The weather in the valleys is particularly suitable for winter trips and warming activities such as hot baths, a wine bar and a culinary festival. Here are some ideas for a perfect trip for a warm winter in the Sea of Galilee and the northern valleys.

A winter getaway to the Kinneret and Surrounding Valleys

Ahalo Mansion Hotel

We chose to stay at the Ohalo Manor Hotel. Ohalo is a kibbutz-style accommodation with plenty of green spaces, tranquillity, and a view of the Sea of Galilee and the Golan Heights. The hotel has been renovated and combines classic, upgraded and spacious guest rooms for couples and families, some with garden balconies and a view of the Sea of Galilee. The rooms are spacious (24 square meters) and pleasant. The most recommended rooms are the deluxe garden rooms, in which we stayed. These are rooms on the ground floor suitable for couples, they have access to a balcony, to a private garden, and some have an amazing view of the Sea of Galilee. We enjoyed going out into the open spaces here; even when it is cloudy, the Sea of Galilee has its own charm.

Ohalo

Beyond the manicured lawns, the hotel has a direct footpath to the Sea of Galilee walkway and an elevated balcony with a breathtaking view of the Sea of Galilee. Also the dining room overlooks this view! Rich kibbutz-style meals are served here, with all the treats such as eggs prepared upon request, espresso and cappuccino, yeast cakes, and more. Dinner is also very good - we liked the rich selection of dishes and the mild seasoning.

Ohalo is especially suitable for holding conferences and events. It has seven conference halls of different sizes and configurations and on the lovely balcony you can hold small and elegant events. Although the hotel does not have its own private beach, it has an arrangement with the nearby Yarden Kinneret camping where there are also activities for the entire family, and camping, for those who prefer. The location of the hotel is excellent for going on trips. Right next to it is the “Yardenit” baptism site, the Kinneret cemetery, Hamat Gader and several viewpoints. Kinneret Land Experiences offers various trips such as a visit to the historic train station in Zemach, a guided lantern trip, 4x4 trip, canoe cruise at Rob Roy, the famous Tnuvat Kinneret dates and natural shop, and more.

Ohalo Manor Hotel, https://ohalo.com/

Hamat Gader Village Spa

Hamat Geder springs are the ultimate treat for the winter days, the hot spring water reaches 42 degrees year-round. Plenty of water jets and waterfalls for massaging all parts of the body are scattered around. But if you're into pampering yourself, there is an entry option to spend a day at the Spa Village - and that's a real treat! For an extra fee, a golf cart took us directly from the entrance to the village where we received robes, towels, spa slippers and a key to a locker. Inside, upgraded showers awaited us, a coffee and tea corner, and two calm pools with sunbeds into which only adults can enter. For more info: https://hamat-gader.com/

Spa Village, Hamat Gader

Tzel Tamer in Ashdod Ya'akov

One of the best restaurants in the Sea of Galilee is Tsel Tamar. In the summer, people sit here in the garden, and there is also a playground for children. In winter, we enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere and warm soups. The menu is varied and all the dishes are delicious. One of the must-order plates is the hot antipasti that arrives on a long tray for sharing. It includes beets, eggplants, sweet potatoes, roasted cabbage, fried cauliflower, and more. Among the dishes we ate, I would mention the thick hummus that is impressively served with roasted vegetables, a hamburger made to order and a salmon steak in a velvety cream sauce. Everything we ate here was beautifully served and delicious. The portions are large and the prices are reasonable. Instagram: @tzeltamar

Tzel Tamar

Saint Urban Wine Bar in the Scots Hotel

The elegant St. Urban wine bar in the Scots hotel provides an opportunity to taste a variety of Israeli wines (which can be ordered for home delivery, also abroad) accompanied by fine cuisine. The atmosphere here is romantic, the ancient building, soft lighting, white tablecloths and a particularly extensive selection of wines. Occasionally, they hold here events, concept evenings and winemakers' evenings. We attended a night with the female winemaker Mika from Mika Winery and had the privilege of tasting the variety of wines of the young and promising winery. We also had a light meal with the wine and especially enjoyed the roasted kohlrabi plate. Instagram: @sturban_winebar_kinneret

St, Urban Wine Bar

Festival of Tastes in the valleys

Between 1-11.2.23 the culinary winter festival will be held in valleys. The festival will include a variety of activities and tourist attractions for free and at a great discount, and special menus at the restaurants participating in the festival. The opening event will take place in Kibbutz Yifat on 1.2.23. Full information is available at the festival website: https://hafaka-ivrit.co.il/festival-of-flavors. Here are some of the places participating in the festival that I recommend going to.

A trip to Tzipori River

The Tzipori River has been rehabilitated and restored and offers a lovely long boardwalk with beautiful scenery plenty of flora and fauna (we spotted there sea turtles, water birds, nutrias, and more). It is possible to go on foot, cycle, or take 4x4 trips off road. The trip with the 4x4 is particularly comfortable and fun to cover the longer distances and reach some of the viewpoints. These trips can be full of action. We took a trip with "Raizor Nahal Tzipori" to the Horses spring and the Monks' Mill. Both are beautiful places! At the festival, a special discount of NIS 100 per person will be offered for the trip! Instagram: @razor.nahal.zippori

Tzipori

During the walk along Tzipori river promenade, open your eyes you will spot mosaic artwork. This is the community project in which Jews and Arabs participated and created environmental decorations under the guidance of Dalia Grossman. As part of the festival, artisan workshops will be held, including an introduction to creating mosaics. In addition, there will also be lantern tours guided by Irit Gurion from Shevet Ahim, who offer unique accommodation in the village of Tabash, which is an example of Jewish-Arab coexistence.

Tzipori

Makom Hashraa - Alonei Abba

One of the unique places we visited is “Makom Hashraa” – place of inspiration. It is a gallery and a cafe situated in the Templer house at Alonei Abba. The building is so beautiful, that a scene from the movie Exodus with Paul Newman was shot here. The old cistern at the bottom of the house has been renovated and was turned into a romantic cafe with an art shop. The café serves fine dairy and vegan delicacies and hot delicious chai! On the upper floors there are artisan workshops and galleries, most of which are open to the public. You can tour, admire the creative artisans and purchase works of art for the home and gifts. After the visit, set aside a few minutes for the adjacent old Templer church. It is not possible to go inside, but it is beautiful from the outside and its surroundings are well groomed. Info: https://www.makomhashraa.co.il/

Alonei Abba

Temerlin Restaurant at Nahalal - fine Israeli meat

The Temerlin Restaurant recently opened right at the entrance to the air force base in Ramat David. Temerlin is a meat restaurant of local veteran meat breeders and specializes in finely aged Israeli meat. Here you will find souvlaki, empanadas, asado, fillet steak, etc. No dish is similar to another; each one has its own special wealth of flavours. The restaurant has an amazing view of the valley fields and its delicacy sells local produce. A special menu will be served here at the festival. Instagram: @temerlin_nahalal

Temerlin Restaurant

Food cart - Barke

To the left of the entrance to Kibbutz Hazorea there is a line, this is the food cart Barake where they serve fast meat meals. Speed does not come at the expense of quality here! There is asado or bean stew on rice, falafel and schnitzel in pita, and if you come on the right day you will find a variety of warm Kibbeh soups. Instagram: @barake__food_truck