Visitor’s Information

• Travel and Accommodation
• You may find useful
  • At the Airport
  • Israel Overview
  • Israeli Week
  • Weather
  • Currency
  • Electricity
  • Israeli Breakfast
  • Tourism in Israel
  • Emergency

City of Haifa and the Technion

Haifa is the largest city in Northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 266,300. Haifa has a mixed population of Jews and Arabs. It is also home to the Bahá’í World Centre, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. read more

Haifa is home to two internationally acclaimed universities and several colleges: The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology, described as Israel’s MIT, was founded in 1924. It has 18 faculties and 42 research institutes. The original building now houses Haifa’s science museum. The first technological high school in Israel, Basmat, was established in Haifa in 1933. The University of Haifa, founded in 1963, is at the top of Mt. Carmel. The campus was designed by the architect of Brasilia and United Nations Headquarters in New York, Oscar Niemeyer.

More on Haifa’s Uniqueness in “The Haifa Project” (courtesy of Guy Shachar).

• Haifa_Guy

Food & Drink: click here
Shopping Centers in Haifa:
Panorama Center – a small center close to Hotel Nof.
The Grand Canyon – a large shopping center, a taxi ride will cost approximately 15$ from Hotel Nof.

The Technion – Israel Institute of Technology In operation since 1924, the Technion is the oldest university in Israel. Since its founding, the institute has educated three generations of men and women who have played a key role in laying the country’s infrastructure and establishing its crucial industries. Read more on the Technion website. for fast facts on the Technoin click this link.

The Center for City and Regional Studies is both a research center and a Think-Tank. It is affiliated with the Graduate Program for Urban and Regional Planning in the Faculty of Architecture and Town Planning at the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology. The center was established in 1969 by the late Professor Moshe (Morris) Hill, and was the first of its kind in Israel. read more

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Travel

Workshop travel agent

Participants whose travel expenses are reimbursed by the workshop budget are kindly requested to make their flight reservations through the workshop travel agent:

RONIT GRAIVER
B. D. GRAIVER LTD
37 TRUMPELDOR ST
HAIFA ISRAEL
RONITG@BD-GRAIVER.CO.IL
TEL  +972-48321541,   +972-8324417/8
http:www.graiver.co.il

Other participants are welcome to use her  services as well.
Hotel reservations and other services can also be booked through the workshop travel agent.

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Accommodations

Accommodation in Haifa

Hotel reservations in Hotel Nof in Haifa are made for all the international participants, for four nights, between Jan 10 – Jan 13 (including). In case you wish to arrive earlier or check out later than these dates (for examples participants who intend to take the post-workshop tour to Tel Aviv- Jaffa on Jan 15), please notify us so we can make the appropriate reservations. Please note that an additional night in Hotel Nof in Haifa costs approximately 90 USD for a single room, or 105 USD for a double room.

The post-workshop tour to Tel Aviv – Jaffa will leave on the morning of Jan 15 from Hotel Nof.

Israeli participants who may want to spend those nights in the nice Technion guest house are kindly requested to let us know as early as possible.

Hotel Nof is located in the upper part of Haifa known as Carmel Center. It has a spectacular view of Haifa, the mediterranean coast and northen Israel.

Points of interest in the hotel’s vicinity (show on map):

Louis Promenade
Bahai shrine and terraces. Special information on visiting the terraces can be found at: http://terraces.bahai.org/visiting.en.html
Manne Katz Museum
Carmel Center shopping strip
Gan haem Garden
Rapoport Auditorium and Community Center

Restaurants in the hotel’s vicinity:

Israeli participants who may want to spend those nights in the nice Technion guest house are kindly requested to let us know as early as possible.

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Accommodation in Tel Aviv

A sample of hotels in Tel Aviv (price may change):

Reservations can be made by the workshop travel agent.
More information on accommodation in Tel Aviv:
InIsrael accommodation in Tel Aviv
Ministry of Tourism accommodation links

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You May Find Useful

• At the Airport
• Israel Overview
• Israeli Week
• Weather
• Currency
• Electricity
• Israeli Breakfast
• Tourism in Israel
• Emergency

At The Airport

Arrival and Departure: Most International flights arrive or depart from Ben Gurion International Airport (http://www.iaa.gov.il/Rashat/en-US/Airports/BenGurion/). It is located at the outskirts of metropolitan Tel Aviv, about 30km (~20 miles) south-east of Tel Aviv city center and about 110km (~70 miles) south of Haifa (the workshop venue).

A ride between Ben Gurion Airport and Haifa should last about an hour to an hour and a half. A ride between Tel Aviv and Ben Gurion Airport should last about half an hour to 45 minutes.

Traveling from the Ben Gurion Airport  to Hotel Nof in Haifa

1. At the exit, on the left side, take TAXI AMAL Service to HAIFA, (about 60 ILS) to Hotel Nof, which is located on Mount Carmel, 101 Hanassi Boulevard, Haifa. Please note that this transport serves up to 10 passengers per vehicle, and will leave the airport upon filling the cabin, so you may experience some wait time until departure. This service takes each passenger to his/her own destination, thus possibly prolonging the trip in Haifa itself.
2. Or, proceed to the airport train station and take the train to the Hof Hacarmel Station in Haifa (35 ILS). Information on schedules and fares can be found at: http://www.israrail.org.il/english/index.html, orhttp://www.rail.co.il/EN/Pages/HomePage.aspx (beta site). There is no need to purchase a train ticket in advance, but please leave enough time to purchase tickets at the vendor or the automatic machines. From there, take a taxi(about 40 shekels) to: Hotel Nof, 101, Hanassi Boulevard, Haifa. Please note that due to public transportation adherence to Shabbat observance, there is no public transport (including trains) between Friday at approximately 13:00 and Saturday at approximately 18:00.
3. Or, take a taxi directly from the airport to the hotel – Hotel Nof, which is located on Mount Carmel, 101, Hanassi Boulevard, Haifa, costing a minimum of 300-400 ILS. On Shabbat (between Friday at approximately 13:00 and Saturday at approximately 18:00) the price may be higher.
4. Taxis (options 1 and 3) operate continuously regardless of Shabbat.
5. The Israeli workweek begins on Sunday, hence rush hour is especially heavy on sundays between 07:00 and 09:00.Please allow enough spare time for traveling to the airport and/or purchasing a train ticket if you are leaving on Sunday morning.

The following lines in Hebrew indicating your destination in Haifa may be useful to you when you arrive in Israel:

 You may need the following text at the airport:

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Israel Overview

Israel is located at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, with a population of 7.5 million. Despite its small size, Israel is home to a variety of geographic features, from the Negev desert in the south to the mountain ranges of the Carmel, Galilee, and the Golan in the north. About 75% of the Israeli citizens are Jewish, 20% Arabs (mostly Muslims but also Christians and Druze) and 5% are “others”. The Israeli Coastal Plain on the shores of the Mediterranean is home to seventy percent of the nation’s population. Israel’s capital is Jerusalem. Israel has two official languages, Hebrew and Arabic.

 Map Of Israel

Israeli Week

The Israeli work week begins on Sunday, and lasts through Friday before sundown. Saturday (Shabbat) is the official day of rest in Israel, when governmental agencies do not work, nor do public transportation, other public services and shops. Restaurants, bars and emergency facilities run throughout the week. Friday is the holy day for Muslims. Rush hour is especially heavy on sundays between 07:00 and 09:00.

Weather

Israel enjoys long, warm, dry summers (April-October) and generally mild winters (November-March) with somewhat drier, cooler weather in hilly regions, such as Jerusalem and Safed. Rainfall is relatively heavy in the north and center of the country, with much less in the northern Negev and almost negligible amounts in the southern areas. Regional conditions vary considerably, with humid summers and mild winters on the coast; dry summers and moderately cold winters in the hill regions; hot dry summers and pleasant winters in the Jordan Valley; and year-round semi-desert conditions in the Negev.

Our Workshop will take place in the summer. June temperatures average between 20-29 °C (68-84 °F) in Haifa and Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, with no rainfall. To find out the weather in Israel now, visit this link. For a table of average annual temperatures, click here.

Currency

The Israeli currency is ILS (New Israeli Shekel). All major currencies are exchangeable in Israel. All major credit cards are usually acceptable in shops, restaurants etc. (not in public transportation or by taxi drivers). For exchange rates seehttp://finance.yahoo.com/currency/convert?amt=1&from=USD&to=ILS&submit=Convert. More information regarding Israeli currency can be found at Ministry of Tourism – Money and Currency.

Electricity

The electric current in Israel is 220 volts AC, single phase, 50 Hertz. Most Israeli sockets are of the three-pronged variety but many can accept some European two-pronged plugs as well. Electric shavers, traveling irons and other small appliances may require adapters and/or transformers, which can be purchased in Israel.

Israeli Breakfast

In an “Israeli breakfast” you will mostly find coffee, orange juice, fresh vegetables salad, goat/dairy cream cheese, fresh bread or toast, olives, butter and fried eggs of your choice. read more

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Tourism In Israel

Workshop Travel Agent

RONIT GRAIVER
B. D. GRAIVER LTD
37 TRUMPELDOR ST
HAIFA ISRAEL
RONITG@BD-GRAIVER.CO.IL
TEL  +972-48321541,   +972-8324417/8
http:www.graiver.co.il

General

Israeli Ministry of Tourism
Israeli Ministry of Tourism – Suggested itineraries

Tel Aviv-Jaffa

General – http://www.visit-tlv.com/
Sightseeing – http://www.visit-tlv.com/?CategoryID=190
Tours – Fascinating free guided walking tours of Tel Aviv-Jaffa are available in English, all year around (except Yom Kippur). No need to book in advance.

Accomodation

a sample of hotels in Tel Aviv (price may change):

More information on accommodation in Tel Aviv: InIsrael accomodation in Tel Aviv, Ministry of Tourism accomodation links

Jerusalem

General – http://tour.jerusalem.muni.il/
Tours – http://www.jerusalem.muni.il/english/tourlink.htm

Haifa

Haifa’s Uniqueness in “The Haifa Project”, courtsey of Guy Shachar
http://www.tour-haifa.co.il/eng/

Sea of Galilee

http://www.ekinneret.co.il/site/eng/eng.asp
Sea of Galilee in Wikipedia

Tiberias – Tiberias Municipality site

The Dead Sea – The Dead Sea official site

Eilat – Accomodation in Eilat

Petra – Petra on Jordan’s Tourism Board

Safed, Rosh Pina and Hazor – Safed, Rosh Pina and Hazor Tourism Board

Tour Operators – Egged Tours

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Emergency

Police          – call 100
First Aid       – call 101
Fire Fighters – call 102

Hospitals whithin a 15 minutes drive range of Hotel Nof in Haifa

Rambam Healthcare Campus, 972-4-8542222
Bnai Zion Medical Center, 972-4-8359359
Carmel Medical Center, 972-4-8250211

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