Not to miss

Galilee

Serious Bible territory, this is where Jesus did most of his preaching as well as a spot of water walking and some fish multiplying. It's also Israel's lushest region, with green valleys, verdant forests, fertile farmland and the Sea of Galilee.

Nazareth, Jesus' childhood home, is a popular destination for pilgrims, but not much chop for the casual visitor. Although there are some important churches here, such as the Basilica of the Annunciation where the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary, the town itself has seen better days.

Tiberias, on the western shore of Lake Galilee, is a much better base for enjoying the area. Spend the day enriching your soul at the tombs of ancient sages, then soak away the pains of the body in the town's famous hot springs. The Galilee is also home to the country's most extensive archaeological site, Beit She'an. The site is still being excavated, but a beautifully-preserved Roman amphitheatre, Byzantine baths, a temple and a colonnaded Roman street have already been uncovered. The site is on the Tiberias-Jerusalem bus route.

Jerusalem

They don't come any holier than this. Jews, Muslims, Christians: all three hold Jerusalem sacred. Of course, most people come to Jerusalem to immerse themselves in the people and places of its holy history, but try to remember that Jerusalem is also a modern city, full of living, breathing people.

The city is divided into three parts: the walled Old City, where most of the sights are; the predominantly Arab East Jerusalem; and the rapidly expanding new city, known as West Jerusalem. The Old City is also divided, into Armenian, Christian, Jewish and Muslim quarters.

To get an idea of the Old City, it's worth strolling around the city walls. Rising over the city is the Haram-ash Sharif/Temple Mount. Mohammed rose to heaven here and God instructed Abraham to sacrifice his son. The magnificent Dome of the Rock mosque dominates the Mount, with the Al-Aqsa Mosque and Islamic Museum a little to its south.

The Western Wall is the most accessible of the four walls, making it a popular place for Jewish worship. To complete the holy sites trilogy, try the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in the Christian Quarter. It's built over the site where Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected. Get here via the Via Dolorosa, the route Jesus took as he carried his cross.

Banias Nature Reserve

The gushing springs, waterfalls and streams of Banias Nature Reserve are worth visiting all year round, though they're particularly beautiful in early spring, following snowmelt from Mt Hermon. Without doubt one of the most beautiful - and popular - spots in the whole of Israel.

The Banias Waterfall is 33m (100ft) high, thundering down to a deep pool at the base; tempting as it may look, swimming is prohibited. Nearby are a number of trails leading to the gurgling Banias Spring and the impressive excavated site of a palace complex, built by Herod's grandson, Agrippa II. The name Banias derives from Pan, god of the countryside, to whom the area was dedicated.

Tzipori

The impressive archaeological site Tzipori (or Sepphoris) was first settled by the Hasmoneans in the 2nd century BC, but then served as the Roman capital of Galilee. Today it brims with ruins, including original colonnaded roadways, a Roman villa with lovely mosaic floors, a Crusader citadel and an atmospheric underground system of cisterns and aqueducts.

Dead Sea

It may be clichéd, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it. No trip to Israel is complete without a float in the Dead Sea. The water is packed full of invigorating minerals and there's 10% more oxygen in the air here than at sea level. Beyond the obligatory float, the soothing mud bath and a soak in the sulphur, the approximately 65km (40mi) shoreline is one of the most mythic places on earth.

Believers say that Jesus Christ was baptised where the Jordan River meets the Dead Sea. It's also where the biblical cities of Sodom and Gomorrah are thought to have been located. Near the northwestern shore is Qumran, where the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered, and looming over the southern reaches is Masada, a spectacular ruined fortress and enduring symbol of Israel.