WARNING: Avoid this border area due to fighting related to the crisis in the Gaza Strip.
	Government travel advisories United States
	(Information last updated 13 Dec 2023)

The Golan Heights is a rocky plateau at the southern end of the Anti-Lebanon Mountains, and straddles the borders of Syria and Israel. Israel holds about two-thirds of the territory, while Syria holds the other third. This article covers the Israeli-controlled part; see Golan Heights (Syria) for the Syrian-controlled part.

The Golan is mostly known among Israelis for its beautiful landscapes and hiking trails, and for the Hermon ski site.

Israel captured this territory from Syria in the 1967 Six Days War and formally annexed it in 1981. Syria still claims all of this land, and Lebanon has a claim to part of it. As Israel has effective control of the area, and tourists will need to use Israeli currency and obtain Israeli visas to visit, we treat it as part of Israel here. This page does not represent a political endorsement of the claims of any side of the dispute.

Cities

Golan map with shaded relief for elevation

• 1 Katzrin – The largest Jewish town in the Golan, established in 1977 and known in Israel as the "capital of the Golan".
• 2 Majdal Shams – The largest Druze village in the Golan (pop. 10,643). Nearby is the Shouting Hill where villagers communicate with their relatives in Syria.
• 3 Buq'ata – A Druze town in the far northeastern part of the Israeli Golan Heights, with a population of around 6,300.

Other destinations

• 1 Ghajar — Home to the Ajar Gardens, which are on the Lebanese side of the border, with Shebaa Farms, a major flashpoint in the Israel-Lebanon conflict and home to a major nature preserve and the village of Ghajar.
• 2 Giv'at Yo'av – An Israeli settlement established in 1970.
• 3 Keshet – An Israeli settlement established in 1974.
• 4 Merom Golan – The oldest Israeli settlement and kibbutz of the Golan Heights, established in 1967. It is near the crater of Mount Avital.
• 5 Neve Ativ – An Israeli settlement established in 1972. Located in the very north, it is the most important ski destination in Israel.
• 6 Odem – An Israeli settlement established in 1975 and located on Mt. Odem, 1,090 m above sea level.

Understand

History and politics

Two-thirds of the Golan Heights has been under Israeli control since 1967, when Israel seized the area during the Six-Day War. The remainder is under Syrian control. Following the 1973 Yom Kippur War, Israel returned another 5% of the land to Syria. Israel began building settlements in the area, and granted the Syrian Druze inhabitants permanent residency status. In 1981, Israel annexed the Golan Heights. This annexation was formally endorsed by the United States in 2019, but most of the international community, including the United Nations, officially considers it to be part of Syria.

Unlike the West Bank, the part of the Golan Heights controlled by Israel is considered part of the country by most Israelis and by the Israeli government. Security is on par with Israel proper, and you won't find roadblocks.

In Israel, it is generally understood that the Golan Heights will not be returned to Syria. The Israeli viewpoint is that this would not be feasible due to economic and political reasons, and for reasons of security which they believe have only strengthened since the Syrian civil war started. There are no negotiations between Israel and Syria and this is not likely to change any time soon.

The de facto Israel-Syria border runs through the Golan Heights along an area known as the Purple Line. This line is patrolled by a United Nations peacekeeping force. No one is allowed to cross the border without special permission, and the border crossing is under the control of Israel and Syria.

Geography

The Golan Heights mostly consists of a flat plateau made out of volcanic basalt. Near the Israel-Syria line of control (on the Israeli side) is a chain of extinct volcanoes which protrude above the plateau. A number of streams cut through the plateau, forming deep valleys and occasional waterfalls, and eventually end up in the Jordan River or the Sea of Galilee. With the countless Eucalyptus trees growing here and due to the wide plains, it reminds one of New South Wales, Australia.

Winter view of the Golan Heights from the Galilee

Due to the flatness of the plateau (unlike Israel's mostly hilly or coastal landscapes), the dark basalt and fertile volcanic soil, and the year-round streams, the Golan Heights looks and feels different from the rest of Israel, so it is a popular destination for Israeli tourists.

The Hermon mountain differs from the rest of the Golan, as well as from any other place in Israel. The highest point in the Israeli-controlled part of the Hermon is 2,236 m above sea level, nearly twice as high as the next-highest place in Israel (Mount Meron in the Upper Galilee). As a result, the Hermon gets far more snowfall than anywhere else in Israel, and it is the site of Israel's only ski resort (in the winter months).

The most popular season to visit the Golan is the spring. For a brief period in spring, the entire Golan landscape is covered by a bed of flowers. Also, at this time the streams and waterfalls are at their most powerful due to the winter rains. Autumn and winter are also good seasons to visit the Golan. Summer is the worst time to visit - Israel gets no rain in summer, so the mostly tree-free Golan landscape turns entirely brown, and the weather is hot and humid. Summer can be a good time for a hike that includes walking in the water (there are several popular ones), or to see historic sites. But hiking anywhere else is best left for another season.

Language

Hebrew is spoken among the Jewish inhabitants in the towns and kibbutzim. Arabic is also spoken in the region mainly by the Arabs and Druze living there, although many of them can also speak Hebrew or/and English.

Get in

There is no visible border between the Galilee regions and the Golan Heights. You will not realize that you are entering the Golan Heights, except from the terrain.

It is essentially impossible to cross between the Israeli-controlled and Syrian-controlled parts of the Golan Heights, so don't bother trying.

By bus

There are a few daily buses from Tiberias, Hatzor and Kiryat Shmona to the Golan Heights, operated by Golanbus. Services are infrequent due to the low population. There are also a handful of direct buses to Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, and Haifa.

By car

Private transportation: from north-south route 90, there are four road "ascents" to the Golan Heights.

By thumb

Hitchhiking is accepted here as it is throughout Israel, but you can still wait a long time to get to many destinations. Hitchhiking is easiest in the southern Golan Heights, as more people live there. In the center and north, the traffic is mostly tourists, who are less likely to pick up hitchhikers.

By plane

• 1 Rosh Pina Airport  

Get around

This area, due to low population, has one of the worst public transport services in the entire country, with some bus stops receiving as few as two or three buses daily.

You might try hitch-hiking, which is used by Israelis of all ages and gender. You can rent a car as well, but only from a few rental services.

See

Natural sights

The Golan Heights is the wettest area in the region. There are many waterfalls including the Gamla, Sa`ar and the Banias waterfalls. It is especially recommended to visit the Golan Heights in spring, when the ground is covered with wildflowers. The waterfalls are strongest then too.

Gamla Nature Reserve aerial view

• 1 Gamla Nature Reserve  
• 2 Wadi Daliyot Reserve. This picturesque valley and trail leads into the Gamla Nature Reserve and requires the payment of the same fee. However, walking from the highway to the Gamla site, there are no fee collection points and you are supposed to pay at Gamla, which you can circumvent by just walking back before reaching Gamla. This can be a good alternative to Gamla, in case you want to save the steep entrance fee. Part of Gamla fee. 
• 3 Sa'ar Fall & Viewpoint  
• 4 Golan Volcanic Park. 10:00-16:00. There is no volcanic activity, but a nice park explaining different volcanic facts. The site includes art in the volcanic gravel. 

Historic and other sights

The western part of the Nimrod Fortress as seen from its top tower

• 5 Nimrod Fortress National Park  
• 6 Mount Bental  
• 7 (Golani Observation Point) Tel Faher  
• 8 Observation to Quneitra. Quneitra is a ghost town, which was abandoned by the Syrians during the 1967 war and left in the no-man's-land ever since. Thoroughly wrecked not only in 1967 but in the subsequent 1973 conflict as well, from the Israeli side, the area can only be viewed from designated viewpoints set up along the border road, as it's just across the de facto line of control. 
• 9 Rujm el-Hiri  
  • Nearby, an 10 abandoned bunker can be found and explored. Bring a flashlight and don't go on your own.
• 11 Kursi. An archaeological site on the eastern side of the Sea of Galilee and north of Ein Gev. 
• 12 Deir Aziz synagogue. A Byzantine-era synagogue, partly reconstructed, with impressive pillars. 
• 13 Umm el Kanatir. A Byzantine-era Jewish town including a synagogue. The synagogue is being excavated and reconstructed (until May 2018) and closed to general visitors, although some tour guides can get you in and let you take part in the excavations. 

Do

Hiking

Hiking is the activity of choice in the Golan Heights. Many sights are only reachable on foot, and it is a great way to see and explore the area. Having said that, most tracks are short in distance.

•  
• 1 Ein Tina (עין תינה). A short, enjoyable hike through a running stream to the spring which feeds it. Great for hot summer days. 
• 2 Yehudiya Forest Nature Reserve  
• 3 Nachal Zavitan. A very popular water hike including a number of waterfalls. 
• 4 Hexagon / Meshushim Pools  
• 5 The Majrase (Daliyot estuary)  
• 6 Nachal El Al. A 5-km hike between the communities of Eli Ad and Avnei Eitan. You descend into a beautiful canyon with flowing water, and pass by the "White Waterfall" and "Black Waterfall" - so called because the different layers of rock have different colors. 

Skiing

The ski resort during the winter

The resort in the summer

• 7 Mount Hermon Ski Region  

Other activities

• 8 Aniam artists' village  
• Robotic dairy farm (Avnei Eitan), ☏ +972 50 4060311. This farm has a visitors' center for people interested in experiencing robotic cow milking. There is an explanatory video, then you see the cows, and kids get the chance to feed calves milk from a giant bottle. You get to make butter, and drink a cup of hot chocolate from the just-produced milk. 
• 9 Kol Shofar (Givat Yoav). A shofar factory with a visitors' center where you can learn about and observe the shofar manufacture practice. 
• Slingshot Israel. An interactive adventure taking place in an old military bunker on the Syrian border, sponsored by the IDF. Best done at night. A variety of unique IDF-oriented programs are offered. 

Eat

• Fruit picking – A number of places in the Golan offer fresh fruit picking in the summer and autumn months. You pay up front, and get to eat as you pick as well as bring a basket home. It's regarded as a fun activity for couples and families. See list here.

• 1 The Cowboy Restaurant (Habokrim Restaurant), Merom Golan, ☏ +972 4-696-0206, +972 53-9443658. opens 12:00. Meat and wine. Rated a great 8.4 out of 10. 
• 2 De Karina Chocolate Factory, Kibbutz Ein Zivan. 

Drink

See also Katzrin.

• Bahat Winery (Kibbutz Ein Zivan). Also serves food such as pizza and salads. (updated Mar 2018)

Sleep

Budget

• 1 Golan Heights Hostel, Moshav Odem, ☏ +972 54-260-0334, [email protected]. Highly rated. Member of ILH. ₪100/270 dorm/double. 
• 2 Freedom Guesthouse, Ha-Perakh be-Gani 234, Had Nes, ☏ +972 50-3059679, [email protected]. Rated 4.8 out of 5. Member of ILH. Dorm bed from ₪95, double from ₪270. 
• 3 Genghis Khan, Giv'at Yo'av (having a good map, you can hike up from the road along the lake), ☏ +972 52-371-5687. Staying in an outdoor yurt. Grumpy owner and sheets are extra. But seems to be a good (family) experience. Member of ILH. Dorm bed ₪100 plus sheets. 

Mid-range

Several tsimmers (bed & breakfast) are available on Zimmer.co.il.

• 4 Keshet Debbie (Debbie's Rainbow Tzimmer), Keshet, ☏ +972 52-282-6205, [email protected]. 
• 5 Keshet Yonatan hosting and camping (אירוח וקמפינג קשת יהונתן), Keshet, ☏ +972 4-685-1100. Rated 2.6 out of 5. 
• HaNof HaTzfoni (הנוף הצפוני), Ortal, ☏ +972 52 9120148. (updated Nov 2018)
• 6 Narkis Boutique Hotel (Just outside the city centre of Majdal Shams), ☏ +972 4-698-2961. A popular and modern hotel. (updated Oct 2017)
• 7 Rimonim Hermon Holiday Village, Moshav Neve Ativ, North Golan, ☏ +972-4-6985888. Offers accommodations in wooden cottages in a natural surrounding with nature corners, trees, lawns and breathtaking scenery. ₪550. 

Splurge

• 8 Merom Golan, Kibbutz Merom Golan, ☏ +972-4-6960267. Kibbutz Merom Golan sits in the north of the Golan Heights, at the foothill of the extinct Ben Tal Volcano some 1000 meters above sea level. ₪400+. 
• 9 Golan Rooms, Moshav Ramot, ☏ +972-4-6731814. Offers 10 guest cottages surrounded by a large garden on a hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee. ₪530+. 

Stay safe

The Golan is mostly a rural area, and as such it is pretty much crime free. However, the Golan is also one of the world's largest military barriers, and while it offers many hiking options, several basic safety rules should always be followed:

Mine warning sign

• A large part of the Golan Heights area is either heavily mined, or is suspected as being mined - this is because old mines may drift during heavy rains, which are frequent in winter. You should never walk or drive in open fields, off main roads or dirt roads (unless there are very clear signs which indicate that this area is safe, such as trail signs). While most mine fields are designated by warning signs (as the one shown in the picture), do not go into off-road barb-wired fields, even if they are not marked with signs (in short, never cross any fence unless there are clear signs and/or suitable gateways in the fence). Never touch unidentified metal or plastic debris in the open even if it looks harmless.
• Some areas of the Golan are used by the Israeli military as training grounds. There are usually recognised by the "Firing Zone" signs in the entrance. While marked trails are pretty much safe, when going off-road you should check the local maps to make sure you are not going into a fire ground. If in doubt, check with local police or military authorities. Most training grounds are accessible during weekends (Fridays - Saturdays) and public holidays, and can also be accessed after coordination with military authorities.
• Due to the ongoing war in Syria, you may hear heavy bombing sounds. A few bombs shot by either side have drifted into the Israeli-administered part of the Golan, where they hit open ground near the border, and Israeli missiles are also regularly fired into Syria. You may want to keep a safe distance of a few miles from the border as a precaution.

Go next

• The Sea of Galilee region and the holy city of Tiberias.
• The Galilee Panhandle and rural area of Kiryat Shmona.
• The Lower Galilee and Upper Galilee and its exciting and interesting cities Nazareth and Safed.