Haifa District, Mount Carmel · Israel
A port city on the slopes of Mount Carmel, with nineteen terraced gardens that fall in a great green staircase from a golden-domed shrine to the sea.
Photo: Dani Lavi 0007 · CC BY-SA 4.0
Haifa climbs the slopes of Mount Carmel to the sea and has three levels: the port at the bottom, the middle-slope Hadar district and the leafy summit of the Carmel. It is Israel's third-largest city, a working port and industrial centre and, unusually for Israel, a place where Jewish and Arab residents live together in mixed neighbourhoods.
The city's great attraction is the Baháʼí Gardens. The Baháʼí Faith, which began in 19th-century Persia, has its world centre in Haifa and Acre, and its followers built a set of terraced gardens that run down the northern slope of Mount Carmel from the Shrine of the Báb, a golden-domed mausoleum that houses the remains of the religion's forerunner. The gardens and the shrines in Acre were inscribed by UNESCO in 2008.
Haifa also has a German Colony founded by Templers in the 19th century, the mixed Arab-Jewish Wadi Nisnas district, a lively food scene and a long beach. It is much quieter and more relaxed than Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, and it offers a different view of the country.
Why visit
Haifa combines a UNESCO garden, a great view and a city that is easy and pleasant to walk in.
Nineteen terraces of clipped lawns, staircases and flowerbeds fall in perfect symmetry down the slope, ending at a street that runs to the sea.
A gold-domed building of pale stone at the centre of the terraces, one of the most photographed landmarks in Israel.
Jewish, Arab, Christian, Druze and Baháʼí communities share the city, and its neighbourhoods and restaurants reflect that.
From the top of Mount Carmel, you can see across Haifa Bay to Acre and, on clear days, the Lebanese coast.
Haifa is cheaper than Tel Aviv, and largely free of tour groups.
Main attractions
The gardens are the main event, and the rest of the city can be covered on foot or by metro in a day.
Nineteen terraces, completed in 2001, descend the slope of Mount Carmel from the Shrine of the Báb. The upper terraces are free to enter by a gate on Yefe Nof Street, and guided tours go down through the whole garden.
Tip Dress modestly, and check the opening hours and tour times; the gardens are closed on some days.
A viewing platform on the Carmel with a panoramic view of the gardens, the port and the bay, and a good place to see the terraces from above.
Tip Go at sunset for the best light.
A tree-lined street of red-tiled stone houses built by German Templers in the late 19th century, now full of restaurants and cafés. Many have inscriptions in German over the doors.
Tip Come in the evening for dinner.
A mainly Arab neighbourhood with a lively market, small restaurants and street art. It hosts the annual Holiday of Holidays festival in December.
Tip Try the hummus and sweets, and go in the morning.
A Carmelite monastery on the slopes of the Carmel, with a church built over a cave associated with the prophet Elijah. Cable cars run to the site from the shore.
Tip Combine it with a ride on the Carmel cable car.
The Tikotin Museum of Japanese Art, the National Maritime Museum and the Haifa Museum of Art make up the city's cultural offerings. The Israel Railway Museum is in the old station.
Tip Check the days and hours, as museums close on Saturdays.
A quiet beach on the Carmel coast, popular with locals, and one of the cleanest and least crowded in the country.
Tip Combine it with lunch by the sea.
Things to do
Haifa is best enjoyed at a leisurely pace, going down the slope with the views.
Free tours are offered in several languages and take you through the terraces and the lower gardens. They give useful background on the faith and the design.
Tip Book ahead if possible, and check the times.
A single-line underground funicular that runs from the port to the top of the Carmel in about six minutes. It is one of the smallest subway systems in the world.
Tip It does not run on Shabbat.
Some of the best Arab food in the city is at small restaurants in Wadi Nisnas, and the German Colony has bars and restaurants along Ben Gurion Boulevard.
Tip Go for lunch in Wadi Nisnas, and dinner in the German Colony.
Mount Carmel National Park has pine forests, hiking trails and lookouts just outside the city.
Tip Spring is the best season.
The Shrine of Baháʼu'lláh and its gardens near Acre is the holiest place in the Baháʼí Faith and a UNESCO site. It is about 25 km from Haifa.
Tip Combine it with Acre, and check visiting hours and dress rules.
A cable car connects the Carmel with Bat Galim, offering a view over the coast and the bay.
Tip It does not run on Shabbat.
Local food
Haifa has a food culture that mixes Arab, Jewish, German and Russian traditions, and it is often called the country's most underrated food city.
The city's Arab restaurants serve some of the best hummus in Israel, often with fuul, and falafel is a specialty of Wadi Nisnas.
Where to try it Small restaurants in Wadi Nisnas and the lower city.
Grilled fish and shrimp are served at restaurants along the port and the seafront.
Where to try it The port and Bat Galim.
Hot cheese pastry with syrup, baklava and other Arab sweets are sold in bakeries in Wadi Nisnas.
Where to try it Sweet shops in Wadi Nisnas.
The German Colony and the Carmel have restaurants serving modern Israeli cuisine, mixing local ingredients and traditions.
Where to try it Ben Gurion Boulevard and the Carmel Centre.
A growing number of breweries and wine bars are in the city centre and the German Colony.
Where to try it Bars in the German Colony.
Bakeries produce fresh bread, borekas and cakes, reflecting the city's Eastern European and Middle Eastern heritage.
Where to try it Bakeries in Hadar and the German Colony.
Accommodation
Haifa is a relaxed and inexpensive base for the north. Choose between the German Colony, the Carmel and the quieter beach areas.
Transport
Haifa is about 90 km north of Tel Aviv, and well connected by train and bus.
Haifa is steep. Public transport and taxis help.
When to go
Haifa has a Mediterranean climate that is cooler and breezier than Tel Aviv. It is pleasant for most of the year, with humid summers and a wet, mild winter.
Mild and green, with flowers in the gardens and the Carmel.
Warm and humid, with a sea breeze. The Carmel is cooler than the coast.
Warm, sunny and quiet, with fewer visitors.
Cool and rainy, but a good time for museums and food. December sees the Holiday of Holidays festival.
Worth planning around: Rainy days if you want to see the gardens, and public holidays when the gardens may close.
Itinerary
The Baháʼí Gardens in the morning, lunch in Wadi Nisnas, the German Colony and the Carmel in the afternoon. Assumes a train from Tel Aviv or a night in the city.
The city's highlights.
Travel tips
Haifa is easy and relaxed, and a few tips make it better.
FAQ
Yes. It offers the Baháʼí Gardens, a diverse city, good food and a relaxed atmosphere, and it is very easy to combine with Acre and the Galilee.
A set of nineteen terraced gardens that descend from the Shrine of the Báb on Mount Carmel. The gardens and the Baháʼí shrines at Acre were listed by UNESCO in 2008.
Yes. Entry is free, and guided tours are offered several times a day. You need to check the opening hours, and go on a tour to see the middle terraces.
One day is enough for the gardens, the German Colony and Wadi Nisnas. A second day lets you add Acre, the Carmel or the beach.
It is generally regarded as safe and known for peaceful relations between communities, but the north has been affected by conflict, and there have been rocket alerts. Check current advice from your government.
A religion founded in 19th-century Persia that teaches the unity of God, the unity of religion and the unity of humanity. Its world centre is in Haifa and Acre.
Keep exploring
Places that pair well with Haifa, whether you have a few spare days or are building a longer route.
Northern District, western Galilee coast, Israel
One of the oldest continuously inhabited ports in the world, with Crusader halls, an Ottoman citadel, a working harbour and a lively Arab market.
Don't miss The Knights' Halls, a vaulted Crusader complex where the Order of St John's hospital stood, entered from a street of Ottoman shops.
Explore Destination — Acre (Akko) Old CityNorthern District, Lower Galilee, Israel
A lively Arab town with major Christian pilgrimage sites, an old-city market and some of the best food in the north.
Don't miss The Basilica of the Annunciation, the largest church in the Middle East, built over the traditional site of Mary's home.
Explore Destination — NazarethTel Aviv District, Mediterranean coast, Israel
Israel's coastal, secular and cosmopolitan centre: a UNESCO-listed White City, a long beach promenade, excellent markets and food, and Jaffa's ancient port.
Don't miss The old port of Jaffa at sunset, with a promenade all the way back to Tel Aviv's white towers.
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