Things to do in Nazareth
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Nazareth
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Spring is best all round, with highs of 22 to 28 C, green hills and the Jesus Trail in flower, plus Easter crowds.
Summer is hot and dry at 30 to 32 C, so sightsee early and treat exposed hikes as serious heat undertakings.
Autumn is the second best season, with heat breaking through October and first rains making lanes and cliff paths slippery.
Winter is cool, wet and quiet at 16 to 18 C, except for the Christmas crowds in late December.
What's on
- Christmas in Nazareth late December, Christmas Eve parade and midnight mass
A giant tree in Mary's Well Square, a Christmas market and concerts draw crowds from across Israel, so book months ahead.
- Easter and Holy Week dates vary, Catholic and Orthodox calendars differ
Good Friday processions and Easter services fill the basilica quarter, and split calendars can mean two Holy Weeks.
- Ramadan dates move with the lunar calendar
Many cafes close by day and the Old City comes alive after sunset, ending with Eid al-Fitr celebrations and closures.
Best things to do in Nazareth
Basilica of the Annunciation
The largest church in the Middle East, built over the Grotto of the Annunciation, best seen at opening before tour groups peak.
St. Joseph's Church
A calm 1914 Franciscan church over the traditional site of Joseph's workshop, steps from the basilica and far quieter.
Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation
The Orthodox Annunciation church over an underground spring, with frescoes and running water in the crypt.
Mary's Well
The stone wellhouse fed by the Annunciation spring, a five minute stop that anchors the Mary's Well end of the Old City.
Synagogue Church
A small Crusader era church in the souq on the traditional site of the synagogue where Jesus preached.
Nazareth Village
A recreated first century village with costumed guides, an olive press and a replica synagogue on an ancient farm terrace.
Nazareth Old City Market
A working Arabic souq of spices, coffee, textiles and tailors in steep lanes below the basilica, trading since the 1600s.
White Mosque
The oldest mosque in Nazareth, an Ottoman era building with a pencil minaret and small museum in the market quarter.
Where to stay in Nazareth
Old City
walking, food and atmosphere
Steps from the basilica, souq and guesthouses, accepting steep lanes, scarce parking and early quiet evenings.
Paulus VI Street and City Centre
balanced mid range base
Walkable to the basilica with modern hotels, parking and the city's main restaurants on the doorstep.
Nazareth Ridge by Nof HaGalil
facilities, pools and parking
Top end hotels with pools and spas above the city, accepting a drive or taxi to every sight.
Best restaurants in Nazareth
Diana Restaurant
Nazareth's most celebrated traditional restaurant, famed for hand chopped kebabs, salad spreads and grilled meats.
Tishreen
A stylish restaurant in an 1868 stone building mixing Galilean Arab dishes with Mediterranean and European touches.
Luna Bistro
A polished bistro for refined Arab and Mediterranean plates, seasonal salads and grilled mains, popular with local families.
Alreda
Traditional meze, mujaddara and grills in a restored Old City mansion courtyard, the prettiest dining setting in the souq quarter.
Bayat Restaurant
A dependable all day restaurant on Al-Bishara street for hummus breakfasts, salads, grills and daily dishes.
Dewan al-Saraya Restaurant
Abu Ashraf's tiny Old City restaurant famous for hummus, falafel, tea and kataef pancakes cooked to order.
Khazen Restaurant
A no frills local spot praised for hummus, falafel and shakshuka at local prices, and a residents' breakfast favourite.
Imad Humus Restaurant
A hummus specialist serving fresh pita, olives, pickles and falafel alongside the bowls, best visited at lunch.
Outdoor things to do in Nazareth
Mount Precipice
The cliff lookout south of the city with the definitive panorama over Nazareth, the Jezreel Valley and Mount Tabor.
Jesus Trail
A 65 km marked hike from Nazareth to Capernaum via Zippori, Cana and Mount Arbel, best walked in spring or autumn.
Zippori National Park
The Roman city of Sepphoris near Nazareth, with a theatre, paved streets and some of Israel's finest mosaics.
Mount Tabor
The domed Transfiguration mountain east of Nazareth, hiked or driven, with summit churches and Jezreel Valley views.
Megiddo National Park
A UNESCO listed mound of layered ancient cities, famous as Armageddon, with a walk through ancient water system.
Arbel National Park and Nature Reserve
Sheer cliffs above the Sea of Galilee with a cable assisted descent past cliff dwellings and the classic lake view.
Capernaum National Park
The lakeside ministry base of Jesus, with a limestone synagogue, the House of Peter and the Sea of Galilee shoreline.
Best hotels in Nazareth
Ramada by Wyndham Nazareth
The city's closest thing to a full service upscale hotel, with indoor pool and spa on the ridge by Nof HaGalil.
Golden Crown Hotel
A large hillside hotel above the Old City with an outdoor pool, spa and views down to the basilica.
Legacy Hotel Nazareth
A modern mid range hotel walkable to the basilica and souq, with parking and reliably professional service.
Michel House
A small family guesthouse in the Old City with a rooftop terrace, generous breakfast and hosts who orient you on foot.
Fauzi Azar by Abraham
A 200 year old Arab mansion turned guesthouse in the Old City, the social hub that founded the Jesus Trail.
Sisters of Nazareth Convent
Simple, quiet convent rooms moments from the basilica, with a roof terrace and the calmest budget sleep in the Old City.
Is Nazareth expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₪280 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₪550 a person |
| Splurge | ₪1,100 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Nazareth Village: a few days ahead
- Jesus Trail: weeks ahead
- Ramada by Wyndham Nazareth: weeks ahead
- Golden Crown Hotel: weeks ahead
- Diana Restaurant: a few days ahead
- Tishreen: a few days ahead
- Book rooms for Christmas week and Easter by months, as both fill the city.
- Book Nazareth Village tour slots and any private Galilee guide by days to weeks in normal seasons.
- Reserve Diana and Tishreen on weekends, even if only on the same day.
Is Nazareth safe?
- Rocket alerts, airspace closures and road closures are realistic disruptions in northern Israel, so register with your embassy and keep alert apps on.
- Old City lanes empty early and are poorly lit, so plan evening walks on lit main streets and keep normal city awareness in souq crowds.
Nazareth travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Tour group buffet restaurants by the basilica car parks are the worst value in the city, so walk five minutes into the souq lanes instead.
- Souvenir shops nearest the basilica charge the highest prices, so compare deeper in the market first.
- Do not attempt the Arbel cliff descent or the full Jesus Trail in summer midday heat.
Getting around Nazareth: public transport and more
- Walk the Old City and navigate by the basilica dome and Mary's Well Square, as lanes are steep, stepped and often unsigned.
- Park once in a signed lot and walk, as driving in Nazareth means narrow one way lanes, double parking and almost no parking by the basilica.
- There is no train station in Nazareth, so use buses to Haifa, Akko and Tiberias or taxis, and agree taxi fares before setting off.
Who Nazareth suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Good |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Nazareth your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App Store