The Golan Heights

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The Golan Heights is a plateau situated in northeast Israel.

Hitching out

Note: When hitchiking, always ask where the driver is going, and do not say your destination. It is then for you to decide whether to get in the car or not.

To the Jerusalem,Dead Sea, or Eilat

Warning: the primary route for hitchhiking south from the Golan, requires passing by some relatively dangerous arab areas such Yericho (Jericho). Many Arabs on the Highway head there, and avoiding arab drivers is safer and ideal. If an arab driver stops for you, it is best that you just nicely refuse their destination.

From the Golan the first goal to reach is the Tsemach Junction, which is situated at the bottom tip of the Kinneret. From a local junction, make your way to preferabley Highway 98 and head south, but depending where you are, Highway 92 also leads to the Tsemach Junction. If you happen to be in the upper eastern part of the golan, Highway 90 east of the Kinneret will also do, but will be much more difficult, because many people stop in Teveria (Tiberias), which is a relatively large city, and will possibley require leaving a the city, wich can be rather difficult.

After the Tsemach Junction your next goal is the Beit ha-Arava Junction which is reached by continuing south on Highway 90. From there, you can either chose to go to Jerusalem, or continue on to either the Dead Sea or Eilat. On the way to Beit ha-Arava, a common location for drivers is Beit She'an which is also a location that many people hitchike from.

Continuing to Jerusalem

Get off at the Beit ha-Arava Junction, and continue at the trempiyada at the beginning of Highway 1 going east to Jerusalem. From here, it is best to wait for a ride that is going directly to Jerusalem without any stop, unless your goal is not actually to get to Jerusalem, but a town along the way, such as Ma'ale Adummim, in which case there should be people headed there as well.

Continuing to the Dead Sea and Eilat

Either pass the Beit ha-Arva Junction or just continue south from it. Everyone going south will be going at least as far as the Dead Sea, which is just 2 kilometers south. Depending on where part of the Dead Sea you want, just stick to the Highway and go as far south as you chose. To get to Eilat, just continue south on the highway, as far as possible until it hits Eilat, which is approximately 200 kilometers south of the Beit ha-Arava Junction.

Hitching in

From Jerusalem

Your first goal is the Beit ha-Arava Junction, which connects Higway 1 going west from Jerusalem, to Highway 90, which goes north to the Kinneret. From the city center, the bus station, or other places that the following bus lines hit, take buses 25, 4 or 4A to get to the Har Ha'tsofim Junction, (French Hill). This junction is the spot to hitchhike in the direction of the Dead sea. The place is usually crowded with hitchhikers, and drivers stop often. Most likely they will go only half ways, in which case you should ask to go down in the entry junction to their settlement, and continue hitchhiking from the bus station.

From the Beit ha-Arava Junction, head north on highway one until you reach the Tsemach Junciton at the bottom of the Kinneret. From there, there is a trempiyada up to the Golan. People either drive up to Highway 92 or Highway 98 from there. Highway 98 goes right up to the Golan, and Higway 92 runs along the west coast of the Kinneret from where you can pick up Highway 789 or 87 to the Golan. Highway 789 connects to Highway 98 from where you can chose to either continue north or head south. Highway 87 also connects to 98, but a bit later, and it also turns west over the Kinneret or east through the center of the Golan until it picks up 98 at its end.

From the Dead Sea and Eilat

Continue up Highway 90 and follow the direction from the Beit ha-Arava Junction shown in the directions from Jerusalem.