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Achziv National Park & Free Camping Guide
Welcome to Achziv National Park! This is our 4th NP and our first time camping in Israel in our National Park Challenge – with the goal of visiting and documenting every national park in Israel. We will be sharing all of our adventures via blog posts and on our Instagram account – Hochdorf family adventures. Join us as we discover Israel’s beauty!
Contents
- 1 National Parks and National Reserves of Israel
- 2 Achziv National Park
- 3 Where is Achziv National Park Located?
- 4 When is Achziv National Park Open?
- 5 What is the Entry Price?
- 6 When is the Best Time to Visit Achziv?
- 7 Is Achziv Park Kid-friendly?
- 8 Achziv National Park Attractions
- 9 Camping at Achziv National Park
- 10 How Much Does it Cost to Camp at Achziv National Park?
- 11 Achziv National Park Rating
- 12 Other Camping Guides
- 13 Pin It
National Parks and National Reserves of Israel
Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority was put in place to protect Israel’s natural, historical and heritage treasures throughout the land. Spread across the country, there are currently 81 national parks and reserves to be explored.
Achziv National Park
What makes Achziv so special?
Let’s start with the gorgeous beach area. The combination of lagoons, tide pools and underwater caves along with the various shades of blue in the water create the ultimate sea playground. It’s seriously spectacular! It’s a natural beach reserve, national park and campground all in one.
We spent the day splashing around in the lagoons and the night stargazing from our campsite – more about camping in Israel below.
It’s a fantastic location for a simple day at the beach, a picnic with friends, or for those more adventurous – a camping experience.
Where is Achziv National Park Located?
Achziv National Park is located in the north of Israel, just south of the Lebanon border. From the south, take the 4 north. If you’re arriving from the east, take either the 89 or 899 west, then jump on the 4, depending on where you’re coming from.
Waze Location: Akhziv National Park
When is Achziv National Park Open?
The park is open every day with two different schedules, winter and summer.
Summer Hours:
Sunday – Thursday and Saturday: 8:00 – 17:00; Friday: 08:00 – 16:00
Winter Hours:
Sunday – Thursday and Saturday: 08:00 – 16:00; Friday: 08:00 – 15:00
Park Tip: The park’s entrance closes one hour before closing time, so if you’re looking to catch the sunset or spend time in the early evening hours, make sure you arrive an hour before.
What is the Entry Price?
The price of an adult to enter is ₪35.00 (shekels), and children ages 5-17 is ₪21.00. Children under the age of 5 are free. You can also buy a yearly National Park Pass, which gives you free access to all national parks for a year.
Price Tip: I highly suggest purchasing the yearly pass, especially for a family visiting multiple parks a year. Our pass paid for itself after just 3 parks.
When is the Best Time to Visit Achziv?
Achziv is open year-round, but depending on what you’re doing will determine the best time of year to visit. If you’re camping in Israel, the winter months can get quite chilly at night, so be prepared with colder temps. The summers can also be extremely hot, and we all know there’s no AC in a tent! 🙂 Spring and Fall months would be the most ideal for camping.
If you’re heading to Achziv for a day at the beach, the summer is the best time of year to hit the beach and waters. There are tons of lagoons and tide pools, making the water quite warm throughout the entire year. It just depends on your level of comfort in water during the winter months.
Is Achziv Park Kid-friendly?
Achziv is one of the most kid-friendly national parks we’ve been to. Everything there is catered to kids and families. All the walking areas are stroller accessible, the water with all its lagoons and tide pools are perfect for kids – especially non-swimmers like our daughter, and all the extras like the bathroom and shower areas are fine for kids.
Achziv National Park Attractions
Lagoons and Tide Pools
Beyond a doubt, the lagoons and tide pools at Achziv National Park are the leading attraction. They combine shallow and deep waters, great for everyone! And the waters are seriously gorgeous! Just beware for tiny fish that like to nibble on feet!
Ancient Fishing Village
One of the coolest parts of the Achziv beach is that it was created around the ruins of an ancient fishing village. When you’re wading in the water, you can look back at the old stones surrounding entrance.
Achziv Beach Islands
There are three islands to the west of the shore – Nahlieli, Shahaf and Achziv islands. They are actually sunken sandstone ridges and it’s a popular nesting place for seagulls and terns. They are a part of the Rosh Hanikra Islands Nature Reserve and you can see sea anemones, sea urchins, octopuses, starfish, fish, and even dolphins swimming around. It’s a popular place for diving.
Ladder Ridge
The Ladder Ridge is the ridge that marks the border between Israel and Lebanon. It’s easily seen from anywhere along the coast. From Achziv, you can see The Rosh Hanikra Cliff, which plummets straight into the sea.
Camping at Achziv National Park
This was our first camping trip in Israel as a family, which was also an epic moment for our city-slicker family. Before this trip, we typically traveled to big cities and fast-paced locations. We spent our time wandering busy streets, new restaurants and tourist attractions. But then 2020 hit.
And we had to stay home, and traveling outside the country wasn’t an option. So we slowed down and changed our focus. We started exploring places around Israel that we hadn’t seen. And it led to our first camping trip.
And as a former camper, usually the first couple trips are a bit sketchy with a learning curve, but this overnight Achziv camping trip was wonderful! We arrived early and got an amazing spot. (See pic below). We were able to go to sleep hearing the waves lap against the beach and wake up to the serenity of the Sea view.
Achziv Campground Sites
At most camping sites in Israel, and also at Achziv, there are no pre-selected sites. It’s more of a first-come, first-serve situation. This was different for me, as I was used to being assigned or picking a campground site in advance. But it ended up being fine since we arrived early and picked a great spot!
There are sea view sites, closer to the sea, and their are also sites deeper inside the campground. What’s great about the Achziv campground is that there are lots of trees and picnic tables scattered all around – so most all of the sites are well covered with shade. Which we all know is important when that early morning sun comes peeking up.
Campground Site Tip: Entry to the overnight campgrounds starts at noon with exit at noon the next day. We recommend you arrive early since choosing is based on available open sites.
Achziv Campground Amenities
It helped that the campground had everything we needed for a smooth first camping experience. The site has bathrooms and showers (yes, we had hot water!) and they were actually really clean when we were there. There’s also an outdoor water trough area for washing dishes or anything else that needs washing.
One extra amenity that was a life saver for us was the air compressor hose, which we used to inflate our queen-sized air mattress. (Yes, we like to camp in comfort.)
Our Camping Essentials
Becase this was our first time camping in north Israel as a family, we weren’t exactly sure what to expect. We knew the basics that we needed, but it was definitely going to be a learning curve. One thing that helped me prepare was to make a list of everything we’d need for the trip.
Tent
Our tent is really fantastic – it’s an i-camp tent which is a popular outdoor camping brand in Israel. What I LOVE about this tent is how easy it is to put it up. It comes completely assembled, and all you have to do is unroll the tent, pull it up and click. It’s amazing! Our tent was put up in less than 2 minutes.
It can also fit our queen-sized mattress with lots of room to spare. Plus it’s raised roof allows you to stand up inside the tent. Not at all like the tents I experienced as a child – that’s for sure!
Camping Food
This was only an overnight camping trip, so all we needed to plan for was one dinner and one breakfast along with snacks. So we opted for simplicity. We cooked all our meals on a small compact 2-burner outdoor unit, which was perfect for camping.
We had hot dogs for dinner and Mia had soup that I had pre-made – she’s not a fan of hot dogs – along with cut up veggies and humus. You can’t camp in Israel without humus! For breakfast we made eggs and coffee. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. And of course, smores! It’s not a camping trip without smores.
Download Your FREE Camping List Template
Here’s an example of our camping list. You can also download the template for your next camping trip!
Campsite Extras
To complete the campsite look, we brought our outdoor fold-up “carpet”, chairs, cooking area etc. We brought all our water and beach toys for the time at the lagoons along with things to play with at the site: ball, books, etc. And we realized that we definitely need to get a hammock and a small table for next time!
How Much Does it Cost to Camp at Achziv National Park?
Tents
The price for overnight camping at Achziv with a tent per adult is ₪63.00 (shekels), and children ages 5-17 is ₪53.00. Children under the age of 5 are free. With a National Pass, you get discounted prices of ₪48.00 per adult and ₪43.00. Because we have the National Pass, it cost us ₪98.00 for one night of camping since Mia is under 5 – around $30.
You can also rent tents from the Achziv site. (Check the official Achziv camping website for further information on renting tent prices.)
Cabins
If you’re looking at renting out one of the bungalows on the site, the cost will be at least ₪400.00 (₪360.00 with a National Pass) a night – depending on the day of the week, the season and the size of the cabin. The bungalows typically fit 4 people with 3 beds and an additional mattress. Each cabin includes bedding (sheets, bed cover, pillow cover and pillow), a refrigerator, an electric kettle, air conditioning, hot water shower and toilet. There are also double cabins available. (Check the official Achziv camping website for further information on cabin prices.)
Caravans
If you are arriving in a caravan or RV, you’re in luck! There are 9 RV parking spaces with available electric hook-ups and a central water refilling station. It’s recommended that you bring a 50-meter cable with you. After unhitching your RV, your vehicle must be moved to the park’s parking lot. The price per night is ₪80.00 or ₪50.00 with a National Pass.
Tip: As you see, with a National Pass, you can get a discount on the camping prices as well. Another great reason to buy an annual pass!
Achziv National Park Rating
We had such a great experience at Achziv National Park – especially being our first time camping! The weather was fantastic, it wasn’t crowded or too busy, and the water was the perfect temperature! We will definitely return and camp again – this time for more than just a night.
Overall, we give Achziv National Park 4 1/2 out of 5 ibexes. (The Ibex is the symbol for the Israel National Parks.)
Other Camping Guides
Looking for more Camping Guides? Check out these:
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