Israel National Trail (Shvil Yisrael)
שביל ישראל
Israel's premier long-distance hiking trail stretches from Kibbutz Dan on the Lebanese border to Eilat on the Red Sea. Crossing every major landscape in the country — from the lush Galilee hills and the rocky Golan Heights through the Mediterranean coastline, across the Judean Hills and into the vast Negev Desert — the INT is considered one of the world's top thru-hikes. National Geographic named it one of the 20 most epic trails on Earth.
Wikimedia Commons
Diana Barshaw (talk · contribs) (Public domain)
Distance
1100 km
Duration
45-60 days
Elevation Gain
20,000m
Highest Point
1,208m
Lowest Point
-420m
Type
Thru Hike
Best Season
October to April
Trail Marks
blue-white-orange
Getting There
Parking
Tel Dan Parking Lot, Route 99
Trailhead
Northern Terminus — Kibbutz Dan
P = Parking T = Trailhead | View full Israel trail map
Trail Highlights
- Cross the entire country from north to south
- Traverse the Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon)
- Walk through the Galilee's ancient oak forests
- Desert camping under stars in the Negev
- Mediterranean coastline section near Caesarea
The Galilee: From Dan to the Sea of Galilee
The northern section of the Israel National Trail begins at Tel Dan, one of the sources of the Jordan River, and winds through the lush forests and rolling hills of the Upper and Lower Galilee. Hikers pass through ancient oak and terebinth forests, Druze and Arab villages, and along the ridgeline with views stretching from Mount Hermon to the Mediterranean. The descent to the Sea of Galilee (Lake Kinneret) — the lowest freshwater lake on Earth at 209 meters below sea level — marks the transition from the green north to the drier landscapes ahead.
The Coastal Plain and Judean Foothills
Dropping from the hills of the Galilee, the trail crosses the Jezreel Valley — Israel's breadbasket — and traverses the Carmel range before hitting the Mediterranean coast near Caesarea. The coastal section passes Roman aqueducts and Crusader ruins before turning inland through the Judean Foothills (Shephelah), the ancient buffer zone between the Philistine coast and the Israelite highlands. This is the landscape of Samson and David — rolling chalk hills covered in wildflowers each spring.
The Negev Desert: Into the Wilderness
South of Arad, the trail enters the Negev Desert — the vast, arid southern half of Israel that makes up over 60% of the country's land area. Here the trail becomes a true wilderness experience. Hikers cross the immense Ramon Crater (Makhtesh Ramon), the world's largest erosion crater, where 200-million-year-old rock layers are exposed in dramatic multicolored formations. Water must be cached in advance at designated spots. The night skies in the deep Negev, far from any city lights, are among the most spectacular in the Middle East.
Practical Information
Water
Variable — desert sections require planning
Permits
None required, free access
Best Season
October to April
Trail Marks
blue-white-orange
In the Torah
What Does the Torah Say About This Place?
Biblical references near Israel National Trail (Shvil Yisrael)
Abram pursues the kings who captured Lot as far as Dan
וַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע אַבְרָ֔ם כִּ֥י נִשְׁבָּ֖ה אָחִ֑יו וַיָּ֨רֶק אֶת־חֲנִיכָ֜יו יְלִידֵ֣י בֵית֗וֹ שְׁמֹנָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ וּשְׁלֹ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וַיִּרְדֹּ֖ף עַד־דָּֽן׃
When Abram heard that his kinsmanbhis kinsman I.e., Lot and his household. had been taken captive, he mustered his retainers,cretainers Meaning of Heb. ḥanikh uncertain. born into his household, numbering three hundred and eighteen, and went in pursuit as far as Dan.
Jeroboam sets up a golden calf in Dan
וַיָּ֥שֶׂם אֶת־הָאֶחָ֖ד בְּבֵֽית־אֵ֑ל וְאֶת־הָאֶחָ֖ד נָתַ֥ן בְּדָֽן׃
He set up one in Bethel and placed the other in Dan.
They named the city Dan, after their ancestor Dan son of Israel
וַיִּקְרְא֤וּ שֵׁם־הָעִיר֙ דָּ֔ן בְּשֵׁם֙ דָּ֣ן אֲבִיהֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר יוּלַּ֖ד לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וְאוּלָ֛ם לַ֥יִשׁ שֵׁם־הָעִ֖יר לָרִאשֹׁנָֽה׃
and they named the town Dan, after their ancestor Dan who was Israel’s son. Originally, however, the name of the town was Laish.
Israel Wall Art
