Organized Tours in Haifa

The Haifa Tourism Development Association, 84 Ben-Gurion Blvd. (tel. 04/853-5606), offers a free 2 1/2-hour guided walking tour of Central Carmel (atop the mountain) at 10am every Saturday. The meeting point, marked by a sign, is on Panorama Road (Yefe Nof) at the intersection with Shar Ha-Levanon, right behind the Gan Ha-Em Carmelit station (it's also behind the Nof Hotel, which faces Ha-Nassi Blvd.). To reach the meeting point, take bus no. 23 from Ha-Nevi'im Street, or bus no. 21 from Herzl Street, both in Hadar; they run on Saturday (note that the Carmelit does not). Modest dress is required. The Haifa Tourism Development Association also offers maps for a variety of self-guided tours throughout the city. For nature hike routes and walks through the vast, wild Park Ha-Carmel, contact the Haifa Hiking Club (tel. 04/838-4867) or the Carmel Field School (tel. 04/866-4159).

The following companies offer all sorts of tour plans of the Haifa region: Egged Tours, 4 Nordau St. (tel. 04/862-3131), and Mitzpa Tours, 1 Nordau St. (tel. 04/867-4341).

The Society for Protection of Nature in Israel (SPNI), 18 Hillel St. (tel. 04/866-4135; fax 04/866-5825), offers excellent urban and nature-trail tours of the Carmel mountains.