Without a doubt, one of the best ways to experience a country’s landscape is by taking a road trip. where you can experience magnificent scenery, take stops in beautiful viewpoints, and get anywhere you want in a short time. With so many diverse landscapes and natural wonders, Israel is an ideal country for travelers who are looking for a road trip and can enjoy the great views in the changing landscapes of the country. Here are some of the most beautiful scenic roads in Israel, that will give you the ultimate road trip in the country.
Most beautiful roads in Northern Israel
Road 899 – cross the entire Galilee
Highway 899 is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful scenic roads in Israel. The road, which is 63 kilometers/39 miles long, starts at the Betset Junction and ends in the Hula Valley, and runs mostly along the border between Israel and Lebanon. The road offers great views along its entire length, as it features oak and pine forests, orchards, views of Lebanon, Mount Hermon, and the Hula Valley.
Along the way, there are many places worth stopping and going for a walk, including Achziv Beach, Keshet Cave, and the Monfort Fortress, providing stunning views of the Western Galilee. The road is very impressive along the entire way, but probably the most beautiful one is the section between Even Menachem and Kibbutz Sasa, along which you will pass by dramatic mountains, and get some of the best views in the entire Galilee.
Highway 98 – Golan Heights
Route 98 is the main longitudinal road in the Golan Heights, and it stretches for 99 km/61.5 miles from the Ma’agan intersection, just south of the Sea of Galilee. From here, the road goes up the Golan Heights through Hamat Gader and then all the way to the lower cable car station in Mount Hermon.
The road offers beautiful views along its entire length, with one of the most beautiful sections going from the Alonei HaBashan junction to the Masada intersection. At the beginning of the road, you will see the huge wind turbines on a Bashnit ridge, further on you will see Mount Avital and Mount Bental, the Odem Forest, and the crater Lake Ram.
The road is beautiful all year round but is at its best in winter after it snows a little bit, and the side of the road is covered in white, which will give you the feeling of driving in the a of fairy tales. In addition, spring when everything around is green and the cows graze grass along the road, is also a great time to go for a drive here.
Switzerland Forest Scenic Road – road 7677
The area known as Switzerland Forest covers an area of 3,000 dunams on the steep slope that descends from the Poriya Plateau to Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee. The name of the forest was indeed given to it because it was established with the help of the Jewish community in Switzerland, but when you’ll drive up the winding scenic road that leads from the Poriya hostel to Poriya Ilit, it is hard not to feel like you might actually be in Switzerland.
At every turn of the road, which passes through a forest of conifer trees, eucalyptus, and acacia trees, you will see the Sea of Galilee in all its glory. The view is especially spectacular in the afternoon when the sun shines on the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights Mountains. Just make sure to drive carefully here, because the road gets very narrow sometimes, and park only in the parking lots near the official viewpoints.
Mount Gilboa Scenic Road
The Mount Gilboa Scenic Road marked as road 667, winds from Kimmel Restaurant and goes up the ridge of Mount Gilboa, passing by all of its major landmarks and viewpoints. Those include Mount Shaul, from where you can overlook the Jezreel Valley, the Gilead Mountains, the Lower Galilee Mountains, and sometimes even Mount Hermon.
In March, when the Gilboa Iris blooms, this beautiful mountain gets quite busy, as many visitors flock here to see the unique flower. In addition, Mount Gilboa is one of the best sites to see flowers in Israel, and you can see countless other kinds of flowers bloom here in the winter and spring, which are the best seasons to drive on this stunning scenic road. For the full experience, we would highly recommend choosing one of the great hikes you can do on the mount.
Mount Carmel scenic road
The beautiful Carmel Scenic Road, which connects road 672 with Nesher in Haifa, passes through a charming forest, crosses valleys and stream channels, and along it offers spectacular views of the Lower Galilee, the Menashe Plateau, and the Haifa Bay. Along the way, there are several interesting sites to stop by and visit, such as the Muqharka, and many other lovely viewpoints that are worth stopping for a picnic. The road’s best section goes from the entrance to Isfiya to Haifa University.
Most scenic roads in Jerusalem Mountains
Route 395 in the Jerusalem mountains
This road is an excellent alternative for those looking for a unique way to go up to Jerusalem. This special road, which leaves from Eshta’ol and reaches Ein Karem, will turn your road to Jerusalem into an adventure. During the drive, you will climb from a height of about 250/820 meters to a height of about 750/2,460 meters in the cool peaks of the Jerusalem mountains. Along the 18-kilometer/11-mile road, you will pass through windings, sharp slopes, and mountain forests. In addition, one of the best attractions of this way is that you can also stop for a dip in hidden springs and go hiking on some short and magnificent hiking routes in the area.
Route 386
The beautiful winding road in the Jerusalem mountains passes near and parallel to the impressive Sorek River. On all sides of the road, you will find pine forests, amazing hiking trails, and excellent picnic sites. In the winter, the blooming almond trees decorate the road on both sides in spectacular fashion, and in the fall, it’s dominated by strong foliage colors, when Pistacia terebinthus paint the woods and forests with red-orange-yellow spots. The road goes from Bar Giora to Ein Karem in Jerusalem and connects to Road 395 at its end.
Most spectacular roads in the Negev
Route 225 – The Big Crater
The Big Crater is one of the most beautiful hidden gems in Israel. This road, which connects Yeruham and road 206 through the crater, stretches for 14.6 km/9 miles, along which you will enjoy extraordinary views, which will sometimes give you the feeling that you are actually driving on the moon. From the car windows, you can see a variety of interesting and dramatic geological formations, as well as the colorful walls of the crater, which change in dramatic desert colors, including yellow, orange, red, purple, and white. In any case, it is highly recommended to stop on the way and see the beautiful colored sands of the crater.
Route 40: Mitzpe Ramon-Tzichor intersection
Highway 40, in large parts of it, is known to be a pretty uninteresting road. But from the moment you pass Mitzpe Ramon, and then descend to the Ramon crater, you will reach a spectacular 55 km/34 miles stretch of desert with dramatic and unique views of the Ramon crater and the surrounding area. And if you are already in the area – it is highly recommended to spend some time in the crater itself, with its great short hiking routes and rare natural phenomena.
