Places such as Masada, Qumran Cave, Beersheva, City of David and Ein Gedi are all included in this package. And there are many more sites worth visiting! And seriously, $50 is nothing! Let me share more in details and a little bit about the tourist cards (not as good as Annual Pass though).

Annual Pass for National Parks in Israel

Israel, due to safety concerns, is generally an off-beaten country for tourists. But there are numerous sites in this tiny country. Best of all, most of these sites are managed under Israel Nature and Parks Authority. You buy this card, and you have access to all 68 sites! (or is it 55?)

With this Annual Pass, I went to 28 sites in 2 weeks. That’s less than $2 for a site! No way!!!! That’s too cheap! That is why I strongly recommend this pass if you plan to visit at least 5 sites (and if the City of David is one of them).

How To Purchase “Annual Pass”

1. Buy it online!

Simply go to https://fe.sales.parks.org.il/subscriptions

Remember to enter your passport number correctly!

You’ll get the bar code once the purchase is done!

2. Buy it at the park

Go to any national park WITH your passport!

Tell the ticket counter that you wish to purchase the “Annual Pass”. It’s for locals and tourists alike, but you need an Israeli address (a hotel address is fine). The actual card will be sent to that address, but you will get a handwritten card like this and with receipt. This can be used as the annual pass immediately.

 The Fees for Annual Pass

It’s pretty cheap. And the crazy part is…..   For one adult is ₪181 ($50). For two adults is ₪275 ($75)。  (The name of the second person will not be registered) 

And 2 adults with 1 kid is ₪340 ($94), and 2 adults with 2 kids are ₪396 ($109)。 Anyone less than 20 years old is considered “kid”. 

For details please go to their website, English version is available now! 

How to Use Annual Pass?

You present the barcode OR present that handwritten card and receipt at the ticket office, and you’ll get an entrance ticket and possibly a new map!

What’s Included? Is the City of David Included?

Yes, the City of David is included in the annual pass.

The exceptions are the following (not free, but 50% discount is available): Akhziv, Horshat Tal, Gan Hashlosha, Beit Yanay, and Palmachim. Probably tourists won’t find interests in going these parks anyways.

And of course, cable car rides and night activities are not included. And Poleg Nature reserve and Jerusalem Wall Promenade are not included.

What about the Israel Pass?

The new option, Israel Pass, is a combined ticket designed for tourists, you can save some shekels with this pass if you only intend to visit 3/6 parks within 2 weeks! But as a park lover, it isn’t as good as an annual pass in my opinion.

Let’s take a look:

• 3 sites: 78NIS ($22)
• 6 sights:110NIS  ($30)
• Unlimited sites in 2 weeks 150NIS ($42)

Though these combined tickets are transferable, the city of David is NOT included in this ticket, and these tickets  are good for 2 weeks only. 

The City of David ( ₪29) is where the Hezekiah Tunnel and Siloam Pool is, so when you cannot use this ticket for the site, then go for the annual pass!! In terms of pricing, the annual pass is better.

It looks like this (2019)

It can also come with  Israel’s oyster card called Rav-kav card. This is called “Israel Pass& Ride”

But there’s no further discount, you still need to pay 5NIS to get the unloaded card.

There’s a small feature of 20% discount on some sites, which I don’t find so relevant for tourists who are visiting Israel for just 2 weeks. (The logic is, if you have more than 2 weeks, there’s a ton of more important sites that can be used with annual pass). But here’s a list: https://www.israelpass.biz/north

You can buy Israel Pass online, here at https://fe.sales.parks.org.il/tickets 

And since March 2019, you can purchase the new at the airport!

And also from the following places

Conclusion

The Israeli national park annual pass is a GREAT option!! If you are in Israel for more than 2 weeks or if you are traveling as a family, consider the annual pass option!

*Anyone less than 20 years old is considered “kid”. 

Groo in 2018

https://www.groo.co.il/

Though it’s unfortunate that there’s no English version to this (but the interface is the same as other Groupon sites.)

So I use chrome, and read it in Google translation. Thanks to technology, you don’t need to be fluent in Hebrew to enjoy discounts!

Attraction Deals:

1.Dead Sea Beach

There are a few private Dead Sea beaches in Israel. 39NIS with entrance plus a meal? It’s very good for value!!!!

2.Kayak

Kayaking on Jordan River could be a fun activity especially if you are traveling with kids! 64NIS instead of 96NIS.

Restaurants Deals:

Deals like this. Very typical of Groupon, though there isn’t a whole lot of deals in Israel like it is in UK. You can try Beteavone too if you don’t see anything you like here.

But breakfast for 2, for only 69NIS? That’s a good deal!!

Spa&Beauty Deals:

And of course… spa deals! 45 minutes massage plus usage of sauna, jacuzzi and with refreshment for 129NIS! (instead of 260) That’s a definitely deal to grab!

Another great deal. Usage of pool and 45 min massage for 179NIS.

Tourism Deals:

I don’t think it’s likely to find a deal on hotels in Israel. It’s still too expensive.

Conclusion

Attraction deal, restaurant deals and spa deals are legitimate! The only question leaves is…. how difficult will it be to communicate with the seller? But there’s always someone who speaks English around. I think language shouldn’t be a problem. Let’s see!

The discount goes like this: You pay 80NIS and you get a 150NIS voucher in return! That’s a bargain!

You need a local Israeli number to register for an account!

Beteavone in 2018

Home

It’s a new website in Israel. The good thing about this website is that it’s in English! Most restaurants that work with Beteavone are in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv at the moment.

Perhaps you’d think only restaurants with bad reviews would offer deals on Beteavone. But…  Anna was on their list too! You can read my wonderful experience dining in Anna here.  It’s definitely worth a visit!  It’s quite a popular restaurant among locals. So I wouldn’t question the authenticity of these restaurants.

Restaurant Types

• Dairy: Only eggs and fish
• Meat: Meat…
• Parve: Offering both dairy and meat

And then Casherout is Kosher.  There are 3 levels of Kosher, Rabanut is the least strict, then Badatz then Mehadrine. It’s all kosher, the small difference is like how long food can be frozen or how many times flour needs to be sifted….

Discount Offers

1.Free Coupon

Something like 10% off or free bottle of wine when dining as 4 adults etc.  Download this and you can use it whenever.

2. Voucher (xx instead of xx)

This is like a gift voucher. You pay 80NIS and you get a voucher worth 150NIS. So if my bill is 200NIS in Anna, I pay with this voucher plus 50NIS cash. If my bill is 130NIS, I pay with this voucher and I’ll not get any change back!

How to Register and Purchase Voucher

You need Israeli number to register an account. And I guess any credit card can be used.  I haven’t tried this yet.

Things to know

1. Voucher will be emailed to your mailbox. You can print it or show it on your phone.

2.No refund on the voucher.

3.One voucher per table.

4.You’ll not receive any change when your bill comes less than the voucher amount.

Updated: Feb 2019.

I tried Beteavone! The one advice I’d give is… Remember to print it out! I had to wait for 5 minutes for the vendor to confirm with her boss whether it’s okay not to have a printed coupon! (Read my experience of eating at Aaris here!)