2. Topics Covered In This Presentation
• Location
• How to get to Israel
• How to get to Nazareth
• Self-Driving in Israel
• The venue
• Lodging
• Host Country – Israel
• Visa Requirements
• Climate
• Main Attractions
• Host City – Nazareth
• Nazareth is…
• Main Attractions
• Host contact: Amir Rahat, amir@optima-da.com , +972-54-788-4167
4. How To Get To Israel
• Most recommended way: fly to TLV airport
• The Ben-Gurion Airport or NTBG. Located in Tel-Aviv
• Many daily flights from all over the world
• Other options include:
• Fly to HFA (Haifa airport). Mostly flights from Greece or
Cyprus
• Take a boat to Haifa port. Mostly cruise ships
5. How To Get To Nazareth
• Options from TLV airport:
• Take a taxi, ask for “fixed price”. About 2 hours' drive using toll road
• This will cost 502NIS + 5NIS extra for every piece of luggage and every passenger beyond two people + 20NIS for the toll road.
When departing after 9pm the basic cost rises to 616NIS
• You can get a 12% discount if you take a taxi from floor 2 instead of floor 0
• We will organize shuttles at lower per-person cost for people who notify us in advance about their arrival
schedule (maximal wait of 1 hour)
• Take the train north (~90 minutes) to “Merkaz Hashmona” (3rd Haifa station) for 35.50NIS. Then take bus 331
(~1 hour) to Nazareth Central Station for 16NIS. The hotel is across the road. Train website:
http://www1.rail.co.il/en/Pages/Homepage.aspx bus details:
https://www.bus.co.il/otobusimmvc/Line_Travels/1010/331_34_1585601922?StartPlaceID=952355&EndPlac
eID=693752&Language=en
• Options from Haifa:
• Take a taxi, ask for “fixed price”. About an hour’s drive
• This will cost 176NIS + 5NIS extra for every piece of luggage and every passenger beyond two people.
• When departing after 9pm the cost rises to 207NIS
• Take bus 331 (~1 hour) from Merkaz Hashmona to Nazareth Central Station for 16NIS. The hotel is across the
road. Bus details:
https://www.bus.co.il/otobusimmvc/Line_Travels/1010/331_34_1585601922?StartPlaceID=952355&EndPlac
eID=693752&Language=en
6. Self-Driving in Israel
• All major car rental companies operate in Israel and have TLV offices
• When driving in Israel be aware of:
• Expect Mediterranean driving around you…
• Toll roads (road number 6 and the fast lane to Tel Aviv) require pre-registration, and
the rental company may charge an added commission. The “Carmel Tunnels” is an
exception: you can pay cash at the barrier (take the lane marked “cash”)
• American drivers beware: no right turn on red light.
• Do not touch your cellphone while driving, not even while waiting in a red light
• All passengers must wear seatbelts, in the front of the car and in its back
• Roundabouts are very common, give way to cars already in the circle
• Use of the “Waze” application is highly recommended
• See https://www.tripadvisor.com/Travel-g293977-
c181911/Israel:Driving.In.Israel.html
7. The Venue
• Legacy Hotel, Paulus ha-Shishi (Paul VI) St, Nazareth, Israel
http://www.nazarethlegacy.com/
8. Lodging
• All participants have the option to reside in the Legacy hotel at
discounted rates
• Preferably please register before August 31
• Terms
• Contact me directly for more details
• Other Nazareth hotels are available
• Contact me directly for more details
9. Host Country – Israel
• Currency: New Israeli Shekel (NIS). US$1 = 3.6NIS (Aug-10-2017)
• Note: Get some NIS. Not all taxis accept credit cards
• Electricity: 220-240v, 50Hz, sockets type H (also work with plug C)
• Emergency phone numbers: 100 Police, 101 Ambulance, 102 Fire
Plug C
Socket & Plug H
10. Visa Requirements
• Only citizens of the following countries do not require a visa to visit Israel
• Africa: Central African Republic, Losoto, Malawi, Mauritius, South Africa,
Swaziland
• Asia & Oceania: Australia, Fiji Islands, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand,
Philippines, South Korea
• Europe: Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, Germany (date of birth after
1.1.28), Gibraltar, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Liechtenstein,
Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, San Marino,
Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK
• The Americas: Argentina, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia,
Costa Rica, El Salvador, Ecuador, Guatemala, Haiti, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama,
Paraguay, St. Kitts & Nevis, Surinam, Trinidad & Tobago, The Bahamas, The
Dominican Republic, Uruguay, U.S.A.
11. Climate
• Climate: The northern and coastal regions of Israel (including
Nazareth) show a Mediterranean climate characterized by hot and dry
summers and cool rainy winters. The rainy season extends from
October to early May, and rainfall peaks in December through
February.
• Average precipitation in Nazareth in October is 15mm, with average
temperatures of 22.8C/73.0F (ranging between 17.5C/63.5F and
28.1C/82.6F)
12. Israel’s Main Attractions
• Jerusalem is Israel’s capital and a holy city to Jews, Christians and Muslims.
It features 3000-year old sacred sites, modern locations and zealots of
every possible type
• Tel-Aviv is Israel’s secular center, featuring golden beaches, a renowned
cultural scene, a world center for start-ups and a very active nightlife
• Haifa combines a wooded mountain and a blue bay SF-style, with the
Bahá’í Golden Dome & gardens, the Technion’s Science Museum, and the
Carmel National park
• The Sea of Galilee (“Kinneret”) is a favorite leisure destination and a holy
site for Christians
• The Dead Sea features ultra-salinated waters that cause swimmers to float
high, in the world’s lowest point below sea-level, with an extra-warm
desert climate
https://info.goisrael.com/en/
14. Nazareth Is…
• The cradle of Christianity and the City of the Annunciation
• A symbol of Jewish-Arab collaboration
• Home of the largest church in the Middle East
• The Next Big Thing in Israeli Hi-tech
• Destination for ~3.5 million tourists every year
• The biggest city in Israel’s Northern District
• and…
• Optima’s Home Town
15. Nazareth’s Main Attractions
• Churches & Christian sites
• The Basilica of the Annunciation - the Catholic site of Mary's house, where angel Gabriel appeared and announced to Mary that she is about to
give birth to Jesus.
• Church of St. Gabriel - the Orthodox counterpart to the Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation
• Church of St Joseph – a fond tradition asserts that the Church of St Joseph in Nazareth is built over the carpentry workshop of the husband of
the Virgin Mary
• Basilica of Jesus the Adolescent – from the terrace of the church there is an exceptional view of the old city of Nazareth
• The International Center of Mary of Nazareth (Marian Centre) has a multimedia presentation of the history of salvation from the creation to
the resurrection
• Nazareth Village – A first-century farm and village recreating the life, times and teachings of Jesus
• Mount Precipice is believed by many to be the site of the Rejection of Jesus by the people of Nazareth. It has an excellent vista of
the valleys around it. Archaeological excavations there found human remains 100,000 years old that were buried ceremoniously.
Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a Mass on this mountain.
• The White Mosque - the oldest mosque in Nazareth and a good example of Ottoman architecture. Includes a museum with
exhibits that document Nazareth's history.
• Nazareth Old Market, the Souq – a living market with ancient buildings and alleyways
• The Ancient Bath House – a recently excavated ancient public bath house with artifacts from ancient Roman times. Features
guided visits of the caldarium (hot room), the most beautiful hypocaust (heating tunnels) in the Middle East and praefurnarium
(furnace).
• Liwan culture café - a social enterprise, designed to preserve Palestinian cultural identity and share it with visitors who come to
Nazareth. Liwan offers coffee, culture and local products; tours and talks. There are regular events such as music concerts,
cinema, art exhibitions, and workshops.
• Mary's Well – an ancient trough, used by women and animals as drinking water, with surrounding cafes and a small church
http://www.nazarethinfo.org/
