and pilgrimage.
Haifa Museum of Art
Museum · 4.2 rating · about 1 h
A municipal art museum in central Haifa exhibiting Israeli and international modern and contemporary art.
National Maritime Museum
Museum · 4.4 rating · about 1.5 h · entry ILS 35
A museum of five thousand years of seafaring in the eastern Mediterranean, with ancient anchors, ship models, coins and maritime archaeology.
Clandestine Immigration & Naval Museum
Museum · 4.4 rating · about 1.3 h · entry ILS 20
A museum built around the Af-Al-Pi-Chen ship telling the story of illegal Jewish immigration to Mandate Palestine and the Israeli navy.
Haifa Cable Car (Bat Galim)
Activity · 4.0 rating · about 0.5 h
A short cable car in spherical cabins that climbs from the Bat Galim seafront up to Stella Maris, giving views over the port and bay.
Dado Beach
Beach · 4.6 rating · about 1.5 h
A popular public beach along Haifa's coastline with a promenade, cafes, and family-friendly facilities.
Bahá'í Gardens & Shrine of the Báb
Heritage · 4.7 rating · about 1.5 h
Nineteen dramatic terraced gardens cascading down Mount Carmel around the golden-domed Shrine of the Báb, a UNESCO World Heritage site and Haifa's signature view.
German Colony (Ben Gurion Avenue)
Heritage · about 1 h
A leafy 19th-century Templer avenue of restored stone houses running from the port up toward the Bahá'í Gardens, lined with restaurants, bars and cafés.
Louis Promenade (Yefe Nof)
Viewpoint · about 0.5 h
A clifftop walkway along the crest of Mount Carmel giving sweeping panoramas over the Bahá'í Gardens, the port and the Mediterranean bay to Akko.
Wadi Nisnas
Cultural · about 1 h
A historic Arab neighbourhood of narrow lanes, a lively food market and outdoor "Museum Without Walls" street art, a symbol of Haifa's coexistence.
Things to do
- Bahá'í Gardens Guided Tour Walking Tour · 1 h
- German Colony & Wadi Nisnas Walk Walking Tour · 2 h · from ILS 70 per person
- Mount Carmel Nature Hike Hiking · 3 h · from ILS 120 per person
- Akko (Acre) Old City Day Trip Day Trip · 6 h · from ILS 250 per person
Day trips and tours
- Haifa & Akko Day Tour 7 h · from ILS 300
Where to stay in Haifa
- German Colony about ILS 600 per night
Haifa's prettiest base, at the foot of the Bahá'í Gardens with restaurants along Ben Gurion Avenue.
- Carmel Center about ILS 750 per night
Up on Mount Carmel with the best views, boutique hotels and the Louis Promenade.
Hotels
- Colony Hotel Haifa 4-star · ILS 600 to ILS 950 per night
- Villa Carmel Boutique Hotel 4-star · ILS 650 to ILS 1,000 per night
- Port Inn Guesthouse 2-star · ILS 140 to ILS 420 per night
- Dan Panorama Haifa 4-star · ILS 800 to ILS 1,500 per night
Where to eat
- Fattoush Levantine, Arab, Mediterranean · about ILS 110 per person
- Douzan Levantine, European, Mediterranean · about ILS 120 per person
- Abu Yousef Levantine, Arab, Middle Eastern · about ILS 50 per person
- Hanamal 24 Mediterranean, Israeli, Contemporary · about ILS 250 per person
- Maayan HaBira Central European, Jewish, Israeli · about ILS 100 per person
Getting around
- Bus main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Funicular main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Taxi main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.