Israel National Trail, Anyone?

Filed in archive Destination: Middle East , Offbeat on May 17, 2010

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The Israel National Trail is a hiking path that crosses the entire country of Israel. A length of approximately 940 km (580 mi), its northern end is at Dan, near the Lebanese border in the far north of the country, and it extends to Eilat at the southernmost tip of Israel on the Red Sea. If hiked continuously, it takes about 30-70 days to finish.

So if you are looking for the ultimate hiking adventure, why not traipse the Israel National Trail?

AP wrote on FOX News:

There are no buses, no guided tours, no crowds, and often no cell phone reception or running water. Instead, there is a chance to discover Israel's people, history and culture on the country's less-traveled paths.

The trail tells the story of the history of this land starting from long before Israel's current conflicts: The Romans, the Ottoman Turks and the British are all in evidence. To avoid modern-day frictions, the trail's planners made sure it would go through only land that is not in dispute, leaving out the West Bank and the Golan Heights, which Israel captured in 1967.

Interested already?