The Planning of your day
If you plan to visit also Acre (Akko) + Nahariya + Rosh Hanikra, then see Page 2 in which I explain how to arrive and if you can do it in one day.
Intro – Haifa
Haifa is just 100 Km from Tel-Aviv and there is an efficient train that can take you there in 1 hour.
Haifa is the “capital of the north” of Israel. It is the third largest city in Israel after Tel-Aviv and Jerusalem. It is known as a city with a mixed population of Arabs and Jews living in harmony.
Haifa is built on a mountain, the Carmel mountain. On the bay there is the Haifa port which is the main port of Israel.
The main tourist attraction of Haifa is the Bahai gardens which are big and beautiful gardens administered by the Bahai religion which has its world headquarter exactly here.
Orientation + Maps
Map 1
Orientation Map From Tel-Aviv to Haifa :
Map 2
Haifa is built on a mountain and is divided in 3 levels :
- The lower city : the Haifa bay – the port
- The mid level city : Hadar – the main commercial street Hertzel + Wadi Nisnas.
- The upper city : the Yefe-Nof promenade with panoramic views
Here you can see it on the map :
Map 3
The Train and Bus Stations in Haifa + Cable car to the University
Map 4
Google interactive Map with the main places mentioned on this page :
How to go from Tel-Aviv to Haifa
The easiest way is with the train. It takes just 1 hour and the train frequency is about every 30 minutes. You can take the train in one of the 3 train stations in Tel-Aviv (see location on Map), the train stops in all the 3 stations in Tel-Aviv.
The most prominent train station in Tel-Aviv is “Tel-Aviv Center – Merkaz – Savidor”.
There are also buses to Haifa, of course. The most natural place to catch a bus is at the Bus Central Station, in the south of Tel-Aviv (see location on Map).
Note : It may be cheaper to charge a “one day pass” on your Rav-Kav card” for this one day trip. See How to Pay the Transports in Israel.
What to Visit in Haifa ?
Arriving to Haifa by train
You have to get down at the third station in Haifa, it is called : “Haifa Center – Haifa Merkaz” (see on the Maps above). Before there are 2 more stations called : “Haifa Hof Acarmel” and “Haifa Bat Galim”.
Note : If you want to continue from Haifa to other Israeli cities, you should get down from the train in one of the 2 central bus stations :
- “Haifa Hof Acarmel” – Central Bus station for south destinations.
- “Merkazit Hamifratz” – Central Bus station for north destinations.
But you are now visiting the city of Haifa and you need to get down at the station “Haifa Center”. The station is located in the lower part of Haifa (the sea level), where the big port is.
The funicular – The Carmelit
From the train station, walk 200 meters to Paris square, where the funicular station is located (see on the Maps above).
The lowest station of the funicular is called “Paris Square”. The Haifa funicular is called “Carmelit” (it goes up the Carmel mountain). It has 6 stations. Take it till the last station, called “Gad Ahem”.
The Yefe Nof promenade (Louis promenade)
From “Gan Ahem” funicular station, head to the promenade (see on the Maps above). You may pass through the Panorama Shopping Center (a small mall).
(Note : There is a Zoo in the Gan-Ahem garden, in case you have extra time).
The view from the promenade is quite impressive, you can see the Haifa bay, the suburbs of Haifa and the northern border of Israel, to Lebanon.
On the promenade, walk to the left, to the entrance to the Bahai gardens.
The Bahai gardens
These gardens are very nice and prominent in Haifa (see on the Maps above). If you arrive to Haifa by boat, you see them very nicely on the mountain, but you are now on the promenade, upstairs, and the gardens are very nice also from there. They are registered as a UNESCO’s World Heritage.
The Bahai is a monotheistic religion (read more here in Wikipedia) and they have in Haifa their headquarters.
You can visit the gardens, but there are strict rules with guards watching that you will not do foolish things like pick flowers.
From the main gate, you can visit only the upper terrace. If you want to visit all the gardens, you have to walk to the left, 100 meters, to another gate and there join a free guided tour.
These guided tours are only at selected hours. They last 40 minutes. Some of the tours are in English.
See the Bahai official site for tour schedule. You may need to register to assure your visit.
Down to Hadar level
From the “Yefe Nof” promenade you want now to get down the mountain to the middle level, to Haifa city center (Hadar). If you had luck, and you succeeded to join a Bahai garden tour, you will exit at the lower part of the gardens and from there you can continue by foot to Hadar. If not, then head back to the funicular (Carmelit) or make a detour from the left, through the roads (not recommended, if it is a hot day).
Wadi Nisnas – falafel lunch
Get down at the funicular station : “Aneviim” or “Masada” (see on the Maps above). Head to the left, to Wadi Nisnas which is an Arab Christian neighborhood with one of the best Falafels in Israel (they have won competitions).
Go to the narrow Wadi street and you will find the “Falafel Azkenim” and in front “Falafel Michel”.
Try not to arrive here on a Sunday because most of the small shops will be closed, including the Falafels.
Hertzel street
If you walk to the right of the “Aneviim” or “Masada” funicular stations, you will arrive to Hertzel street (see on the Maps above), which is the main commercial street of Haifa, the city center.
It is not really a nice street, it seems people prefer to shop in the big malls of Haifa (there are some in the suburbs).
The lower city – The port area
From “Hadar” you can walk down to the lower city (see on the Maps above).
There are some nice pubs with a “port atmosphere” in the lower city.
The lower city – The German Colony
One of the most pleasant places in Haifa. Recommended to visit.
The neigborhood is located at a walking distance from the port and the central railway station. See location on Maps 2 and 4, above.
The main street is called “Sderot Ben Gurion”. The street goes from the bottom of the “Bahai gardens” and till the port area.
There are many cafés and restaurants and the street is also animated in the evening.
The neighborhood was created by the Templers, a religious Protestant sect formed in southern Germany in the 19th century. The Templers left Israel after the second world war. You can read about the Templers of Haifa in Wikipedia. On the main street, there are different points with explanations about the Templers and their contribution to Haifa.
Here in the photo, the post office building, with German writing.
Back to Tel-Aviv or continue to Visit
From this point, while you are in the “lower city of Haifa”, you can :
- Take a train back to Tel-Aviv
- Continue to visit the next attraction in Haifa – The cable car to University
- Stay to sleep in Haifa – See where
- Continue to Acre and Rosh-Anikra.
The cable car to the Technion and the University
The cable car was inaugurated in 2022. It is going till the 2 universities of Haifa, on the mountains.
The first stop of the cable car is at the Technion which is a top engineering school and the last stop is at Haifa University.
If you don’t intend to register yourself for learning engineering then don’t get down at the Technion and continue till the top (the university). At the top, there is a very nice view + you can drink a coffee at one of the cafeterias of the university.
From here, you can take back the cable car or a bus to Haifa center (Hadar or lower city).
How to arrive to the cable car ?
The low station of the cable car is located beside the train station “Merkazit – Amifratz” (see Map 3 above) .
If you arrive from Tel-Aviv by train, you can get down directly at this station. If you are already in Haifa near the Central Train Station (Amerkaz), then get on a train and travel one station direction north.
Alternative planning for visiting this attraction :
While you are visiting the Bahai gardens, or Wadi Nisnas, you can take a bus to the university and after you see the panoramic view, you get down with the cable car. You will arrive at the train station Merkazit Amifratz (see Map 3 above) and from there you can can continue by train to Acre or return to Tel-Aviv.
Other tourist attractions in Haifa
Gan-Aem zoo
It was mentioned before. It’s not a huge zoo. Go there if you have extra time or children. Zoo website.
How to arrive to the Zoo :
With the funicular, the top station “Gan Aem”. (it is near the Yefe Nof promenade)
See it on the Maps above
Madatech
Because Haifa is a student city (the Technion and the University), it also have this science museum.
The advantage of this place is that it is not huge like some science museums in Europe, so you may even have time to read some stuff and understand something. Madatech website.
How to arrive to the Madatech:
It is located in Hadar, the town center.
With the funicular, the station “Matzada” or “Aneviim”. Then walk 10 minutes.
See it on the interactive Map above
Museums
If you must visit a Museum in Haifa, there are some.
See this list of museums.
Where to Stay in Haifa
In case you want to stay to sleep in Haifa :
Option 1 : The upper city
If you want to stay in the upper city, in the promenade “Yefe-Nof” , because you want to have nice views in the evening :
See hotels near Dan Panorama hotel – click this hotel, choose “show on Map” and you will see the other hotels in the area.
Option 2 : The lower city – near the Port
If you want to stay in the lower city, because at night you want to drink beers in the nice pubs (it is the main nightlife zone of Haifa, around Paris square + Palmer street).
See Hotels near Haifa port
You will also see big boats in the lower city
Option 3 : The lower city – The German Colony
The German Colony was mentioned before. It is a nice neigborhood near the port and near the main railway station. Animated also in the evening.
See Hotels in The German Colony of Haifa and read opinions of travelers.
One of the big hotels in the German Colony is Hotel Botanica.
There are also budget hotels, like Maya Guest House.
Option 4 : Other parts of Haifa
See all the Hotels in Haifa (read opinions of travelers for each hotel).
More on Tel-Aviv :
- Where to Stay ? – Potential zones for the Hotel
- What to Visit ? – Beaches, Walking streets…
- What to Pack for the Trip ? Hidden Pocket for cash…
- Tour – How is Tel-Aviv, get the feeling of the city
- Transport – About the Airport, Buses, Trains…
- Cost – What prices to expect in Tel-Aviv ?
- Internet and Phoning – Pre-Paid card, how is the Internet…
- Maps – Google maps with points of interest for tourists.
- Frequently Asked Questions – Weather, Feasts, Costs…
- Vegetarian – Where to eat good Humus, Falafel, Sabih…
- Photos – Nice photos of the city.
- Travel Insurance (Health) – Points to know
On Haifa :
Haifa – What to Visit and where to Stay ?
On Jerusalem :
Jerusalem – What to Visit and where to Stay ?
If you have specific questions about Tel-Aviv or Israel, you can ask them in this TripAdvisor Forum
On Thailand :
- Bangkok – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
- The Islands in Thailand – Which one to choose, Where to stay, How to arrive ?
- Chiang Mai – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
- Pattaya city – What to Visit, Where to Stay, Transport…
Other Stuff :
- What to Pack ? the visual list that will help you prepare the suitcase.
- Visit my Vegetarian Page. Why be Vegetarian ? What to eat ?
- Visit my Salsa Dance Page. Salsa main Styles. Why Dance Salsa ?
- See City Information about 1 more cool city: Barcelona.
- Listen to nice Songs with translation in French, Spanish, Italian, Hebrew.
- Listen to basic Words In Spanish, French, Hebrew
If you find incorrect data on this page, like a restaurant that has closed or a big river that has moved or you want to tell me something, please write me to contact.