Avdat National Park
UNESCO World Heritage Site
Take a trip through time on the Incense Route.
Avdat National Park in the Negev encompasses the remains of one of the famed ancient Nabatean cities along the Incense Route, the road over which costly incense, perfumes and spices were brought out of Arabia, across the Negev and to the Mediterranean ports.  Read more...

 

En Avdat National Park
An oasis in a spectacular canyon
Water flowing from the En Avdat (the Avdat Spring) in the heart of the Negev has cut a deep, narrow canyon through the soft white chalk. A waterfall tumbles from above and greenery flourishes around its pools where ibex and other animals come to quench their thirst.   read more...

 

Mitzpe Ramon Visitor Center
The Mitzpe Ramon Visitor Center offers interactive exhibits explaining the natural processes that led to the creation of the "makhtesh" (the crater which is over 40km long at its widest point). It also presents interesting information about the plants and animals that live in what might be assumed to be a barren and inhospitable region. The Mitzpe Ramon Visitor Center also serves as a museum and memorial for Ilan Ramon, Israel's first astronaut who died in the 2003 Columbia Shuttle disaster. Read more...

 

 
 

The final resting place of Israel’s first prime minister and his wife, in a desert garden

The graves of David and Paula Ben-Gurion overlook a breathtaking view of the Tsin Canyon and the Avdat highlands in the heart of the Negev. The path from the parking lot to the tranquil grave site winds through a garden of carefully nurtured local flora that can thrive in the arid climate and saline conditions of the local soil. 

 

Ben Gurion's Home at Kibbutz Sede Boqer
David Ben-Gurion, who declared the establishment of the state of Israel and became its first prime minister, was arguably one of the most outstanding figures of the 20th century. Not only did he dream that the Negev could flourish, he and Paula practiced what he preached by becoming members of Kibbutz Sede Boqer in 1953. In 1963, the couple retired to a modest ‘hut’ in the kibbutz, where they lived a simple lifestyle that amazed the bevy of world leaders who visited Ben-Gurion at his home over the years.The ‘hut’ at Kibbutz Sede Boqer is now a museum managed by an institute dedicated to preserving Ben-Gurion’s heritage.  (08-653-2717).

 

Local Products - read more        Sede Boqer Winery - read more       Other Local Atractions - read more