Weather in Israel

a man windsurfing in the red sea in eilat israel

A common question across the web is when to visit Israel. Unlike many places, there is no bad season to visit Israel, the weather in Israel is good almost all year round! There are, however, times when it might be better to see the country, although these are just guidelines.

What is widely considered the best months are May and October. There are firstly fewer tourists at this time, so the sites are less busy, and the weather is great! Not as hot as many find it in the summer, but less unpredictable than it is in the winter. September is also great but is often affected by the Jewish Holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashana which almost shut down the country for a couple of days.

Having said this, the summer months, whilst hot, are great if you don’t mind the heat, and not as packed as you might imagine. Equally, the winter months aren’t too bad, although there are sometimes storms that last for a few days.

Israel can be visited all year round, though.

The most comfortable times to visit are Spring (March, April, and May) when temperatures are on average in the low 20s, and Autumn (September, October, and November) when temperatures are in the high 20s in the center of the country. Temperatures are generally higher in the South of the country and the Galilee area.

The Winter months are still mild in Israel, although there are often storms in the coastal areas in December and January, and sometimes even snow in Jerusalem and the Galilee.

Israel is hot in the Summer with average temperatures in the center of the country over 30C and closer to 40C in the South and Galilee.

Other factors to consider

Whilst the Autumn and Spring months have the best climate for a vacation to Israel, there are other factors to consider.

September and October are the busiest months in the Jewish calendar with Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year) and Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) bringing the country to a standstill but also bringing in Jewish tourists. April-time is also busy with Passover bringing many Jewish tourists to the country. Dates of the festivals vary year on year, and it is probably best to avoid traveling here at these times.