Planning Your Time

As you drive along the Negev's scenic roads, you'll pass stretches of flat, uninhabited countryside under hot, blue skies, punctuated by the odd acacia tree, twisting wadi, or craggy mountain. In winter delicate desert flowers decorate the landscape. If you want to skip the desert-driving experience, you might limit your trip to Eilat. In Eilat you can stay at a luxurious hotel, relax on the sunny shore, take a cruise on the bay, visit the underwater observatory, and dive or snorkel amid the coral reefs.

Most Negev sites open at 8:30 am and close by 4 pm in winter and 5 pm in summer. Keep in mind that outside Eilat, restaurants close early on Friday for the Jewish Sabbath, and since the main meal of the day is served at noon in the desert, lunch may be history if you arrive after 1:30; roadside diners close at around 1:30 pm.