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The Atlas Obscura Guide To Israel

88 Cool, Hidden, and Unusual Things to Do in Israel

Updated July 29, 2026
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  1. Acre
  2. Be'er Sheva
  3. Caesarea
  4. East Jerusalem
  5. Eilat
  6. Ein Gedi
  7. Haifa
  8. Jerusalem
  9. Ramla
  10. Rehovot
  11. Tel Aviv Yafo

Unusual Attractions in Israel

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Explore Israel

Architecture 17
Sacred Spaces 16
Religion 13
Ancient 10
Architectural Oddities 10
Ruins 9
Archaeology 8
Ecosystems 8

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Stories About Israel

Broke and barefoot in the desert near Eilat, not long before the Masada bus ride.

Masada at Dawn

A night in a Roman camp below Masada, Israel, before dawn on the ancient desert fortress.
by Robert DeMayo, Community Contributor
One of the founders of Israel's Tractor Museum, the late Gideon Grosman, restores a small Murray plow.

How Farmers Are Preserving Israel’s Disappearing Agricultural Legacy—One Tractor At a Time

At the Tractor Museum, every machine has a story.
by Gitit Ginat, Atlas Obscura
It's not just a print. It's a story.

How a Bedouin Tracker Sees the Desert

On a seemingly blank, sandy canvas, signs and symbols abound.
by Gitit Ginat, Atlas Obscura
Tribal symbols known as wusum attest to the ongoing presence of Bedouins in the desert.

The 6,000-Year Story of the Negev Desert Is Etched in Stone

Millennia of rock art offer a library of human history in the Levant.
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Kayakers visit a slumped sinkhole on the Dead Sea Coast.

Is There a Future for the Sinkhole-Studded Dead Sea?

Receding waters are leaving behind an environmental disaster, and a new kind of tourism.
by Gitit Ginat, Atlas Obscura

Podcast: Grandma Ida’s Nut Rolls Gravestone

Join us for a daily celebration of the world’s most wondrous, unexpected, even strange places.
by The Podcast Team, Atlas Obscura
Geologist and guide Lior Enmar among Malcham's delicate salt structures.

The Friendly Rivalry—Between Israel and Iran—Over the World’s Longest Salt Cave

Spectacular Malcham Cave, at more than six miles, currently holds the title.
by Gitit Ginat, Atlas Obscura
These images, collected in 2013, show the contrast between restricted (left) and unrestricted (right) satellite imagery.

The Archaeologists Who Unlocked Cold War Spy Photos of Israel

Their efforts convinced the U.S. to declassify CIA images from America's first satellite program.
by Karen Chernick, Atlas Obscura

Lists Featuring Israel

The crostata, with the storefront in the background.

12 Extraordinary Jewish Restaurants Around the World

A global map of diverse delights.

12

Including Pasticceria Boccione, Gottlieb's Restaurant, and Nahoum and Sons

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
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