Top Things to do in Southern District
10 Budget-friendly Things to do in Southern District That You Shouldn't Miss
Discover the best top things to do in Southern District, Israel including Avdat National Park, Ramon Crater, Masada Fortress, Fine Art & Doll Museum, ANZAC Memorial Center, Timna Park, Underwater Observatory Marine Park, Coral Beach Nature Reserve, Red Canyon, Princess Beach.
Restaurants in Southern District
1. Avdat National Park
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 340 reviews
In the heart of the desert, on a hilltop above the Tsin Stream watercourse, are the impressive remains of an ancient Nabatean city.
Reviewed By KimGTravels - Pacific Grove, United States
Unfortunately, due to rain we were unable to explore this UNESCO Heritage Site that we unexpectedly stumbled upon along Highway 40 in the Negev. This ancient city of the Nabateans was located along the Incense Route between 1st Century BCE-7th Century AD, second only in importance to Petra in Jordan. Perched upon a plateau high above the desert, it was the modern metal outlined sculptures of a camel caravan that alerted me to the site. We stopped below for gasoline and a McDonald's hamburger, which hit the spot after several weeks of Mid-Eastern dining.
2. Ramon Crater
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 1,078 reviews
Reviewed By Travels-with-Claire
The Ramon Crater is truly a world wonder. Located in the Negev desert, approximately 2-2.5 hours south of Tel Aviv, it rivals the Grand Canyon in sheer scope and beauty. There are many jeep tours offered but we opted to simply drive down into the crater ourselves and hiked the well marked trails on our own. The vistas are simply beautiful and even the pictures do not do justice the the sheer beauty. As an unexpected but delightful 'add -on', we were able to see a family of magnificent Ibex, up close and personal. It was awe inspiring when the extraordinary horns first appeared on top of a cliff. More extraordinary was to see the family descent the vertical rock face with ease, cross the highway, and go wander into the crater. They are clearly accustomed to people and even from a practically touching distance, they exhibited neither aggression nor fear. Indeed, they seemed quite patient in personality. How beautiful to see them against the backdrop of the crater. Tip: Particularly in the wintertime, the Negev Desert and Ramon Crater can be prone to unexpected flash floods. At the very least, they can wash out roads that prohibit entry into the crater. At their worst, it has been documented that the floods can sweep away people and vehicles and there have been fatalities as a result. Exercise caution and check weather reports. Otherwise, do not miss this simply glorious area!
3. Masada Fortress
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 426 reviews
Reviewed By 107lyndau - Beerwah, Australia
Our tour group took the large cable car up to the top of the mountain that is MASADA - UNESCO World Heritage Site - King Herod's magnificent mountain-top palace and fortress - and site of the last Jewish revolt against the Romans in 73AD.
4. Fine Art & Doll Museum
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 504 reviews
Reviewed By Imoziggy - Beit Shemesh, Israel
Miri and Eddie are talented artists and lovely people. I strongly recommend making this museam visit part of your trip down to the Dead Sea as you pass through Arad.
5. ANZAC Memorial Center
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 148 reviews
The ANZAC Memorial Center in Be’er Sheva was built in cooperation with the governments of Australia and Israel, the Be’er Sheva municipality, the JNF, JNF Australia and the CWGC. The Center is located near the cemetery for combatants of the First World War in Be’er Sheva. The ANZAC Memorial Center is a unique place in Israel that tells the story of the soldiers of the ANZAC and their conquest in the land of Israel. Pre-bookings are advisable.
Reviewed By Sydbunyip
This new museum is an intimate, simple and poignant place that pays fitting tribute to the brave young men who fought, and in several cases died, here. The guided tour (in English) that we and another Australian family were given, together with a film, photographic displays, archival footage and the powerful solemnity of the war graves cemetery, give a good understanding of the events which the Centre commemorates, without overwhelming. It’s advisable to book by phone. I had trouble initially communicating with the Centre. The online email form didn’t seem to work, and the person who answered the phone didn’t speak English. However when I phoned again later I got onto someone who did speak English, booked us for the tour, and gave good advice regarding public transport. We caught the 470 bus from the Jerusalem central bus station and changed to a local bus in Beersheva, aided by google maps. It was straightforward. I think this would appeal to anyone with an interest in history, and especially to Australians, New Zealanders and British visitors.
6. Timna Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,802 reviews
Surrounded by yellow sandstone mountains on three sides, this scenic valley features ancient copper mines, the red volcanic Mt. Timna at its center and “The Mushroom,” a sandstone rock shaped by wind and water resembling a giant mushroom.
Reviewed By layylavictoria - Lublin, Poland
I visited the Park in December, apparently one of the better times, taking into consideration the tempretures. First, if you travel solo and don't have a rented car (as I did) don't let anyone convince you that it's impossible to reach the park on your own - the tourist office of Eilat discouraged me saying it's not safe. Well - it's doable, it's safe. Take any public bus going into direction of Jerusalem / Dead Sea (drivers will tell you if they go by the park), then get off at the main road. You will need to walk about 3 km to the entrance - if you are used to walking, shouldn't be a problem. However, to see all attractions of the park if you were walking - this might be tricky, as the park is vast. Best option for me was renting the bike - available on the site. With this you can safely see all interesting landmarks. The park itself is huge, mostly empty spaces, which bring otherwordly associations, like being on Mars. Roads well kept, well marked cycle routes. Having your own water is a definite must. Snacks and water only available at entrance and then by the lake. Beautiful landscapes, amazing and photogenic (yes, a lot of selfies is going on) rock formations, traces of the historic sites (Solomon mines), rock drawings, some animals if you are lucky. Definitely worth a visit, one of the highlights of the region.
7. Underwater Observatory Marine Park
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 3,821 reviews
This marine park features a variety of exhibits including the Aquarium Museum, Shark Tank, Turtle and Stingray Pool, Underwater Observatories, Reef Tanks and the Oceanarium
Reviewed By mirek777
best underwater experience so far, better than snorkeling in indian ocean and better that southchina sea. shark feeding, giant turtles, awesome also for kids, great coffee, the entrance fee is valid for 3 consecutive days, so if your crying kids force you to leave too soon, you can return!
8. Coral Beach Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 1,529 reviews
With more than 100 types of stony coral and 650 species of fish, this coral reef is an excellent spot for underwater enthusiasts.
Reviewed By Gidons51 - Herzliya, Israel
This natural reserve , world known for its corals and variety of colored fish. Snorkeling here is just a breathtaking experience. All facilities like deck chairs, big shade umbrellas, kiosk, shop , lavatories, rental of snorkeling equipment. A must visit ! Admission 11 USDLRS per person , half price for children and seniors.
9. Red Canyon
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 665 reviews
Reviewed By vsobina - Jerusalem, Israel
this was my first experience of hiking in israel, and it left a positive impression on me. when you leave your vehicle and enter the trail there is a stand where maps of the park's territory and hiking trails are available. in the beginning of the green easy trail there is a rather shallow landscape (pics 1, 2), which gives you a little taste of the desert and its ancient rocks. then you eventually enter the red canyon itself (pics 3, 4, 5,) where special facilities for rock climbing can be found (pic 6). after finishing the green trail and leaving the narrow red canyon, you can return to the parking through a special returning path or continue your journey on a black more hard trail (pic 7). it is surrounded by mountains and contains some harsh climbs. at some point of the black trail you can continue your journey or take the red trail, that will take you back to the parking through the desert hills (pic 8). the park's trails are provided with special color markings on the rocks that show you which of the trails you're currently walking, so you can hardly get lost there. the only bad thing about this park is that on the maps and in the signs that are set on the trails there is no information about the length of the paths and approximate time it takes to hike them. during our visit, it took us about 2 hours to complete the journey that i described previously - the green trail, half of the black trail and the red trail. in overall, this was an amazing experience - but don't forget to bring with you a big bottle of water or two and a first aid kit, since the nature reserve is far from the civilization, and there are of course no shops and sometimes even no cellular.
10. Princess Beach
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 297 reviews
Reviewed By Lancellot - London, United Kingdom
Probably best snorkeling site in eilat. Good amount of fish life and reasonable coral. There are bridges out to the reefs and you can swim between them. Beach is just before taba border and accessible by bus.
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