Full-Day Golan Heights Tour from Jerusalem.

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Theme: connecting ancient Jewish heritage to events in modern history.

 

Departing from and returning to Givat HaMivtar, Jerusalem. Approximately 12 hours, 07:00 to 19:00. Private or small-group, licensed guide. Times are planned but flexible.

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07:00 – Departure, Givat HaMivtar, Jerusalem. We head north on Route 1, then pick up Route 90 through the Jordan Valley. The drive itself is part of the experience — flat farmland stretching toward the hills, the occasional palm grove, and the sense of dropping below sea level as you go. No rush. The landscape slowly changing character as we approach the southern edge of the Golan. We drive close to the border fence with Jordan.

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09:45 to 10:10 – Eli Cohen Trail, Station 3, near Ein Pik. Our first proper stop on the Heights. Station 3 sits at a scenic overlook above the Ein Pik spring area. Here we begin the Eli Cohen story — the Egyptian-born Israeli intelligence officer who infiltrated the highest levels of the Syrian regime in the 1960s, feeding critical information back to Israel before the Six-Day War. The trail that now bears his name traces key locations tied to his missions. Here we see the old French anti-tank blocks that give us the first taste of the Golan's strategic value: high ground, water sources, and a view overlooking the Sea of Galilee and Mt Tabor that explains why this plateau mattered so much to both sides. About 20-25 minutes here.

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10:10 to 10:40 – Drive to Kibbutz Afik, Eli Cohen Trail Station 4.

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10:40 to 11:10 – Kibbutz Afik, Station 4. A short drive brings us to Afik, a kibbutz in the southern Golan. Station 4 marks the site of what was once a Syrian officers' club — a place Cohen is believed to have visited. Today it's a memorial overlook with explanatory panels and sweeping views toward the Sea of Galilee and Ein Gev across the water. We talk about Cohen's tradecraft, the risks he took, and how his intelligence shaped Israel's decisions in June 1967. Roughly 25-30 minutes.

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11:10 to 11:55 – Drive to Katzrin. North on Route 98, the main spine of the Golan. This is the stretch where the plateau opens up — black volcanic soil, orchards, and the occasional herd of cattle. Katzrin is the administrative and commercial heart of the region, and it's where we'll spend our longest block of the day.

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11:55 to 13:05 – Katzrin, extended stop. This is the core of the tour where we connect the ancient Jewish heritage to events in modern history. Ancient Katzrin Park is a reconstructed Talmudic-era village — homes, a synagogue, olive presses, all laid out as they would have been in the Mishnaic and Talmudic periods, roughly 1,500-2,000 years ago. Walking through it, you get a tangible sense of daily Jewish life on the Golan long before modern Israel. Ten-minute film show. I guide for ten minutes in the Katzrin synagogue, then leave the group to explore, use restrooms and have lunch on their own. About 70 minutes, and it's the stop people remember.

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13:05 to 13:50 – Drive north on Route 98. Continuing toward the northern Golan. The road climbs and the views widen. This is where the terrain starts to feel genuinely wild — ridges, basalt fields, and the border zone not far off.

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13:50 to 14:10 – Eli Cohen Trail, Station 7. The former Syrian military HQ at Quneitra. Another memorial stop on the trail, with its own angle on Cohen's legacy and the landscape around it. About 20 minutes.

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14:10 to 14:15 – Short drive to Station 8. Just 5 minutes between stops here.

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14:15 to 14:30 – Eli Cohen Trail, Station 8. The last station on this segment. The sculpture of Eli's wife Nadia and 3 children looking out towards Damascus waiting for him to return. Deeply emotional and intense. 15 minutes.

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14:30 to 14:45 – Drive to Mount Bental. A short hop to one of the most dramatic spots on the whole plateau.

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14:45 to 15:30 – Mount Bental. An extinct volcano, and the best vantage point in the region. From the summit you look east into Syria — the ghost town of Quneitra visible in the distance — and you can walk through preserved Syrian army bunkers and trenches from the Six-Day War. It's a sobering, powerful place: the geology, the military history, and the border all in one frame. We see from a distance Mt Hermon, the Valley of Tears (the 1973 Yom Kippur battlefield). 40-45 minutes, and worth every minute.

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15:30 to 16:15 – Drive back toward Katzrin. A breather on the road, heading south again.

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16:15 to 16:25 – Services stop, Katzrin area. Restrooms.

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16:25 to 16:35 – Additional 10-minute toilet break on the way home.

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16:35 to 19:00 – Return to Givat HaMivtar, Jerusalem. South on Route 90 through the Jordan Valley, the same scenic corridor in reverse, golden light if the timing's right. Arrive around 19:00.

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Practical information

• Groups are private and exclusive to you, and may therefore be single-sex if required.

• This tour is not recommended for children under 13.

• Pack lunch and bottled water recommended.

• You organize a group, choose your preferred date; we confirm availability and final price.

• Typical price per person: 350–500 ₪.

• Average fitness required (walking, steps on uneven ground).

• Bring hats, sunscreen and closed walking shoes.

• All tours are in English and led by Yoni Lemel (License 23221) unless otherwise arranged.

• Mini-bus transport and entrance charge to the Talmudic Village Park included.

• WhatsApp enquiries: 053-62-488-05

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This itinerary and accompanying images are the original work of Wow Israel Tours and are protected by copyright.  The work may not be reproduced, adapted, or used by other tour operators or guides without prior written permission. For licensing enquiries, contact us through wowisraeltours.com