Tiberias

Understand

Tiberias was founded as a Roman city sometime between 20 CE and 44 CE, and named for the emperor Tiberius. It became an important regional center, so much so that the Sea of Galilee was sometimes called the "Sea of Tiberias". During the 3rd century it became the center of Jewish scholarship in Israel, and the "Jerusalem Talmud" was in fact composed in Tiberias. From the 8th to 10th century, Tiberias was home to the Jewish Masoretes who recorded the definitive text, vowels, and pronunciation of the Bible which are used to this day. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Tiberias became an important center for Torah study again, and was regarded as one of the Jewish Four Holy Cities, along with Jerusalem, Hebron, and Safed.

Tiberias is now a small city focused on tourism. What most characterizes Tiberias is the lake, which presents its blue expanse from great viewpoints in the hills.

Get in

There are intercity and local buses from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem, Haifa, Nazareth, and other cities, which depart from and arrive at the . They usually make additional stops at certain points in the city too, ask your accommodation. Local buses, e.g. to Nazareth, are cheaper but take slightly longer.

From Jenin (and consequently Nablus and Ramallah) you can take a shared taxi (sherut/serviis) or hitch-hike to the border north (₪5-15 depending on the start) and cross on foot. Afterwards a taxi to Afula is ₪40-50. Alternatively, you can take bus 52 from the roundabout after the border into Afula (₪7.40). And from Afula take another regular bus (30, 442, 541, 840) to Tiberias (≈₪10).

Get around

Most of Tiberias' attractions are easily walkable. For most of the others, you can take a bus (from the central station) north or south along the Sea of Galilee coast.

Bus lines 5 and 15 stops at most tourist attractions, most hotels, and Big Fashion Danilof Mall.

Bus lines 37 and 39 travel from Tiberias to Poriya Hospital which located 3km south to Tiberias

Do

Stroll along the promenade and catch a northern breeze Visit the City Spa, located within City limits and featuring thermal and sulfur pools Take a swim in the lake. Hire a bicycle and go cycling around the Kinneret lake (requires a whole day to complete the approximately 55-km circuit) There is no regular ferry service from Tiberias to Ein Gev on the other side of the sea, but you may be able to charter a boat as part of a large group. The "Kinneret Sailing Company" 04-665-8008 runs the boats.

Sleep

thumb|320px|Tiberias Hotel Strip Many cheap hotels can be found along the shore and on the main street. If you do not have a booked reservation, consult any taxi driver (if you want to be ripped off).

Go next

The Sea of Galilee offers interesting destinations, easily reachable from Tiberias, including the famous and beautiful churches about 12 km northeast, and Arbel mountain northwest. Golan Heights is just across the lake. Nazareth – The largest Arab city in Israel and best known as the home of Joseph and Mary. Jenin – Its name means The spring of gardens. Read above on how to accomplish the trip there. Jericho – One of the oldest settlements in the world and the Middle East, and a great starting point for nearby Kalya Beach at the Dead Sea. Going south, stop at Belvoir Castle for a great view across the fertile Jordan valley. Jerusalem – Besides the Dead Sea, a central focus for most people coming to this region.