Description

Israel is on a lot of bucket lists, both for religious, cultural and historic regions. Today we talk with Joanna Shebson, an expat living in Jerusalem, who shares her tips and insights for visiting Israel with kids and all there is to do in her home city of Jerusalem.

ON THE PODCAST

02:18 Tamara's trip week to Jackson Hole, Grand Tetons and Yellowstone National Park

10:27  About Joanna Shebson

13:05 Driving time in Jerusalem

14:03 10 day itinerary

24:20 Coffee in Israel

25:13 Tour guides

30:00 Favorite hotels in Israel

31:12 Must try foods

34:45 Safety in Israel

38:27 Where to take a family photo

39:34 Favorite travel gear

41:11 Emailing about Israel trip advice

ABOUT JOANNA SHEBSON

Joanna Shebson is a family travel blogger originally from Los Angeles, living in Jerusalem with her husband and 3 kids. She runs Fun in Jerusalem which is a family tourism website with all the info you need to enjoy Jerusalem with kids. She loves to inspire family fun.

TIPS FOR VISITING ISRAEL WITH KIDS

• Traveling in Israel is best with at least ten days to explore the sights and visit the different cities and enjoy activities.
• Driving north to south can take between six or seven hours. While east to west is less than an hour.
• Tel Aviv is more of the cultural area to visit. Equivalent of NYC, having a downtown atmosphere, with lots of museums along with the beach.
• North Israel is the more natural area. Visit Kibbutzim along with other cities have ancient ruins, hiking, and river rafting.
• In Jerusalem is where you would need to spend at least three or four days.
• In the south there is the Dead Sea and Masada, that is an hour to hour and a half drive from Jerusalem.
• The Ramparts Walk is a path along the top on stone walls that surround the Old City.
• You will see soldiers walking around with gun and police, but the most important thing is to know where you are going and to expect that whenever you enter a building they will check you bags and/or have metal detectors.

BEST PLACE TO TAKE FAMILY PHOTO

Right outside the old city walls there is a place called 'Montefiore Windmill," which is a huge stone windmill that overlooks the city walls and you can see some of the landmarks of Israel.

Another place would be at the Wailing Wall, but because of the male/female separation at the religious site you have to go by the Western Wall Plaza to get the Wailing Wall behind you.

FAVORITE TRAVEL GEAR 

Joanna loves Saucony Sneakers–because of all the walking and the cobblestone roads. If you want to buy something local, try 'Source Sandals,' which can be worn in and out of water and strapped onto your backpack.

TIP/APP OF THE WEEK

If you are visiting Israel, the taxi app 'Gett.' Similar to Uber, but better, it informs you of who your driver will be and have their number. All the drivers have been vetted. Don't just get a random taxi.

MENTIONED ON THE PODCAST

7 Fun Facts about Israel You Probably Don't Know

Discovering the Dead Sea

FUN Family Guides

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