Location: Beit Shemesh
Top Things to do in Beit Shemesh
Top Restaurants in Beit Shemesh
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The 8 Best Things to do Good for Kids in Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem District
Beit Shemesh (Hebrew: בֵּית שֶׁמֶשׁ,; Arabic: بيت شيمش; Latin: Bethsames, Beth Shamesh or Bethshamesh and most often Beth-Shemesh in English translations of the Hebrew Bible) is a city located approximately 30 kilometres (19 mi) west of Jerusalem in Israel's Jerusalem District, with a population of 109,762 in 2016. The history of Beit Shemesh goes back to pre-biblical times. The modern city of Beit Shemesh was founded in 1950.
Restaurants in Beit Shemesh
1. Adventure Israel - Day Tours
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 52 reviews
Adventure Israel runs action-packed adventure tours across Israel. Rappelling, Rock Climbing, Caving, Hiking, Camping, Survival Skills, Team Building and more. We provide over-the-top service with a smile and pride ourselves in our focus on safety, fun, and our ability to create truly unique Israel experience that is customized to each of our clients requests. All of our guides are friendly, fluent English speakers, officially licensed and passionate about the outdoors. We look forward to adventuring with you!
2. Aussie Guide in Israel
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 39 reviews
By sharing stories and experiences, I provide tours that bring history, archaeology, Bible, nature, fun, and laughs together - for all age groups, religions, and backgrounds. I am passionate about my work and I truly love my land, its rich history, natural beauty and the diversity that Israeli culture offers. As a licensed tour guide with the Ministry of Tourism, it's my privilege to be able to show you around and share this passion with you. I am also a commercially licensed driver and offer private transport options. I look forward to the opportunity of showing you Israel and what my small, yet remarkable country has to offer.
3. Stalactite Cave Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 158 reviews
Reviewed By Karend1958 - Yavne, Israel
An amazing incredible visit Recommended to make the trip there The scenic drive leading to the cave is also an amazing view Very knowledgeable guide
4. Sorek Stalactite Cave Nature Reserve
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 30 reviews
Reviewed By 611chaimf - Beit Shemesh, Israel
Off the beaten path. No public transportation to site. Very scenic ride to get there. 35 minutes from Jerusalem via Ein Kerem. Be aware of lots of steps from parking lot to cave entrance. Handicapped can request to drive directly to cave. Within the cave there are steps too - but the amazing colorfully lit scenes of the stalactites and stalagmites will move your legs forward... Better to call in advance especially if you want the short movie and tour to be in English. No self guiding. Groups leave approximately every 20 minutes. Give yourself about 2 hours from the time you leave your car until you return to it.
5. The Biblical Museum of Natural History
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 45 reviews
The Biblical Museum of Natural History is a unique institution that is part zoo, part natural history museum, and part Torah education center. It showcases the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects of Scripture, as well as related zoological topics from the Talmud. The large species are exhibited as taxidermy specimens, while live exhibits are maintained for smaller species, and there are also a large number of biological artifacts of religious significance. Visits are conducted via guided tours, which include hands-on experiences! Through the exciting and interactive tour, visitors learn the identities and symbolism of the animals of Scripture, lessons in Jewish values, law and history, and the natural history of Biblical Israel.
Reviewed By redbaron613 - Beit Shemesh, Israel
This is a "mixed bag", that is part zoo, part natural history museum, and part Torah education center. It showcases the mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and insects of Scripture, as well as related zoological topics from the Talmud. The large species are exhibited as taxidermy specimens, while live exhibits are maintained for smaller species, and there are also a large number of biological artifacts of religious significance. Visits are conducted via guided tours, which include hands-on experiences! The tour is exciting and interactive , we all learned the identities and symbolism of the animals of Scripture, lessons in Jewish values, law and history, and the natural history of Biblical Israel.
6. Elah Valley
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 33 reviews
Reviewed By Ivisitedtheplace - Israel, null
Today, I took and hiked with five grandsons, ages 12 to two (escorted by one of the mothers) and we did our annual visit (my 26th or more) to the top of this hill - still a 20 minute non-stop uphill excursion. The verdant bright purple lupine flowers bloom on a blaze of abundance and color once a year (see my attached photos), for two weeks in February/ early March (around the time of our Purim holiday). We had heard that the blossoming was at its full glory, so on a late warm Sunday afternoon ( the first and busiest day of our Israeli work week), we arrived to see that there were close to 100 cars parked haphazardly on dirt trails leading to the hike (see my photos) and as many families with hundreds of children in tow. It was an accomplishment to get the five little ones up the quite steep slope (somehow, we used a less well known infrequently used and much steeper and more treacherous path than our usual and well-trod one (see a photo).... but we got to the top without incident. At the top, we saw the ruins of the encampment of the Israelites from when King David slew the Philistine Goliath. There were more than a hundred people up there, including families, bicyclists on the narrow trail (see my several photos), and dogs (one photo) and an impromptu prayer grouping for the afternoon flour offering service (several photos). This year was special because there was also a very very low flying hang glider buzzing the hikers (see my many photos). For more details of the history and strategic archaeological significance, read my five previous reviews from 8 November 2020, 17 March 2020, 1 April 2019, 15 April 2018 and 13 April 2017.
7. Twins Cave
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 17 reviews
Reviewed By Ivisitedtheplace - Israel, null
That’s correct- that was our mission- “to the bat cave.” I came with an active eleven year old. This hike can be done in two directions, and I’ve done it a number of times, and from both directions. This time, Friday 9 April 2021, we did the classic famous and shorter hike, which is an in/out hike from the parking lot opposite the village of Zanoach (“neglected”) and adjacent to the expanding city of Bet Shemesh. It’s half an hour on a straight path narrow trail which is strewn with boulders and trees, so there is climbing on and over them and negotiating the trail- not difficult. There are support poles as a metal banister to grab at three different places along the way. This is a popular trail, and there have been people coming in both directions every time that I have hiked this. The trail is narrow- one person at a time: so stand at the side and don your Corona mask. Even though it was April, the park rangers had not yet opened the bat cave to the public (it is closed in the winter for hibernation of those mammals). Despite that, we could see and hear that some fellows had violated the chains closing the entrance and were disturbing the animals. We continued for five minutes past the bat cave and came to the secret but famous rock formation that functions as a perfect natural rock carved fast and slippery sliding board for children, and a certain anonymous and always unnamed 66 year old who just happened to be there when “I visited this place.” We continued for twenty minutes beyond the rock sliding board- it quickly becomes even narrower, with shrubbery almost occluding and obscuring the path. This path goes uphill all the way to Ness Harim (“Mountains Miracle”). Of course then the reverse one way several hour trail is from Ness Harim to the parking lot which was our starting point. We returned by turning around and retracing our steps. I have a number of photos of this. First note the herd of sheep led by local Bedouin, whose camp can’t be far. Next- note the warning sign regarding valuables left in the car- this is an unattended hidden and not visible to others parking lot, even though there is regular tourist and visitors hiker traffic on a regular day and especially weekends and holidays. We, for example, chose to park at the exit from route 3855, so that our car remained visible to others on that active road. That added a ten minutes walk each way on a wide dirt car path. I included many scenic photos- I do find it quite attractive... it always reminds of White Oak Falls in Shenandoah National Park in Virginia... even though there are no water falls. I also included photos of the HarryD family that we passed in the other direction during our journey. We also passed a few adults struggling with several children all under age six- some of them did not succeed. I’d be happy to do this not difficult for me hike again. I sure hope that you find this review and attached photos to be “helpful.”
8. Tel Azeka
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 11 reviews
Reviewed By Ivisitedtheplace - Israel, null
This is an update of last year’s 12/2018 review by me. I returned here again to lead a tour group of one 18 year old from U.S. The area remains as it was according to my previous outstanding review, so read that too. Updates- this rich and amazing historical Biblical site remains neglected and under appreciated and underutilized for tourist and pilgrimage purposes.... government departments and ministries- wake up to the potential that is here. Summary- it’s in Park Britannia, a prime and pristine hiking area. There were few if any hikers but there were some picnicking Israeli families. From the parking lot at the bottom of Tel Azeka are many picnic tables. Yes- it’s a climb to the top. Yes- the sundial still works perfectly. Now- the bas relief showing a schematic of the lands to the east is worn and old. The blight on the landscape of the awful concrete construction to the east/northeast of this site is much worse- the green verdant mountain has been destroyed by the expansion of the nearby metastasizing metropolis of House of Sun. . This Tel Azeka is an active archaeological excavation site- there were several new digging pits that were not there in 12/2018- some were blocking the previous walking trails. When we left, a tour bus of evangelical Christians (also from the U.S). arrived and descended on the parking lot... they did not seem to be the types to do the hike to the top exposed to the mid day Middle Eastern sun - we decided that they would tell their fellow church members that they had been near the Biblical site. Afterwards, we also went and drove through the forest on 4x4 road to Mitzpe Masua, the highest point in the forest and the location of the fire observation post building with the colored glass- that photo is featured here on this page. I explained how, in Talmudic times, the new month would be declared in Yavne to the southwest and a series of bonfires in mountain tops towards Jerusalem to the northwest and beyond would spread the news. This peak was part of that chain- hence its name- Torch Observation. The view across the flatlands to the coast is unobstructed. Hey/ sorry- no photos.
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