7-days (incl. arrival and departure) motorcycle tour around Israel. Tour starts in Tel Aviv and ends in Jerusalem.
Total distance about 1000 km/600 mi, on paved roads.
Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Nazareth and other major sightseeings of the Holy Land: Dead Sea, Golan Heights, and Negev desert.
But not only history: the land, which spreads between 2000 m above to 400 below the sea level, is famous for its roads: with a lot of curves, going up and down, whimsically following the natural relief.
We also ride all four “cult” motorbike roads of Israel: “The Northern route”, “Curves of Beit Alfa”, “Sdom-Arad” and the roads of Judean Hills. The famous Sdom-Arad section was a scene of illegal motorbike races back in 1990-s.
Stopping for lunches and going for dinners, we will dive into smells and tastes of pure olive oil, prickles and spices, hummus and falafels, meat and fish, fruits, vegetables and nuts: all what this difficult stony land can give to those cultivating it with love and patience.
Tourists are provided with tourist class motorbikes equipped with top-cases. Motorbikes available:
Kawasaki Versys 650
Yamaha XT 660 Ténéré
BMW F800GS
Double or single accommodation in carefully selected 4* hotels.
The tour is led by Dmitri Rittschik, experienced tour guide, who once spent a year living in Israel and using motorbike as the only means of transport. Dmitri is a specialist on Israel’s history, tradition and local food.
Price of the tour – from 2090 EUR. Minimum number of guests – 4. With 3 guests tour can start against surcharge.
Tour dates in Season 2019:
March 23 – 29
PROMISED ROADS OF ISRAEL: on a motorbike through the crossroads of civilizations!
Day 1, Saturday
Arrival day. Transfer from the airport to Tel Aviv.
Day 2, Sunday
Northern Israel. Mt. Carmel, Galilee, Nazareth. Finish in Acre, 220 km/135 mi.
Day 3, Monday
The road along the border with Lebanon, Syria, Jordan. Rosh ha-Nikra grottoes, Mt. Hermon, sightseeings of the Golan Heights. Down to Kinneret Lake, visit to Capernaum. Finish in Tiberias, 280 km/170 mi.
Day 4, Tuesday
Gilboa Hills, Joradan valley, Masada and the Dead sea, 250 km/150 mi.
Day 5, Wednesday
Negev desert and serpentines of Judean Hills. 250 km/150 mi.
Day 6, Thursday
Jerusalem: Old city, Via Dolorosa, Church of Holy Sepulchre, Western Wall.
Day 7, Friday
Departure. Bye-bye and see You again!
Israel is a country in Western Asia, on the south-eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea. It shares land borders with Lebanon in the North, Syria in the Northeast, Jordan and Palestine (West Bank) in the East, Egypt and the Gaza Strip on the Southwest, and the Gulf of Aqaba (Gulf of Eilat) in the Red Sea to the South, and it contains geographically diverse features within its relatively small area.
Israel is a cradle of three world religions: Judaism, Islam and Christianity, which makes this country extremely interesting for everybody who is interested in history, culture, and traditions. Israel is also so called Eretz Yisrael (Land of Israel) – traditional and historical home for all Jews.
Israel’s landscape varies from deserts in the South to green hills and woods in the North, from lowest place on earth at the Dead Sea, marked at 411 m (1350 ft) below the sea level to the Golan Heights over 2000 m (6500 ft) high.
Israel roads provide a lot of fun riding motorbike. Endless kilometers of serpentine roads in the mountains, surfaced with clean high quality tarmac combined with incredible cultural heritage make Israel to one of the best motorcycle destinations in the world.
Area: 22.000 sq.km (8.500 sq mi)
Population: 8.000.000 (75% Jews, 20% Arabs, 5% others)
Capital: Jerusalem
Official languages: Hebrew, Arabic
Religion: Judaism, Islam, Christianity
Currency: New Israeli Shekel (NIS) (4,15 NIS – 1 EUR, 3,55 NIS – 1 USD)
Time zone: UTC +2 (in summer +3)
Climate: from Mediterranean at the coast to dry in the South. There is at least one snowfall in Jerusalem every winter. Average temperature of March in Tel Aviv is 16 °C (61 °F), in Jerusalem 12 °C (54 °F) and in Eilat 20 °C (68 °F).
| 1 person, double accommodation | – 2090 Euro |
| 1 person, single accommodation | – 2490 Euro |
| Pillion sharing room with rider | – 500 Euro |
| Surcharge for BMW F650GS | – 100 Euro |
If there are less then 4 guests, tour can start.
With 3 guests, surcharge 100 €/person.
At the motorbike pick up, credit card data is required.
Deposit for the possible motorbike damage is 2500 EUR
Motorcycle models are available on request:
Kawasaki Versys 650
Yamaha XT 660 Ténéré
BMW F650GS (against surcharge)
Motorcycles are equipped with top and side cases, 12V sockets and smartphone holders.
To secure the participation 30% advance payment at least 6 month before the tour starts is required.
Due payment 1 month before the tour starts.
Cancellation policy: Cancellation fees: 90-60 days prior to start 100 €, 60-30 days 350 €, less than 30 days 50% of the tour price.
Airport and other mentioned transfers.
4 days motorbike rentals.
Motorbike insurance according to the land’s regulation.
6 nights at 4* selected hotels, single accommodation as standard.
6 Israeli breakfasts (kosher dairy: cheeses, hummus, vegetables, fruits, eggs, fish, bread, bewerages).
Guidance and support during the whole tour (English and/or German).
Museums, national parks entrance tickets, parking fees.
Photo/Video made by the guide during the tour.
Tickets to and from Ben Gurion Int. Airport, Israel.
Fuel.
Lunches on the way, dinners (we will recommend restaurants with national and European cuisine).
Tips.
Traveller’s Medical insurance.
Transfers of additional luggage.
Souvenirs etc.
For this tour we offer following motorbike models:
Kawasaki 650 Versys: a sporty all-rounder, which is also capable for gravel road.
Yamaha XT 660 Ténéré: a tourist for all surfaces, surprisingly adequate on tarmac.
BMW F800 GS: simply an icon.
(Colour and equipment of the motorbikes may differ from those on pictures!)
Day 1, Saturday
Shalom u-vrukhim ha-bayim! Hello and welcome to the Holy Land! We will meet at the airport and bring to the hotel in Tel Aviv. A sightseeing tour and a dinner will complete the program of this day.
Accommodation in Tel Aviv.
Day 2, Sunday
After going up and down the serpentine road over Mt Carmel, we go down to the Izre'el Valley to see some interesting places. Then the roads of Lower Galilee will lead us to Nazareth, where we visit the Catholic and Orthodox churches of Mary's Annunciation. If time allows, we will visit the Tsipori National park and finish the day in ancient Acre, on the shore of Mediterranean. About 220 km/135 mi.
Accommodation in Acre Old town.
Day 3, Monday
We ride to the Lebanon border to visit the beautiful grottoes of Rosh ha-Nikra. Then our road will lead us through the mountains along the border with Lebanon, down in the Hula valley and once again up to the Golan Heights. If weather allows we will climb the serpentine road up to Mt. Hermon and maybe we will touch the snow! Down along the Syrian border, and down to lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee). We will finish the day in Tiberias, on the shore of the Kinneret lake. 280 km/175 mi.
Accommodation in Tiberias.
Day 4, Tuesday
The curves of Gilboa Hills will lead us to Jordan Vally. In afternoon we will reach the Dead Sea and visit the Masada - an ancient fortress standing on a 450 m high rock overlooking the Dead Sea. The day ends in Ein Boqeq, resort town on the shore of the Dead Sea. 250 km/150 mi.
Accommodation in Ein Boqeq.
Day 5, Wednesday
We leave the lowest place on Earth and ride 121 curves of the Sdom-Arad road, once arena of illegal motorbike races to the Negev desert. After that we will enter the Judean Hills. Visits to Beit Guvrin National park, Ein Carem, Latroun monastery, and memorial Burma road guarantee a lot of impressions. 250 km/150 mi. After returning the motorcycles to the rental station a minibus will take us to Jerusalem.
Accommodation in Jerusalem.
Day 6, Thursday
By foot around the Old City down Via Dolorosa, to Holy Sepulchre and Western Wall. Also we will visit modern Jerusalem: Jaffa street, famous Mahane-Yehuda market, romantic quarters of Nahlaot.
Accommodation in Jerusalem.
Day 7, Friday
Transfer to the airport and departure. Lehitra'ot ve-tisa tova! Have a nice flight and see You again!
This tour is not a sport event. We do nothing what goes beyond the rules of the road. All roads we go are paved, exception – one short section of memorial road, which we pass carefully on low speed (totally about 15 km during the whole tour). Cruising speed is about 90-110 km/h, going down to 40-60 km/h on mountain roads. Average day distance is about 250 km. Side wind is possible, skills of riding in the dark and in the mountains are required.
We suggest bringing your riding clothes, which you are used to (helmet is mandatory). Shoes has to be suitable for walking short distances and climbing the staircases. Take a sweater and a light jacket, since it can be rather cold in the evenings and in mountain areas, but don’t forget swimming suit!
Despite of popular opinion life and traveling in Israel are rather safe (of course if You don’t try to enter prohibited zones), but still it doesn’t mean that You can leave Your purse on the table in restaurant or helmet on the tank of Your bike. Our route mostly includes local roads with little traffic, but traffic on unavoidable main roads and in the cities is busy and emotional. Road pavement is mostly of good quality. Credit cards are accepted practically everywhere, but keeping some amount of cash is always recommended.
To enter Israel US and Canadian citizens and citizens of most European countries require a valid passport.
