Sukkot is perhaps the holiday that most invites leaving home: Five days of Hol Hamoed, weather that is already starting to improve, and above all, plenty of reasons to drive a bit further away. From the desert to the Galilee, we collected several options that offer more than just another activity for children – trips, festivals, nature, music, and a few surprises too.
A trip to the desert even after the sun goes down
Those who want to turn Sukkot into an opportunity to get to know the desert a bit differently will find at Sde Boker Field School a program that connects day trips through the region’s landscapes with nighttime activities. Between September 27 and October 1, guided trips take place daily, alongside night trips, scorpion safaris, bonfires, and astronomy evenings.
Among the routes: A trip to Ein Ovdat, a trip in Nahal Etz and Horvat Haluqim, Mount Arkov and the Ramaliya cisterns, the Hatzatz cisterns and Horvat Hazaza, and a family trip in Nahal Karkash. In the evenings, participants can head to Nahal Havarim by moonlight or flashlight, search for scorpions, sit around a bonfire, or join an astronomy evening.
Each day, an information station operates in the morning and afternoon hours for those who prefer to receive guidance and embark on an independent trip in the area. The activities are suitable for families and require arrival by private vehicle.
When: September 27 to October 1.`
Where: Sde Boker Field School.
Price: NIS 50 for most activities; the trip to Ein Ovdat is NIS 35 per participant, not including entry fees to the national park. Details and registration on the Sde Boker Field School website.
Desert Trip. (credit: Deborah Duschkin)Mamshit at sunset
The ancient Nabataean city of Mamshit comes to life during Hol Hamoed with a festival combining music, ancient crafts, desert culture, and a nostalgic atmosphere. During the day, tours, thinking games, the Desert Magic compound with Bedouin cultural content, ancient crafts, a Bedouin tent, storytellers, drumming, stalls, workshops, and a food compound await. In the afternoon, visitors can stay for Mamshit at Sunset – a tour and musical performance toward evening.
When: September 27 to October 1, 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Mamshit at Sunset 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
Where: Mamshit National Park.
Price: According to site rates and activities.
Mamshit Festival. (credit: EYAL PE’ER)Archaeologists for a day
During Hol Hamoed Sukkot, children can become researchers for a day in Timna Park. Between September 27 and 29, archaeological excavations will take place at Solomon’s Pillars and the temple of the goddess Hathor, where participants can search for and sift through finds alongside Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists. Visitors can also combine morning trips in the desert or travel independently among the park’s sites. In the evening, Timna By Night activities take place, including lantern sunset tours, stargazing, and an Adventure into the Night.
Price: NIS 49 for an adult, NIS 39 for a child. The Archaeologist for a Day activity is included in the entry price; tours require an additional fee and advance registration.
For details and registration: Park website, or phone: 08-6316756.
Children’s Activities at Timna Park. (credit: Dr. Yoav Palma)Paddling in the Dead Sea
Those who think they have already seen the Dead Sea from every angle can try entering it on a kayak. The kayak trip lasts about three hours and passes among phenomena that make the sea a far more intriguing place than it appears from the shore: Salt crystals, chimneys, and “snowflakes.” During the route, there is also a stop for a dip in an area with lower salinity and for applying natural mud. The activity is intended for adults and children from age 8.
When: On all days of the Sukkot holiday. Departures at 8:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Where: Northern Dead Sea.
Details: 050-8650705.
Agriculture at minus 430 meters
Desert agriculture also has its own festival during Hol Hamoed. At the Megilot Dead Sea Agriculture Festival, visitors can get to know the fields and orchards in the area up close, set out on agricultural and safari tours, wander through a local produce fair, sample foods, participate in workshops, and stay for the food truck compound. The Shalva Band will perform on stage.
When: September 30, 1:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Where: Megilot Regional Council compound, Lido Junction.
Price: NIS 10; guided tours at an additional NIS 5.
Salad Trail. (credit: Amit Gelber)Harvesting, vegetables, and field meals
In the Besor region, Sukkot can be turned into an agricultural trip along the Salad Trail. During the route, visitors enter greenhouses, pick tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers, pull carrots in a variety of colors directly from the ground, and also reach a petting zoo with chicks and ducks. The experience is completed with a performance by Kori Corona, the circus dog.
When: September 27 to October 2, at 10:30 a.m., by advance coordination.
Where: The Salad Trail, Moshav Talmei Yosef.
Price: NIS 55 per person. For details and reservations: 077-7295702.
An olive harvest like in ancient times
At the reconstructed Hasmonean Village in Shilat, Hol Hamoed brings a return to Hasmonean times, with a variety of activities related to agriculture and crafts of the period. Among other things, there will be an olive harvest and operation of the ancient oil press, creation of Hasmonean oil lamps, and a hands-on experience in spinning with a spindle.
When: September 27 to October 1, 11:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: The Hasmonean Village, Shilat.
Price: NIS 50 per person, by advance coordination. For details: 054-4480463, Zohar.
Sukkot among the sukkot
At Neot Kedumim, visitors can choose between two walking paths that are also stroller-accessible and pass among agricultural installations, water installations, and Land of Israel flora. But the highlight is the sukkah exhibition: More than 20 full-size sukkot, including a giant sukkah roughly 10 meters high, a tiny sukkah, a sukkah built atop another sukkah, a round sukkah, and even a sukkah on a boat. Alongside the exhibition, the show Hakasha Bevakasha! (Knock Please!) by artist David Fenster will take place, in which the audience experiments with musical instruments built from natural and recycled materials.
When: October 2, 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Where: Neot Kedumim.
Price: NIS 45 per person from age two.
Bird hunting – with a camera
You do not need to be a professional birder to join KKL-JNA’s Birding Festival. During Hol Hamoed, activities for families will take place around bird migration, featuring a riddle quest, observations, and tasks, with a prize-bearing raffle in select activities. Visitors can also join the bird photography competition, which is divided into youth and adult categories.
When: September 28 to 30.
Where: Among other places, at the Ecological Park in Hod Hasharon and at The Mystery of the Kibbutz Wonder in Kfar Masaryk.
Price: The Birding Festival route at Kfar Masaryk is free of charge, with advance registration on the KKL website.
A classic on a giant screen
During Hol Hamoed Sukkot, the Roman Theater complex in Caesarea transforms for two evenings into an open-air cinema, featuring two musical films that have long become classics. On September 28, Grease, the nostalgic rock ‘n’ roll musical, will be screened, and on September 29, it will be the turn of Mamma Mia!, with ABBA’s hits and the movie’s energetic atmosphere.
The evening begins as early as 5:30 p.m., with the option for an independent tour among the national park’s antiquities and enjoying the sunset over the sea. In parallel, guided tours will take place between the prison and the sarcophagus, and at Herod’s Palace, musicians will wait each evening to put visitors in the mood: A harpist on September 28 and a musician with a bouzouki, harmonica, guitar, and other instruments on September 29. At 7:45 p.m., the screening will begin in The Roman Theater complex.
When: September 28 to 29.
Where: Caesarea National Park, the Roman Theater complex.
Tickets available via advance purchase on the Nature and Parks Authority website.
Caesarea National Park. (credit: Idan Itzhakian, NATURE AND PARKS AUTHORITY)Acre comes alive at night
Those looking for an evening activity can turn a visit to Old Acre into an outing of several hours. During Hol Hamoed, a new audiovisual show will be screened for the first time at the Crusader Fortress: For roughly 35 minutes, the ancient stone walls will turn into a giant screen using video mapping, animations, visual effects, lighting, and original music. The story is told entirely through imagery, movement, light, and music – without words and without narration.
The visit can be complemented with a family audio game in the Knights Halls, including a story, riddles, and tasks, as well as street performances as part of the Acre Festival. On Thursdays, musicians from the Rimon School of Music and local Acre music initiatives will play at sunset in the Lighthouse compound.
When: September 27 to October 1, two shows each evening – 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.
Where: The Crusader Fortress, Old Acre.
Price: NIS 59 per participant; children up to age 5 enter free of charge.
Nighttime Performance in Acre. (credit: Acre Development Company PR)Seeing bees from the inside
At the Ofir Farm in Alon Hagalil, Sukkot offers a glimpse into a world most people know mainly from a honey jar. The visit includes a tour of the apiary, observing bees inside a glass hive, a demonstration of honey extraction, donning a beekeeper’s suit, tastings, making beeswax candles, and baking pita bread in a tabun oven with fresh honey. It is an experience especially suited for those who prefer an activity where they also learn something about the natural world.
When: September 27 and 28, between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.
Where: Ofir Farm, Alon Hagalil.
Price: NIS 55 per person from age two; pita in a tabun oven – NIS 5. For details and reservations: 072-3957567.
A music festival in Binyamina
Those who prefer to exchange a hiking trail for a day of culture can head to the Binyamina Festival for Israeli Creativity, which offers a packed three-day program for the whole family from morning until evening. The program includes children’s shows, story hours, creative workshops, lectures, movies, and original performances – all free of charge. In the evening, action moves to the main stage, where Riki Gal, Hatikva 6, and Aviv Geffen and HaTauyot will perform in ticketed shows.
When: September 28 to 30, from 11:00 a.m. until night.
Where: Yad Labanim, Binyamina.
Price: Daytime activities are free of charge; evening performances are NIS 149 to 169.
Returning to the 1960s
At Ammunition Hill in Jerusalem, Hol Hamoed brings a return to the 1960s, featuring a display of vintage cars from the Five Club among the tanks and trenches, a theatrical journey among figures from the past, trench tours, an encounter with a veteran fighter, an audiovisual exhibit, and the Six Day War Museum. For children, there is also a performance by the Train Theater and creative arts corners. In the evening hours, from September 28 to 30, performances by Ehud Banai, Ivri Lider, and Hadag Nahash will take place at the site.
When: September 27 and 28, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; evening performances September 28 to 30.
Where: Ammunition Hill, Jerusalem.
Price: NIS 25 to 30 per person; family ticket NIS 110.
Ramat Hanadiv. (credit: Yadid Levi)Autumn Breeze
Six days of nature, tours, workshops, and family activities will take place during Hol Hamoed Sukkot at Ramat Hanadiv. Options include a butterfly tour, lantern tour, tours following nocturnal birds and bats, searching for scorpions with UV light, a medicinal plants workshop, nature photography workshop, family navigation, and stargazing.
At the center of the holiday, the flagship Autumn Breeze event will take place on September 28 at the grove at the head of the Timsah Stream, with creative stations, guided tours, and a musical activity for the whole family. Concurrently, instructional stations will operate across the gardens. The event itself is free of charge, and reaching it involves a short walk.
When: September 26 to October 1.
Where: Ramat Hanadiv.
Price: The Autumn Breeze event is free of charge; additional activities range from free to NIS 55, depending on the activity and upon advance registration on the Ramat Hanadiv website.