Major UK airline set to resume flights today to this stunning Middle Eastern country

British Airways are now travelling to Israel (Image: Getty )

Beyond the politics and sad recent headlines, Israel is still a stunning nation steeped in history and bursting with beautiful scenery, food and culture… and a major UK airline has just resumed flights there. British Airways has re-started a service to the State of Israel from today (April 5) with flights to the sun-kissed Mediterranean city of Tel-Aviv.

Other airlines, including the Israeli flag-carrier El Al and budget airline Wizz Air, also offer routes. Just two weeks ago I was a lucky enough to travel to Israel myself for the first time, with the roughly four-hour journey going remarkably quickly. My first view of the nation from the plane was a very straight coastline of sandy beaches holding back the hustle and bustle of Tel-Aviv and surprisingly green fields beyond.

From Ben Gurion Airport, it’s 35 to 45 minutes in a taxi to Tel-Aviv seafront, depending on traffic, and it costs around 190 shekels (£39) paying by card, with some drivers offering a cheaper fare for cash.

Scroll down for a list of places to stay, eat and go...

Beach volleyball, cycling, running, swimming, and sunbathing, are all activities people enjoy (Image: Getty )

I stayed at the Renaissance Tel Aviv Hotel, which is ideally located right on the beach, with balconies offering superb views accompanied by a soundtrack of the waves of the Eastern Mediterranean washing ashore.

One thing that immediately struck me waking up on my first day in Tel-Aviv was the sense of how familiar everything felt to other places I have been in the world. There’s a Spanish Costas, Portuguese Algarve vibe, but it also reminded me of Sydney, Australia, partly because so many people seemed to be exercising.

From what seemed like 6am to midnight someone seemed to be playing beach volleyball, and there were lots of citizens of all ages running or cycling, or paddle boarding or swimming in the ocean.

A local Israeli told me the most dangerous thing to do in the country is trying to cross the cycle lanes that run alongside the sands. Take it from me, he might be right, those cyclists aren’t slowing down for anyone.

Perhaps this is where I should address the elephant in the room for some people reading this article who might be thinking of another type of danger travelling here. Since the October 7, 2023, terror attack by Hamas, and at various times sadly over the years, Israel has been at war, often with groups who want to annihilate the country and the people who live there.

Indeed, on my second day in Tel-Aviv, the ceasefire between Hamas and Israel ended, with the Israel Defence Force carrying out airstrikes in the Palestinian territory of Gaza, around an hour-and-a-half drive south of the city.

My loved ones back home were understandably worried about my safety, having seen images of explosions and war, and my phone pinged with messages early in the morning, with questions asking why I was in a 'warzone'. In stark contrast, outside on the sands by the hotel, an enthusiastic beach volleyball group had already started playing, joggers were jogging, and maniacal cyclists were busy seeking out their next unsuspecting pedestrian victim.

Myself at the Western Wall in Jerusalem (Image: Richard Ashmore)

It was an image that I think sums up the spirit of Israel, in that, yes, there was a war going on, but most people, the Jews, Arabs, Druze, Muslims and Christians who live there, still have to go about their daily lives. This isn’t a comment piece on overall Palestinian-Israel situation, or on the dreadful situation in Gaza, but in terms of safety for tourists going to Israel, I never felt in danger on this trip and met many other travellers from different parts of the world who felt the same.

Away from the bars, restaurants and bright lights and skyscrapers of Tel-Aviv, which I’ll come back to, my bucket list destination on this journey was an ancient city so packed with religious and historical significance that renowned wordsmith and poet William Blake once wrote it should be recreated amongst ‘England’s green and pleasant land’. Jerusalem, the Abrahamic homeland of Judaism and Christianity, and site of one the most holy sites in Islam, has stood in some form in this remarkable corner of the world for at least 5,000 years.

Travelling to the city from Tel-Aviv takes just 45 minutes by train, and around an hour by car or coach. The journey itself I found striking as the flat fields around the coast gave way to rocky olive tree-adorned hills and valleys. Israel might be small, but it seems to have almost every landscape.

Approaching the edge of Jerusalem, it’s notable even the modern buildings use the traditional honey-coloured regional stone, the same as used in the walls of the Old City itself.

And once I entered through one of the many gates in the walls of Jerusalem, I felt immediately transported back in time. My name, Richard, was given to me in honour of the English King, Richard the Lionheart, who once fought against the Sultan Saladin over Jerusalem during the Third Crusade in the 1100s.

I wanted to keep my crusading to a minimum on this trip, so just decided to stick to sightseeing instead, and Jerusalem does not disappoint.

The ancient streets of Jerusalem are an enchanting historic maze (Image: Richard Ashmore )

As I walked through the narrow flagstone streets, protected by the mighty timeless walls, I was overtaken by thoughts of ‘who walked here before me?’ Kings, emperors, sultans and prophets have all helped wear down the stone beneath my feet.

I am not overly religious but was able to see the two holiest sites in Christianity and Judaism on this trip - the Church of the Holy Sepulchre for Christians, and the Kotel, or Western Wall, for Jews.

The church, which Christians believe to be the site of Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and the site of his tomb, appeared suddenly as I stepped around a corner from the narrow enchanting streets. I’m not going to be so crass as to review such a holy place for so many people, but I will admit to feeling a huge sense of reverence when stepping inside such a significant religious place of worship. There was an enormous feeling of tranquillity within the walls of the church and visually I felt like I had walked into a scene from an Indiana Jones film. The monks, priests and religious custodians of the building make for a striking sight amongst the maze-like structure, where every room and staircase seemed to lead to an ever-more spectacular and significant chamber.

From the church to the wall is a short walk once again through honey-coloured stone streets which eventually open up to the large square which lies before the Kotel, a surviving part of the ancient wall surrounding the site of the Jewish Temple. There is an airport-style security check point to negotiate and then it’s down some more ancient steps, Jerusalem is surprisingly hilly, into the open space before the wall, which dates back more than 2,000 years.

I was immediately confronted by a sense of scale after the confined streets of the city. Beneath evening skies, thousands of migratory swifts were in flight darting into crevices in the holy wall and hunting for their evening meal. At the wall itself, line upon line of Orthodox Jews were visible, recognisable from their distinctive dress and style, praying before the walls of the ancient Temple. Secular worshippers and tourists also thronged the scene which made for an enlightening almost joyful spectacle. Yamakas, or kippahs, the traditional Jewish head covering, were available free from a large box on the approach to the wall and it is expected all visitors should wear one. There is still some segregation between where men and women can pray at the wall, but campaigners have won greater freedoms in recent years.

At the wall itself I said a prayer of thanks for the privilege of being there, and then said my goodbyes. Walking back up the steps towards the Old City I turned to view the third significant holy site in this incredible place, the Muslim Al-Aqsa mosque, whose golden dome was catching the evening sunlight just as the Islamic evening call to prayer began to sound.

Combined with the prayers at the wall and the bright chirping of the swallows zipping through the sky, it made for a fitting symphony to end the day.

Sadly, I was unable to visit the mosque, but whatever your religious beliefs, it was hard not to be moved by such a wealth of places of worship.

There’s so much to see in Jerusalem it’s hard to fit it all in, and someone could easily walk for hours and days in the ancient catacomb-like streets. Luckily there are also a host of cafes, bars and small eateries offering sustenance to weary walkers. I stopped at one small shawarma place in a little, enclosed square dominated by an old olive tree. I ordered a local bottle of beer and enjoyed a tasty morsel and sat down to listen to the sounds of the early evening as Jews, Arabs, Christians and tourists went about their business.

There’s also plenty of souvenir shops to choose from, and I can’t help myself when it comes to a fridge magnet. It’s traditional I was told to barter with the shopkeepers, although my apologetic British side found this quite painful, so in the end I think I saved about 50p on the asking price. There are also more high-end and mainstream shopping options available in the Mamilla Mall, which is located just outside the Jaffa Gate into the Old City.

Tel Aviv has a vibrant nightlife to explore (Image: Richard Ashmore )

If Jerusalem is the ancient spiritual soul of Israel, then Tel-Aviv is the vibrant modern beating heart. From the hotel on the beach, it was easy to explore the many bars and restaurants that line the seafront offering not just Israeli, but a variety of cuisines. I have to say I was a fan of the food in Israel, which seems to draw inspiration from a perfect combination of Jewish, Middle Eastern and Mediterranean influences. Flat breads, fresh salads, tasty dips and chargrilled meat definitely make up most of the food on offer, but there are also plenty of vegetarian options too.

I was there on my first trip to Israel in March this year, but temperatures were already hitting the mid 20Cs, and the average for Tel-Aviv is around 26 to 27 degrees from June to August.

There is of course so much more to see in Israel, the stunning desert landscape of the far south near the resort town of Eilat, and the incredible natural wonders of the Sea of Galilee and salty waters of the Dead Sea.

Perhaps something to point out should you be thinking of travelling to Israel yourself, there are still some more rigorous security checks carried out for passenger safety, both at the UK and Israeli end of flight check-in.

I was travelling on my own and so would have been more likely to be checked, but I’d recommend all non-Israeli citizen travellers to allow for an extra 30 minutes at the airport before your flight.

Otherwise, if you do decide to go, I think like me, you’ll probably end up wanting to go back.

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Michael Ben-Baruch, UK Director, Israel Ministry of Tourism (IGTO), said: "Visiting Israel offers a truly unique experience. You can travel from the North to the South of this amazing country in under five hours and hop between its vibrant cities—Tel Aviv and Jerusalem—in just 45 minutes.

“Whether it’s a diverse culinary scene you’re looking for, exploring rich history and religion on walking tours, taking jeep rides through the desert, or visiting traditional kibbutzim, there's something for every traveller.

“All of this set against the backdrop of Israel's melting pot of cultures and diversity, where Jewish, Arab, Muslim, and Druze and more communities coexist, offering a culture experience like no other. And with its consistently sunny climate, you can enjoy all these experiences no matter when you visit."

The Western Wall and Al-Aqsa Mosque (Image: Getty )

Tel Aviv

Eat: Barbur Grill & Bar, Chacoli, Yulia, HIBA

Stay: The Norman, Lighthouse by Brown Hotels, Market House - an Atlas Boutique Hotel, 65 Hotel, Kempinski

Do: Walking tour of Tel Aviv (including Jaffa, Neve Tzedek, Rothschild Boulevard), Tasting tour at Carmel Market, Visit Dizengoff Square, Jaffa Flea market, Liebling House - The White City Centre

Jerusalem

Eat: Chakra, Satya, Piccolino, Mona, Jacko Street, Mahneyehuda

Stay: King David Hotel, Dan Jerusalem Hotel, David Citadel Hotel, Lady Stern Hotel, Brown JLM Mamilla, Orient, Inbal

Do: Jerusalem Old City Tour, Tour the National Library of Israel, Visit the Israel Museum, Tasting tour at Mahane Yehuda Food Market

Places to visit in the south of Israel:

Visit Masada National Park, Float in the Dead Sea, Ein Gedi Nature Reserve, Timna Park, Eilat, Karmi ovdat winery

Things to do in the North:

Visit Haifa, The Old City of Acre, Tiberias – Sea of Galilee