A thousand-year-old history, numerous sights, delicious food and dreamy beaches – that is Israel . Even if the image of conflict and unrest prevails in many minds, the beauty of the country in the Middle East cannot go unnoticed. History buffs as well as sun worshipers get their money’s worth in the country. Jerusalem with the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the Dead Sea, the modern city of Tel Aviv, the desert landscape and the Sea of Galilee are just some of the most important sights. If you don’t want to miss these treasures and are planning a trip to the multicultural country, you should first think about the best travel time for Israel. You can travel there all year round, but in some months it rains more often, which can limit activities on your vacation. Here you can find out everything about the climate and weather that prevails in the various regions of the country. From this I deduce the best time to travel to the holy land.
When is the best time to visit Israel?
According to Fashionissupreme, the months of April to October are generally considered to be the best time to travel to Israel . These months are the ideal weather conditions for both an active and a beach holiday.
If you want to enjoy pure beach fun, for example in Tel Aviv, you should concentrate on the months of June , July , August and September . If you want to use the summer vacation for a beach vacation in Israel , you are making the right decision. In the months mentioned, there is usually no rain on the coastal region and you can cool off in the sea with water temperatures between 24 and 27 degrees Celsius. Another advantage of the months June to September are the hours of sunshine. The sun shines between 10 and 12 hours a day. The daytime temperatures range between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius. At night it cools down to 22 to 19 degrees Celsius. July and August are considered the hottest months. If you travel to the coastal region of Israel in the summer months, you have to be prepared for high humidity. If you can’t cope with it and also prefer an active holiday to a beach holiday, I recommend the spring and autumn months as the best time to travel to Israel.
This is the best time to travel to Israel:
- Beach holiday: June, July, August, September
- Active vacation: April, May, October
The Israeli spring and autumn score with mild temperatures and wonderful weather conditions. Therefore, the months of April , May and October are considered the ideal travel time outside the main tourist season, summer. In spring, temperatures range from 21 to 26 degrees Celsius. In March, the country begins to recover from winter and slowly warm up for summer. You can expect daytime temperatures of up to 23 degrees Celsius. Ideal for seeing the many sights without sweating too much. In the higher elevations of Israel it is a little fresher than on the coast. Here you have to expect maximum daytime temperatures of 17 degrees Celsius. The perfect conditions for hiking and other active excursions in Israel. Overall, October is warmer than spring. Temperatures between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius, depending on the chosen location, prepare you for a great stay. The water temperatures in autumn and spring are between 17 and 24 degrees Celsius. You are guaranteed to cool off. The rainy days are good in March, April, May and October. On average, it rains 2 to 8 days a month, depending on where you are. In mountainous locations, such as Jerusalem, it rains a little more than in the flat regions and on the coast.
What is the climate like in Israel?
Israel has several climate zones. The north has a Mediterranean climate . The coast in the west is characterized by a subtropical Mediterranean climate . In the south of Israel there is a desert climate . The different climate zones bring different weather conditions with them. For the entire country, however, January is the coldest month with an average of 18 degrees Celsius. In addition, January is the wettest with an average of 10 rainy days. Most of the rain in Israel falls during the winter months from November to March. The rain is then accompanied by thunderstorms. The summer months from May to September are free of rainy days – statistically there is no precipitation on any day during these months.
The subtropical Mediterranean climate of the coastal region brings hot and dry summers. The winters, on the other hand, are mild and humid. In summer you can expect maximum daytime temperatures between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius. At night it is pleasant with 16 to 22 degrees Celsius. The water temperature is ideal for swimming and the hours of sunshine are at their annual maximum at 10 to 12 a day. Israeli summers are dry as there is usually no rain. But the humidity is all the higher. To find out the climate values of the coastal region for every single month, you can use the climate table below for the city of Tel Aviv as a guide .
Climate table for Tel Aviv (Coast)
Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
Max. Temperature in ° C | 18 | 19 | 21 | 23 | 26 | 28 | 30 | 31 | 31 | 28 | 24 | 20 |
Min. Temperature in ° C | 8 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 16 | 19 | 21 | 22 | 21 | 17 | 14 | 11 |
Hours of sunshine per day | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
Water temperature in ° C | 16 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 25 | 27 | 27 | 24 | 21 | 18 |
Rainy days per month | 10 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 6 | 10 |
Inland and in the mountainous areas, such as around Jerusalem , it is generally more rainy and a few degrees cooler than on the coast. Especially on winter nights it is more than fresh with an average of 8 degrees Celsius. Furthermore, there is less humidity inland than on the coast. For weather orientation in this region, you can see the climate table for Jerusalem.
Climate table for Jerusalem (inland)
Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
Max. Temperature in ° C | 13 | 14 | 17 | 22nd | 26 | 28 | 30 | 30 | 28 | 25 | 20 | 15 |
Min. Temperature in ° C | 7 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 16 | 18 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 17 | 13 | 9 |
Hours of sunshine per day | 6 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 6 |
Rainy days per month | 13 | 12 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 | 10 |
The north has a Mediterranean climate. That means dry and hot summers as well as mild and humid winters. The climate table for Haifa , a city in the north, is representative of the climate and weather in northern Israel. It is similar to the climate table for Tel Aviv.
Climate table for Haifa (North)
Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
Max. Temperature in ° C | 17 | 18 | 20 | 24 | 26 | 29 | 31 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 24 | 19 |
Min. Temperature in ° C | 9 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 17 | 21 | 23 | 24 | 22 | 19 | 14 | 11 |
Hours of sunshine per day | 6 | 6 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 7 |
Water temperature in ° C | 17 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 21 | 24 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 25 | 22 | 19 |
Rainy days per month | 10 | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 10 |
The Israeli south shows major climatic and weather differences to the north. Here is the Negev desert . At the southern tip of the desert is the city of Eilat . The climate table for Eilat shows you the typical desert climate of this region. The highest temperatures in the entire country await you here. In summer it is really hot with an average of up to 40 degrees Celsius. Often times, the mercury in the thermometer rises above this. Furthermore, the least rain falls in this region.
Climate table for Eilat (South)
Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
Max. Temperature in ° C | 21 | 22 | 26 | 31 | 35 | 39 | 40 | 40 | 37 | 33 | 27 | 22 |
Min. Temperature in ° C | 10 | 11 | 14 | 18 | 22 | 24 | 26 | 26 | 25 | 21 | 16 | 11 |
Hours of sunshine per day | 8 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 9 | 7 |
Water temperature in ° C | 21 | 20 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 25 | 26 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 |
Rainy days per month | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Israel is the perfect summer vacation destination. You can spend a wonderful beach holiday on the beautiful beaches and at the same time get to know the far-reaching and eventful history. If you can cope with high temperatures and high humidity, you should note the months June to September in your calendar as the best travel time for Israel . Please note, however, that this is the high season for beach holidays in Israel at this travel time. Full hotels and high overnight prices are the result. There are fewer tourists and milder temperatures in the secondary months of April , May and October. At this time you can lie on the beach, but also actively explore the country. I do not recommend the winter months of December, January, February and March as a travel time for Israel. These are the months with the most precipitation. The temperatures are warm as spring, but the better weather conditions are waiting for you in the other months!