Israel When To Go

Due to Israel’s mild Mediterranean climate, seasonal factors need not play a huge role in deciding when to go, although spring (roughly March to May) is far and away the best time to go hiking and to explore the northern wilderness. Parts of Israel can get stiflingly hot between July and August, and Jerusalem can get chilly in January (see Climate Chart). Your concern, however, should be holiday season, when the country becomes jam-packed with pilgrims, hotel prices skyrocket, businesses shut down, and transportation stops running. The holidays to watch out for are in September and October, when the country is mostly closed due to Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot. March and April in Jerusalem and Bethlehem are also busy due to the Orthodox Easter, but buses still run. All festivals and holidays in Israel run from sundown the day before to nightfall the next day. For longer holidays, businesses are closed for the first day (and in the case of Passover, the last day) but remain open after that. For a comprehensive chart of all festivals in Israel, see Holidays.

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