Hisham’s Palace

Palestinian Territories

　　A short drive north of Tel Al Sultan, this is a spot not to be missed. The sprawling winter hunting retreat of Caliph Hisham Ibn Abd al Malik must have been magnificent on its creation in the 8th century, with its baths, mosaic floors and pillars – so much so...

Mar Saba Monastery

Palestinian Territories

　　A must-see on any journey through the Holy Land is Mar Saba Monastery, a bleak and beautiful 20km drive east of Bethlehem (beyond Beit Sahour). 　　Women must view the phenomenal cliff-clinging copper-domed hermitage, founded in 439 CE, from the opposite slope, but men are permitted inside, where tours are available...

Bahrain Fort & Museum

Bahrain

　　A 10-minute drive west of Manama, on an ancient tell (mound created by centuries of urban rebuilding), the majestic Bahrain Fort stares out across the Gulf. Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, it is part of the Unesco World Heritage site believed to have been the capital of...

A'Ali Royal Burial Mounds

Bahrain

　　There are more than 100,000 Dilmun-era burial mounds scattered across Bahrain, but none come close to the magnificence of these. That A'Ali was an important place in antiquity is evident from the 17 royal mounds constructed nearly 4000 years ago, the most impressive of which is royal mound 8. At...

Riffa Fort

Bahrain

　　The completely restored Riffa Fort was built in 1812 by Sheikh Salman Bin Ahmad Al Fatih, the 19th-century ruler of Bahrain. A classic piece of Bahraini fortification, it now boasts a small museum with raised walkways leading through a series of interactive spaces that really enhance the visitor experience. A...

Beit Sheikh Isa Bin Ali Al Khalifa

Bahrain

　　Offering a fascinating look at pre-oil life in Bahrain, this building was constructed around 1800 and is one of the finest examples of a traditional house anywhere in the Gulf. The chief sitting room downstairs was kept cool in summer by the down draft from the badqeer (wind tower), the...

Al Mina

Lebanon

　　An enticing blend of tradition and modernity, the web of narrow streets of Tripoli's port quarter makes for wonderful strolling. The Phoenician city stood here; these days quiet neighbourhood lanes hold both venerable coffeehouses and a string of modern boutiques and bars. The population is principally a blend of Orthodox...

Main Square

Lebanon

　　The main square is a showcase of fine Arab architecture, including the Mosque of Emir Fakhreddine Maan, built in 1493, and, behind it, a cobbler's souq housing touristy shops. Above and behind the souq is a beautiful silk khan built in 1595 that now houses a cultural centre. Nearby are...

Al Bass Archaeological Site

Lebanon

　　This sprawling site lies 2km east of the centre, entered off the highway. Just past the entrance is a vast funerary complex, with hundreds of ornate sarcophagi and tombs, several still filled with bones. Next to it, a well-preserved Roman road stretches through an impressive 20m-high monumental archway, probably dating...

Shouf Biosphere Reserve

Lebanon

　　The largest of Lebanon’s three natural protectorates, comprising an incredible 5% of the total land area, this is the largest natural cedar reserve in the country and has more than 250km of hiking trails. It's wonderful to see these beautiful trees in their natural environment, and the cool mountain climate...

Baalbek Ruins

Lebanon

　　Dominating the centre of modern Baalbek, this wonderful Roman temple complex is one of the Middle East's major archaeological highlights. The monumental Temple of Jupiter impresses by its sheer scale, while the adjacent Temple of Bacchus is astoundingly well preserved, with exquisite carved decoration. A museum in a tunnel under...

Temple of Bacchus

Lebanon

　　Baalbek's Temple of Bacchus is often described as the most beautifully decorated temple in the Roman world, and it's certainly one of the best preserved. The portico has eight columns along the facade and 15 along the sides, supporting a rich entablature and an exterior ceiling of curved stone that...

Al Ula Viewpoint

Saudi Arabia

　　The views as you wind your way up to this gem of a spot offer glimpses of what's to come. At the top, the road plateaus through a windswept, lunar landscape of black basalt rock, before arriving at a sad-looking park with a precarious fence at its edge. Suddenly the...

Empty Quarter

Saudi Arabia

　　The 'Abode of Silence', or the Empty Quarter, covers almost 655,000 sq km and evokes all that was romantic and forbidden for European adventurers, such as British explorer Wilfred Thesiger who famously crossed it. The Bedouin simply call it 'the sands', and its dunes, which can reach up to 300m...

Pearl Merchants' Neighbourhood

Saudi Arabia

　　Staring at the mesmerising geometric and floral designs of the carved patterns that adorn the houses and arched gateways of Farasan's former pearl merchants, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in the midst of Andalusian or Mughal ruins. The best preserved house is the stunning Rifai house, built...

Jubbah Rock Carvings

Saudi Arabia

　　This is arguably the Kingdom's premier pre-Islamic site and open-air art gallery. Covering an area measuring 39 sq km are some of the most impressive petroglyphs (rock carvings) you are likely to ever see. The finest carvings date from around 5500 BC, when much of this area was an inland...

Al Masjid Al Haram

Saudi Arabia

　　The focal point for every Muslim and the biggest mosque in the world, Al Masjid Al Haram is able to host a million worshippers and covers an area of 356,800 sq metres. At its epicentre is the Holy Kaaba, covered in black and gold cloth, around which Muslims can be...

Prophet’s Mosque

Saudi Arabia

　　One of only two mosques in the world that can accommodate a million people, the Prophet’s Mosque holds deep significance for Muslims all over the world. It is said to have been built by the Prophet himself in AD 622 and not only encompasses his final resting place (alongside the...

Al Amari Mosque

Lower Galilee

　　With its black basalt walls, white dome and striped minaret, this mosque looks a bit lost in the courtyard of a modern commercial centre. Built by Daher Al Omar in 1743, it has not been in use since Tiberias’ Arab minority was evacuated by the British in April 1948. ...

Tomb of Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai

Lower Galilee

　　Rabbi Yohanan ben Zakkai, Judaism's most eminent 1st-century sage, played a central role in replacing animal sacrifices – the raison d'être of the Temple in Jerusalem, destroyed in 70 CE – with prayer. His grave site is a just few metres down the hill from the grave of Cordova-born sage...

Church & Monastery of the Apostles

Lower Galilee

　　From the serene, flowery courtyard, steps lead down to a Greek Orthodox church, its air of mystery enhanced by gilded icons, brass lamps and elaborately carved wood. The three chapels are dedicated to the 12 disciples, Sts Peter and Paul, and Mary Magdalene. To see if a monk is available...

Tomb of Rabbi Akiva

Lower Galilee

　　Rabbi Akiva, a leading Mishnaic sage (and teacher of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess), played a major role in establishing rabbinic (ie post–Second Temple) Judaism. He was tortured to death by the Romans because of his support for the Bar Kochba Revolt – indeed, his enthusiasm for resistance to the Romans...

Hamat Tveriya National Park

Lower Galilee

　　Back in Roman times, the fame of Tiberias’ hot springs was such that in 110 CE the Emperor Trajan struck a coin dedicated to them – it depicted Hygeia (from which the word 'hygiene' is derived), the goddess of health, sitting on a rock and enjoying the waters. Today, the...

St Peter’s Church

Lower Galilee

　　This rare Crusader church – administered by Koinonia Giovanni Battista, a Catholic community based in Italy – has a peaceful, grapevine-shaded courtyard and a ceiling shaped like an upturned boat, a nod to Peter, a Sea of Galilee fisherman. The interior paintings of Jesus on the Sea of Galilee date...

Tomb of the Rambam

Lower Galilee

　　Rabbi Moshe Ben Maimon (1135–1204) – better known by his acronym, the Rambam – was a Cordova-born polymath famous for his rationalist approach to religion and life (he was fond of quoting Aristotle). The site where he is believed to be buried was refurbished, and had a shade roof added,...

Tomb of Rabbi Meir Ba’al HaNess

Lower Galilee

　　A complex of religious buildings has grown around the reputed burial place of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNess, a 2nd-century sage often cited in the Mishnah (ba'al ha-ness means 'master of miracles'). The tomb itself, with separate, curtained entrances for men and women, is inside a domed Sephardi synagogue, situated just...

Khan Ash Shawarda

North Coast

　　This broad, square former caravanserai, built over a Crusader-era convent in the 18th century, has been beautifully restored and now shelters a number of restaurants. It's an excellent place to grab a coffee beneath historic stone vaults. ...

Hammam Al Pasha

North Coast

　　Built in 1780 by Al Jazzar and in use until the 1940s, this richly ornamented marble and tile hammam now plays host to a 30-minute multimedia show about its last bathhouse attendant, sprinkled with insights into daily life in Ottoman Akko. The show is cheesy but raises a wry smile,...

Templars' Tunnel

North Coast

　　This extraordinary underground passageway, 350m long, was built by the Knights Templar (a Christian military order) to connect their main fortress, just north of the black-and-white-striped lighthouse at old Akko's southwestern tip, with the marina (Khan Al Umdan). It was discovered by accident in 1994. 　　You can enter at either...

Baha’i Gardens

North Coast

　　While they don’t match the scale of Haifa's strikingly steep Baha’i Gardens, these formal gardens are utterly picturesque, with meticulously tended flower beds, fountains and lawns trimmed with microscope accuracy. The gardens surround the Shrine of Baha’ullah, where the founder of the Baha’i faith was interred. 　　Akko’s main Baha’i sites...

City Walls

North Coast

　　Fortified, wrecked and refortified by Muslims, Crusaders and Mamluks, old Akko is encircled by a sea wall to the west, south and southeast, and by ramparts (that you can walk on). A dry moat was dug to the north and northeast, mainly between 1750 and 1840. 　　In the old city's...

Souq Al Abiad

North Coast

　　The original Ottoman-era market on this spot was burned down within a year of being built; local legends blame a careless hookah smoker for the blaze. The market was hurriedly rebuilt and it brims with stalls to this day. Sugar cane is squeezed into juice, sacks of saffron seem full...

Al Jazzar Mosque

North Coast

　　The graceful silhouette of the green-domed Al Jazzar Mosque, with its slender, 124-stair minaret, dominates the northern end of Akko's old city. Al Jazzar himself designed the mosque in classic Ottoman Turkish style, and oversaw its construction in 1781. Inside are beautifully restored marble minbar (pulpit) and ornate mihrab (Mecca-facing...

Knights' Halls

North Coast

　　Akko's crowning attractions are the stone-vaulted Knights' Halls. Wandering these echoing chambers gives captivating insights into the medieval knights who once patrolled, dined and prayed here. An audio guide (included in the ticket price) evokes the sounds and smells of life in the citadel, built 800 years ago by the...

Village Beach

Eilat

　　Situated just north of Coral Beach, this section of South Beach has free umbrellas, clean water for snorkelling and a bar hosting loud parties during summer. ...

Eilat Museum

Eilat

　　Tells the fascinating history of Israel's Red Sea outpost. Exhibits cover the capture of Eilat in 1949 and include some great photos of the city's pioneers in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Shows several films, most in English. ...

Botanical Garden of Eilat

Eilat

　　Planted with more than 1000 different types of tropical trees, plants and bushes from around the world, this lovely, privately run botanical garden (it began as a plant nursery) features a stream, waterfalls, walking tracks and – a lush surprise in this arid landscape – a misty rainforest. A taxi...

Dolphin Reef Eilat

Eilat

　　This privately run beach is famous for its abundant shade trees, free-range peacocks and resident pod of semi-wild bottlenose dolphins. Originally from the Black Sea, the dolphins can be observed from floating piers – great for lounging – and may sidle up to check you out during a guided snorkelling...

North Beach

Eilat

　　Pebbly North Beach and its promenade are often very crowded – for some people, that's one of the main draws. This is by far the most popular place in Eilat to see and be seen. The promenade's restaurants, cafes and bars are another enticement and ensure that the area is...

Underwater Observatory Marine Park

Eilat

　　The stand-out feature of this aquarium complex, hugely popular with families, is the observatory, which takes you 12m below the surface of the Red Sea into the living reef for a scuba diver's view of the fish and corals. Other highlights include Shark World, a 7m-deep tank that's home to...

International Birding & Research Center in Eilat

Eilat

　　Hundreds of millions of migrating birds pass through Eilat twice a year as they fly between Europe and Africa. The best place to spot them is this lakeside centre, situated 6km northeast of town; from the Yitzhak Rabin–Wadi Araba Border Crossing, go south for 400m (follow the signs). The staff...

Coral Beach Nature Reserve

Eilat

　　The crystal-clear waters of this 1km-long reserve are the best place on the Israeli Red Sea coast for snorkelling. Access to the reef wall is by two wooden footbridges and one swim lane; snorkelling areas are marked off by buoys. Snorkelling kit can be rented for 23NIS (100NIS deposit). For...

Indego by Vineet

United Arab Emirates

　　India's first Michelin-starred chef, Vineet Bhatia, is the menu maven at this gorgeous, intimate dining room lorded over by big brass Natraj sculptures. Dishes straddle the line between tradition and innovation; in the former category, the butter chicken and rasmalai (cardamom-spiced creamy dessert) are particularly outstanding. ...

Al Fanar

United Arab Emirates

　　Al Fanar lays on the old-timey Emirati theme pretty thick with a Land Rover parked outside, a reed ceiling and waiters dressed in traditional garb. Give your taste buds a workout with such local classics as machboos (spicy casserole with rice), saloona (tomato-based stew) or harees (a porridge-like dish with...

3 Fils

United Arab Emirates

　　Singaporean chef Akmal Anuar turns out innovative yet unpretentious Asian-influenced small plates at this tiny, unlicensed spot – a perfect foil to Dubai's expensive, overblown eateries. There are around 25 seats inside and a pint-sized kitchen in the corner, but try to nab one of the outside tables overlooking the...