Visitors
Visiting Haifa: start here
Haifa climbs from the port and the German Colony up Mount Carmel, with the Baha'i Gardens' terraces in between. Most sights sit in three areas: the German Colony and Downtown, Carmel Center along HaNassi Blvd, and the coast at Bat Galim and Hof HaCarmel. Some buses run on Shabbat, but trains and the Carmelit do not.
Visitors
Start here
7 steps, in the order most people take them.
- 1
Check the Baha'i Gardens before you go
Viewpoints are open daily 09:00-17:00 and the Shrine of the Bab and inner gardens 09:00-12:00; the gardens announce closure days on their visit page.
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Ride the Carmelit up the mountain
Israel's only underground railway runs from Downtown to Carmel Center in under 8 minutes, Sun-Thu 06:00-24:00 and Fri until 15:00, and again after Shabbat.
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Take the cable car to Stella Maris
A five-minute ride from the Bat Galim promenade up to the Carmelite monastery and lookout; NIS 35 return or NIS 25 one way at the operator's prices.
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Get a Rav-Kav and a journey planner
Buses, the Metronit, the Carmelit, the Rakbalit and trains all take Rav-Kav; plan trips on bus.gov.il or Moovit.
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Pick an area to stay
Hotels cluster on HaNassi Blvd in Carmel Center, in the German Colony and Downtown, and on the coast at Bat Galim and Hof HaCarmel; the Haifa Tourism Association lists them.
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Use the tourist information service
The Haifa Tourism Association (Visit Haifa) publishes attractions, free tours and events, including free Bauhaus walking tours.
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Add a day trip by boat or train
The Queen of Akko ferry sails from Haifa Port Gate 5, by HaShmona station, to Akko marina; trains also run north to Akko and Nahariya.
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Guides
Read next
- Where to stay in Haifa: five areas comparedCarmel Center, the German Colony, Downtown and Hadar, Bat Galim and Hof HaCarmel: which hotels are where and what each area is good for.
- Getting around Haifa: Carmelit, Metronit, cable cars and trainsHaifa's public transport goes up the mountain as well as across it: the underground Carmelit, the Metronit, two cable cars, six railway stations and some buses that run on Shabbat.
- Holidays in Haifa: Holiday of Holidays, Hanukkah and the Sukkot film festivalHaifa's December Holiday of Holidays festival in Wadi Nisnas, Hanukkah 2026 dates, and the Haifa International Film Festival over Sukkot.
Good to know
Dress modestly for the Ahmadiyya mosque in Kababir and the Muhraka monastery. Several city museums share one box-office number, 04-6030800. The Carmelit has stairs and no wheelchair access.
Community groups
Where people talk
- Haifa Tourism Association on FacebookFacebook · Haifa Tourism and Recreation Association
From our network
Good people I work with
A few organisations from the Consult With Ari network whose work reaches people in Haifa.
These are not paid listings, and they are separate from the checked directory.
Source
- ganbahai.org.il (opens in a new tab)
- carmelithaifa.co.il (opens in a new tab)
- cablecar-haifa.co.il (opens in a new tab)
- Visit Haifa (opens in a new tab)
- Visit Haifa (opens in a new tab)
- ferryline.co.il (opens in a new tab)
- Open Bus (Hasadna), MOT GTFS (opens in a new tab)
This page was written for Haifa from the sources above.
