12 Best Things to Do in Israel While Volunteering
The 12 Best Things to Do in Israel While Volunteering
Volunteering in Israel is one of the most meaningful ways to spend eight days. You give your time to something that matters, and in return you get a front-row seat to a country that packs deserts, beaches, ancient cities, and a wide-awake food scene into a tiny space.
Even in eight short days there is time for far more than the work. Israel is small enough that almost everything is a short bus or train ride away, so the trips built into your program, your free evenings, and any days you add before or after all go further than you would expect. Volunteering here is not just work. It is a doorway into Israeli culture, history, and everyday social life. Here are the 12 best things to do in Israel while you volunteer, spread across the whole country.
1. Float in the Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is the lowest point on Earth and about ten times saltier than the ocean, which means you do not swim here, you float. Lie back, let the water hold you up, and slather on the famous mineral mud. It makes an easy day trip from almost anywhere in the country.
2. Hike Masada at Sunrise
Just above the Dead Sea sits Masada, the ancient clifftop fortress. Start the climb before dawn along the Snake Path, reach the top as the sky turns gold, and take in one of the most moving views in Israel. It is the kind of morning you will talk about for years.
3. Soak Up Tel Aviv
Tel Aviv is where Israel lets loose. Spend a Friday on the beach, watch the sunset over the Mediterranean, then follow the music into the city’s famous nightlife. It is the easiest place to feel like a local fast, especially if you choose to volunteer in Tel Aviv and have it all on your doorstep.
4. Stand at the Western Wall in Jerusalem
An hour from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem feels like another world. Walk the stone alleys of the Old City, place a note in the Western Wall, and move between the Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and Armenian quarters in a single afternoon. Few places hold this much history in such a small footprint.
5. Eat Your Way Through Mahane Yehuda Market
Jerusalem’s Mahane Yehuda Market, known to locals as “the Shuk,” is a feast for the senses. By day it overflows with spices, produce, and bakeries. By night the stalls roll down and the lanes fill with bars, street food, and live music. Go hungry.
6. Experience Life on a Kibbutz
The kibbutz is one of Israel’s most distinctive ways of life, a community built around shared work, shared meals, and living close to the land. Even a single Shabbat on one gives you a glimpse of the cooperative spirit that helped build the country, away from the city in the fields and the quiet. If the idea pulls at you, a dedicated kibbutz volunteer experience lets you live it more fully.
7. Hike the Galilee in the North
When you want green hills and cool air, head north. The Galilee is full of waterfalls, trails, and the freshwater Sea of Galilee, where you can swim and camp by the shore. Stop in Tzfat, the hilltop home of Jewish mysticism, for blue-painted streets and artist studios.
8. Stargaze at Mitzpe Ramon
Deep in the Negev Desert, Mitzpe Ramon perches on the edge of a vast crater that looks almost lunar. Come for the hiking and the desert silence, and stay for the night sky. Far from city lights, the stars here are some of the brightest you will ever see.
9. Stroll the Bahai Gardens in Haifa
The Bahai Gardens cascade down Mount Carmel in perfect geometric terraces, with the blue of the bay below. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most photographed spots in the country, the gardens are free to visit and easy to reach by train from Tel Aviv.
10. Get Lost in Old Jaffa
Just south of Tel Aviv, the ancient port of Jaffa is one of the oldest cities in the world. Wander its stone lanes, browse the flea market, and stop for the best hummus of your life at a hole-in-the-wall spot the locals swear by. Sunset over the harbor is magic.
11. Dive into the Red Sea in Eilat
At Israel’s southern tip, Eilat sits on the Red Sea with warm water and coral reefs full of color. It is the country’s beach-resort escape, ideal if you extend your trip for snorkeling, diving, and doing very little. The desert mountains of Jordan across the water complete the view.
12. Graze the Carmel Market and Tel Aviv Food Scene
Back in Tel Aviv, the Carmel Market is the city’s food heartbeat. Pull up a stool for fresh juice, falafel, and sabich, then explore the burger joints, pizza counters, and gelato spots the locals line up for. In Israel, eating well is part of the culture.
Can You Fit All This Into an 8-Day Program?
Yes, and the program is built for it. A Volunteer In Israel trip runs eight days and already includes organized excursions, so some of these spots are on the itinerary. The rest you can reach on your free evenings, on a built-in free day, or by extending your stay before or after the program. Because Israel is so compact, even a short trip leaves room for the Dead Sea, Jerusalem, and a night out in Tel Aviv. Plan ahead with the friends you are volunteering with and you will fit in more than you think.
Does Birthright Israel Organize Trips for Volunteers?
Programs like volunteers in Israel often build organized excursions and cultural experiences right into the schedule, so you are not figuring everything out alone. Alongside your free time, you get guided trips, group activities, and a built-in community of fellow volunteers. Check with your specific program for exactly what is included.
Ready to Spend Eight Days Giving Back in Israel?
The best things to do in Israel are not a checklist to rush through. They are the moments between the work, the friends you travel with, and the country that becomes familiar fast. Volunteering gives you the people and the reason to experience it for real.
If you are interested in giving back while exploring everything Israel has to offer, you may be eligible for a Volunteer In Israel program. Fill out an application today or click here to find out if you qualify.
Written by the Birthright Israel Blog team, your insider guide to the food, places, and experiences that make Israel unforgettable.