How to Visit Beit Shearim National Park in Israel
Here's everything you need to know about visiting Beit Shearim National Park in Israel. In this travel guide, we share practical information on things to see and do, entrance fee, opening hours, and tips on how to get and when to go.
Beit Shearim, Bet Shearim, or Beit She'arim - no matter which spelling you prefer to use, we would be glad if this place will make it firmly into your bucket list.
We know this national park is not the most famous one, at least among the international travelers.
When creating an Israel itinerary, it is way too easy to skip it, especially if you try to connect the most favorite places in the country and have only a limited amount of time.
Still, when you look at the map, we think it would be too straightforward to travel directly from Caesarea, wonderful ruins from Roman times on the Mediterranean coast to Haifa, home to UNESCO-listed Bahai Gardens, or Akko, known for Knights' Halls.
If you read our blog regularly, you probably already know that taking the most obvious ways is not exactly our thing.
Therefore, we would like to inspire you to visit Beit Shearim National Park.
It is a short detour inland from Road 2, but the fact that you do not need that much time for the park itself is a huge advantage.
We believe there's nothing that should prevent you from visiting the park.
What is Beit Shearim national park known for? First of all, it is the Jewish history that is the most appreciated by locals.
Still, even if you're visiting Israel for the first time and you do not have any knowledge about this topic whatsoever, we are pretty sure you will be blown away by the wonderful tombs scattered around the site, the same way we were.
So without any further ado, here's everything you need to know about Beit Shearim before you go.
History
Beit Shearim literally means the house of gates, possibly because of the gates in the town's wall.
It is not exactly clear how old Beit Shearim is.
It was first mentioned in the 1st century CE by Joseph Flavius, but the remains found scattered in the area suggest the site is even older, probably 2nd century BCE.
From the very beginning, Beit Shearim was an important religious center known for Torah studies, and many Jewish personalities resided here.
One of the most famous ones was Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi.
He also chose Beit Shearim as a resting place, and after his death, the cemetery became sacred, and many noble families wanted to be buried in the tombs close to the rabbi.
Inscriptions on the tombs suggest that even people from Syria, Yemen, or Greece rest here.
The site was destroyed by fire in the 4th century CE, and the glory of Beit Shearim slowly declined.
We do not want to say the place was completely forgotten. Jews still knew that one of their most important rabbis was buried here.
But as the rabbi also lived in Tzipori, where is also located his grandson's grave, the Jewish community often went there to pray.
By the way, Tzipori National Park is one of most interesting places to visit in Israel.
It did not take long, and nature at Beit Shearim took over, and the first excavations that again revealed the beauty started in the 19th century and continue until today.
If Jewish history is what interests you, don't forget to visit also places such as Tiberias or Safed.
What to See and Do
Beit Shearim National Park is located in the lush green area close to Mount Carmel.
The main reason to travel here is not the countryside, but the former necropolis, which contains a large number of tombs and graves, and catacombs.
Walking around Beit Shearim is like walking through Jewish history, so please, behave respectfully and enjoy the visit.
What is there to see and do in Beit Shearim? Let's find out.
Visitors Center
After we parked our car, the road unmistakably led us to the visitors center, where you can buy the tickets.
In our case, we just showed our Israel Pass, but you need to go via the center either way.
There's also a small souvenir shop where you also buy refreshments, which is great, especially if you run out of water.
We grabbed a brochure with a map here for better orientation in the park.
Surprisingly, no movie was available here, unlike in Avdat National Park or Masada.
Cave of the Breach
We decided to go left, as there were only a few points of interest and we did not want to return later.
The first thing we saw was the Cave of the Breach, which is actually quite impressive, although not because of its scale or exceptional beauty.
Above the door, you can see an opening, which grave robbers used throughout the centuries - you can actually see this pattern in the park quite often.
It was much easier to get to the tombs by this weak place than through a stone door.
Then we walked past the Cave of the Sidonian Head of the Jewish Community and the Cave of Yitzhak Zeira, son of Shimon, and then we returned to the main path that led us around the park.
The truth is, we were not that impressed by the first caves we saw, probably because we did not have the historical and religious background.
Believe us, the best is about to come.
The Upper Trail
Once we returned to the starting point, we had two choices. Either take the Lower or Upper Trail, and we opted for the latter.
It is necessary to say that all paths in the national park are well-maintained, but there are a few steps and narrow streets, so we believe only the lower section is suitable for strollers.
We walked around the Mausoleum and then Large and Small cisterns.
These cisterns were important for the water supply, and they were also later important sources for historians as many coins and ceramics from the Byzantine era were found here.
Then we continued, and the next stop was an Unexcavated Cave.
As the name suggests, the cave has not yet been excavated. Therefore, it does not have a name.
The tombs on the upper trail are not that well-maintained yet.
Therefore, we were the most impressed by inscriptions, for example, on the Sarah's Cave or the Lulav Cave.
Textile Merchant Cave
If there's one thing that stands out on the Upper Path, it is the Textile Merchant Cave.
The cave has three chambers, and you can also find inscriptions here that indicate that it belonged to a noble family of textile merchants and dyers.
The Lower Trail
If the park seemed to you until now a bit underwhelming, no worries, we saved the best for the last.
The stairs will lead you to the Cave of the Syrian Jews and the Cave of the Curses, which contains many inscriptions.
One of them actually seems like a threat to grave robbers, saying: "Anyone who opens this burial upon whoever lies inside it shall die an evil end."
Cave of the Steps
Now, we walked to the tombs we had no idea about before our visit.
Honestly, we were not aware that such huge tombs were within the park and that we could enter them.
The Cave of Steps has 12 chambers and many inscriptions.
Cave of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi
One of the largest catacombs in the national park, the Cave of Rabbi Yehuda Hanasi, is spectacular even from the outside, so take your time to appreciate its facade and the courtyard as well.
This was the burial cave of the famous rabbi and, based on the inscriptions, also of his family.
The chambers inside are large and dimly lit, so the atmosphere is very mysterious.
Cave of the Coffins
Probably our favorite cave hides an impressive catacomb that is 75 meters long and 75 meters wide.
Inside is about 135 coffins, some of them decorated with sarcophagi from the animal world.
This cave is absolutely unbelievable, and we spent there probably the majority of our time as we could not comprehend what we saw inside.
The Menorah Cave
When we were driving to the park, we noticed side roads on our left but did not know where they led.
Once we got the map, we learned there are two other parts of the park, although they are not heavily visited.
One part is called the Menorah Caves, a complex of six burial caves that opened not that long time ago, in 2009.
The caves are particularly important because they hide relics, seven-branched menorah, the symbol of the State of Israel.
Because of the significance, it is possible to visit these caves only with a guide, and the reservation must be made ahead.
Alexander Zayid statue
The other, often skipped attraction is located on the Beit Shearim Hill and is called Alexander Zayid Statue.
This bronze statue represents a guardsmen Alexander Zayid overlooking the Jezreel Valley.
If you need to stretch your legs, add this site to your itinerary because the hill offers perfect views of the surrounding area, including the Lower Galilee.
How to Get
Visiting Beit Shearim can be a pleasant half-day trip, same as a relatively short stop to stretch your legs.
It all depends on the mode of transport you choose.
The location close to Haifa is ideal for all independent travelers because public transport works here, and you are not limited by irregular bus schedules.
Regardless of whether you want to visit Beit Shearim on your own or with a local guide, surely do not skip this section.
Car
If you have a car, we would argue there's no reason not to visit Beit Shearim as the road is paved and the detour is really not that long.
Also, driving in Israel is easy.
We traveled from south to north, specifically from Caesarea to Haifa, so we followed Road 2 that leads along the coast.
Once we drove past Zichron Yaakov, we turned right onto Road 67 which later merged with road number 70.
We followed this road for a while, and soon, we started to see quite frequently brown tourist road signs that navigated us to the park.
We just needed to get to the other direction on the road 70 and turn right onto 77, which finally got us to park's gate.
Here you can find the best deals on rental cars in Israel.
Parking
There's quite a large parking lot by the entrance to Beit Shearim National Park, one of the reasons is that there's also a popular picnic area.
Parking at Beit Shearim is free.
Public Transport
Fortunately, you do not need to rent a car to get to Beit Shearim National Park.
Thanks to the fact the park is only about 23 kilometers from Haifa, the best option is to take a bus from there as the city is the area's transportation hub.
In Haifa, go to the Haifa-Merkazit HaMifratz bus terminal, and here look for a bus stand from where leaves the Nateev Express 301 Bus.
The bus leaves about twice an hour, costs 14 NIS, and the journey takes 30 minutes.
Tell the bus driver your drop-off point specifically.
There's a junction where you can get off the bus, about 700 meters from the park's entrance.
For more information, read our guide on how to get around Israel.
Tour
Although a UNESCO site, Beit Shearim is not the most classic stop that tour agents would include in their itineraries.
After all, the whole area offers so much to see that it is hard to stand out.
If you do not have a car, public transport is not your thing, or you simply want to travel in a group of same-minded people or prefer having a knowledgeable guide, take a tour.
Your best bet is to ask around, for example, in Haifa, Tel Aviv, or Jerusalem.
Or check out this Off the Beaten Path Galilee Tour from Haifa that visits some of the best, yet not that famous places.
Opening Hours
Beit Shearim National Park is one of those places that are open seven days a week, which is perfect information for those of you looking for a program on Shabbat.
Although the visit will only hardly take you the whole day, it is still an option, and you can combine it with visiting Caesarea or Haifa.
In the summer season, Beit Shearim is open between 8 AM and 5 PM from Saturday to Thursday, and it closes one hour earlier on Fridays.
In the winter season, the park is open from Saturday to Thursday from 8 AM to 4 PM, and on Fridays, the park again closes an hour earlier.
It is better to check with the park on holidays, but usually, even on Yom Kippur, the opening hours are between 8 AM and 1 PM.
Entrance Fee
We found visiting the Beit Shearim necropolis a bit pricey, but this is simply something that most of Israel's top attractions have in common.
On the other hand, we never later regretted paying the entrance fee as it was always worth it.
It is always better to make a reservation for your visit via the official website, but we never had a problem even without the booking.
However, this can be different on the most exposed days and holidays and in the summer season.
Beit Shearim entrance fee is 22 NIS for an adult and 9 NIS for kids.
You can use your Israel Pass here, a neat little thing that will save you a lot of money, especially if you plan to visit many national parks in the country.
Given the fact that almost every single attraction has its own national park, we can tell you that purchasing Israel Pass is worth it, especially if you travel around Israel on a budget.
For illustration, all popular places such as Ein Gedi, Coral Beach, or Beit Shean accept this pass.
When is the Best Time to Visit
It is possible to visit Beit Shearim year-round, which is great because you do not have to plan this trip that much in advance.
Basically, the only thing you need to do is to wear proper clothing depending on the season.
In general, the best time to visit Beit Shearim National Park is between March and May and then September and mid-November.
These months represent the shoulder season, the weather is usually mild, without that much rain, and in general, you'll have a great time in Israel during this period.
It's usually the best time to visit Israel in general.
Summer, between June and August, can be scorching hot in Israel.
The advantage of visiting Beit Shearim during this time is that you can cool down when exploring one of the tombs.
Winter is often an overlooked period, and although it can be a bit rainy, especially in January, temperatures are not that low.
We believe the best advantage is getting a chance to explore the place without crowds.
We noticed that Beit Shearim National Park is a popular place for couple photo shootings (especially weddings), but it is probably hard to avoid them.
As usual, we would plan your visit for either the early morning or then later in the afternoon, and for the reason mentioned above, try to avoid weekends and holidays.
Is Beit Shearim Safe to Visit?
Beit Shearim is a safe place to visit. Here you will find more tips on staying safe in Israel.
Travel Insurance
We never leave home without travel insurance that was designed to cover our expenses if something goes wrong during the trip.
Travel insurance protects against theft, flight delays, injury, illness, cancellations, and much more.
World Nomads provides travel insurance for travelers to cover their trip essentials, including sports and adventure activities.
SafetyWing is affordable travel insurance for backpackers, long-term travelers, and digital nomads.
Travel smarter and safer!
What to Wear
Visiting Beit Shearim does not require any super strict dress code, unlike holy places such as the Dome of the Rock and the Western Wall in Jerusalem.
Still, you should keep in mind that this park is a sacred place for Jews, so make sure to (at least) cover your knees and shoulders.
The parking lot is very close to the entrance gate, so you can always return and change if necessary.
Make sure your daypack contains a long-sleeved t-shirt (it can be cold in tombs), a water bottle and a camera.
Also, don't forget to wear comfortable sneakers.
There's a small onsite store where you can buy a refreshment, a hat if you forgot one, or some souvenirs for your family.
Is It Worth It to Visit Beit Shearim
Beit Shearim is a rather small, lovely national park that offers a unique combination of history, architectural beauty and nature.
We have already mentioned that it is not hard nor time-consuming to visit the park when you travel between Caesarea and Haifa.
If you have at least two hours available, we would recommend including this park in your travel itinerary.
On the other hand, if your Israel travel schedule is packed and you have, for example, only one week for the entire country, nothing will happen if you skip this park.
Of course, it will be a completely different story if you have a special reason and want to pay respect to Israeli rabbis who shaped history and religion.
As we like to balance the well-known places with off-the-beaten-path gems, we were glad we discovered Beit Shearim National Park.
It was one of those places that showed us once again how diverse Israel is.
Where to Stay
One of the pros of visiting Beit Shearim National Park is that the site is well-connected with other top attractions in the area.
Therefore, you can choose your hotel depending on your travel schedule.
Because of the relatively short driving distances, it's not hard to travel to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem or Akko after visiting this national park as well.
As we were leaving Beit Shearim around 4 PM and did not want to travel far after dark, we opted for Haifa.
You can also decide to stay in one of the villas that are nearby the national park, book a hotel room close to Caesarea, or if looking for something more upscale, check out your options in Zichron Yaakov, famous for its wineries.
As you can see, there are many options you can choose from.
Here's our list of the best places to stay near Beit Shearim.
Beit Shearim | Villa Tivon - Only about three kilometers from the tombs is this lovely villa surrounded by greenery. It even has its own pool, which you will surely appreciate during the summer. Hosts are super-friendly, and if this property is available during your travel dates, we think it is worth it to make a reservation here.
Haifa | The Colony Hotel - Haifa offers many accommodation options, and this hotel, situated in the traditional German Colony, is one of the best in the city. It belongs to the mid-range category and offers a perfect price/quality ratio.
Caesarea | Dan Caesarea Resort - A perfect place overlooking the sea comes with a higher price, but on the other hand, if your budget for an Israel trip is higher, you will hardly find a better service and more beautifully designed rooms.
Zichron Yaakov | Hotel Beit Maimon - This small town has been very trendy lately, and that's why it is worth it to stay here for a day or two, just to unwind. And this hotel that is famous for its relaxing atmosphere will help you with that mission easily.
Travel Resources
Here you can find links to all the travel resources we use and which you might find helpful when planning your next holiday.
Accommodation: When looking for accommodation, we usually search hotels via Booking.com or Hostelworld.
Tours: Although we love to travel independently, some places are better to visit with a guided tour.
We prefer GetYourGuide for its easy-to-use interface and solid reputation. Another great alternative is Viator.
Rental Cars: When going on a road trip, we always use Rentalcars.com, a reliable site for booking a rental car in advance.
Flight Tickets: When looking for flight tickets, you can search Skyscanner to find the best price.
Travel Insurance: World Nomads and SafetyWing cover against risks of travel.
