… all of these can be found along the northern part of the Israelian coast. Located right by the Lebanese border, Achziv National Park and Rosh HaNikra are incredible natural sights that can easily be reached in the most sustainable way: by train and bike. Thus, if you’re looking for an active bike and rail tour to Achziv National Park and Rosh HaNikra, that is also suitable for families, keep on reading.
Empty and well maintained bike paths in Nahariya
Suggested itinerary
1. Pick up your bike
Choose a bike rental service, that is suitable for you. For example, you can rent your bike from Pole Position Tel Aviv, which is located in the centre of the city, but of course, there are other options too. Consider their conditions, the distance from your accomodation as well as the type of bike you’d like to rent. Whereas folding bikes can easily be taken on the train, an e-bike might give you a nice and relaxed experience. If you prefer a sporty off-road session, better choose a mountain bike. Also, don’t forget to rent a lock and a helmet!
Of course, you don’t need to start from Tel Aviv, but you can also take the train from any other place in Israel! For example, you can combine an IsraelRail Tour in Akko or Haifa with the cycling trip to get the full northern experience.
Additional information: The law regarding e-bikes in Israel is pretty strict. Thus, drivers must be 16 or older and hold a driver’s licence. In addition, helmets are mandatory.
Pro Tip: If you’d like to start your day trip early, pick up your bike the day before. Reaching one of the four main train stations in Tel Aviv – HaHagana, HaShalom, Savidor Centre or Tel Aviv University – by bike right from your accomodation will save you some time in the morning. But watch out, the traffic in Tel Aviv is “Balagan” as they say in Hebrew: Chaos.
2. Take the train to Nahariya
Taking the train all the way up north from Tel Aviv to Nahariya, which is currently the northernmost train station in Israel, takes less than 2 hours.
Here’s what you need to know:
Folding bikes with as wheel diameter less than 20″ can be taken onto the train at every time of the day
Folding bikes with a larger wheel diameter as well as regular bikes are allowed on trains between Sunday and Thursday 9am-3pm and 7pm-6am, all day on Fridays and not on Saturday evenings
After getting off at Nahariya Central Station, a relaxing 6km bike ride will take you all along the coast. We recommend cycling down the main road from the station straight to the coastline, from where it will be easy going. If you’re travelling with children, you better avoid cycling in the city traffic, but as soon as you reach the water, the family bike fun may begin!
The Achziv National Park from a distance and Rosh HaNikra in the backAchziv National Park: An ancient site with ruins from a fishing village
With no more than 30 minutes of cycling, you’ll reach the National Park, which can already be seen from afar, just like the white limestone from Rosh HaNikra. The park is best discovered by foot. You can lock your bike in front of the entrance, go for a walk and take a swim in one of the guarded sea pools. Even though swimming along the coastline on the way is very tempting already, please do not. The currents can easily carry you out and you would not be the first one to not come back.
Inside Achziv National Park, there’s a café selling coffee, snacks and more, which makes it a great place for a late breakfast or early lunch break. Refresh after cycling, relax in the sun and enjoy the calm atmosphere.
Information: Achziv National Park
Entrance fees: Adult: 35 NIS, Child: 21 NIS, Student: 30 NIS, additional discounts for groups
Opening hours:
Summer hours
Saturday – Thursday: 8am- 5pm
Friday and holiday eves: 8am – 4pm
Winter hours
Saturday – Thursday: 8am – 4pm
Friday and holiday eves: 8am -3pm
Last entrance an hour before closing time. Opening hours may change. More information can be found on the Israelian Park Authority’s website.
4. Cycle further to Rosh HaNikra
Cycling from Achziv National Park to Rosh HaNikra is another calm and relaxing 5km bike ride, that takes approximately 20 minutes. There are some sandy road sections along the way, which makes cycling adventurous, but good fun. It’s not too much, don’t worry.
Deep blue sea and sandy beaches, but be aware of strong currents!
The road leads you all the way along the beach. Your navigational app of choice may tell you differently and recommend route Nr. 4. However, cycling on the main roads in Israel can be very dangerous and there really is no need to in this case. The road along the beach ends right in front of Rosh HaNikra’s exit, but the entrance is on top of the hill, leaving you with two options:
You can lock your bike to the fence in front of the exit and do a small hike to the top. The path starts behind you on the road that you just came from, so lock your bike, turn around, walk back and take the steps on the left. You cannot miss it. Your efforts will be rewarded with a great view all along the coast. Pro Tip: The hiking path splits on the way up and since the left branch ends, where most visitors from the top seem to have thrown their trash, better take the right branch.
You can also cycle all the way up to the entrance on the last section of Route Nr. 4, which is more risky than hiking. Cycling uphill sucks? I know, but speeding downhill doesn’t, once you cycle back!
When you buy your ticket, an optional audio guide will be offered. It gives you a lot of interesting insights on Rosh HaNikra’s geology, history and wildlife. In case you get the audio guide, you will need to bring it back up, which means that you will have to walk back down again, if you have chosen option Nr. 1. Otherwise, without an audio guide, you can take the exit where you locked the bike. Going up and down within Rosh HaNikra means taking the cable car. Exciting, right?
Pro Tip: In either case, don’t miss out on the Lebanese border. Just walk up the road past the ticket shop and you will end up at the fence. On the wall to the left, a sign will tell you the distance to Beirut and Jerusalem in both directions. That’s as close as you can get right now, since the border cannot be passed through.
On a clear day, the view from Rosh HaNikra will even be as far as HaifaIsraelian-Lebanese border: Beirut is even closer than Jerusalem from here
However, neither the Lebanese border nor the cable car are the main attractions in Rosh HaNikra, which is the only place in Israel, where the sea and the mountains are so close. It is mostly known for its impressive grottoes. Who would think that in thousands of years, this seemingly peaceful, clear and blue water would actually carve out these rocks up to a height of 16 metres? You can walk all the way through and maybe, if you’re lucky, you might see one of the fruit bats or even a rare sea turtle! The whole tour, including the descending and ascending cable car ride takes approximately 1.5 hours.
Clear blue water underneath the white limestone of Rosh HaNikraSometimes, even sea turtles come across the grottoes of Rosh HaNikra
5. Cycle back to Nahariya
Whenever you’re done exploring, you can cycle back to the train station on the way you came. If this is not exciting enough, why don’t you use the great conditions of an empty, straight and well maintained road to practice some no handed cycling? Also, you can stop again at the Achziv National Park for an afternoon swim. If it’s late enough, you might even be able to catch a lovely sunset by the beach. Before getting on the train, you can also have some food in Nahariya. Nearby the train station, there’s plenty of small shops and bakeries.
Itinerary Alternatives:
Depending on how long you’d like to spend on each stop, the bike and rail tour to Achziv National Park and Rosh HaNikra can be organized for half a day up to a day. Don’t forget, you cannot get on the train during weekdays carrying the bike before 9am in the morning and 7pm in the evening. Thus, taking a train departing from Tel Aviv around noon would be perfectly fine, if you’d like to sleep in or have a long breakfast. You do not necessarily need to get up early.
However, you can also extend your stay in case you’ve got a few days off. At Achziv National Park, there’s a beautiful camping area. You can experience the nature for some more time, swim until your skin is all wrinkly and maybe even try some other activities. How about canoeing? Or driving along the beach with a buggy? Why don’t you sign up for a diving session in Nahariya? Or make your way to the Keshet caves? You see, the choice of options is endless and the Israelian north coast is the ideal spot for great outdoor experiences.
