The Golan Heights region, located on the northeastern edge of Israel, is considered by many to be the most beautiful region in Israel, and for good reason. As an area that is rich in water sources and volcanic activity just as much as history, it offers visitors a plethora of unique sites to visit. Here, we will tell about one of the best ways to experience this terrific area: the Golan Heights trail, a multi-day trek that crosses the entire region from north to south.
Get to know the Golan Heights Trail
The Golan Heights Trail connects Mount Hermon in the north and Ein Akov Spring in the south. Most of it passes through the eastern part of the Golan Heights, in lesser-known areas of the region. Its length is about 120 km/74.5 miles, and it is divided into 15 sections of varying lengths, between 6 and 12 km/3.7 and 7.5 miles each.
The path is marked in three colors: white (symbolizing Mount Hermon), blue (symbolizing the Sea of Galilee), and green (symbolizing the Golan Heights), and each section of the path is accessible to vehicles so that you can reach every section of the path and walk it separately.
Accommodation on the trail
There are campgrounds at the end of most sections of the trail. In addition, most towns on the Golan Heights offer great accommodation options of a variety of kinds.
Most beautiful places on the Golan Heights Trail
Odem Forest
The Golan Heights Trail passes through the Odem Forest in section 2 of the trail. This is the largest forest reserve in the Golan Heights and has 3 species of oak, with a forest that looks like it was taken from a fairy tale. In the winter we can discover here the delicate and rare Greek primrose and in the fall, witness the magnificent flowering of crocuses.
Avital and Bental Volcanoes
The section of the Golan Heights Trail that goes along the Bental and Avital volcanoes at an altitude of about 1000 m/3,300 feet in section 5, provides hikers a great view of the northern Golan Heights, the Syrian border, impressive wind turbines, and the apple and cherry orchards of the Quneitra Valley in Syria.
Nahal Meitsar
Nahal Meitsar offers travelers a great view of the Yarmouk River and the meeting of the 3 borders: Israel-Syria-Jordan, in section 12 of the Golan Heights Trail. The best time to walk in this section is in the winter months (January-February) when the impressive Tabor oaks are in full foliage colors. It is worth deviating a little from the Golan Trail to reach the Nahal Meitsar waterfall and admire the waterfall that falls from a height of 9 m/30 feet.
Best springs on the Golan Heights Trail
Ein Turbina – Section No. 5
A spring located north of the settlement of Alonei Habashan. The spring flows into a rectangular pool, which was built here by the Circassians who used to live in the area. The length of the pool is about ten meters/30 feet and its width is about four meters/13 feet, while the depth of the water in the pool is about 2 meters/6.5 feet. This is just a perfect place for wading in front of a spectacular view.
Pecham Springs – Section No. 7
The Pecham Springs reserve includes a plateau with dozens of springs, which abound with water throughout the year,
Near the remains of the village of Faraj, where there are ancient ruins from the Byzantine period, including impressive stone arches. Near the ruins of the village, you will also find a winter pool that is a habitat for rare aquatic plants.
Best sections of the Golan Heights Trail
Section 1: Mount Hermon to Ram Lake
Length: 10 km/6.2 miles
The Golan Heights Trail Section 1 starts from the Mount Hermon ticket office, which is located up Highway 98 after the ascent from Majdal Shams. Immediately after the ticket office turn right and cross the parking lot. You will find the first marking of the path in this location, near a large oak tree.
It is important to know that in the winter months when there are severe weather conditions in the area, it is impossible to walk on this part of the trail.
We will start the route at Nahal Govta, a stream that descends from Mount Hermon and flows into the Banias River. We will join it at the end of its upper part, close to Neve Ativ.
From here, we will continue to walk on the main street of Majdal Shams. Majdal Shams is the highest settlement in the State of Israel, and this explains its name – “Tower of the Sun”.
From here, the Golan Heights Trail continues down to Ya’afori Valley and passes by an old flour mill. The northeastern part of the Ya’afori Valley is known as the cherry and apple valley of the Golan Heights, which got it the nickname “Druze Tuscany”.
We will end this section with a wonderful observation of Ram Pool, which is a stunning crater lake that is one of the biggest symbols of the region. The shape of the pool is round and its waters are sweet and clear. Today, it functions as a water reservoir, and the crops in the area are irrigated by its waters.
Section 5: Bab al-Hawa Ruins to Ein Zivan
Length: 11 km/6.8 miles
We start the day near Bab al-Hawa Ruins, where you can see remains of an ancient settlement as well as a burial cave carved in stone with burial chambers built on two floors, which you can enter and admire.
We will continue and pass by the Bental Reservoir, which was established in the 1980s and collects rainwater and local streams that previously flowed to Syria and the agricultural areas east of Mount Bental.
We will continue and climb a steep path on the northern slope of Mount Bental, next to a dense natural forest. The mountain is west of the Syrian city of Quneitra and south of Kibbutz Merom Golan, which lies at the foot of the mountain. Bental is part of the Israeli hill line and is an excellent vantage point towards Syria, the slopes of Mount Hermon, and the rest of the Golan Heights.
We will continue and go down along the paved road that goes up to Mount Bental, and we will continue to go south for about a kilometer along the access road to Kibbutz Merom Golan. The narrow road passes inside the crater of the volcano between Mount Avital and Mount Bental. later, we will cross the road and continue moving through apple orchards, and we will reach the Nadia statue – one out of eight places related to the work of the famous spy Eli Cohen in Syria.
We will continue on the Avital volcano and descend to the oak forest near Kibbutz Ein Zivan, where we will finish the section.
Section 10: Daliyot Campground to Ein Keshatot
Length: 9 km/6 miles
We start the route at the Daliyot Campground, in the section that runs through Nahal Semach, the longest of the Golan streams, which creates an impressive and wide channel that gave it the nickname “The Grand Canyon of the Golan Heights”.
From here, the route will take us south on the remains of a stone-paved Roman road. Then, the trail climbs to the embankment of Revaya Lake, with a great look at the lake and the beautiful surrounding area. It is a huge lake that is about 450 meters above sea level. The Golan Heights Trail passes right next to the lake and provides a pleasant walking experience along the water.
We will go down to Nahal Semach and after a few twists and turns on the path we will reach a resting point under the Syrian bridge which passes above the river. It is a concrete and basalt bridge that was built on the spot by the Syrians in the 1960s as part of a water diversion project whose purpose was to divert the water flow of the Hatsbani and Banias rivers from Israel to the territories of Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
The route ends near Ein Keshatot, a unique historical site, with a magnificent old synagogue and spring, which is definitely with a visit on its own.
