The Golan Heights and Tzfat With Kids: Jeeps, Waterfalls, Wineries and the Artists' Quarter

By Beni Levin · August 24, 2026

The Golan Heights is the part of Israel that most family itineraries skip, and it is the part children remember. Volcanic hills, waterfalls, vineyards and a lookout over the border plain sit within an hour or two of Tzfat, the hilltop city of Kabbalah and its artists' quarter. Together they make a family adventure in the north that feels nothing like Jerusalem or Tel Aviv.

A factual note on access in the north

This is the one section of the trip where a fixed list of what is open would go out of date. Northern Israel's security picture has shifted more than once this year, with Home Front Command guidance tightened in some periods and eased in others, and sites close to the border can open or close at short notice. Our broader piece on whether Israel is safe to visit in 2026 covers the national picture.

Here is how we handle it. We check the current Home Front Command guidance and each site's status before every northern day, and we build a Plan B in the Galilee so a closed site never means a lost day. Treat any published itinerary for the north, including this one, as a menu rather than a promise.

The Golan Heights with kids

Banias (Hermon Stream Nature Reserve)

The Hermon Stream (Banias) Nature Reserve is the Golan's easiest win with children. Springs feed a stream under shady trees, a waterfall is a short walk from the entrance area, and the ruins of an ancient sanctuary to the god Pan sit beside a cave at the cliff base. It is cool, green and well suited to wet feet.

Gamla

Gamla is a nature reserve with two stories. One is a waterfall among the tallest in Israel, with griffon vultures riding the thermals above the canyon. The other is the ruins of a Jewish town that fell to the Romans in 67 CE, sometimes called the Masada of the north. Older children will find the history more vivid when they stand on the ridge.

Mount Bental, jeeps and the Jordan

Mount Bental is an extinct volcano with a lookout across the plain toward the border, and it is the kind of site where current access matters most. The volcanic landscape is also the reason jeep tours are popular on the Golan, with guides taking families along trails that cars cannot manage. On the Upper Jordan River, kayaking and rafting suit families with school-age children.

Wineries for the parents

The Golan's high elevation and volcanic soil have made it one of Israel's best-known wine regions. The Golan Heights Winery, in Katzrin, is the obvious name, and the nearby Katzrin ancient village gives children something to do while adults taste. Mount Hermon is a winter story, when snow arrives, so check conditions rather than assuming a visit.

Tzfat: Kabbalah, alleys and the Artists' Quarter

Tzfat, also spelled Safed, sits high in the Upper Galilee, and its summer air is cooler than the coast. The old city is a maze of stone alleys with blue doors and steps, so bring comfortable shoes and expect hills.

The Artists' Quarter is where families spend the most time, with galleries and workshops in old stone houses. Candle-making workshops let children make something to take home. Among the synagogues, the Ari and Abuhav synagogues are the best known, and the Caro synagogue is named for Yosef Caro, author of the Shulchan Aruch. Tzfat's Kabbalah story goes back to the 16th century.

Plan around Shabbat. From Friday afternoon through Saturday evening, many shops and workshops close, so weekdays are best.

Where to stay and how many nights

Two to three nights in the Golan or Upper Galilee is a good rhythm, with Tzfat as a long day out or a half day on the way. Boutique guesthouses and kibbutz-based properties are the most common luxury options up there, and we choose based on the family's ages and the season. Pair the north with a few days in the Galilee, using our Nazareth and Galilee family guide.

If you would like the Golan and Tzfat in your family's trip, reach out to our team and we will plan a luxury family trip to Israel that fits the north as it stands on your travel dates.